Award winners 2022

Bessemer Gold Medal

Prof Robertus Boom CEng MIMMM

Emeritus Professor, Delft University of Technology

Prof Rob Boom earned a doctorate in physics from the University of Amsterdam (1974) under the supervision of Prof Miedema. Boom joined Hoogovens Research and became its director in 1996, responsible for the total R&D programme that included processes, products and product applications of steel, aluminium and new materials. In 1984-1986 Boom assisted in the reconstruction of the IJmuiden Steel Works, Netherlands which was a technologically advanced steel plant with a reputation for quality.

Boom led an international development of sublance dynamic control technology in oxygen steelmaking which at that time had far reaching effects on dynamic BOS control. After the Hoogovens-British Steel merger into the Corus Group (1999), Boom became director of R&D Strategy and Competence Development. After Tata Steel took over Corus Group (2007), Boom continued to perform this role until his retirement in 2011. Throughout his career Boom established multiple international collaborations among steelmaking companies in Europe and Worldwide. Boom is the senior scientific advisor of the Dutch Materials Innovation Institute (M2i), Netherlands. Boom has participated in many international committees and boards of institutes, thus bridging the gap between industry and academia. Boom published more than 270 scientific papers and co-authored three textbooks. As professor emeritus he focuses on process metallurgy and works with Prof F R de Boer on expanding the Miedema alloying model.

Prof Boom is also a co-editor of Ironmaking and Steelmaking and sits on the editorial boards of other International journals. He was awarded the prestigious Brimacombe Prize for 2016 by TMS in North America.

About the Bessemer Gold Medal

Chapman Medal

Prof Rachel Williams

Professor of Ophthalmic Bioengineering, University of Liverpool

Prof Rachel Williams is a senior biomedical materials scientist with a distinguished track record and international reputation for World-leading research into polymers and hydrogels. Williams’ many notable achievements include solving two significant biomaterials challenges associated with the limitations of silicone oils as tamponade agents for the treatment of retinal detachment. This research was patented, and these were licensed along with further patents from Professor Williams’ group to a major manufacturer, Geuder AG, Heidelberg, Germany. In addition to translational research directed at the development of materials innovations for ophthalmology, Professor Williams leads fundamental studies on the interaction of cells with materials, and has an exceptional academic track record. She has secured over £14 million in grant income, supervised 26 PhD students and additional clinical trainees and post-doctoral fellows. Her publication track record is impressive, with well over 130 high quality peer reviewed scientific papers and 4 patents.

The Chapman Medal is globally the most prestigious award that recognises both excellent biomaterials research and its sustained translation for industrial and patient benefit. On the basis of the evidence summarised here and in the attached supporting documents, Professor Rachel Williams has an excellent fit with the citation for this award and she is therefore recommended without reservation.

About the Chapman Medal

Griffith Medal

Prof Judith Driscoll FREng CEng FIMMM

Professor of Materials Science, University of Cambridge

Prof Judith Driscoll is distinguished for world-leading contributions to functional electronics materials and is one of the leading materials scientists of our time. Her pioneering thin film nanoengineering and process methodologies have led to unprecedented materials performance.

Her seminal contributions, from ground-breaking advances to pioneering work leading to completely new areas, include:
- Novel film nanoengineering production methodologies applied to superconductor wire, taken up by more than 5 companies, including the wire currently being used in prototype fusion magnet windings.
- Outstanding performance of electrochemical thin films; applications ranging from solid oxide cells to nanoionic electronics devices. Her innovations in this area form a core element of the EU project, EPISTORE, for water electrolysis, and also led to her Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies.
- Excellent light harvesting performance material; based on high-performance, benign, stable and the readily-processable material, BiOI. Most recently, Driscoll and her collaborators showed this to be an excellent indoor light-harvester for power inverters and the most sensitive x-ray detector material to-date and a very high performance photocatalyst.
- Unprecedented performance of ferroics; the world’s first room-temperature converse magnetoelectric where magnetic anisotropy is switched from out-of-plane to in-plane using an electric field. Triple composite films were grown by self-assembly [8]. The test devices have great promise for low power non-volatile memory and neuromorphic computing. Recently, she achieved world-leading ultrahigh dielectric energy storage density in films, using a combination of her novel thin film growth and nanoengineering concepts [9, 10].

In summary, Driscoll’s inspirational and seminal research contributions, combined with unstinting service for the scientific and engineering communities, make her an outstanding candidate for the prestigious Griffith Medal.

