AWE-sponsored research student wins prestigious Kings Norton Medal

Marleen Vetter, whose PhD studies were sponsored jointly by AWE and Cranfield University, has received an award which celebrates Cranfield University’s outstanding doctoral student of the year.

Marleen said: “I am very grateful to receive this award that recognises not only my hard work, but also all those people who supported me in the background within our close Shrivenham community.

“My fellow PhD students and my supervisor were extremely supportive and I could rely on my research sponsor at AWE for assistance.”

AWE scientist Darren Salisbury said: “As supervisor for Marleen’s PhD, I would like to congratulate her on this outstanding achievement and thank her for her contribution to our important work in protecting the UK against radiological and nuclear threats.

“The output of Marleen’s research has provided a great foundation for the development of innovative detection techniques for emergency response applications.”

Marleen’s research examined how polypropylene, the second-most widely produced commodity plastic, responds to an applied electrical field – which aids AWE’s scientific understanding of electronic components.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Cranfield University, Professor Leon A. Terry, said: “Marleen’s achievement in winning the Kings Norton Medal is richly deserved. She has shown innovative flair and dedication to her field, and her work will have a real-life impact. This kind of research practice encapsulates the qualities we foster and nurture at Cranfield.”

Named after Lord Kings Norton, Cranfield’s first Chancellor, this medal is the only prize awarded across all doctoral students at the university