IET: University of Strathclyde student to be awarded prestigious scholarship

A PhD student studying at the University of Strathclyde has won a prestigious scholarship from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Jeannette Heiligers, 28, originally from the Netherlands but now living in Glasgow, was awarded the IET postgraduate scholarship following her ground-breaking work with polar satellites.

Jeannette is in the final stages of her PhD at the University of Strathclyde, where she hopes to improve the way satellites monitor the Polar Regions. Her work will contribute to a better understanding of climate change. The grant of £2,500 will enable Jeannette to expand her research and adequately disseminate her findings.

Jeannette said: “I’m very happy and feel honoured to be awarded the IET Postgraduate Scholarship. It is recognition of my work; it will support my studies and help towards disseminating my research.

“The awareness it will raise will help me to further engage with industry and agencies, enabling me to further develop my ideas and achieve my career goals to shape solutions to challenges facing society today.”

The IET Postgraduate Scholarships aim to encourage excellence in engineering research at universities in the United Kingdom.

These scholarships are financed from bequests given to the IET by the late Mr P S Hudswell (a former member of the IET) who left a substantial bequest to assist members with research, and the late Joseph William Beauchamp, who left a bequest to assist members with their education.

Chairman of the Scholarships Committee, Trevor Grimshaw said: “These scholarships are awarded only to the most outstanding candidates and to be in receipt of one of these awards is a particular accolade.

“I would like to congratulate Jeannette for the contribution she has made, and I hope her success will inspire other women to embark on a career within the engineering sector.”

Two scholarships are available each year. They are worth a maximum of £2,500 each and are tenable for one year.

Christopher Spargo, an Electrical Engineering PhD student from Newcastle University, was also awarded an IET postgraduate scholarship. Christopher has been commended for his work around the machinery involved with ‘green’ electric vehicles, in an effort to combat CO2 emissions. Christopher said it is “an honour” to be awarded the IET postgraduate scholarship.

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Notes to editors:

The IET is Europe’s largest professional body of engineers with over 150,000 members in 127 countries.
The IET is a professional home for life for its members and supports them throughout their careers.
The IET is a source of essential engineering intelligence.
For more information, visit www.theiet.org.
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Media enquiries to:

Katie Stanton, Communications Executive
T: +44 (0)1438 765608
M: +44 (0)7738 713867
E: kstanton@theiet.org