Physics undergraduates James Mallord, Isobel Sargeant and Pippa Baugh entered the Aegis Professor Undergraduate Competition with a proposal for software that would determine the suitability of oil fields for geothermal energy. They were awarded a visit to Lucideon, a company which researches and consults on composites in several industries with a focus on advanced ceramics.
The company had prepared a schedule of activities for the Bristol students, ranging from a workshop with apprentices and technicians collaborating on solutions to common problems in the aerospace industry, to a discussion of careers in research and development with a wide variety of staff.
The students were also given a tour of the buildings and labs, which included ‘hands-on’ activities – making a geopolymer, cleaning 3D resin prints and examining samples using a scanning electron microscope and a white light interferometer.
‘It was an incredible opportunity to visit a company at the forefront of advanced ceramics research,’ said Isobel. ‘The highlight was the tour of the facilities and meeting all of the people who are devising innovative solutions every day. It has opened my eyes to the amazing opportunities in materials science.'
‘Whenever we host student visits, we always try to demonstrate a working scientific environment,’ explained Lucideon Chief Executive, Tony Kinsella. ‘The students are able to see the application of science and engineering by working with us and understanding customer demand. For me, the visit of the students allows us as a company to understand what young researchers envisage and want as part of their career. It gives Lucideon the chance to engage with leading universities and hopefully have input as to curriculum and related social and soft skills needed from graduates.’
Following a tour of the newly completed AMRICC Centre (Applied Materials Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Company), James and Isobel also contributed to the Centre’s 2023 review, providing ‘valuable insights for the centre’s development of the next generation of material scientists’, according to the Centre CEO, Dr Cathryn Hickley.
Lucideon colleagues didn’t stop at keeping the students busy in the office. They also took them to dinner and even organised an escape room experience!
The team were very appreciative of the efforts put in by their hosts. ‘It was evident that our visit had been very well planned and the unexpected amount of engagement we got from senior members of the company greatly contributed to how welcome we felt,’ said Pippa.
Staff were equally enthusiastic, with Jenny Ware, Head of HR, commenting; ‘We love being able to engage with upcoming talent, demonstrating real life applications of what they learn at university on much larger scales. It’s great to see them begin to understand the different options open to them after their studies. We’re always enthused by their curiosity and passion for what we do.’
Aegis Professor Anike Te, Chief Strategy Officer at Lucideon, who awarded the visit, said: ‘It was a pleasure to award the Experience Day Prize to these talented students. We enjoyed engaging with them at Lucideon and exchanging ideas.’