Benn Thomsen Wins UCL Engineering Engagement Award

18 May, 2015

UNLOC's Dr Benn Thomsen has been recognised for his work with young people and schools in the inaugural UCL Provost's Engineering Engagement Awards.

He picked up the award for "UCL Engineering Engager of the Year" in the category of "Academic / Research Staff (Grade 8+)" at a ceremony held at UCL yesterday evening.

Dr Thomsen is an experienced communicator who has taken the lead in many engagement activities. The official UCL Engineering press release explains why Benn won the award: "His long-term commitment, passion and energy as well as his drive in transferring knowledge of engineering is remarkable. He has been directly or indirectly involved in every single engagement activity in his department and beyond. Over the past year, Benn has spent many hours, tirelessly developing and delivering innovative hands-on engineering activities that enthuse as much children and young people as they do their parents and teachers. During the sessions themselves, his enthusiasm, quality of his engagement and constant attention to let the participant find most of the answers by themselves, have made both young audiences as well as teachers and industry partners speak so highly of his work and its impact."

The Provost's Engineering Engagement Awards celebrate the work that the staff and students of UCL's Faculty of Engineering Sciences put into communicating their research to children and young people. They aim to recognise those whose engagement work is particularly high-quality or innovative in nature.