Institution news
The Vision Awards underpin our vision to improve the world through engineering, by inspiring, preparing and supporting tomorrow’s engineers to respond to society’s challenges. Read on to find out more about our most recent award winners.
Scholarship Visionary: Sarah Barrington
Sarah Barrington has already won a number of awards and scholarships, receiving the James Clayton undergraduate scholarship from the Institution in 2012, as well as the Anne Jemima Clough Prize for Academic Performance in her MEng exams and the Eleanor Sidgwick Memorial Prize by Newnham College for her MEng thesis.
On being named the Scholarship Visionary she said:
“The Institution’s recognition is an honour that I take forward into my career. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity and for continuing to engage and inspire people across so many generations, industries and disciplines.
“I feel that the opportunities and experiences I had at university helped me develop a broad set of skills and prepared me to thrive in a fast-paced professional engineering environment. Without doubt, the Institution’s support empowered me to grasp opportunities without financial worry and enabled me to build my confidence in this rewarding profession.”
EngTech Visionary: Hugh Wotherspoon
Hugh Wotherspoon joined the British Army as part of the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers at the age of 17 and became an Incorporated Engineer with the Institution in 2011.
Hugh is keen to encourage fellow soldiers to engage with the Institution, and has been praised for efforts in helping others register with the Institution through networking events in his native Scotland.
Speaking after being named EngTech Visionary, he said: “In any field, as a professional you want to increase your knowledge, and when you have progressed so far in your own career then you also want to start helping others.
“Since picking up the award, I have become a committee member for the Glasgow and South West Scotland Regional Committee of the IMechE, and in a position of some limited responsibility such as that you get to understand how to develop people and help them to realise their potential.”
“The work the Institution does is a great way of bringing together a multi-faceted industry that acts as a common bond between everyone in the sector,” he adds.
2017 Visionaries: Hugh Wotherspoon and Michael Kelly
Whitworth Scholarship Visionary: Michael Francis Kelly
Michael Francis Kelly is currently completing a PhD at the University of Liverpool, using simulation to de-risk future aircraft operations to the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. Michael has always been interested in engineering, working as a marine engineer along the docks of Liverpool prior to returning to university and completing two internships with Lloyd’s Register during his undergraduate studies.
Speaking after being named Whitworth Scholarship Visionary, he said: “It was nice to be recognised by the awards panel, both for myself and for those who have supported me through my career, such as my parents and the people at the Whitworth Society.
“My two internships, based in London then Glasgow, were an excellent opportunity to apply the theory I learnt at university in a practical setting. As well as these practical skills, it was also an opportunity to develop the ‘soft skills’ needed to be a successful engineer, with internships a great route into the industry.”
Young Member Visionary 2017: Stephen Welsh
Stephen Welsh is a Design Engineer working with TechnipFMC after graduating with distinction from Heriot-Watt University in 2016 with a Master’s Degree in Industrial (Mechanical) Engineering. While at university, Stephen was winner of the Institution’s Project Award and the BP Prize for best MEng group design.
More recently, he led a prototype build team that finished a third under budget, drawing praise from his peers, commending him for his commitment, effort, customer satisfaction and the high quality of work that his team produced.
On being named Young Member Visionary, Welsh said: “I am delighted to receive this award, it is the biggest achievement in my career to date. I know it will only motivate me further to continue working hard on my development.
“I am inspired to be the best I can be by my family and my girlfriend. I want to repay my family for everything they did for me growing up, and to give my girlfriend and I the best possible life I can.”