Hammermen David K. Harrison Award – Congratulations to winner Lucy Guitton

The Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC), the representative body for engineering academics in UK universities, has announced the winner of the 2024 Hammermen David K. Harrison Student Prize.

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Awarded in association with the Incorporation of the Hammermen of Glasgow, the annual award has celebrated the outstanding achievements of engineering students since its inauguration in 2014.

The winner of this year’s prize is Lucy Guitton, 23, who is in her final year studying a master’s degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Cardiff University. Lucy’s winning entry poster on ‘The Science behind Green Cement and Concrete’ explored how waste materials from steel and iron-making processes can be recycled in concrete and cement. Using these materials could not only reduce the amount of material going to landfill but also reduce the need for virgin quarried material. This could help address the issue of waste in the construction industry as well as the production of CO2, both of which are currently major challenges.

Lucy had made it through to the final shortlist of five students who each delivered a short pitch to Engineering academics attending the EPC’s Annual Congress at Cardiff University School of Engineering, who then voted for their winner.

The shortlist was initially narrowed down from an unprecedented number of entries based on the theme “Engineers for the Future.” Ten longlisted entrants were invited to submit full posters, which were displayed throughout the Congress. A panel of judges selected five finalists, who were invited to attend the 2024 EAN Congress at Cardiff University, with expenses covered by the EPC. They presented their posters and benefited from insights provided by a hand-picked lineup of speakers. This offered them an unparalleled opportunity to interact directly with engineering academics at all career stages, enhance their professional practice, and deepen their understanding of strategic and policy challenges. Additionally, they had access to all Congress social activities, including the annual Congress Dinner at the impressive national museum and a tour of Cardiff Bay Barrage.

The award and prize of £500 was presented by Prof. Alan Kwan Deputy Head of School, School of Engineering, Cardiff University, on behalf of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow, during the Annual EPC Congress Dinner. The Hammermen Award was renamed the Hammermen David K. Harrison Award in memory of the EPC’s Honorary Secretary, who passed away in 2023, who had also served as a former Deacon of the Hammermen and had been instrumental in establishing the prize.

Lucy spoke to the EPC about her experience of entering the student competition and attending Congress: “Having heard about the competition through my university, I thought it would be a great opportunity to be able to attend the congress. I was thrilled to find out I had been shortlisted, especially when seeing the list of speakers and panel discussions organised. Attending the congress was a great experience, especially so early in my career. I enjoyed the different talks but also seeing how different approaches are taken to teach engineering in the UK and the role that academics play”.

Lucy also commented “Being able to pitch my research poster in front of the congress attendees was a great learning experience for me. My pitch sparked some interesting conversations with academics on future avenues for this research as well as the feasibility of its commercialisation. These conversations were very beneficial to me as they helped advance my research as well as question some aspects which I hadn’t thought of”.

Johnny Rich, Chief Executive of the EPC, commented: “Every year, the standard of entries gets better and better and this year I was struck by the range of forward-thinking, positive and impactful ideas, especially from our five finalists. As a set, they presented solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges, and it was heartening to think that our future will be in their hands. They all deserve to be celebrated, but as there has to be a winner, I wholeheartedly congratulate Lucy for being so exceptional even among such worthy competition.”

You can see both the longlisted and shortlisted posters on the ‘Hammermen award’ tab here