Special prize honours much-missed Lancaster University professor

The Boylan Prize will serve as a lasting tribute to Prof John Boylan, a distinguished scholar and professor of business analytics within the Department of Management Science.

The Boylan Prize has been created through a generous gift of £10,000 in John’s memory.

A prize of £1,000 will be awarded annually to a PhD student in the Department of Management Science.

John joined LUMS in 2014 and was the head of the Department of Management Science from 2017 to 2020. He sadly passed away in 2023.

During his time in LUMS, John was known for his dedication to fostering and celebrating student achievement, and believed strongly in the transformative power of academic awards, both for their monetary value and their long-term career impact.

Boylan Prize winners will be selected by staff in the department based on merit, research quality, and academic achievements. It will highlight and celebrate excellence within the Lancaster’s postgraduate community.

The annual £1,000 award will both support the recipient’s academic journey and serve as a significant accolade to enhance their CV and future career prospects.

“The Boylan Prize stands as a celebration of Prof Boylan’s immense contributions to the department, his enduring legacy of academic excellence and his passion for supporting the next generation of scholars,” said Dr Anna-Lena Sachs, a senior lecturer in the Department of Management Science, and a close colleague of Prof Boylan.

“John had a profound impact on many in our community during his tenure, and this philanthropic donation in his name will ensure his unwavering dedication to student success continues to be celebrated.

“The Department of Management Science looks forward to awarding the first Boylan Prize in 2025 and celebrating the remarkable achievements of our postgraduate students in John’s honour.”

For further information about the Boylan Prize, go online at https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/our-departments/management-science/