Awards recognise teaching excellence, high-impact publishing activities and 56 outstanding doctoral dissertations

The open awards ceremony took place during the Annual Celebration hosted by Tampere University at Tampere Hall on 10 April 2025.

The University of Tampere Foundation and the Industrial Research Fund at Tampere University of Technology presented the 2024 Doctoral Dissertation Awards to 56 recipients whose dissertations were approved with distinction. The two foundations also presented the Publisher of the Year Awards, while the student union TREY honoured educators with Good Teacher Awards. 

In addition, the University of Tampere Foundation announced a €20,000 donation to support the Degree Programme in Theatre Arts at Tampere University.

Good Teacher Awards recognise versatile teaching

The student union TREY presented Good Teacher Awards to three exemplary members of our teaching staff: Tuula Juvonen (SOC, social research), Ida Roivainen (ITC, communication sciences) and Jarkko Isotalo (ITC, statistics). Each Good Teacher Award, worth €2,000, acknowledges students’ appreciation for excellent teaching and its development. The award is funded by the two foundations and TREY.

All three recipients were praised for the versatility of their teaching.

Students greatly appreciate Tuula Juvonen’s interactive teaching style. She frequently incorporates small group discussions in her classes and provides ample opportunities for students to ask questions. She dedicates a great deal of time to instructing students and fostering critical thinking. According to students, Juvonen offers extensive additional learning materials and even lends them books from her personal library when necessary.

Ida Roivainen fosters students’ integration into the academic community. Students find that Roivainen encourages them not only to challenge themselves academically but also challenge her as their teacher. Roivainen emphasises that students are equal members of the university community, just like researchers and teachers. According to students, Ida Roivainen has helped many students to feel less academically insecure and more confident.

Jarkko Isotalo employs diverse teaching methods, ensures that his teaching is accessible and motivating, and creates a supportive environment for learning. Students commented that his teaching and guidance have significantly contributed to the development of their academic identity. Isotalo encourages students to develop their academic skills not only during his courses but also more broadly within the university community.

Three researchers receive Publisher of the Year Awards

The University of Tampere Foundation and the Industrial Research Fund honoured three researchers with Publisher of the Year Awards. The recipients were Postdoctoral Research Fellow Petri Purola (MET), University Instructor Riikka Tapaninaho (MAB) and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Teemu Lepistö (ENS). The award is worth €2,000.

The Publisher of the Year Award recognises researchers who have adopted open science principles in their publishing activities and possibly made their research data openly accessible. In addition, these researchers have actively promoted the visibility and impact of their work. 

Doctoral Dissertation Awards from the Industrial Research Fund at Tampere University of Technology

Doctoral Dissertation Awards (€1,500)

Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences (ITC)

Mete Ahishali, Doctor of Science (Technology), signal processing and machine learning
Advanced Machine Learning for Sparse Representations in Pattern Recognition Applications

Kateryna Chumachenko, Doctor of Science (Technology), signal processing and machine learning
Machine Learning Methods for Heterogeneous Data: Multimodal deep learning and dimensionality reduction

Aysen Degerli, Doctor of Science (Technology), signal processing and machine learning
Machine Learning Algorithms for Computer-aided Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction from 2D Echocardiography and COVID-19 from Chest X-rays

Jani Jokela, Doctor of Science (Technology), mathematics
Mixed Lattice Structures

Firas Laakom, Doctor of Science (Technology), signal processing and machine learning
Feature Diversity in Neural Networks: Theory and Algorithms

Jani Mäkinen, Doctor of Science (Technology), signal processing and machine learning
Coherent and Holographic Imaging Methods for Immersive Near-Eye Displays

Nikita Tafintsev, Doctor of Science (Technology), communications engineering
Performance Evaluation and Optimization of Integrated Access and Backhaul Systems

Soumya Ranjan Tripathy, Doctor of Science (Technology), signal processing and machine learning
Image Manipulation and Animation Using Deep Generative Networks

Mehmet Yamac, Doctor of Science (Technology), signal processing and machine learning
Advances in Sparse Representation: Efficient modeling and applications

