IMSE Scholarships Fuel Academic Excellence and Multidisciplinary Learning

We meet the recipients of the IMSE Masters Scholarships and find out how these scholarships have provided support for their postgraduate journeys.

In 2021, IMSE introduced two prestigious scholarships - the Dr Theo George Wilson Scholarship and the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering Masters Scholarship. These scholarships were designed to remove financial barriers and foster equality, diversity, and inclusion, making the Molecular Engineering Masters in Research (MRes) program accessible to a broader range of aspiring scientists and engineers. This year the scholarships have been awarded to Chris Pang and Reisha Chudasama.   

Before joining the Masters in Molecular Engineering, Reisha completed her undergraduate Chemistry degree at UCL. She then worked in industry at a start-up supported by Imperial Enterprise. Chris Pang started his academic career at a liberal arts university in America. He was on track to becoming a dentist, however after the COVID pandemic her decided that his skills were more suited to working in biotech.  

The course is very distinct and super unique. Chris Pang MRes Student

Both Reisha and Chris commented that they were drawn to the Masters in Molecular Engineering course because of its uniqueness. Chris said that “the course is very distinct and super unique” which led him to apply. He went on to comment that the course produces truly interdisciplinary scientists, which is something that he strongly believes in. Reisha, the recipient of the Dr Theo George Wilson Scholarship, felt that the course matched what she was looking for perfectly as it gave her the opportunity “to apply what I have learned to real life challenges and scenarios.”   

There are multiple learning opportunities to not just learn from the professor, but also from your peers. Chris Pang MRes Student

When asked about what they enjoy about the initial stages of the course Reisha said that she is enjoying the diverse cohort and learning from the other students. Chris agreed, and added that “there are multiple learning opportunities to not just learn from the professor, but also from your peers.” Due to the varied nature of the course, the Molecular Engineering cohort is very academically diverse. With backgrounds in Chemical Engineering, Materials, Bio Engineering and more, the students can learn from each other and share their differing skill sets.  

Looking to the future, Chris is looking forward to learning more skills form

the taught modules in the course. Reisha is excited about the 6- month project and using the skills learned in the modules and applying them to tasks within industry.  

The Molecular Engineering MRes program is inherently interdisciplinary, equipping students with the skills required for research that transcends the boundaries between science and engineering. The educational component of the course is an overview of molecular science and engineering. Following the taught modules students engage in a 6-month research project in collaboration with an industrial partner, allowing the students to apply their knowledge to real life challenges.  

The scholarship gave me a confidence boost. Reisha Chudasama MRes Student

On how the scholarship will or has helped them with their studies, Reisha and Chris both commented on how the scholarship has given more financial security and eased financial burdens especially with the cost-of-living crisis in London. Reisha also said that receiving the scholarship “gave me a confidence boost.” Similarly, Chris commented that “it really validates my accomplishments and what I've done so far. It also gives me inspiration to go further and to keep pushing.” 

The IMSE Scholarships have allowed Chris and Reisha to continue their studies with reduced financial burden, and has also given them the confidence to purse higher education. The multidisciplinary nature of the course has allowed them to expand their academic perspectives through a varied peer group and a cross-disciplinary curriculum. 

Find out more about the Dr George Theo Wilson scholarship and the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering Scholarship. You can also apply for the Masters in Molecular Engineering for October 2024 entry. The Master’s in Research (MRes) in Molecular Engineering?is delivered by the Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering (one of Imperial’s Global Challenge Institutes) and hosted by the Department of Chemical Engineering.