Home   News   Article

Castletown graduate creates history by winning prestigious engineering prize


By Gordon Calder

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

A YOUNG Caithness engineering graduate has just won a prestigious prize and created a little bit of history as well.

Emma Gunn, who is 23 and from Castletown, is the first woman to win the University of the Highlands and Islands Prize for Engineering Excellence.

The award – donated by Willie Printie, former managing director of LifeScan Scotland – is awarded annually in recognition of academic excellence in engineering. Winners are selected from graduating engineering students who began their studies as apprentices and went on to further and higher education.

Emma Gunn with Dr Peter Hylton
Emma Gunn with Dr Peter Hylton

Emma enrolled at North Highland College UHI in 2015, achieving a National Certificate then progressed through a range of courses while becoming an apprentice and a full-time engineer for Nuvia Ltd. She recently gained a 1st class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering and will now be studying for a MSc degree.

After accepting her award, Emma said: "I am honoured to be awarded with the Prize for Engineering Excellence. The University of the Highlands and Islands is a huge asset to companies who offer apprenticeships across the Highlands. The education and support they have provided me over the years has been second to none. A special thank you to Dr Peter Hylton for helping me every step of the way."

She added: "My employer, Nuvia Ltd have encouraged me to continue with education, allowing me to complete the full time BEng Mechanical Engineering course, while working full-time. Learning and gaining on the job experience while earning a salary, in my opinion, is the best start to a career. It has been a lot of hard work over the last six years, and it is nice to gain recognition of this by receiving this award."

Engineer Programme Leader, Dr Peter Hylton said: "I consider Emma a truly deserving winner of the Prize for Engineering Excellence and fully in keeping with the spirit for which the award was intended."

Congratulating Emma, Willie Printie, said: "It was a delight to meet up with Emma, via video call, and congratulate her on the significant academic achievement that resulted in her receiving the annual Prize for Engineering Excellence. Making the call even more special was that Emma is the first female to be awarded this prize and I have no doubt she will not be the last.

"The University of the Highlands and Islands can offer a pathway of continuing education from leaving school to graduating at post graduate degree level. I had to go to two different colleges and then onto two different universities to achieve the same! The University of the Highlands and Islands has this capability under one roof.

"In supporting the university, I hope to make a difference and enable more students to fulfil their academic potential and achieve their life dreams."

Alison Wilson, head of development at the University of the Highlands and Islands, said: "The university is extremely grateful to Willie for his continued support of the next generation of talented engineering students. Emma follows in the footsteps of last year’s winner, also from North Highland College UHI, Jack Hamilton."


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More