Engineering students receives top award

Sophie Frith (22), from North Anston, was given the gong by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) North East.

Newcastle University graduate Sophie Frith has graduated from her four-year MEng Civil and Structural Engineering degree with a first, and the ICE Award is the latest in a series of accolades she has received.

Sophie will return to the university in the Autumn to continue her studies with a three-and-a-half year PhD in cement and nanoparticles.

The ICE Award is given to the student with the best performance in the fourth year of the course.

During her time at the university, Sophie has undertaken a number of professional placements, most recently with Arup’s geotechnical team.

She said: “Even though I had won awards in the second and third years, the ICE Award came as a big surprise, because in the fourth year everyone upped their performance and came out with their best results.

“Civil engineering really appealed to me because of the potential to create things and use applied mathematics.

“The whole concept of engineering is attractive to me and I am looking forward to a career in the industry when I complete my PhD.”

Penny Marshall, director of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) North East, said: “It is with great pride that we present the ICE Award each year, because we get to see great students coming through into our industry, and Sophie is yet another excellent prospect for the future.

“Her work throughout her degree, not only in the fourth year for which this prize is presented, has been of the highest standard and we wish her luck for her future studies and career.”