Outstanding East Kilbride student hailed for his academic achievements
An outstanding East Kilbride student has been hailed for his academic achievements at University of the West of Scotland's summer graduations ceremony.
Stephen Cardwell, from East Kilbride, has graduated with a BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, and was awarded the Les Hutchison Award for Engineering, which was established in 2013 by retired Lanarkshire-born businessman and UWS alumnus and Honorary Doctor, Dr Les Hutchison.
The award recognises the best performing undergraduate engineering student graduating from the University's School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences.
On being recognised with the award, Stephen, who now works as a graduate Civil Engineer at Scottish Water, said: 'I'm delighted to be graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering with first-class honours and it has been made even more special being recognised with the Les Hutchison Award.
'None of this would have been possible without the firm support of the lecturers at UWS and their commitment to a comprehensive education, covering theoretical knowledge and technical skills required for a capable engineer.
'My journey at UWS has been deeply personal as it has allowed me to change discipline, with my recent move from an Analytical Chemist to a Civil Engineer.
'I am very grateful for the support of my tutors and am proud of the work I have produced. I hope this expresses how much my time at UWS has meant to me and what the Les Hutchison Award for Engineering would allow me to yet achieve.'
Professor Gordon Morison, Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, paid tribute to Stephen's hard work.
He said: 'Stephen has been a fantastic student throughout his studies, including being recognised with best dissertation and performing exceptionally across all of his assignments.
'Stephen has a keen interest in continuing to produce Civil Engineering research and so we look forward to seeing Stephen thrive in his future endeavours.'
*Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
21-07-2025
- BBC News
Fossilised tree trunk found in Derby park stumps experts
"It is just possible that it was nibbled off by a dinosaur"Part of a fossilised tree has left two experts stumped after they started to investigate how it came to be in a park in stump of a juniper tree in Markeaton Park dates back to the Jurassic period and has been petrified and turned to stone over millions of Stephen Leach and geologist Martin Whiteley said there are a number of examples of similar fossilised trees in Dorset, but they currently cannot fully explain why the stump of a juniper tree been found as far north as Derby. Mr Whiteley, a geologist who has worked at the University of Derby said: "Many specimens have been found in southern Dorset, but particularly on the Isle of Portland. "For centuries, people have been quarrying stone on the island and in that effort they've discovered many examples of these fossilised tree stumps. "The big question for us is how did these characteristic Dorset fossils come all the way to Derby and why? "That's what's really excited us. This is a long way from home. We have a real geological treasure trove here in Markeaton Park."On the outside, we can see a distinctive grain on it. This doesn't represent the original bark of the tree, we think the bark has been lost."Stephen Leach, an archaeologist who worked at Keele University, said: "It is just possible that was nibbled off by a dinosaur." How does a tree become a fossil? Mr Whiteley said: "A fossilised tree trunk is one that used to thrive and live in the past. "In this particular case, these tree trunks date from way back in the geological period known as the Jurassic, about 140 million years ago, which is well known for its dinosaurs. "At that time, this part of Britain was a bit further south than we are now."There had been large stands of trees, probably small forests of trees that when they died, the trunks fell down, the vegetation rotted, but the trunks themselves were quickly entombed within the surrounding sediment. "Gradually over the course of possibly millions of years, much of the wooden material gets infiltrated by fluids, which replace the woody tissue effectively with stone. "In this case, it's been replaced with a very hard mineral called silica."However, the pair have a working theory on how the fossilised tree came to be said: "A line of these [stumps] was created as part of a garden design. We've been trying to figure out when that occurred. "We think that was in the 1830s or 1840s, because there was a fashion for putting these in gardens and parks. "We found that the owners of Markeaton Hall in the 19th century were spending holidays in Weymouth, which is right next to Portland. Most likely they were brought up from Portland on the back of a wagon in the 1830s and 40s. "That's our theory at the moment."
