Aeronautics PhD Prize winner announced

Congratulations to Dr. Hannes Gauch, the winner of the 2018-2019 Department of Aeronautics PhD Prize.

Hannes has been awarded the prize for his thesis: ‘Transient loading and dynamic response of structures due to pressure waves and deflagration’.

For the best PhD Thesis award, a Departmental panel considered submissions between October 2018 and September 2019. Initially, PhD supervisors nominated candidates for consideration. The panel then assessed theses, examiners’ reports and supervisor statements to decide the winner.

Hannes will receive a certificate and have the opportunity to present his research in a departmental seminar at the beginning of the academic year. 

In response, Hannes says "I am very grateful to be awarded this prize, which I wouldn’t have expected with all the exciting research that was going on in my cohort. It is a great recognition for my work over three and a half very challenging years."

"I would like to especially thank my supervisor Dr Vito Tagarielli for all the time and effort he has put into my project and into my development as a researcher."  

Hannes' research 

During his PhD, Hannes developed models for the loading and response of structures to generic pressure waves in air, such as those caused by accidental explosions. Hannes’ project was sponsored by Baker Hughes – Italy.

Hannes is now a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. His research is across civil and environmental engineering and focusses on resource efficiency in the construction and operation of buildings. More specifically, he is interested in exploring trade-offs between service, emissions, energy, and cost amongst design options in both construction and operational phases. 

He contributes to the development of a software tool that optimises realistic building designs for embodied emissions and costs. 

Hannes adds “I am glad I had the chance to study at Imperial College London. What I valued most during my time at Imperial was the diverse group of people I met, and being surrounded by brilliant minds and ideas every day.”