Aerospace university award winners announced

The latest aerospace university awards for the current livery year have been made and the students have all received their award funds which will make a real difference in helping them to complete their projects and their studies to a high standard.

A consistently high number of applications for the awards was received this year and this cadre included some very capable young people indeed, from which very worthy winners have been selected and are commended to the Livery. It is quite honest to state that if we had the funds, we could have made genuinely sensible awards to each and every one of the short listed and interviewed applicants.

It is notable that we are now reaching these young people earlier in their study periods, which means our awards make a more significant difference, an investment in support of their studies, rather than being an after-achievement reward. Please support these young people in the future with advice, encouragement or even project support and placements where you may be able or willing.

The Sir Sydney Camm award is for up to £5,000 and is awarded to enhance undergraduate studies. This year the prize has been jointly awarded with the total funds shared between two very capable young people.

David Konya

David Konya is a young man who has just begun studying for a BEng in aerospace engineering at the University of East London, a new addition to our list of supported universities this year. David is a graduate and a success story from the college course in aviation studies, which is run by Freeman Simon Witts and was previously known as the IASTI programme, but which has now morphed into the more comprehensive Aviation Generation Programme.

David lives in the east end of London with his mother and achieved three distinction star grades at A level equivalent, through hard work and effort, and was one of two graduates from the college course to gain a university engineering place. We are pleased to support him through his BEng studies at university.

Maria Gutu

Maria Gutu moved to the UK in 2017 from Europe without being able to speak English at the time, and worked whilst learning the language for three years until she could qualify to attend university. Maria completed a foundation degree at Brunel University and has a part time job with a small engineering company making specialist bearings, where she works on research, managerial and hands on fabrication tasks.

Maria is now a second-year aerospace BEng student where her strong work ethic and academic profile has led to her gaining a place on a four-week research project at Kasetsart University. She has won a one-year internship with Rolls Royce aero engines for her third year of her studies. We are very pleased to support her additional project work and help enhance her achievements. Outside of university, Maria is a capable marathon runner.

The Sir Frederick Handley Page award is for up to £5,000 and is awarded to enhance Masters’ level studies.

Chibuzo Chimeka

Chibuzo Chimeka moved to Ireland as a young teenager with his family where he went to school. After a while he realised that his parents were becoming disappointed in his achievements. Chibuzo looked in the mirror and entirely of his own volition decided to make his parents proud of him, he then gained exceptional grades at school.

With an interest in aviation, aircraft and engineering, Chibuzo gained places at university through the engineering diploma route and is now studying an MEng in aerospace engineering at Brunel University London, specialising his dissertation in different energy and hydrogen power sources for aircraft and spacecraft.

We are again proud to support his dissertation by helping him access books, computer software and research summits that he would otherwise probably not be able to obtain access to.

The Eric Beverley award is made at PhD level for up to £4,000 to enhance the winner’s studies. The award has previously been given to students to allow them to travel to international conferences, but this year the award has been made to Emmanuelle Rosati Azevedo, a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) at Imperial College London who also works part time as a propulsion engineer in the R&D department at URA Thrusters Ltd. She is researching hall thruster operations using water vapor as a propellant. Emmanuelle’s primary focus is to conduct experiments to measure the thruster’s performance through direct thrust measurements, a PhD project which is in the early stages at Imperial College.

Emanuelle Rosati Azevedo

Her meticulous approach to the experimental design and execution has been evident in the quality of data she has produced but she requires some additional equipment to develop her research. The award will support Emmanuelle’s project and research by funding some of the necessary additional equipment which will remain with the university aero department once her PhD is complete.

If any Liverymen would like more information about these very capable young people, then please contact Steward Neil Sheath.

The aerospace engineering awards for the current livery year will be made at the end of March so tune in to Coachlines next month for the next instalment.

The next round of aerospace awards will be open for applications in September 2024 and details of these awards can be found on our website here.