A life for design - Sheffield Hallam University

28
A
professor who has spent
more than 27 years giving
graduates a successful start
to their career, and an associate who
has spearheaded an eco-friendly
collaboration between University
and business, have had their skills
acknowledged by the Right Hon
Vince Cable MP.
The Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills was the guest
of honour as Professor Graham
Cockerham and associate Simon
Pykett lifted gongs at a London
awards ceremony dedicated to
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
between Universities and businesses.
The annual Knowledge Transfer
Partnership (KTP) Awards honour
and celebrate the country’s best
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
and the ‘Business Leaders of
Tomorrow’. The awards recognise the
outstanding partnerships fostered
through the KTP programme, which
Review Feature Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Leadership
of tomorrow
The University prides itself on great links
with local and regional businesses, so it
was great to see this recognised in the 2011
Knowledge Transfer Partnership awards.
By Laurie Harvey
supports partnerships between
businesses, academic institutions
and graduate associates.
Sheffield Hallam’s Knowledge
Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate
Simon Pykett lifted the Business
Leader of Tomorrow award at the
Innovate11 awards, and Professor
Cockerham received a special
prize for a career at the University
spanning back to 1970.
Simon’s accolade was for his work
with Penny Hydraulics, based in
North Derbyshire, in which he led
a project to help the company clear
storage ponds in Sellafield of nuclear
waste.
His work has now led to a full-time
position in their team which he will
start in March 2012.
Simon, 25, was appointed as a project
manager in Penny Hydraulics’ newlyestablished
nuclear team through
its KTP association with Sheffield
Hallam, in which recent University
graduates get the opportunity to
work for one to three years with local
businesses to develop solutions and
manage issues with the support of
the University.
Over the past 16 months, Simon has
led projects to provide tailor-made
lifting applications within the nuclear
industry for the likes of Sellafield
Ltd, Magnox Ltd and Research Sites
Restoration Ltd (RSRL).
Simon has managed all aspects of
the projects, including feasibility
studies, design, risk assessment,
manufacture, inspection, testing
and quality documentation, as well
as securing new business for the
company and helping to expand its
nuclear operations.
Simon said: “I feel very privileged
to be awarded this prize. We’ve
certainly achieved a lot over the past
16 months, and I’m excited to see how
the nuclear side of Penny Hydraulics
is developing, with the help of
Sheffield Hallam.
29
Review
“Holding a position of such
responsibility so early on in my
career is very rewarding and I have
learnt so much in a short period of
time. KTP is a fantastic scheme in
which recent graduates are given
a chance to introduce significant
change within a business, and I
would certainly recommend the
position of KTP Associate to anyone.”
Professor Alan Smith, head of
business development at Sheffield
Hallam said: “Sheffield Hallam has
a terrific track record for excellence
in providing Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships. Simon has done
outstanding work during his time
with Penny Hydraulics and we are
very pleased and proud that he has
been given this prestigious award.”
Meanwhile, Professor Cockerham,
who first joined Sheffield Hallam
University in 1970 and took up
his current role in 1984, received
the Knowledge Transfer Award for
Academic Excellence 2011.
Feature Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
The award comes after a career in the
University’s engineering and design
department where he has helped
Science and Engineering graduates to
develop and implement work-based
projects with companies across the
country.
Graham’s expertise is in the
application of computer aided
engineering design and the
development and application of
industrial design methodologies.
One of the Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships (KTPs) that he has
recently worked with, involving
Joseph Rhodes Ltd of Wakefield, was
also a winner at the Innovate awards,
winning Best KTP Partnership for the
East region.
Graham has been directly involved
in developing and working on more
than 120 programmes during a
27-year period, of which more than
70% were graded outstanding or
excellent, working with companies
such as; Davy McKee, Gripple, Penny
Hydraulics, ACS Stainless Steels,
Ancon, Rotary Engineering, Aurora
Forgings and many others.
Graham said: “As a teacher of
engineering it was vital that I and
my colleagues were able to maintain
professional capability with
examples of good practice which also
enlivened classes; it was a bonus that
this could be achieved within the
context of bringing about strategic
change within regional and national
industrial organisations.”
On Graham’s achievement, Professor
Smith said: “Graham has established
excellent links with regional
companies and, as a result, been
influential in kick-starting the careers
of generations of Sheffield Hallam
graduates.
“His award for academic excellence
is richly deserved after a 40-year
career where he has remained at
the forefront of knowledge transfer
across the region.”
“As a teacher of
engineering it was
vital that I and my
colleagues were
able to maintain
professional
capability with
examples of good
practice which also
enlivened classes.”
Graham Cockerham