Last month, the Graduate Team hosted an awards evening at UK ATC to celebrate the achievements of the 2022 and 2023 graduate cohorts. The event was attended by current and recent graduates, graduate line managers, and members of the UK ATC senior leadership team.
Upon arrival, attendees enjoyed mocktails while taking in the stunning views of Blackford Hill and browsing Graduate Posters prepared by myself and Rory Gillespie. Ian Sutton then kicked off the Award Ceremony by reflecting on the graduate journey, sharing memorable photos from the 2022 Graduate Skern trip.
Conrad Graham, Head of Programme Delivery at UK ATC, delivered opening remarks, praising the graduates for their contributions to UK ATC's projects and thanking the graduate team for their efforts in leading the scheme.
Ilgin Okan (2024 graduate) presented a fantastic summary of their experience on the graduate scheme so far, before the 2023 Graduate Awards were announced. Gregor Soutar received the Rising Star award for his dedication and adaptability to the MOONS project, while Amna Waris was also honoured with a Rising Star award for her commitment to the graduate scheme, including her efforts in organizing the successful 2024 GradCon.
Two of the 2022 graduates then shared their experiences from their Graduate placements. Amelia Calderhead spoke about her time at the Lyon Astrophysics Laboratory (CRAL) and how it complemented her passion for Doctor Who. Jay Stephan discussed his experience working at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and living in Munich. Jay was then presented with the 2022 Graduate Impact award for his numerous achievements on various ESO projects.
Abi Ashton presented Amelia with the Outreach Award for her work on the Cryostat public engagement activity, which was a huge hit at the Daresbury and UK ATC open days. Ailidh Kinney received the Graduate Programme award from Dave Melotte, recognizing her invaluable contributions within the software group and beyond at UK ATC. The Graduate Mentor Award was also presented to previous graduate Alan O'Brian.
Following the award ceremony, the graduates celebrated with a buffet and macarons at UK ATC, before heading to a local pub.
On behalf of the UK ATC graduates, thank you to Katie Whitaker Moon and Ian Sutton for organizing and hosting this memorable event, wrapping up the 2022 cohorts' graduate experience at STFC.
