New award to attract young people to acoustics

An IAC product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 29, 2004

IAC is to sponsor the Young Person's Award for Innovation in Acoustical Engineering, which will be awarded for the first time in November 2005.

IAC is to sponsor a new award being introduced by the Institute of Acoustics: the biennial Young Person's Award for Innovation in Acoustical Engineering will be awarded for the first time in November 2005.

Commenting on the new award, Tony Jones, President of the Institute of Acoustics said: "We are delighted to announce the launch of this biennial award".

"For many years the contribution to industry of the inventiveness and skills of acoustical engineers has been undervalued".

"We are keen to see their contributions recognised and celebrated and to promote the area of industrial acoustics across a wide spectrum of engineering applications".

Entries are welcomed from now until the closing date of 15th July 2005 when the panel of judges drawn from academia and industry will select a winner and two runners up.

The judging panel will comprise: Dr Andrew Moorhouse, Reader, University of Salford BSc PhD MIOA CEng; Colin English BSc CEng FIOA MIMechE, a partner at English Cogger Partnership and President Elect of the Institute of Acoustics; Roger Menaldino BSc CEng MIOA, Principal Research Engineer for Acoustics at BAe Systems Electronics, Underwater Systems Division; and Geoff Crowhurst MIOA MIOD, Director of the UK Acoustic Division at IAC.

Jones added: "In an increasingly noisy world the prospects for those embarking on a career in acoustics are looking better than ever".

"The high standards being achieved by acoustics graduates in recent years promise a high calibre of entries, and I envy the judging panel their job of recognising and rewarding excellence".

The winner of the award will receive a trophy, a luxury weekend break for two in Copenhagen with GBP 500 to spend and an acoustic tour of Denmark's new world-acclaimed national Opera House, courtesy of Arup Acoustics.

The first runner up will receive a cheque for GBP 200 and a commendation goblet and the second runner up, a commendation goblet.

Brian Quarendon, Chief Executive Officer and President of IAC, said: "It is great that the achievements of acousticians in industry will be recognised and applauded in this award".

"We are delighted to be supporting the institute in this and flying the flag for this sector of engineering".

IAC says that to date feedback about the scheme has been encouraging.

Malcolm Every, Managing Director of Sound Research Laboratories, said: "The demand for our services continues to increase as noise becomes more of an issue throughout industry and society as a whole".

"I am always banging on to student engineers how exciting a career in acoustics can be; we cannot get enough good people".

"I am sure that this award will encourage young people to see how they can contribute to a better environment for us all, raise the profile of acoustics and consider joining the profession".

Ian Bromilow, Director of BDP Acoustics in London, is also encouraged: "It's great to see an award such as this now up for grabs".

"All too often in acoustics, innovation gives way to convention".

"We positively support innovation in building projects so are delighted to acknowledge this award, a step forward in the field of acoustics, that will encourage forward-looking engineers to think 'outside the box' and develop innovative acoustic engineering solutions".

Entry forms can be downloaded from IAC's website, and will soon be available from the institute's new website.