Ewan Porteous (23) of the University of Loughborough is the 2007 winner of The Lloyd's Register Educational Trust Award for the Best Maritime Technology Student. The Award, one of the 2007 Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) Student of the Year Awards, was judged by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) and the Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust.
Ewan whose research project was on ‘ Wave-Like Propulsion of Small Marine Craft’ was up against strong competition, beating Chris Plant whose topic was ‘ Sub-Sea Electrical Connection System for Offshore Renewables’ from Lancaster University; and Philip Siddorn with his ‘ Wave Energy Absorption By Arrays of Oscillating Bodies’ from the University of Oxford.
The panel of judges, all from sponsoring organisation’s parent the Lloyd’s Register Group, were Francis Udom, Project Engineer, who chairs IMarEST’s Young Members Network and who represented IMarEST on the panel; Jacqui Buchan, UK & Ireland Business Team Manager, representing the RINA; and John Carlton, Global Technology Leader. They were unanimous in their opinion that: “Ewan is academically outstanding and has clearly demonstrated that he can apply his education to an engineering problem. In both his synopsis and interview he demonstrated his passion for the subject and motivation for his chosen career, together with excellent communication skills. His talents go beyond academia and are typically demonstrated by his zest for life and extra-curricular activities. These include swimming (he represented Scotland in 2001/2002 and was also a member of the Loughborough University swim team); and flying (he obtained his Private Pilots Licence in 2002 and has been an active member of the Loughborough Students Flying Club for five years. ”
Ewan, who went to Cults Academy in Aberdeen, completed his degree in July 2007, with First Class Honours. “His project is an excellent balance of fundamental theory and practical application,” explained the judging panel. “He demonstrated strong innovative skills and undoubtedly his positive and proactive outlook contributed to the success of this project. He is a truly outstanding student and a real credit to Loughborough. He will surely be a strong asset to the industry, and deserves to win this prestigious award. We wish him well in his chosen career.”
The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust Award is one of 17 SET Awards made annually. “It is always a delight to host the judging for this important Award,” says IMarEST Chief Executive, Keith Read CBE. “We congratulate Ewan, wish him well for the future and are sure that we will be he will be playing an active role in IMarEST in the future. He typifies the young men and women we are eager to attract to this vitally important global industry.”
Further information on SET and the Awards is available at www.setawards.org; and information on IMarEST is at www.imarest.org. The Young Members Network of IMarEST has an important role to play in promoting careers in the maritime industry which in essence is a crucial and vital factor to the economy of Great Britain and the World.
