IMarEST Announces 2025 Award Winners

Last night, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) revealed the winners of its prestigious 2025 awards at its Annual Dinner (27 March). The awards were presented by the new IMarEST president, Professor Stephen de Mora. 

IMarEST award winners 2025

This year’s awards included the flagship Outstanding Contribution Award, sponsored by P&S Automation, which was bestowed upon Professor Stephen Turnock, head of the School of Engineering at the University of Southampton. Over a distinguished 35-year career, Professor Turnock has demonstrated exceptional leadership in marine engineering. His groundbreaking research and commitment to education have significantly shaped the future of the field. 

Beyond his academic achievements, Professor Turnock is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusivity in marine engineering. His mentorship and advocacy are helping to create a more inclusive future for the sector. 

To honour academic excellence, the Denny Medals were awarded to the lead authors of the best papers published in the IMarEST’s journals: the Journal of Marine Engineering and Technology (JMET) and the Journal of Operational Oceanography (JOO). 

This year’s winners were Erin van Rheenen, whose paper "Hydrogen Carriers for Zero-Emission Ship Propulsion Using Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: An Evaluation" was published in 2024, and Florian Beiser, for his paper "Combining Barotropic and Baroclinic Simplified Models for Drift Trajectory Predictions." 

The IMarEST also recognised the rising stars of the industry. Alexandros Kalafatelis, a PhD student, received the Stanley Grey Fellowship for his thesis on predictive maintenance for maritime machinery. Jordan Tyers, an apprentice at BMT, was awarded the Lady Hamlyn Award for his outstanding commitment to professional development. 

Additional awards presented included: 

• Royal Navy Operational Engineering Award, awarded to Petty Officer Adam Chamberlain in recognition of his exemplary engineering performance in supporting all 847 NAS detachments over the past twelve months. 

• Kevin Tester Award for Marine Journalism, presented to Nick Savvides for his article “Climate NGOs Call for Regulators to Rethink Emissions Rules.” 

Chris Goldsworthy, CEO of IMarEST, remarked on the importance of these awards: “It’s fantastic to see talent from across all sectors of the marine industry receiving awards. As the only professional body uniting engineers, scientists, and technologists, it’s vital that we continue to reward and nurture talent throughout our industry.”