About the Griffith Medal

Medal for Excellence

Alan Kirk CEng HonFIMMM

Former Chief Mechanical Engineer, British Coal Corporation 

Alan Kirk has been involved in Professional Institutes for the majority of his working life and into his retirement. Kirk started his industrial career as a mechanical craft apprentice in the then NCB in 1956, being transferred onto the student apprenticeship scheme 2 years later, followed by a spell as a technical Assistant at No5 Area HQ Worsborough Hall to broaden his managerial and technical experience. He was then given his first substantive managerial postings at several collieries as an Assistant Mechanical Engineer, before transferring to Grimethorpe Colliery as Deputy Mechanical Engineer and then Colliery Mechanical Engineer. Upon his retirement from British Coal at privatisation in 1995, Alan became a Self-Employed Consulting Engineer and Expert Witness, travelling to countries such as South Africa and North Korea to investigate incident and give advice. His duties involved preparing technical reports on various engineering aspects especially surrounding mine shaft safety and belt mineral conveying technologies. 

Alan has devoted a lot of his energies to encouraging younger engineers to develop their professional skills and achieve professional status through a professional institute, to demonstrate their judgement and expertise in their particular sphere of engineering. He has sat on European Standards Committees during his working career and has also served as an IOM3 trained assessor for CEng interviews and chaired many professional review interviews over several years. He is always available to give clear and concise advice and guidance on professional matters and encourage confidence and professionalism amongst his friends and colleagues.

About the Medal for Excellence

Silver Medal

Dr Han Zhang CEng CSci MIMMM

Senior Lecturer in Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London 

Zhang completed his PhD in 2016 with more than 10 publications from his PhD research. Since 2021, he has been appointed to join the EPSRC Early Career Forum in Manufacturing Research, contributing to advancing the UK's international reputation in manufacturing research, through developing inter-disciplinary research agendas and impacting upon research policy development. Since his PhD, Zhang has made a significant contribution to the field of multifunctional polymer composites. He has some of the highest output for early career researchers in composites and published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers. His works are highly recognised by the research community with more than 1700 citations and an h-index of 22, which is among the highest at this stage of the academic career. His research findings have led to commercialisation of new products in collaboration with UK companies.

Zhang is actively engaged with various IOM3 events, delivered a presentation at ICMAC2021 in Oct 2021, and published 4 feature articles in Materials World during last two years. Zhang is committed to promote Materials Science internationally, delivering lectures and seminars regularly in both world leading institutes and universities at developing countries. To support those in their early careers, Han has supervised more than 30 undergraduate and postgraduate students, and as a role model, inspired many graduates to pursue their careers in the field of materials science. Zhang has encouraged many students to join the IOM3, and helped over 50 students to pursue postgraduate degrees at UK universities. One of Zhang’s students who came third in the 2021 IOM3 Young Person's World Lecture Competition is now studying at the University of Cambridge.

About the Silver Medal

Sir Andrew Bryan Medal

Dr Phil Bischler CEng CSci FIMMM

Consultant, Magnox Electric Plc

Phil Bischler has been involved with IOM3 for over 38 years in various capacities, on Council for a total period of 21 years, and was Vice-President for some of this time. Recently, his main involvement has been with Local Societies. He has chaired the Local Affairs Board for 17 years in total, and for the last two years he has chaired Members Board, overseeing the development of LAC and SECC, and supporting the development of minority groups within IOM3 to support inclusivity. However, the achievement I would like to highlight is his involvement with the Young Persons' Lecture Competition (YPLC).

Bischler has led the national event since the mid-1990's and has headed up the World YPLC since its inception in 2005. In this role he has travelled with the contestants to wherever the final was held (e.g., Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia, Brazil) and has supported the contestants for a week, making visits to schools, industrial premises and social events to give the contestants a truly memorable experience. Many have stayed in touch over the years for advice and encouragement. In my view Bischler’ s involvement in the WYPLC should be his lasting legacy, encouraging young people within the materials, minerals and mining disciplines and helping to open up IOM3 as an international organisation.

About the Sir Andrew Bryan Medal 

Swinburne Medal

Prof Anthony Ryan OBE FRSC

Professor of Physical Chemistry, University of Sheffield

Prof Ryan has 395 publications, with over 20,000 citations and an H-index of 75. His academic work focuses on phase transitions in polymers systems covering a range of topics from structure development in polyurethanes, phase separation in block copolymers and crystallisation in semicrystalline polymers. Ryan continues to publish high impact papers in polymer science, with recent publication in Nature Reviews Chemistry, Science, Carbohydrate Polymers, Soft Matter and Polymer. He has a distinguished track record of impact beyond academia with personal contributions to three CoP summits, advising on policy documents, delivering the Royal Society Christmas lectures and a regular contributor to TV, radio and podcasts.

Ryan is a founding Director of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures. The Grantham centre has graduated 77 fully funded PhDs studying a range of topics around sustainability directly generating more than £21M in funding to support its activities. Their most recent project led by Professor Ryan ‘Many Happy Returns’ provided attestation for Jude Allen’s (Chair of IOM3 Packaging Group) evidence to the December 2021 EFRA select committee inquiry into plastic waste.

About the Swinburne Medal