Marcel is a thoughtful, humble and kind individual. He works tirelessly on his various endeavours and has been an outstanding example to his peers and teachers. At every opportunity, Marcel took time to meet with prospective students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, who visited the Department, wanting to engage with a new generation of possible scientists, not only showcasing... the group's research but also talking about what impact science and scientists can have whilst facing the world's challenges.

Similarly, within my research group, Marcel was proactive in ensuring new members were made to feel welcome, particularly those from overseas. Most significantly, Marcel played a pivotal role after the tragic death of another of my students, Aleix Gorchs Rovira, in September 2019. Marcel translated a large amount of speech and text between English and Catalan, and in doing so allowed us to exchange stories and memories with Aleix's family, and thus to process emotions and grieve.

At the same time... Marcel has contributed enormously to many other aspects of Cambridge student life, going above and beyond to support his peers and to provide leadership in tackling an issue about which he is passionate, namely climate change. Shortly after arriving in Cambridge, Marcel founded the Cambridge Frontline Programme. He established and served on the organising committee to deliver the Cambridge Climate Lecture series, which featured international speakers and was broadcast live online. It is testament to Marcel's initial drive and efforts in garnering support and participant enthusiasm that this event has continued to be hosted annually in Cambridge ever since.

Moreover, he has actively campaigned to educate and lobby the public and University towards aversion of the climate crisis, working with about 30 active student campaigners as part of the Cambridge University Zero Carbon Society, to determine how best to tackle the systemic causes of climate injustice. His commitment... led Marcel to stand for election as student representative to the Board of Trustees of the University, standing on a climate justice platform. He was elected by thousands of students (among three candidates) and... therefore was representing his cohort at the highest level within the institution.

Marcel Llavero Pasquina is a PhD student in the Department of Plant Sciences at Girton College.