The ICE 2010 Graduate and Student Papers Competition (GSPC) this year was won by Lee Franck from Ove Arup & Partners Ltd. Lee is 25 and graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in 2009 with a MSc in Civil Engineering, specialising in Structural Engineering.
ICE caught up with Lee to see how she felt about winning.
So, Lee, how did you feel in the run up to the final?
Even though I got some positive feedback about my project from fellow students and professors at my university, I never really thought my project would catch the attention of a panel of leaders in the professional world. Since there are several rounds in the run up to the final, I just decided to take them step by step, without expecting too much, just always trying to be prepared.
How do you feel about winning?
I feel very passionate about my project and had the best months at university when working on it. I didn’t expect such a receptive reaction from people outside of my uni. After the event, some people from the audience came up to me and wished me good luck for the project and said they hoped my footbridge would become a reality, which meant a lot to me. I feel very honored that the Judges chose my paper as the winning entry.
What skills do you think you have gained or improved as a result of entering the competition?
Whilst preparing the presentation, I had to learn to focus on what would be most interesting to the reader and the audience. I had to structure all ideas and thoughts and put myself into the position of someone who had never heard about my project before. I got some important feedback on presentation skills from people at work too. Most importantly, I think I became more confident and comfortable presenting in front of an audience, which I’ll definitely benefit from in the future.
What are your civil engineering hopes for the future?
Standing at the very beginning of my career, my main focus is to broaden my knowledge as much as I can in the next few years. Be curious, ask lots of questions, be inspired, be more independent and confident. My aspiration lies in design and finding solutions to technical challenges whilst having the freedom to explore my creativity. I have no clear idea about what the next steps will be exactly; I just expect them to be exciting and challenging!
Would you encourage others to submit a paper for the GSPC?
Yes! The GSPC is a great opportunity to raise interest about research topics or interesting projects you’ve worked on to a broad audience. It allowed me to connect with professionals at my level and above, exchange experiences and seek advice. I also got the chance to work on my presentation skills, and by doing so become much more confident.