Faculty of Management and Business (MAB)

Jenni Kaipainen, Doctor of Science (Technology), industrial engineering and management
Strategic Development of Circular Economy Business in Established Companies: A process approach to business strategy, business model innovation, and collaboration

Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology (MET)

Mohamadamin Forouzandehmehr, Doctor of Science (Technology), biomedical sciences and engineering
Mathematical Modeling of Cardiomyocytes Pathophysiology and Biomechanics

Virginia Alessandra Gobbo, Doctor of Science (Technology), biomedical sciences and engineering
Surface Modification of Bioactive Glasses and Titanium Alloys for Controlled Proteins Adsorption: Towards predictable cell and bacteria fate

Suchintak Dash, Doctor of Science (Technology), biomedical engineering
Global Regulation Mechanics of E. Coli Stress Response

Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (ENS)

Shinya Abe, Doctor of Science (Technology), mechanical and production engineering
Exercise and Proximal Femur Bone Strength to Reduce Fall-Induced Hip Fracture

Arturo Rubio Ruiz, Doctor of Science (Technology), materials science and engineering
Integrated Experimental-Numerical Approach to Analyse the Evolution of Damage at Different Loading Conditions

Timo Stolt, Doctor of Science (Technology), physics
Nonlinear Optics Using Resonant Metamaterials

Mikko Hongisto, Doctor of Science (Technology), physics
Development of Ytterbium-doped Optical Glasses and Glass-ceramics and Their Response to Various Treatments

Pauli Simonen, Doctor of Science (Technology), physics
Development and Application of Oxidation Flow Reactors in Engine Exhaust Studies

Alex Berdin, Doctor of Science (Technology), physics
Holographic Recording in Azobenzene Films: A Digital Holographic Microscopy Approach

Samu-Pekka Ojanen, Doctor of Science (Technology), physics
Multiwavelength Photonic Integrated Lasers with Emission at 2–3 µm

Paavo Heikkilä, Doctor of Science (Technology), physics
Ambient Single Particle Composition Measurement with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Joonas Hilska, Doctor of Science (Technology), physics
Epitaxy of Advanced GaSb-based Semiconductor Light Sources

Doctoral Dissertation Awards from the University of Tampere Foundation 

Doctoral Dissertation Awards (€1,500)

Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences (ITC)

Daniel Fernandez Galeote, Doctor of Philosophy, games and gamification
Gamification and Climate Change Engagement. Building knowledge, developing practice, and studying experiences and effects

Anna-Kaisa Jokipohja, Doctor of Philosophy, Finnish language
Kädet, keho, kieli: Yhteisymmärryksen multimodaalinen jäsentyminen ja kielen oppimisen hetket kokkaus- ja viljelyvuorovaikutuksessa 

Auli Harju, Doctor of Social Sciences, media studies
Julkista osallistumista - ja sen tutkimista - kokemassa

Marleena Huuhka, Doctor of Philosophy, performing arts
Weird Encounters in Virtual Worlds: Towards a theory of performative, anarchic counterplay as resistance

Jenni Räikkönen, Doctor of Philosophy, English philology
Pronouns Separating the UK from the EU: We and us in British newspaper articles and parliamentary debates in 1973–2015

Eeva Kuikka, Doctor of Philosophy, Russian language and culture
“As If They Didn’t Understand That in the North Everything Depends on Reindeer.” Human-Animal Relations in Indigenous Literatures of the Soviet North

Paul Rickman, Doctor of Philosophy, English philology
Aspects of Non-finite Verb Complementation in New Zealand English

Laura Korkeamäki, Doctor of Philosophy, information studies
Historians’ and Media Scholars’ Interactions with Research Data: Research work processes, information needed, and focus formulation to understand human phenomena

Kaisa Murtoniemi, Doctor of Philosophy, culture studies
Kamppailuja kulttuurista: Kulttuurin arvon artikulaatioita 2010-luvun Suomessa

Faculty of Management and Business (MAB)

Jenni Laaksonen, Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration), social sciences; business, administration and law
Taking Translation into Account

