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Ben Fernando (2012) has been awarded the 2021 STEM for Britain Westminster Medal and Physics Gold Medal in a competition for early-career researchers.

The annual STEM for Britain event, which took place on Monday 8 March, aims to give members of both Houses of Parliament an insight into the work being undertaken by early-career researchers in UK universities. Through a national poster competition, the researchers in science, engineering and mathematics showcase their work, with prizes awarded to those who communicate their high-level research most clearly to the judges.

Ben, a PhD student at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, won the Gold Medal in the physics category for his poster on ‘Seismology at the Extremes: From the Oceans to Mars' before being announced as the overall winner of the 2021 event.

On receiving the awards, Ben said: "It was a pleasure to represent the University of Oxford at this prestigious event and I am both surprised and delighted to have won these awards. It was also fascinating to hear the research being undertaken by the other entrants and it is encouraging to see the importance placed on developing relationships between scientists and parliamentarians."

STEM for Britain hope to host an in-person ceremony at the Palace of Westminster towards the end of 2021, to which winners, supporters and parliamentarians will be invited.

Congratulations to Ben and to all of the STEM for Britain winners!