Prizes

Prizes

The MSc in Environmental Technology maintains strong links with alumni students in the business sector and has been privileged to be awarded a series of prizes from some of the top companies in the environmental arena.

 Winners 2023/2024

Environmental Resources Management Prize

• Bella Jones

Bella completed the Global Environmental Change and Policy pathway on the Environmental Technology MSc following her first degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. Her thesis critically examined representations of human dignity in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, exploring how discourse shapes policy and impacts social justice on a global scale. Now she works as a research project officer on a QAA funded collaborative enhancement project.

“I am incredibly honoured to have been awarded the Environmental Resource Management prize. The opportunity to study the MSc in Environmental Technology at Imperial College London has been a deeply rewarding and valuable experience which has deepened my understanding of environmental policy and global challenges. I particularly enjoyed meeting and working with people with passions matching my own. This would not have been possible without the encouragement from friends and family which give me the confidence to embark on this learning journey. Special thanks are due to my supervisor, Dr Caroline Howe, who guided my research with her passion and expertise.”

Aether Prize

• Connor O'Sullivan (Joint Winner)

Connor completed the Global Environmental Change and Policy Option of the Environmental Technology MSc in 2024, leading a team researching the fair and equitable operationalisation of the U.N. Loss and Damage Fund. His previous experience includes consulting with global companies on their corporate sustainability strategy and reporting efforts, and helping expand consumer-level U.K. electric vehicle charging infrastructure. He is currently pursuing opportunities in climate policy and research in the U.K.

"I'm thrilled to have received the Aether Prize for the GECP term - my sincere thanks to Karen and Zen Makuch for organising such a fulfilling option that provides both breadth and depth of expertise across critical global environmental issues. The capacity to dive first-hand into these key issues through in-depth research is a testament to their profound commitment to students' experience, as well as the quality of the cohort that the option brings together." 

• Charlie Watson (Joint Winner)

Charlie recently completed the MSc in Environmental Technology, specialising in Global Environmental Change and Policy. His thesis, conducted in collaboration with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), analysed various metrics used to value carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. Motivated by a strong interest in CDR, Charlie is now working as a Climate Science Analyst for Supercritical, a leading CDR marketplace.

"I would like to sincerely thank Dr Mai Bui and Dr Piera Patrizio for their invaluable support and guidance throughout my thesis term - I couldn’t have asked for better supervisors. I would also like to express my gratitude to Zen Makuch for his invaluable guidance during the option term; I thoroughly enjoyed his teaching style and continue to benefit from his advice."

MSc Conservation Science and Practice: Best Effort

• Emily Villiers

Emily completed the MSc Conservation Science and Practice at Imperial in September 2024. Her thesis researched the impact of coastal development on the nesting behaviour and hatch success of green and loggerhead sea turtles. The project was conducted in collaboration with the Cayman Islands Department of Environment and has provided important insight into the behaviours of two keystone species, specifically highlighting how increasing development in island states is an ever growing risk to their surrounding marine habitats. The report was able to provide recommendations applicable to the Cayman Islands in the management of their coastal development/ecological interconnectivity, and methodologies that could be customised to other island nations. Emily now holds a job and contributes to the efforts of the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).

“I am incredibly excited to have been awarded this prize. The MSc has allowed me to explore a variety of topics I am deeply passionate about and I have enjoyed every second of learning. I feel I am ready to go out into the world and make real change happen. I must express my thanks to Dr Thomas J Creedy and the other course leaders for their continued support and for instilling so much knowledge and confidence in me as a conservation scientist. Also, Dr Jane Hardwick for her expertise throughout the thesis process. Finally, my fellow students: I have never met a group of more inspiring and passionate young people. I can’t wait to see us all change the world”

MSc Conservation Science and Practice: Best Student

• Will Kelsey

Will graduated recently from the MSc Conscience and Practice. He volunteers part-time with the Global Rewilding Alliance and is a Trustee of Natural Neighbours. His thesis explored the impact of Iron-Age pig rooting on woodland arthropods and birds at Wilder Blean, Kent.  Prior to joining Imperial, he worked in sustainability consultancy and waste management, successfully influencing corporations to place the natural world at the heart of decision-making.

"I am delighted to have been awarded the MSc in Conservation Science and Practice: Best Student prize. I am hugely grateful to my supervisor Thomas Creedy, the Natural History Museum, the Kent Wildlife Trust and Cameron Bespolka Trust, without whom my thesis project would not have been possible."

Nigel Bell Prize

• Yuxin Cheng

Yuxin completed the MSc Environmental Technology program in the option of Integrated Water Management in 2024. Her thesis explored the impact of pet parasiticides on the biodiversity of urban ponds in London, focusing on the potential release of these chemicals into water bodies when dogs swim. Collaborating with the Natural History Museum London, she employed eDNA analysis to deliver a precise and comprehensive biodiversity assessment. The research aims to inform the development of ecologically sustainable practices and policies for pesticide use.

"I am deeply honored to receive the Nigel Bell Prize. This MSc program has been an invaluable experience, inspiring me to focus on my passion for pollution management in aquatic environments. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to learn from such exceptional professionals in the field and to collaborate with them on this meaningful research. My heartfelt thanks go to Dr Tilly Collins and Dr Thomas Creedy for their unwavering guidance and support throughout this journey. I would also like to extend my gratitude to everyone at CEP and the Natural History Museum for making this achievement possible."

Prizes and Awards 

Environmental Resources Management Prize

A prize awarded for best thesis, showing originality and innovation; sound theoretical basis; critically applied methodology; incisive discussion and wider implications and practical application. 

Nigel Bell Prize

An award for the best research thesis on a topic related to pollution management.