The ESA David Mitchell Scholarship was established at the University of Strathclyde in memory of David Mitchell, ESA’s former Standards and Legislation Director and an accomplished leader in the sealing industry.
As another academic year comes to a close, scholarship recipient Ilya Gladkikh reflects on the penultimate year of the Aero-Mechanical Engineering programme. The year included the completion of a demanding dissertation, and the final year ahead will bring new challenges, with a particular focus on aerodynamics and supersonic aircraft.
The following report offers an insight into Ilya’s achievements, ambitions, and the difference the scholarship has made over the past year.
A message of thanks to the donor who funds your scholarship:
I would like to thank you for your generosity and kindness in sponsoring me. It is a gesture that is far more appreciated than I could put into words in this report and it touched me that I have support from those that do not know me.
You have improved my quality of life as a student in a noticeable way by allowing me to further prioritise my academic work and you have made my journey through university that bit more enjoyable.
What difference has the scholarship made to you?
This scholarship has provided me with additional financial security and afforded me a more comfortable time at university.
With the ever rising cost of living particularly the rise in cost of groceries and rent your donation has helped ease the weight off my shoulders regarding my finances.
It may seem small, but taking the train was once a luxury I could not afford and now I am fortunate enough to take it almost every day saving me over an hour in transportation.
Looking back, over the past year, what achievement are you most proud of?
This past year has been my penultimate at the University of Strathclyde and the year I wrote my dissertation. It was on a particularly challenging topic focused on using CFD to model inertial particle clustering in liquid-solid suspensions due to vibrational motion and convection in microgravity.
I poured my heart and soul into the research project and despite the delays, constant setbacks and stressing about the ever approaching deadline, I believe I succeeded in obtaining noteworthy results for an undergraduate project. In all honesty, it was one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult task, I have accomplished in my life and I am proud to have tried my best.
What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?
With the upcoming year being my final it would seem that the most exciting (and challenging) topics of my course are finally ahead. Aerodynamics of Supersonic Aircraft is the module I'm most excited about since my father's research was on this topic when he was a student himself.
My interest in this field of research has been an inspiration for a long time and is a major reason as to why I was driven to attend university, and as to why I am pursuing a career in the mechanical and aerospace engineering industry.