IET Achievement Award winners announced

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has named the winners of its 2015 Achievement Awards. Those honoured are some of the world’s top engineering and technology minds, who have pioneered engineering innovations from designing a suspension bridge over the Yangtze River to ultrasound breakthroughs and coding developments which have changed the face of consumer electronics.

The IET Achievement Awards recognise individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of engineering, technology and science, either through research and development in their respective technical field or through their leadership of an enterprise.

Faraday medal winner Professor Kees Schouhamer Immink, a prolific coding inventor, is also the founder of his own coding technology company, Turing Machines Inc. On average, it is said each Western household owns around 9.1 products which use his inventions – an achievement which demonstrates his importance in the field of consumer electronics.

This year’s J J Thomson Medallist is Dr Asad Madni, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, who has been honoured for his distinguished career, spanning four decades, which has produced seminal contributions to the development and commercialisation of ‘intelligent’ sensors, systems, instrumentation and signal processing.

Dr Alan Finkel has won the IET’s Mountbatten medal in recognition of his research in science and engineering, technical and academic leadership, entrepreneurship and philanthropy and dedication to science and engineering education.

Achievement Award winner Dr Robin Sham is a talented and respected bridge engineer – who has most recently worked on Scotland’s Aberfeldy Bridge; the world’s first glass fibre reinforced composite cable-stayed bridge. He was also an innovator behind the world’s first long-span, three-pylon continuous suspension bridge, the Taizhou Bridge over the Yangtze in Eastern China.

Ultrasound academic, Professor David Hutchins, is also the winner of an Achievement medal. He has contributed to the application of innovative ultrasound technologies for industrial problems such as nuclear safety and the prevention of accidents in deep hard-rock mines, and non-destructive evaluation and instrumentation for a future Mars Lander.

Naomi Climer, IET President, said: “We are honoured to present these talented individuals with our top Achievement medals. They have each excelled in their professions, whether in a short period of time or in careers spanning decades; and have made a vast contribution to the advancement of our industry.”

The Achievement Awards are part of the IET’s Achievement Awards and Scholarships programme, which this year provided over £1million in awards, prizes and scholarships to celebrate excellence and research in the sector and encourage the next generation of engineers and technicians.