University of Southampton undergraduates honoured by Royal Academy of Engineering

Three outstanding young undergraduates at the University of Southampton have received a major accolade from The Royal Academy of Engineering in recognition of their high potential.

Second-year engineering undergraduates Steve Delderfield (20), Peter Kingsland (20) and Mark Lee (21) have all been accepted onto the Academy's prestigious Leadership Awards programme. Competition for the scheme is fierce and they are among just 25 successful students out of a total of 118 who applied this year.

The scheme aims to offer support and incentive for exceptional engineering undergraduates in British universities by providing them with carefully planned training and experience as part of an accelerated personal development programme.

The Awards are worth up to £7,500 per student over three years to cover educational expenses and professional development. In addition, students also have access to their own personal mentor.

Talking about his success, Steve Delderfield, a student of the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment, said: "It's a thrill and a privilege to get one of these Awards. I hope to use it to learn about engineering business and to pursue my interest in renewable energy."

Peter Kingsland, who is specialising in Yacht and Small Craft Design and is President of the University's Maritime Society, commented: "The Leadership Award is an excellent tool for unlocking the wealth of knowledge and experience available through the Academy. I intend to use the Award to experience aspects of my subject in far corners of the world."

Electronics undergraduate Mark Lee, who is also President of the University's student entrepreneur society Fish on Toast, said: "This award provides a great springboard into the engineering industry and will mean that I can undertake training that I would otherwise have been unable to do. It will also give me access to industry leaders to network and bounce ideas off. I plan to use the award to further my language skills and to gain an appreciation of some of the world's leading research and development laboratories, such as the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston."

Professor Joe Hammond, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics, commented: "I congratulate Steve, Peter and Mark on their success and am confident that they will benefit enormously from this exciting opportunity. The University has a strong track record in attracting undergraduates of the highest calibre who choose to study here because of our top scores in teaching and research."