The 2011 CIBSE/ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Award has been launched with entries invited from all recent graduates in a building services related discipline. Now in its 16th year, the award scheme, which is sponsored by Baxi Commercial, will once again reward its winner with a trip to the ASHRAE Winter Conference in the USA.
This year the venue is Chicago where the fortunate graduate engineer will be a guest of honour. Two runners up will also receive generous cash prizes donated by the Rumford Club.
CIBSE and ASHRAE are inviting graduate engineers from all over the world to enter for this year’s award. They must have graduated within the past two years and seek a supporting nomination from either an employer or their university or college.
The closing date for entries is 29 July 2011 after which a shortlist will be drawn up and those selected invited to give a short presentation to a distinguished judging panel at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on 6 October 2011.
The 2010 winner, Mick Gardner, took part in the ASHRAE meeting in Las Vegas earlier this year and returned enthused about the opportunities the Graduate Award can open up: “It almost felt like a continuation of the graduation process,” he said. “Winning the award and being able to go on the trip to the Las Vegas meeting was an amazing experience.”
Mick, who works for Pick Everard and graduated from Coventry University, added that he relished taking on the role of ambassador for CIBSE’s young engineers at the US event. “It was a bit daunting because it is such a big event. At the student breakfast alone, where I was given a special presentation, there was over 300 delegates – on a Sunday morning! I was able to forge relationships and make contacts I could never have done without the award.”
This year’s judges include ASHRAE President Ron Jarnagin, CIBSE President Andy Ford and IMechE president Roderick Smith. Following the judging, Mr Jarnagin will deliver the annual ASHRAE Lecture to the UK industry and there will be an evening reception hosted by the CIBSE Young Engineers’ Network.