The Student & Early Career (SEC) Group represents the views of student and early career members* of IOM3.
Representatives of the SEC Committee (the Group's leadership team) sit on the IOM3 Executive Board and Advisory Council ensuring that we are raising the major issues affecting student and early career members.
Since our creation in 1967 (as the Younger Members' Committee), we have developed a range of events to encourage networking and early career member involvement with IOM3. Our greatest successes to date include the Young Persons' Lecture Competition, Matopoly, Art Lecture, Road to Chartership and Professional Development events, Future Materials Conference and Materially Challenged. Building on our past success, we aim to continue to provide more events in the future, including regular informal networking opportunities along with new skills seminars, conferences and regional events.
Jennifer Haigh CEng CEnv FIMMM
Prof Iain Todd CEng FIMMM
Lewis Owen AIMMM
Matthew Wadge MIMMM
Student & Early Career Hub
Visit the hub to find out more about awards, competitions & funding opportunities, upcoming events and recordings, relevant news, SEC Committee opinion pieces & blogs, and all resources relevant to students & early career professionals.
Meet the SEC Committee
Chair, SECC
Dr Ilija Rasovic MIMMM
Vice-Chair, SECC
Dr Michael Kenyon MIMMM
Chair, SECC
Dr Ilija Rasovic MIMMM
University of Birmingham
Ilija is Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham. He earned his MEng in Materials Science from Corpus Christi College, Oxford, followed by a DPhil in Materials from St Cross College, Oxford. His primary research interests focus on fullerenes and supramolecular systems with particular application in biomedical contexts.
Ilija is an award-winning science communicator, having won IOM3’s international Literature Review Prize in 2016 and finishing second in the Young Persons’ World Lecture Competition in 2017, amongst receiving other best talk prizes at international conferences and scientific meetings. He is also currently Advanced Materials Engineer at P1 Graphene Solutions, having previously worked on placement at Jaguar Land Rover and as a CNC miller for Lesk Engineers.
Ilija is involved in numerous outreach and engagement activities as a STEM ambassador and is committed to both championing Materials Science as a subject and inspiring students of all backgrounds to pursue further study at university. He is a trustee of the newly formed charity, Break Off Labs, whose aim is to widen participation in STEM research.
Vice-Chair, SECC
Dr Michael Kenyon MIMMM
Positive Planet
Michael studied for a PhD in Advanced Metallic Systems at the University of Manchester, investigating the evolution of dispersoids in Al-Mg-Si based automotive alloys with varying impurity levels; a project sponsored by Novelis. He now works for Positive Planet as a Principal Sustainability Consultant specialising in Life Cycle Assessments. Positive Planet believe businesses can be a catalyst for environmental and social change that lasts. With professional services including measurement, compliance, training, engagement and more across the sustainability spectrum, Positive Planet help businesses take real action to reduce their environmental footprint. Combining a career in both quantitative sustainability assessment, and materials science and research, Michael is supporting many businesses understand and reduce their environmental footprint.
Michael previously worked for Innoval Technology as Group lead for Sustainability & Knowledge transfer, a consultancy to the global aluminium industry, and has worked across many different material industries delivering LCAs for complex systems. He has worked across the automotive, aerospace and packaging sectors extensively among others. Working alongside universities and commercial partners, Michael finds collaborative projects particularly rewarding. Michael has been involved with many multi-year large scale publicly projects with the objective of improving the sustainability of materials.
Outside of work, you’ll find Michael with a camera in his hand, focusing on landscape, animal and astrophotography. Michael has been a keen Table Tennis player for many years, playing across the country.
Alice Robinson CEng MIMMM
Alice graduated from Imperial College London in 2018 with a First Class Honours degree in Materials with Nuclear Engineering before joining the Rolls-Royce graduate scheme which she has now completed. Alice has now secured a full-time role at the company working as a Materials Technologist focussing on novel manufacturing technologies. This current role allows Alice to continue to explore areas of materials science and engineering that she particularly enjoys, for instance additive manufacture and tribology whilst she supports programs which work to improve capability in these areas.
