Unfortunately, we are unable to celebrate graduation until Easter 2021 due to COVID-19, but we have decided to celebrate by showing the world how amazing our Graduates are!

The Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Department are extremely proud of the way our Class of 2020 completed their final year - they excelled in their final months as students in spite of the issues thrown at them by the current pandemic and they have grown over the course of their studies, not only to become ready for furthering their academic and industrial futures, but also as individual adults, to become the incredible people that they are.

Below are the finalist prize winners for this year, with quotes from them - we hope that you will celebrate with them and us!

Marco Gregg Clark - BAE Systems Prize for Aerospace Engineering - awarded annually to the student graduating in Aerospace Engineering who produced the best personal project at either BEng or MEng

"I am extremely honoured to receive this award for my final year project. The difficult circumstances we have all faced in the past few months presented a number of challenges during this project; and I must thank my supervisor Dr Paul Cunningham, as well as my friends and colleagues, for their support throughout. It has been a very challenging year, but to receive this prize is the perfect way to end my time at Loughborough."

Ben Jenner - Royal Aeronautical Society Prize - awarded to the best all-round final year Aeronautical Engineering student and nominated for the Mark Powell Memorial Prize - awarded to an undergraduate Aeronautical Engineering student who has significantly contributed in promoting or developing activities aligned to the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering in some way

"After a wonderful 5 years at Loughborough, I am very honoured to be receiving the Royal Aeronautical Society Prize and to have also been nominated for the Mark Powell Memorial Prize. I have thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of my time at the University, from studying the degree to the clubs and societies.  I am extremely grateful to the department for the academic side of this excellent experience and am particularly grateful to the members of academic staff who always had time to answers questions 1 to 1." 

Ben is due to start a graduate role at Frazer-Nash Consultancy in September. 

Christopher Ray - Churchill Prize - awarded to the Aeronautical Engineering undergraduate student with the best individual research project in the field of applied aerodynamics

"My project is the piece of work I am most proud of from my time at Loughborough, especially considering the extraordinary circumstances all students have faced this academic year! I’d like to thank my project supervisors (Prof Martin Passmore, Dr Andrew Garmory and Dr Graham Hodgson) for proposing a great project that I could get stuck into and also for their support. Additionally, I’d like to thank my family and friends for their advice and continuous support throughout my time at university."

Chris is due to start as a Graduate Aerodynamicist at Williams Racing F1 Team.

Andrew Stringer - Ford Final Year Automotive Engineering Prize - awarded to the final-year MEng Automotive Engineering student with the highest overall degree mark

Andrew is currently incredibly busy in his world, but we will be updating his part of this news item in the coming weeks!

‌‌

Yuta Kimura - Jonathan Young Memorial Prize - awarded to the student submitting the best applied final year project on the degree programme in Automotive Engineering in the view of the programme board.  Jonathan Young was an Automotive Engineering undergraduate at the University who undertook a final year project which involved taking measurements from an electric go-cart. He stayed in the University's Electric Vehicle lab following his graduation to carry on working on the electric kart. In August 1995 he won the Top Gear Challenge Cup at the international electric vehicle meeting at Mallory Park. He died tragically prior to starting a job in industry. This prize in funded jointly by his father and the University. 

"I am very proud of being awarded such an honourable award.  I would like to thank everyone who supported my final year project as it could not have been achieved without them."

Yuta is planning on coming back to Loughborough University again in September to undertake an MSc in Automotive Engineering.

Hannah Langridge - Frederic Barnes Waldron Prize  - a biannual award, awarded to the best final-year student on an IMechE accredited degree in the view of the programme board

“I was delighted to hear that I received the Frederic Barnes Waldron Prize. To have my hard work, dedication and potential recognised both by the University and the IMechE is incredible and it is a fantastic way to finish my undergraduate studies” 

Hannah is undertaking a postgraduate degree this year in MSc Data Science at Loughborough University. 

Vincent Renders - Programme Director Award - Selected for the outstanding BEng Project “Autonomous Electric Bicycle”

“The project has been both challenging and rewarding in equal measure, as well as being an thoroughly enjoyable experience in difficult circumstances this year. For that, I am very grateful to my supervisor, George Mavros, and I’m thrilled to receive this award in recognition of my work.”

Vincent is looking to undertake a Masters this year in either Computer Science ot Electronic Engineering.

Peter Green - Selected for the outstanding BEng Project "Simulating Autonomous and Standard Motorway Driving / Interactions”

"I am delighted to receive the Programme Director Award for my final year project. The project was certainly a highlight of my time as a student, and something that I’m extremely proud of. More importantly, it’s something I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to now use in my engineering career; for this, I’d like to thank Dr Matt Best, my project supervisor, who provided unrivalled specialist knowledge and guidance throughout." 

Peter has secured a graduate role from September working as an engineer on the Crossrail Project in London in Rail Automation for Siemens where he previously undertook an internship.

Jonathan Faulkner - The Stan Stevens Prize - awarded to the student producing the best Gas Turbine Design Project - Professor Stan Stevens initiated the teaching delivery for the subject of Gas Turbine Design within Aeronautical Engineering. Stan joined what was then the Loughborough College of Advanced Technology in 1961 from the Bristol Siddeley Aircraft group.  Stan retired in 1994 but his research group continued to grow. The Stan Stevens Unsteady Fluid Mechanics Laboratory was opened in 2008 and his research group is now responsible for the new National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology. This would not have been possible without Stan’s considerable contribution over many years.

“I am very honoured to receive the Stan Stevens Prize this year. It is very satisfying that all the hard work through out the months of lockdown has paid off. Thank you to the staff members for their continued support though out these challenging times. I look forward to returning to Loughborough in October to complete my masters degree.”

Miki Chu - John S Webber Memorial Prize - awarded to the student or group of students making the most valuable contribution to the Part C Vehicle Design module TTC006 or TTC101 in the view of the programme board - John Webber was a Reader in Automotive Engineering who joined the Department on 2nd December 1963 following 10 years as head of the mechanical sciences department of the research division of Ferodo Ltd Stockport. He sadly died on 12th April 1973 aged 57.

“I am extremely grateful for the award and happy that the hard work is starting to show. I do, however, have many things to still learn, so I hope to continue improving and become a better engineer for the future of tomorrow.” 

Although we are obviously looking forward to the Graduation Ceremony in April 2021, (and hearing what you have been doing since leaving Loughborough University!), we would still like to say, here and now, "CONGRATULATIONS to you all!" from everyone in the Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Department and the School of AACME, regardless of whether you won a prize or not - you are all absolutely amazing and we look forward very much to celebrating your achievement with you in person next year!