Lead nominator: Professor Nick Leiven, Dean of Engineering and Professor of Aerospace Dynamics
Through Peter’s leadership of Bristol’s Engineers Without Borders society, he has demonstrated a combination of passion, vision and determination. As a direct consequence of Peter’s actions, the society’s membership has increased to over 800 members and he has expanded the society’s Outreach programme from 100 students to over 15,000 in a year. He has brought together a group of University of Bristol students to dispel engineering stereotypes through creative, interactive and development workshops. Peter has also developed a unique Research Network allowing ethical academics to reach like-minded students. These achievements, combined with his organisation of social events, have created a generation of students with enhanced interest and vigour for their degree. In addition, Peter’s unique mix of political and design interests has resulted in him being invited to speak at a debate on the Education of Engineering, organised by the Technology Select Committee.
Peter’s contributions spread outside Bristol as well, and he has personally forged a relationship with the Ghanaian Government, laying the foundations for a development project whereby Bristol students were presented with a real life project to design and create and the people they were working with in Ghana were empowered through appropriate technology, tailored to their needs and offering a means of alleviating their suffering.
His nominator says: “Peter’s positive stance has yielded great benefit reaching beyond just students and academics at Bristol, but to children, both at home and overseas and his subject area as a whole.”