These awards underpin the Institution’s commitment to investing in the development of young engineers.
Industrial companies such as Rolls-Royce, JLR, Eaton Aerospace and AMEC currently support the
undergraduate scholarships, valued at £8,000 (£2,000pa) to encourage exceptional students to study for an accredited engineering degree. Companies supporting an undergraduate scholarship have their names carried on the awards and the unique opportunity to develop links with students. They are entitled to nominate their student as a Visionary, but most importantly, assist a young engineer at a critical time in their career. All of these students are among the top young mechanical engineers in the country.
Stephen Myers AMIMechE is a graduate powertrain engineer in Product Development at Aston Martin. He really enjoys working on the engines that will power the iconic sports car manufacturer’s new models and says: “There is never a dull day at work!”
Stephen has an MEng from Imperial College London, where he was the holder of the Institution’s James Clayton Undergraduate Scholarship Award. He chose Mechanical Engineering as he wanted a broad engineering base, and undertook work placements in orthopaedic engineering where he worked on artificial hip and shoulder joints, and at SAIC Motor UK as an automotive engineer.
He has a long standing interest in engineering as his family has a full size traction engine, a fairground organ and various other vintage vehicles. “I was always fascinated to discover how these machines fundamentally work,” he explains. “Developing an understanding of the complex mechanical systems that go into these historic machines resulted in my passion for great engineering and led me to pursue a career with Aston Martin.” “I have a broad interest in all types of engineering,” says Stephen. “I have always attended lots of talks at the Institution and enjoy keeping up to date with the latest engineering technologies and industry trends.”
He is keen to share that enthusiasm and has been involved in STEMNET activities in local schools and a Smallpiece Trust automotive event supported by Aston Martin, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover. “I believe that as advocates of the Institution, we should do everything we can to encourage young people to consider careers in engineering. We are in constant need of the next generation of bright engineers that will apply innovative thinking to solve global issues.”
Stephen is working towards being Chartered and is on the MPDS scheme. He is keen to progress within the automotive industry, and looks forward to developing new technologies that will go into the vehicles of
tomorrow. “The future of the industry is going to be challenging as the pressure increases to further reduce emissions and improve safety. I find it rewarding to work in such a wide reaching industry, and look forward
to working on the hybrid and electric powertrains of the future. It will be interesting to see the impact of autonomous vehicles, especially on high performance sports cars that promote the ‘driver experience.’”
He is thrilled to be the Undergraduate Visionary, and thanks the Institution and Aston Martin for their support. “It is a great honour to be recognised in this way. I believe that the future of engineering looks incredibly bright, and I am excited to be a part of it!”
Read about all the awards recognised at the Vision Awards