Anca’s integrity is integral to EPIC’s research output
We recently challenged our staff to identify the member of our team who best epitomised the crucial value of ‘integrity’ in their demeanour and output, and there was a very worthy winner in the form of research manager Anca-Maria Gherghel.
She was identified as one of the five winners of the inaugural EPIC Values Awards in 2024, whereby a different member of staff was acknowledged as being our best example of each of the five values by which EPIC operates: Authenticity, Excellence, People, Integrity and Collaboration.
A pivotal ‘behind-the-scenes’ player across almost every project we undertake, Anca coordinates the surveys that take place among participants on our programmes to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of our delivery, helping both us and our partners to understand the ongoing need for support and information among the people we engage with.
She is also undertaking some pioneering PhD-level research into the effects of gambling-related harm on elite female athletes – believed to be the only study of its kind currently being undertaken anywhere in the world – and is intensely focused on tracking and analysing the findings of other problem gambling researchers to help inform the need of our future offering.
Doing all of the above with unflinching fairness – recognising the need for any research data to be reviewed and presented from a completely neutral perspective to avoid skewing or misrepresenting results in favour of a particular outcome – Anca has become a beacon of excellence among her colleagues.
“She always does things properly and takes a lot of pride in that,” responded one colleague in the anonymous round of nominations, reinforcing the above point.
“Anca is one of a kind,” explained another. “Smart, kind and caring. Her unbelievable drive and work ethic is why EPIC is such a success.
“Her determination to be heard, along with her honesty when something she feels ain’t right, is pivotal to the amazing work the research team do. I’m proud to work with her and call her a friend.”
The research team referenced in that response also contains our research associate Anneke Stols, who was part of a joint nomination from one colleague, who – ironically, for an integrity category – was hoping the rules could be bent to recognise both of them!
Their reasoning was sound, however, with the commendation stating: “These women are the pinnacle of ethical practice, ensuring their work is above reproach and ensuring their judgements are unbiased and rooted in the data presented to them, which is the height of fairness.”
Responding to such positive accolades, Anca herself admitted:
“I believe having integrity in the workplace is crucial, especially when working in research. Integrity must be a part of every stage in the research process, ensuring that the research is conducted in an ethical manner, being transparent and honest.
“Having those values also plays a role in building positive relationships in the workplace and I was honoured to be recognised by my colleagues as someone who works with integrity.”
Keep a close watch on our output in 2025, as Anca has a busy start to the new year, both undertaking and presenting research, so there will be some interesting opportunities for our partners and audiences around the world to hear first-hand from the EPIC employee whose integrity has been held above all others in 2024.