Tapio Juntunen, Doctor of Philosophy, social sciences; business, administration and law
Varjonyrkkeilyä Pohjolassa: Ydinaseongelman alueellinen hallinta Suomen ulkopolitiikassa kylmän sodan aikakaudella

Siiri Piironen, Doctor of Science (Economics and Business Administration), social sciences; business, administration and law
Liminal spaces in organizing: Leadership, counterculture and change-interventions

Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology (MET)

Bireshwar Sinha, Doctor of Philosophy, pediatrics
Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care in Low Birth Weight Infants on Breastfeeding Performance, Gut Function, and Maternal Depressive Symptoms in Low Middle Income Populations in the Indian Subcontinen

Vili Lampinen, Doctor of Philosophy, molecular biology
Engineering of Norovirus-like Particles for Vaccine Applications

Petri Purola, Doctor of Philosophy, biosciences
Social and Economic Impact of Glaucoma and Glaucoma Care in Ageing Population

Helmi Suominen, Doctor of Medical Science, medicine
Immunological and Serological Aspects of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Finnish Mothers and Their Children

Laura Saarimäki, Doctor of Philosophy, computational biology
Toxicogenomics Data for Chemical Safety Assessment : From Intrinsic Characteristics to Functional Potential

Valeriia Dotsenko, Doctor of Philosophy, medicine
Unraveling Celiac Disease from Pathogenesis to Precision Medicine: A Multiomics Approach

Giusy del Giudice, Doctor of Philosophy, biosciences
Navigating Complexity - Multiscale Models of Responses to Environmental Exposures: Towards a One Health Paradigm

Faculty of Social Sciences (SOC)

Maryam Hadji, Doctor of Philosophy, epidemiology
Opium Use and Risk of Cancer

Maija Jokela, Doctor of Social Sciences, sociology
Performing Civic Action: Networked activism and its use of urban space

Kathryn Lafond, Doctor of Philosophy, epidemiology
Estimating the Disease Burden of Influenza from Global Surveillance Data: A Meta-Analysis and Case Study from Indonesia

Marko Mikkola, Doctor of Social Sciences, social psychology
Exploring Cybervictimisation: An Integrative Approach to the Dynamics Behind Victimisation

Jaakko Reinikainen, Doctor of Philosophy, philosophy
Making Meaning: A study in foundational semantics

Susanne Ritter, Doctor of Social Sciences, gender studies
Regimenting Bodies, Regulating Lives: Fatness, gender, and relationships of power in makeover television shows from Finland and the United States

Kimmo Suokas, Doctor of Medical Science, social psychiatry
Social Determinants of Mental Disorders in Finland: A Register-Based Study

Jaakko Tammilehto, Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology), psychology
Emotion Regulation: From social and cognitive underpinnings to everyday dynamics

Noora Vaakanainen, Doctor of Philosophy, Finnish literature
Kuvioitu pinta: Multimodaalisen stilistiikan näkökulma 2010-luvun kokeelliseen suomenkieliseen romaanitaiteeseen

Susanna Ågren, Doctor of Social Sciences, youth research
Epistemological Dissonance of Worker-Citizenship: Young vocational students' and graduates' negotiations of societal belonging within the changing labour market

Faculty of Education and Culture (EDU)

Ioana Tistea, Doctor of Philosophy, education
Creolizing Nordic Migration Research: Entangled Knowledges, Migratisations, and Reflexivities

Eenariina Hämäläinen, Doctor of Philosophy, education
Sata vuotta katsomuskamppailua: Yhteinen etiikan opetus suomalaisessa koulukeskustelussa

Oshie Nishimura-Sahi, Doctor of Philosophy, education
Reimagining Global Education Policy Research: The case of the European language framework (CEFR) transfer to Japan

Johanna Kallio, Doctor of Philosophy (Education), education
Ekologinen itsekasvatus: Aikuiskasvatuksen filosofiaa ekokriisien ajassa

Tuomas Tervasmäki, Doctor of Philosophy (Education), education
Tracing ideology in education: Investigations in Discourse Theory