Loughborough engineering student wins prize for better beer

A chemical engineering student at Loughborough University has been awarded the Undergraduate Project Prize by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Food and Drink Special Interest Group. Jack Ramsey, a final year Master’s student in chemical engineering, received the award for his project on brewing beer.

Jack’s novel concept was developed while he was a visiting student at the University of Auckland, where he discovered the traditional method of thermally pasteurising yeast had a negative effect on the flavour of the beer. Jack has combined two alternative methods in his project proposal – high pressure and ultrasound – to speed up processing time and potentially improve the final products taste.

The award was presented at Loughborough University’s Annual Chemical Engineering Dinner by Seona Turner, Principal Process Engineer at PM Group – the company also sponsors the prize. The dinner was held on 13 May at the Ramada Loughborough Hotel.

The Undergraduate Project prize is awarded annually, and open to chemical engineering undergraduate students worldwide. It recognises projects with a strong link to food and drink processing, with judges looking for research that is novel, relevant and high-quality. The winner is awarded a £200 cash prize, sponsored by PM Group.

On winning the Award, Jack said: 'I was delighted to be awarded the prize. Carrying out a research project in an area I am so passionate about was a fantastic experience, and has definitely fuelled my ambition to seek a career in this area when I graduate.'

Rachel Cooke, Chair of IChemE’s Food and Drink Special Interest Group, added: “We introduced the Undergraduate Project Prize three years ago to raise awareness of the role that chemical engineers play in the food and drink sector. The prize is growing in popularity and each year it attracts more entries. The judges for the 2015 entries were particularly impressed by the quality of Jack’s project and written report. We are delighted to award him the prize, and hugely grateful to PM Group for their support.”

IChemE’s Deputy CEO, Justin Blades said: 'It's great to see our food and drink community recognise Jack and his hard work with this Award. I'm always impressed with the standard of undergraduate work that is submitted and Jack's entry is a great example of how IChemE student members are advancing chemical engineering worldwide - in his case, starting in Loughborough!'

Submissions are now being accepted for the 2016 Undergraduate Project Prize; find out more via the IChemE website.