Dr Kieran Nar
Dr Kieran Nar is an outstanding researcher, with a passion for tribology, research, and inspiring a new generation of Engineers.
Kieran achieved a 1st class Undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield in Mechanical Engineering with a year in North America. During his degree he developed his knowledge and skill in both tribology and Additive Manufacturing (AM). In addition to choosing the relevant optional modules in these areas, he undertook a summer placement and subsequent final year research project in tribology, with an additional summer placement focused on Additive Manufacturing.
Having completed his degree Kieran spent a year skiing in Canada, before returning to Sheffield to start his PhD. Throughout his PhD he was able to combine his love for tribology and AM, investigating the 'Surface, Fiction and Wear Properties of Polymer Laser Sintered Components'. During his work in this under-explored area he was able to broaden our understanding of the mechanisms controlling polymer AM surface characteristics, the influence of normal load, sliding speed and contact configuration to better understand in-service friction and wear properties, and demonstrated the possibility of tailoring friction and wear properties via the inclusion of solid lubricants.
Outside of his PhD research, Kieran has proved himself an exceptional member of his research communities, both within and outside of the University. He has taken on a number of teaching roles, including acting as a Facilitator for the University's Faculty-wide challenge weeks, supporting tribology-related practical assessments, and training and supervising Undergraduate project students. Keen to support the student tribology community, he led the organisation and delivery of TriboUK 2023, an annual student-led tribology conference that provides early career researchers the opportunity to share their work with peers and build networks across academia and industry. As part of this activity, Kieran and his team were able to raise over £10,000 in sponsorship, enabling them to run the conference with no attendance fees.
As a member of the IMechE Tribology Group, Kieran has helped to revive the group’s online newsletter and launch the new postgraduate webinar series (Who? What? Why? Wear?), and is currently working with other group members to produce teaching materials to prompt the consideration of tribology at the Key Stage 2 level.
Having successfully completed his PhD, Kieran has now embarked on the next stage of his tribology journey, as an Applications Development Associate for PCS Instruments.
Kieran is an exceptionally deserving winner of this medal, and we can expect to see him continuing to enhance the profile of tribology throughout the rest of his career.