The University of Bristol and the Boeing Company have a strong partnership, and each year Boeing provides support to faculty students by awarding scholarships, prizes and funding to support activity enriching the curriculum.

This year’s scholarships were awarded to final-year students Christopher Kennedy (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering), who in every year of his undergraduate programme to date has been placed top of his cohort, and James Finley (Department of Aerospace Engineering), who has consistently ranked in the top three of his cohort. The investment made by Boeing reflects the company’s commitment to supporting engineering and the relationship between the faculty and the company, which aims to deliver benefits across research and teaching.

Shane Bennison, Engineering Director, Boeing Defence UK, said: ‘Presenting scholarships and prizes to outstanding students is one of the ways in which Boeing engages with leading universities across the globe to encourage the next generation of engineers. These students have excelled and are on their way to becoming the engineering leaders of the future.’

Dr Mark Gilbertson, Director of Undergraduate Education, Faculty of Engineering, commented: ‘We are delighted to recognise the exceptional academic achievement of these students. As students come to the end of their time at university and progress into the world of work, the investment made in them by a major engineering organisation confirms the integral relationship between industry and the faculty.’

The scholarship certificates and prizes were presented on Thursday 6 March by Shane Bennison to the two students at a small ceremony and celebratory lunch with the Professor Nishan Canagarajah (Dean of the Faculty of Engineering), Professor Andy Nix (Head of Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Professor Fabrizio Scarpa (Department of Aerospace Engineering) and Dr Mark Gilbertson.