Elizabeth (Lizzie) Roberts, Engineering Tutor/Assessor at Gower College Swansea and former HNC, HND and NVQ Level 4 student has scooped the Best Academic Industrial Collaboration Award from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David as a result of her First Class Bachelors of Engineering degree dissertation project.
Lizzie’s project, at Eddyfi technologies UK, Swansea, involved evaluating and comparing two systems that detect corrosion using magnetic imaging methods. By doing this, the aim was not only to measure the differences to promote the enhancements of the new system, but also to quantify the capability of the underlying technology that both systems use.
During this time, Lizzie was working full time at the College, attending university every Friday and completing the project at Eddyfi during any free time that she had.
Her work was made even more impressive by the fact that the project involved a broad range of disciplines including non-destructive testing, electrical, mechanical and software engineering. Lizzie demonstrated that she had gained a full understanding of these additional disciplines; learning about the corrosion systems as well as the fundamental principles that these systems are based on. She thanks her work based supervisor Professor Neil Pearson for providing the necessary industrial support.
“I never expected to be nominated for any kind of award,” says Lizzie. “It came as a complete shock that I’d been nominated, and an even bigger shock when I found out that I had won.”
“I am very grateful and humbled that my supervisors thought the work that I had done was worthy of recognition. When you work so hard for something, it sometimes it feels like you’re the only person who notices the time and hard work that you have dedicated, and it was refreshing to discover that all my hard work had not gone unnoticed.”
“Lizzie’s approach and work were of an extremely high standard,” says her main supervisor, Professor Peter Charlton.
“She’s also helped us maintain and strengthen our relationship with one of our strategically important industrial partners. It is vital for the university to have good links with local industries and Lizzie’s work with the company was excellent.”
This is echoed by her second supervisor, Dr. Rachel Alexander: “Elizabeth worked extremely hard, and took a very proactive and organized approach to her dissertation with Eddyfi. Her award was well deserved, she has done some valuable research and made some excellent contacts. Some strong leadership skills there.”
Previously, Lizzie has been nominated as a Female Engineering Ambassador and was the face of Apprenticeships Wales for two years. She also won the Vocational Award in the British Education Awards for her outstanding academic achievements and impact on the engineering industry, which was celebrated in Manchester and recognized at the Houses of Parliament. Now that she’s finished her degree, she will be studying a PGCE at Gower College Swansea to become a qualified college lecturer.