Daily Record
18-07-2025
- Daily Record
Machine that helped Neil Armstrong step on moon donated to Scottish museum
The Facit Model LX calculator, made in Sweden, belonged to Glasgow-born astronomer Professor Archie Roy A machine that helped Neil Armstrong make his "one small step" on the moon has been donated to a Scottish museum. The calculator was used by a Scottish scientist to help plot the path of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. The crucial gadget has been donated to National Museums Scotland ahead of the mission's 55th anniversary this month. The Facit Model LX calculator was built in Sweden between 1938 and 1954, and belonged to the late Professor Archie Roy, a renowned Glasgow-born astronomer and physicist. The machine played a key role in the calculations behind the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which saw Neil Armstrong become the first person to set foot on the moon, something he described as a "giant leap for mankind". Professor Roy was invited by NASA to act as a consultant on trajectory calculations, using the Facit to carry out work that helped guide the spacecraft to the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. The same calculator, which Roy first used during his PhD studies at Glasgow University in the 1950s, remained a key tool throughout his career until it was eventually replaced by electronic computers in the later 1960s. Professor Roy was educated at Hillhead High School before studying at Glasgow University, where he later became a lecturer and continued to teach for many years. His distinguished academic career spanned several disciplines, with research interests ranging from astrodynamics and celestial mechanics to archaeoastronomy and neural networks. He held numerous prestigious honours, including Fellowships with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Royal Astronomical Society, and the British Interplanetary Society. Professor Roy also had a keen interest in psychical research, serving as a Member and past President of the Society for Psychical Research, and as Founding President of The Scottish Society for Psychical Research. The historic Facit machine has now been added to the science and technology collections at National Museums Scotland, where it will sit alongside other key artefacts related to space exploration and astronomy. These include a prototype camera developed for use on the moon, and an analogue calculator once used to solve Kepler's equation. Dr Tacye Philipson, senior curator of science at National Museums Scotland, said the calculator is 'a wonderful addition' to the national collection. 'It is a visibly well-used piece of kit, reflecting Professor Archie Roy's long and productive career,' she said. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'Moreover, when we think of the array of computational power at our fingertips today with our phones and laptops, it is evocative to look at this completely analogue machine and think that it was instrumental in one of the most extraordinary technological achievements in human history, one unsurpassed and even unrepeated in over 50 years.' She added: 'Professor Roy's calculator gives us a tangible link to Scotland's part in that achievement.' Following his retirement in 1989, the machine was kept by Roy's close friend, the former Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor John Brown, who recognised its historical value. It was recently donated to National Museums Scotland by Roy's widow, Margaret Roy.
Daily Record
14-07-2025
- Daily Record
Outstanding East Kilbride student hailed for his academic achievements
Stephen Cardwell graduated with a BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, and was awarded the Les Hutchison Award for Engineering, which was established in 2013 by retired Lanarkshire-born businessman and UWS alumnus and Honorary Doctor, Dr Les Hutchison. An outstanding East Kilbride student has been hailed for his academic achievements at University of the West of Scotland's summer graduations ceremony. Stephen Cardwell, from East Kilbride, has graduated with a BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering, and was awarded the Les Hutchison Award for Engineering, which was established in 2013 by retired Lanarkshire-born businessman and UWS alumnus and Honorary Doctor, Dr Les Hutchison. The award recognises the best performing undergraduate engineering student graduating from the University's School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences. On being recognised with the award, Stephen, who now works as a graduate Civil Engineer at Scottish Water, said: 'I'm delighted to be graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering with first-class honours and it has been made even more special being recognised with the Les Hutchison Award. 'None of this would have been possible without the firm support of the lecturers at UWS and their commitment to a comprehensive education, covering theoretical knowledge and technical skills required for a capable engineer. 'My journey at UWS has been deeply personal as it has allowed me to change discipline, with my recent move from an Analytical Chemist to a Civil Engineer. 'I am very grateful for the support of my tutors and am proud of the work I have produced. I hope this expresses how much my time at UWS has meant to me and what the Les Hutchison Award for Engineering would allow me to yet achieve.' Professor Gordon Morison, Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, paid tribute to Stephen's hard work. He said: 'Stephen has been a fantastic student throughout his studies, including being recognised with best dissertation and performing exceptionally across all of his assignments. 'Stephen has a keen interest in continuing to produce Civil Engineering research and so we look forward to seeing Stephen thrive in his future endeavours.' *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
