Chemical Engineering Students and Department of Curtin Sarawak receives International Award, IChemE MacNab Medal for Best Design Project

MIRI, Monday, 18 June 2007 – Four Chemical Engineering former students from Curtin University of Technology Sarawak (Curtin Sarawak) were awarded The Macnab Medal for excellence in design by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), UK today.

The winning group; Tan Ai Mian, Diana Sim Tze Mei, Fam Chui Ling and Satakshee Jethwani, and their proud parents and friends attended the award ceremony held in Curtin Sarawak.

“I would like to congratulate this group of young women for their great achievement and for receiving an internationally recognised award!” exclaimed Dr. Joan Gribble, Acting Pro Vice Chancellor of Curtin Sarawak.

“The William MacNab Medal was historically been presented to individuals who have provided the best answer, meeting a defined standard of excellence to the IChemE Individual Design Project since 1935,” explained Professor Ali Hashim, Chairman of IChemE Malaysian Branch.

“This year, two assessors were appointed from the team, one from an academic background, the second being an industrialist. The submissions were reviewed by the assessors on behalf of the Institution to assess which Design Project meets the criteria for excellence in design,” he added further.

“The assessors concluded that the Curtin University of Technology Sarawak submission of Floating Gas to Liquid Technology was an excellent Design Project and worthy of the MacNab Medal Award,” he said.

“The project that the students designed was a floating gas to liquid technology in producing at the volume of 50,000 barrels/day of clean environmentally fuels such as diesel and gasoline using offshore natural gas as feedstock,” explained Associate Professor Yudi Samyudia, Head of Department of Chemical Engineering Curtin Sarawak.

“The project proposed that this fuel produced is a superior transport fuel because of its low sulphur and aromatic content,” explained one of the award winner, Satakshee Jethwani who is currently working as a Process Engineer in Deepwater Development for MISC Berhad in Kuala Lumpur.

“I am very grateful to have team members who are always understanding, supportive, strong and challenging because without any of their input and hard work, we would not have succeeded in overcoming this challenge of winning the MacNab Medal Award,” exclaimed Ms Tan Ai Mian who is currently working as a QA Engineer for Sanmina-SCI (M) Sdn Bhd based in Kuching.

“It is nice for us to meet each other again for this ceremony because it brought back good memories of us working hard on this project day and night. Now we know that all those efforts have not been a loss at all!” said Ms Fam Chui Ling who works as a Project Engineer in Wehaya Sdn Bhd based in Miri.

“Of course besides good teamwork, we are all grateful to our lecturers who have given us guidance and supported us throughout our studies in the University,” said Ms Diana Sim Tze Mei who is now working as a Process Engineer for Sanmina-SCI Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd based in Kuching.

The MacNab Medal was named after William MacNab, the sixth President of IChemE and the founder of the Institution who has been actively involved in leading the profession of Chemical Engineering in the UK. He has developed an extensive experience in the construction, development and management of explosives works and it is in this field of activity that he was widely recognised as a leader throughout the world.

During the Great War, he was intimately connected with the construction of many large explosives works built during the War, the most notable being at Gretna. It was his outstanding knowledge which dictated his selection by the Government to compile the ten volumes of ‘Technical Records of Explosives Supply’. He published many papers in the Journals of the Royal Society and of the Society of Chemical Industry.

Above: Winners & Prof Ali

Above: Winners looking at medal

Above: Satakshee & Lackman

Above: Diana & Mdm Yu

Above: Macnab Medal (Front view)

Above: Macnab Medal (Back view)