AWE undergraduate honoured with top industry prize
Robert Kennedy, an undergraduate from the University of St Andrews, has been awarded the highly esteemed Materials Science Year in Industry Student Prize – sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers-following a successful industry placement with AWE.
During his 12-month placement with AWE’s Materials and Analytical Science Group, Rob has made an exceptional impact – advancing our understanding of complex chemical behaviours, overcoming longstanding technical challenges and contributing to experimental research and modelling. His work has already shaped ongoing research within the team, and his ability to communicate his findings to a diverse range of stakeholders both internally and internationally has enhanced the credibility and relevance of his contributions.
During his placement Rob worked under the guidance of two supervisors Molly Rolls and Amy Newman, who supported his development and achievements throughout the year.
Molly said “Rob has been fantastic in his placement with us here in ExMIS. I cannot fault Rob’s motivation and dedication to his placement over the last 12 months. His technical contribution is having a direct impact on driving the direction of our work, and he has taken on not only the experimental elements of the work but is working on multiple models to further support the accuracy of his conclusions. Congratulations on winning this award Rob, thoroughly deserved!”
Rob said: “It is an honour and privilege to receive this award; I am grateful to the Armourers and Brasiers’ for their support of AWE and the exciting work we do in the field of Materials Science. This event is a shining example of the excellent partnerships AWE has across research and academia in the UK.
I feel immensely proud of the work I’ve completed this year; I owe a huge debt of thanks to the fantastic people around me – in both the Explosives area and the wider MAS community. You have all given me such amazing support. I’ve had opportunities during this placement that I could not have dreamt of before starting here – AWE is such a uniquely fascinating place to work.”
Geoffrey said “The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers has supported and promoted the subject of materials science, and more importantly materials scientists, over many years, evolving from our original purpose in medieval times of a community in the City of London manufacturing steel armour of the highest quality. We now work in partnership with a number of distinguished industrial partners including AWE to further support materials scientists and engineers, and we are delighted to sponsor the AWE – Armourers & Brasiers Year in Industry Prize, awarded to the most outstanding student on AWE’s undergraduate year in industry scheme.
This year’s prize winner, Rob Kennedy, has shown dedication and determination to improve the knowledge of, and confidence in the area he studied, which in the world AWE operates, is very important indeed. I was also very impressed by the skills Rob has demonstrated in collaborating with SMEs and presenting his research externally and internationally. Rob’s development of communication and presentation skills alongside his scientific acumen is a powerful combination and an illustrious career beckons. The Armourers & Brasiers is delighted to contribute to the recognition of Rob’s achievements by this prize, and I wish Rob every success in the future”.
We wish Rob all the best as he returns to university to complete his studies and hope to welcome him back in the future!
