Talented Lincoln graduates are celebrating after being shortlisted for the prestigious Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme, which recognises exceptional young professionals within the construction industry.
Angelitia Clarke who studied at the University of Lincoln’s School of Architecture and Dr Feifei Sun who is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate, were selected as two of just seven finalists nationwide within the scheme’s architecture category.
Now in its second year, the Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme provides an opportunity for outstanding young architects, surveyors, engineers and project managers to be commended and celebrated for their achievements. It particularly celebrates young people who have not only achieved excellence in their careers so far, but may also have overcome challenges to get there, or have gone the extra mile to promote construction as a career.
At the awards ceremony, which was held last month (March 2013) at the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) in London, Angelitia was named as highly commended within the category.
Angelitia, who previously worked with Curl la Tourelle Architects in London and is a mother of two, was recognised after she secured funding to travel and work voluntarily in Nicaragua, Central America. She designed and helped to build an eco-lodge in the country using reclaimed materials, which now serves as a space to train local coffee farmers and worldwide volunteers.
Angelitia said: “I’m delighted to have been highly commended in Architecture by the Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme. I have had to overcome many barriers and obstacles throughout my training, but I feel proud to have stuck to my vision of designing and building valuable community projects.
“The built environment really can draw people together and I have enjoyed being able to make that happen. It is an honour to be recognised for something that I am so passionate about.”
Dr Feifei Sun is an award-winning KTP Research Associate, who was recognised by the judges for her work to develop new methodology that calculates the impacts of operational energy use and associated carbon emissions.
Following the completion of her PhD in Sustainable Environmental Design, Feifei took up her post as KTP Research Associate working on a collaborative research project between University of Lincoln and NPS Humber Limited, and the innovative toolkit she developed received the Innovation Award at Ecobuild 2013. The Carbon4CAST toolkit is an innovative predictive modelling tool, designed to help organisations with large property portfolios reduce their carbon emissions.
Feifei commented: “It was fantastic to be shortlisted for the award, and a great way to round off an amazing year following the Carbon4CAST win, as I have also been appointed as Pinpoint Champion by the UK Green Building Council.
“It has been a very exciting few years for me – I have enjoyed working on government initiatives throughout the EU and China, and I am delighted to have been recognised by the judges for my work.”
Dr Behzad Sodagar, Reader in Architecture and Director of the Centre for Architectural Research at the University of Lincoln, added: “Here at the School of Architecture we are extremely proud of both Angelitia and Feifei, and are delighted that their hard work and commitment has been recognised by the Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme.
“They are extremely promising young talents, and this recognition is absolutely deserved. It is also a fantastic accolade for the School and the University that two out of the seven finalists were from Lincoln, and we wish Angelitia and Feifei the best of luck for the future.”
The Duke of Gloucester’s Young Achievers Scheme promotes the construction industry to young people of all social backgrounds and, as a result, intends to increase the number and diversity of entrants into the sector.