The Institute of Quarrying (IQ) and Institute of Asphalt Technology (IAT) have praised high-achieving students from the University of Derby Centre for Mineral Products at an awards ceremony held at Coombe Abbey, near Coventry.
Following a virtual presentation last year, the IQ and IAT held a joint awards ceremony to present the winners of its 2021 Student Awards with their prizes in front of 100 senior industry figures at the IQ Fellows Lunch.
The IQ and IAT Student Awards recognise those studying higher education at the University of Derby Centre for Mineral Products. Each award is recognition of an individual's outstanding achievement and continuous commitment to the minerals products industry.
Martin Riley, IQ President, presented the mineral products students with their prizes alongside Viv Russell, Chair of IQ. The asphalt students received their awards from Brian Downes, IAT President, accompanied by Lyle Andrew, Executive Director of IAT, and John Read from Shell Bitumen.
Martin Riley, IQ President, says: “It has been a great pleasure to jointly host the 2021 Student Awards with the Institute of Asphalt Technology, reinforcing our close relationship and celebrating the success of our students. The IQ Fellows was a fantastic opportunity to network with friends and peers face-to-face, something we have all missed in the last two years. It was a remarkable occasion and a fitting setting for the awards ceremony.”
Brian Downes, IAT President, says: “On behalf of everyone at the Institute of Asphalt Technology, I’d like to congratulate all of the winners. We’re extremely proud of our partnership with the Institute of Quarrying and delighted that we can continue to support the development of talent in our industries.”
The IQ award winners include Julian Veal MIQ, Jonathan Nicholls MIQ, Martin Yeoman, Fiona Lupton, Kieran McHugh MIQ, Lewis Coxon, and Peter Triccas TMIQ.
The IAT presented prizes to Craig McCorquodale, Colin Redmond, Nicholas Land, Leighton Reid, Javier Alexander Castro Cárdenas, and Ben Parker
Mark Osbaldeston is the Head of the Centre for Mineral Products at the University of Derby. He adds: “I’d like to personally congratulate this year’s cohort of IQ and IAT Student Award winners who have excelled academically, despite the challenges of a global pandemic and the adaptation to online learning. It’s fantastic that we were able to come together as an industry and celebrate your exceptional achievements.”
2021 IQ winner profiles
Julian Veal MIQ, Operations Director at Johnston Quarry Group, was awarded The Goodwin Barsby Award, originally endowed by Leicester-based manufacturers Goodwin Barsby, and a £200 prize for Best Honours Degree in Mineral Management Student 2021. His tutors have praised him for all his hard work during his studies and are confident that he will utilise the knowledge he has gained within his role of looking after a range of quarries in Oxfordshire.
Jonathan Nicholls MIQ, Quarry Supervisor at Tarmac, received the Reginald W Coles Prize, endowed in memory of past President of IQ, Mr R. W. Coles, for Best Overall Mineral Extractives Foundation Degree Student 2021. He also received a £200 prize. As a Norfolk resident, Johnathan particularly enjoyed learning about hard rock quarries and blasting, with which he had no previous experience. His tutors describe him as a competent and dedicated student.
Fiona Lupton, Assistant Quarry Manager at Tarmac, won The Ransomes Rapier Award, endowed by the historical excavator manufacturers, and a £200 prize for Best Mineral Extractives Higher Apprentice 2021. Fiona has averaged more than 80 per cent in all her assignments over the last two years of her apprenticeship. She constantly submitted excellent work and, at times, performed outside of her comfort zone to achieve outstanding results.
Kieran McHugh MIQ, General Manager at Tracey Concrete, was presented with The Peter Preston Award, bestowed by the late Peter Preston, for Best UK Diploma Student 2021, and a £200 prize. His tutors have praised him for his high grades, which clearly show the time and effort he put into his studies.
Two Longcliffe Calcium Carbonates Awards of Excellence were presented to the Best Performing Mineral Extractives Foundation Degree Students in Years One and Two. First-year student Peter Triccas TMIQ, Assistant Manager at Aggregate Industries, impressed tutors with his consistent hard work and dedication towards studying throughout his first academic year. Second-year student Lewis Coxon, Quarry Manager at Cemex Hatfield Quarry, has been praised by tutors for achieving some of the highest grades in all the modules he studied. Both students also received a £200 prize.
Martin Yeoman, Production Manager at Aggregate Industries, was crowned the winner of The Scottish Springbank Quaich Award for Best Third Year Foundation Degree Student 2021 and walked away with a £200 prize. His tutors have said that he has performed exceptionally well throughout the programme, with consistently good work that showed his ability to adapt from a non-traditional learner to life-long learning.
2021 IAT winner profiles
Craig McCorquodale is Senior Aggregates and Asphalt Technician at Tarmac in the North East area, based at Barrasford Quarry in Hexham. He received the Shell Bitumen award for Best Third Year Student and Worshipful Company of Paviors award for Contracts & Business Administration.
Lewis Bolan of Tillicoultry Quarries was placed second in the Shell Bitumen Award for best Third Year Student and Dan Alderson was placed third.
Colin Redmond, Pavement Construction Manager for Kier on the Birmingham Interim Services Contract, and Nicholas Land, received the award for Best Second Year (Joint).
Leighton Reid won the award for Best First Year.
Javier Alexander Castro Cárdenas flew in from Honduras, in Central America, to accept his two awards: Worshipful Company of Paviors Award for Pavement Technology and the Best Diploma Student, sponsored by FM Conway. Javier completed his entire study programme remotely, which meant that most of his online classes were in the early hours of the morning.
Ben Parker, who was unable to attend the event, won the IAT’s Special Recognition Award. This is a new award from IAT and is presented to a student who, in the view of University of Derby staff and IAT Council, has made an exceptional effort under challenging circumstances.
The higher education qualifications, through the partnership with the Mineral Products Centre, are delivered by the University of Derby in partnership with IQ and IAT and go hand in hand with everyday operations in the mineral products industry. www.derby.ac.uk/mineral-products
