Engineering student Michael wins Student Excellence award

An engineering student at UHI North, West and Hebrides in Thurso has received the ‘IET Student Excellence Award’ from the Institute for Engineering and Technology (IET).

Michael Budge, from Wick, a student on the BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering programme, won the award for the hard work and dedication shown to his studies and project work.

Michael’s project involved the design and development of an Aviation Fire Simulator for Wick Airport, where he was employed as a maintenance engineer at the time. Michael combined in-depth research with complex analysis, experimentation, concept design, and optimisation, to provide a solution for real-life and relevant training of airport fire personnel.

Michael said “I am grateful to receive this award from the IET. I would also like to thank all of the tutors and UHI staff who assisted me throughout my studies.”

Engineering Lecturer, Lois Gray, commended Michael’s hard work and said: “Dr. Juvenal Dufaur and I are delighted that Michael Budge has won the IET Prize for Student Excellence.  Michael’s expert execution of his project and dedication to achieving engineering excellence makes him a more than worthy winner of this prize.  His application of knowledge greatly exceeded our expectations of an undergraduate student, and this is also reflected in his module grades.  We wish Michael every success for what will surely be an outstanding future in engineering.”

UHI North, West and Hebrides offer engineering and construction programmes from school Senior Phase level up to MSc level.