During university Alice began to foster relationships with the Armourers and Brasiers and the Tin Plate Workers and still remains involved with both companies today, attending relevant functions whenever possible. In 2019, Alice was one of the first Yeomen to be inaugurated into the Worshipful Company of the Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers.
Outside of work Alice spends the majority of her spare time at the gym or out socialising with friends. You can always guarantee her attendance at the local pub quiz too if she’s not on holiday somewhere sunny!
Ollie Thomas
Ollie is a DPhil student in the department of materials at the University of Oxford. Ollie is working with Dr R. House and Prof. Sir. P. Bruce on developing novel cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries using earth-abundant and sustainable materials.
Ollie completed his undergraduate master’s in chemistry at the University of Durham, including a placement year at the CEA in Grenoble, France. Ollie is particularly interested in developing fundamental structure-property relationships in solid-state inorganic species and using this understanding to rationally design novel materials for a sustainable society rationally.
Ollie is passionate about ensuring that the voices of all scientists are heard and that the sciences are made accessible. To this end, Ollie has worked extensively with the royal society of chemistry and university governance bodies to improve the representation of early career scientists and provision for underrepresented groups such as those with disabilities. Ollie also regularly works on outreach and widening participation initiatives to encourage people into materials science.
Ollie is a keen cook and open-water swimmer. He enjoys occupying his spare time with crosswords, video games, and listening to fantasy audiobooks, not to mention napping because naps are the best!
Antonia Fan CEng CSci MIMMM
Antonia works for BAE Systems Submarines as a Corrosion and Coatings Engineer, providing build line support to in-process and design queries. She is also the System Owner for coatings on BAE Systems new class of nuclear-powered submarines, responsible for qualification for all coating systems. This role includes the development of Research and Technology projects and field trials. Currently, Antonia is working on the implementation of Cold Metal Spraying on an industrial scale and innovative anti-fouling technologies to reduce bio-fouling and improve propeller and hull performance.
Antonia previously studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, and then went on to complete a Master of Science in Material Science Engineering at the University of Leeds. She has always had an invested interest in coatings, enhanced by her summer placement at AkzoNobel.
Outside of work, you will find Antonia in her running kit on a fell or a mountain. She has represented England on the International stage on multiple occasions and remains dedicated to her training. Antonia is also a climber and often spends her spare time sport and traditional climbing.
Felix Watson
Felix is an undergraduate studying for his MEng in Materials Science and Engineering at Imperial College. He is keenly interested in battery technology, taking part in the imperial Eco-marathon team as the Battery Team lead and recently completing a Faraday Institution Undergraduate Summer Experience working with PyBaMM to model electrode coatings.
While at university, Felix holds various positions on committees that build the community and improve the student experience. He is the departmental academic representative for the Materials Department and is the Junior Treasurer for the Materials Society.
Outside work, Felix spends his time on the rugby pitch or at the union, socialising with his mates. On the weekends, you will often find Felix watching Formula 1, ruminating on whether Hamilton will ever win his stolen eighth-driver world championship.
Ameer Zaki
Ameer graduated from Queen Mary University of Londonwith a First Class Honours degree in Materials Science and Engineering. During this time,decided to study for a year abroad at the University of Toronto, where he undertook more familiar engineering modules, as well as taking the opportunity to expand his horizons and undertake modules not otherwise accessible to him, such as Accounting and Finance, and Coptic Art and Archeology. Now, Ameer is a PhD student at the University of Leeds where he is working with piezoelectric, lead free ceramic materials. This opportunity allows him to dive deeper into the world of materials and take part in the continual development occurring in the field whilst being allowed to focus on a longer term goal.
Throughout his time at Queen Mary, Ameer had multiple opportunities to undertake professional and educational opportunities. From being the representative of his cohort in an academic year, to welcoming and talking to children considering the university, as well as being able to undergo an internship where he worked to explore the upcycling applications of a pollutant, tyre wear, in partnership with The Tyre Collective, an ambitious startup.
