Awards 2020

The Honorary Fellowship Award - An Honorary Fellowship is the highest commendation awarded by the Institution.  It recognises outstanding service to both the Institution and to the Agricultural Engineering Profession.

 There was no Honorary Fellowship Awarded this year.

The IAgrE Award of Merit - The Award of Merit is made to a person distinguished by their work in agricultural science or engineering or one that has rendered outstanding service to the Institution.

There were two awards made this year: 

Keith Hawken CEng FIAgrE - For his distinguished career in Agricultural Engineering  his and outstanding service to the Institution through his valuable commitment to the Membership Committee

Keith said as he received his award "The IAgrE, as one of many families I am involved with, is a wonderful arena and very supportive. I really enjoy branch and membership meetings and the other spin off activities it allows. Thank you for this honour. I am deeply appreciative."

The IAgrE Award of Merit

Dr Robert "Bob" Evans CEnv MIAgrE - For his distinguished career achievemements and his outstanding service to the Institution .

Bob said "I am amazed an honoured to have been made this award, I'm not an engineer but I know a bit abouit soils, ersion and stuff.  I've been a member of the Institution since the early 80s and always enjoyed the fellowship.  Thank you"

IAgrE Award for Contribution to the Landbased Sector - This Award is made to IAgrE members who have made sustained contributions to the landbased sector throughout their career.

There were two winners in 2020:

Chris Biddle FIAgrE  - For his service to the land-based community through his journalism and for his support of the Institution through his editorship of the Landwards journal

Chris closed his acceptance speech by saying "My time at the helm of Landwards has beena real stand-out and memorable period.  With 60 years working in this wonderful industry I've learnt a hell of a lot!  Thank you to everyone at IAgrE"

IAgrE Award for Contribution to the Landbased Sector

David Kirschner - For his work in maintaining standards and the promotion of land-based training and apprenticeships

"I have to say that land-based engineering has actually given me more personally than I’ve actually contributed to land-based engineering.  Its given me an amazing career, I’ve met some fantastic people and I count them as friends, in fact family."

The President's Award (formerly the Michael Dwyer Memorial Prize) - The prize is to a mid-career engineer who has made outstanding progress in the agricultural engineering industry. The Institution is delighted that there were two winners again this year:

There was no award made in 2020

Branch Meritorious Service Award - Made to members who have consistently rendered outstanding service to their Branch of the Institution or a Technical Group over a number of years, there was one such award this year

Mike Stephenson AIAgrE - South East Midlands Branch - for his enthusiam and contribution to the SEM Branch Committee.  Mike has now moved to Norfolk and will be sadly missed by the Branch

Mike was delighted to receive his award "It is an honour to receive this award and it’s been a great pleasure working with the SEM branch.  There has been good participation and I’ve really enjoyed it – thank you."

Douglas Bomford Paper Award - The Award is offered to the author or authors of a paper which, in the previous calendar year, was published in full in the Institution journals “Landwards” and/or “Biosystems Engineering”. At least one of the authors must be a member of the Institution.

The winner of the Award this year, for his contribution to the paper “Real-time modelling of indoor particulate matter concentration in poultry houses using broiler activity and ventilation rate”  The paper was published in Biosystems Engineering Volume 187, November 2019, Pages 214-225, ISSN 1537-5110

Theo Demmers MIAgrE - "It is an honour to receive this award and a big thank you goes to my co-authors especially and thanks to the EU programme that enabled us to write this programme."

The IAgrE Team Achievement Award - this was awarded in recognition of successful teamwork and demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration

JCB Fastrac Speed Record Team - This is awarded in recognition of successful teamwork and achievement from a young team of engineers through collaboration and innovation

Alex Skittery was pleased to accept the Award on behalf of the team "It was a small team, a really young team but really committed and having that real determination to achieve that goal of getting the world’s fastest tractor record.  Thank you also for the support of IAgrE."

IVEL Award - This award is made at the LAMMA Show to a new product that demonstrates the most positive contribution to the environment,  This year's IVEL Award went to J C Machinery Ltd for their innovative Vredo Crop Drill System

Sadly they were unable to attend the event to collect their award in person but were very grateful to have received the accolade

Student Awards

IAgrE CNH Industrial Award - Made on the basis of a dissertation or thesis undertaken by an undergraduate or postgraduate student as part of their studies demonstrating innovation and practical application in the landbased industry.  There are two awards available, an Undergraduate Award and a Post Graduate Award.

There was no Post Graduate Award made in 2020

IAgrE CNH Industrial Award - Made on the basis of a dissertation or thesis undertaken by an undergraduate or postgraduate student as part of their studies demonstrating innovation and practical application in the landbased industry. 

The Undergraduate Award was made to John Kinsella and Robert Langan from IT Tralee for their paper “Automated gear selectior to enable persons with disabilities easy use of H-pattern self-propelled farm machines”

The photograph is a still from the video John made describing the project - click the image to view the video.

Student Project Award - This award is given to the best final year project submitted as part of a course leading to ND, NVQ Level 3, or similar qualification in land based engineering.  

Joshua Yelland, Bicton College - for his project “Casualty animal quad bike trailer” 

Joshua was unable to attend to receive his award