Civil engineering stars recognised at ICE Scotland Awards

The annual awards celebrate Scottish civil engineering professionals who have shown outstanding dedication to their field. Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Glasgow, the event hosts over 800 engineers from across Scotland.

Highlighting the impact of the night, ICE Scotland regional director Matt Lancashire said: “These awards provide a fantastic platform to celebrate the outstanding contributions and expertise of civil engineers across Scotland. They showcase the profession’s crucial role in driving sustainable economic growth, while recognising the diverse talent shaping the future of our communities.”

Mike Murray, senior teaching fellow at the University of Strathclyde, took home the Inspiration and Support award after impressing the judges with his commitment to helping students find practical engineering experience. During his 27 years at the university, Murray has helped arrange partnerships with over 325 mentors, hosted over 145 workshops and supported over 1200 students to find work experience.

Upon receiving his award, Mike said: “I am delighted and honoured to be recognised by ICE Scotland for my work with students and graduates. By providing learning opportunities for mentees and mentors to engage in Initial Professional Development, it has been incredibly rewarding to see how my efforts have encouraged collegial behaviour, and that this has enhanced the education and training of civil engineers.”

The most coveted prize of the night was the Outstanding Contribution award, given to those who have gone above and beyond to help the ICE and Scotland’s wider civil engineering community.

This year’s award was given to Alford-based Jim Young, a consultant at Recycl8. His relationship with the ICE spans over 51 years, where he has spent countless hours volunteering as a STEM ambassador, serving a term as president of the Aberdeen Association of Civil Engineers, chairing the ICE Scotland committee and being a key member of our policy and external affairs committee.

The judges were impressed by Young’s passion for the industry, where he brings an incredible dedication to sustainability and innovation. Young said “Being involved with ICE over the years has been really rewarding. It’s allowed me to do things I never thought I’d do and achieve things I never thought I’d achieve. It’s helped make for me what has been a wonderful and fulfilling career in Civil Engineering. This award really is a huge honour.”

Other winners of the night include Corey Boyle, an Edinburgh-based student who received the Princess Royal Award for Emerging Engineers after his study demonstrating the feasibility of using tram-trains to reopen Edinburgh’s South Suburban Railway (South Sub) to passengers. Further to winning the award within the Scotland region, Boyle’s impressive paper was awarded the international prize, beating engineering students from across the globe.

Engineering entrepreneur, Wendy White-Finnigan, took home the evening’s sustainability prize after providing carbon literacy training to over 100 engineers. White-Finnigan is the founder and director of ‘The Way Forward 2045’, using her knowledge in sustainability to start her own programme recognised by the Scottish government.

The 120th Annual ICE Glasgow and West of Scotland Branch Dinner and ICE Scotland Awards Ceremony was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Glasgow on 13 November and was sponsored by Interspan, Arup, MHB Consultants, Lochwynd, WSP, George Leslie, Turner and Townsend, Temporary Works Forum, Waterman Aspen and Tech Ex Consulting.

A full list of this year’s winners is available here.