Outside of his PhD, Ameer likes to work with his local churches in Leeds and London, and to go to the GTech community stadium to watch Brentford when he gets the chance.
Dr Matthew Wadge MIMMM
Matthew is a Third Century Research Fellow in Surface Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, having joined in November 2024 from the Advanced Materials Research Group at the University of Nottingham (UoN). He holds a First-Class BSc (Hons.) degree in Biomedical Materials Science, and a PhD in Materials Engineering and Materials Design, both from the University of Nottingham. His research primarily focusses on the production of thin film coatings via wet chemical and PVD methodologies, specifically magnetron sputtering for a plethora of different applications, including biomaterials, energy storage, water treatment and electrocatalysis.
Matthew is passionate about science outreach, having taken on numerous volunteering roles such as, being a city co-ordinator of a Pint of Science festival, taking part in the “I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here!” initiative, as well as being a STEM Outreach Ambassador. Matthew also holds other voluntary roles, including being a Committee Member for the British Standards Committee on Implants for Surgery (CH/150), as well as being a National Coatings Expert.
Within the IOM3, Matthew actively engaged with the East Midlands Materials Society whilst at Nottingham, and now aids the Surface Technologies Division. He was a National Finalist of the 2019 IOM3 Younger Persons Lecture Competition, as well as being featured as part of the “IOM3 Investigates” podcast series. He is a Member of the IOM3 (MIMMM), Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (FIBMS), and Alumnus of the Armourers and Brasiers. During his career, he has received several awards and prizes including the 2024 Silver Medal from the IOM3, 2020 STEM for Britain National Finalist, Armourers & Brasiers’ Gauntlet Trust TWI Best Final Year PhD and BSc/BEng Student Awards & Medals, as well as being chosen as one of ‘15 under 30’ to look out for in Material Science & Engineering by Materials World (2019).
Liv Andersson
Olivia is currently an undergraduate student studying Materials Science and Engineering at Loughborough University. As part of her studies, Olivia is completing a year-long placement with the Materials Research department at Renishaw Plc, gaining valuable industry experience and exploring a diverse range of topics within the field.
During her placement, Olivia has become actively involved in various ED&I (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) groups, assisting with cultural calendar events. She enjoys engaging with others in the workplace and contributing to the fostering of inclusive and collaborative environments.
Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Olivia is a keen hockey player, enjoys reading, and always has a few textile projects on the go. Always eager to embrace new challenges, she is enthusiastic and excited to learn and grow with each opportunity that comes her way.
Advisory Council Representatives
Student Grade
Sam Burdett MIMMM
Student Grade
Sam Burdett MIMMM
Sam currently works as a Carbon Manager at Skanska UK in London. His work focuses on delivering life cycle assessments for building projects in the UK. He also provides technical expertise on materials, construction methods and the environmental impact of these. He studied Materials Science and Engineering at Imperial College London. Whist in his previous role at Sandberg, performing materials failure analysis for the construction and infrastructure, he completed a master’s in advanced Materials for Sustainable Infrastructure (2020-22) at Imperial. His research focuses on novel and existing construction materials with the goal of creating a unified dataset that highlights the most sustainable materials for use in industry.
Sam is a keen advocate for engineering and passionate about educating people new to the industry. He is involved with ZERO, an innovation focused industry group working together to change the industry from high carbon emissions to becoming part of the decarbonisation solution.
Outside of work Sam spends lots of time cycling and is currently building a gravel bike to take on off-road adventures!
Student Grade
Hannah Hilton-Tapp
Student Grade
Hannah Hilton-Tapp
Hannah is a third-year PhD student at the University of Leicester, working in the Centre for Sustainable Materials Processing and Space Park Leicester, under the supervision of Dr Ramy Mesalam. Her research interests include surface finishing of materials, electrodeposition of nanocomposites and the production of thermoelectric devices for use in Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs).
She also sits on the Advisory Council for IOM3 as a postgraduate student representative.
