Aero Graduates make Highly Commended list in Global Undergraduate Awards

The Global Undergraduate Awards is an international academic awards programme that recognises originality, innovation, and excellence at undergraduate level. Two MIA graduates, Asher Chimfwembe and Cejhna Ramkelawan, were recently name highly commended entrants.

This means their work was recognised as being in the top 10% of submissions made to the Engineering category, which was open to all undergraduate students in universities, colleges, and institutes around the world. Both stand a chance to place as regional and/or global winners to be announced later this year.

We got in touch to find out more about their recognised projects and what they have been doing since graduating.

Asher Chimfwembe

Chimfwembe submitted his fourth-year project that sought to validate the use of the Imbert-Fick Law in techniques used to measure internal eye pressure.

Goldmann applanation tonometry is the current ‘gold standard’ for measuring internal eye pressure (IOP), which is a key indicator of individuals at risk of glaucoma (a condition that results in irreversible blindness).  The technique is based on the Imbert-Fick law, which assumes that the cornea is a perfectly thin elastic membrane. Corneas vary in thickness and exhibit some form of resistance to deformation. Chimfwembe’s research was aimed at questioning the validity of the use of the Imbert-Fick law in tonometry measurements. Using Finite Element Analysis, several eye models with varying corneal thicknesses were developed at a constant IOP and tonometry tests were simulated. The results showed that the Imbert-Fick Law did not account for the force required to deform the cornea.

Initially, Chimfwembe was intimidated by the unfamiliar field. He later saw it as an opportunity to practice and test the research skills that he developed at the School of MIA over the course of his undergraduate degree. With the guidance and support of his supervisor, Nikki Basson, he was able to unpack and address the critical research question. Ultimately, he had fun during the research project, something he encourages current undergraduate students to do.

Chimfwembe is currently working in the data science field for Business Science Corporation, a data-driven consulting firm based in South Africa. He says that while this may seem like a major career shift from his Aeronautical Engineering degree, his work still incorporates the fundamental principles of engineering that students are equipped with through the degree: problem-solving; critical thinking and detailed analysis. He is currently working on a logistics project which aims to minimize vehicle fuel waste.

Cejhna Ramkelawan

Ramkelawan’s research project focused on the computational study of the performance of a heaving and oscillating hydrofoil. The rise in modern sub-ocean operations has resulted in the need for the development of underwater vehicles. To meet the demand for a faster and more efficient propulsive design, many researchers have turned to biologically inspired vehicle designs. The research was built on the performance-enhancing techniques adopted by many aquatic animals. The method of locomotion studied comprised of a heaving and pitching motion which has been implemented by many aquatic organisms. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the thrust and lift-performance of the hydrofoil were analysed and critiqued. The performance augmentation was analysed at different parametric variations of frequency and  amplitude. Through various iterations and models of the hydrofoil, the optimal  parameters for efficient motion were determined.

Ramkelawan found the project topic fascinating. She says “I am always in awe when I see how we can replicate the techniques used in nature to design efficient engineering systems which was exactly what this topic focused on. I quickly realised that this project was going to pose its many trials and it proved to be more challenging than I initially expected. Fortunately, this proved to be a major learning experience for me and allowed me to expand my knowledge of biologically inspired engineering designs as well as acquire various computational fluid dynamics techniques not commonly taught in the course. Additionally, I learnt a significant amount from my supportive supervisor, Prof. Weihua Ho, who guided me through the project, ultimately allowing me to uncover and achieve the overall objective of the research project.”

Since completing her degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Ramkelawan has been employed at Microsoft, the technology corporation, in South Africa. Although her role is not specifically related to Aeronautical Engineering, she too reflects that the core aspects of engineering are crucial to success within this new discipline. Additionally, she works on multiple projects simultaneously, which is something her undergraduate degree prepared her for.