• Charles Sturt University Engineering alumnus creates prize to celebrate retiring inaugural course director Professor Jim Morgan
• Prize donor Mr Kevin Win enrolled in 2016 and was the first to complete his studies in 2021 and graduate in the Charles Sturt Engineering program
• The first prize, with a base value of $2,400, will be awarded at 2023 EngFest in June in Bathurst

A Charles Sturt University engineering alumnus has created a new prize honouring a leading retiring academic to be awarded to a second-year engineering student.

Mr Kevin Win (pictured with Professor Jim Morgan) was the first graduate of the combined Bachelor of Technology (Civil)/Master of Engineering (Civil) in the Charles Sturt Engineering program. Mr Win completed the course in 2021 during COVID-19 and graduated in May 2022.

The prize honours the retirement of Charles Sturt Engineering’s inaugural course director Professor Jim Morgan and is informally known as the ‘Jim Morgan academic prize’.

The prize has a base value of $2,400 plus $100 for every 10 topics a student completes from the engineering program’s ‘knowledge tree’ of subjects. The prize will be awarded to a second-year student during the annual Charles Sturt Engineering 2023 EngFest in June (Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8).

To be eligible, students must complete more than the 240 topics required before they can commence their cadetship work placements.

The prize will be awarded to a current second-year student who will finish their 18-months full-time study on campus in June-July before they take up work placements as cadet engineers with regional organisations for the rest of their studies. They will continue to study part-time online while they gain practical on-the-job experience.

“The inspiration for the prize is to honour the retirement of our inaugural course director, Professor Jim Morgan,” Mr Win said.

“Professor Morgan was an excellent professor technically, but it was his generosity that stood him apart from others. I hope I can make him proud by letting him know that his efforts were recognised and appreciated by us.”

Acting Head of the Charles Sturt Engineering program Ms Shara Cameron welcomed Mr Win’s announcement of the prize and, on behalf of the program and students, thanked him for it.

“Kevin enrolled in the Charles Sturt Engineering program in 2016 in the first year it was offered and was an incredibly motivated student engineer who was the first to complete his studies in 2021 and graduate,” Ms Cameron said.

“We are so proud to see him doing something to motivate the students following in his footsteps.”

Ms Cameron said the prize provides a great motivation for students to prioritise their studies and aim high. The second-year students must complete 240 topics, each of which are three-hour modules, prior to June when they will begin their first placement in the engineering industry as a paid cadet engineer.

“Professor Jim Morgan recently retired and returned home to Texas and was much loved by the students and staff with whom he generously shared his time, knowledge and wisdom,” Ms Cameron said.

“He brought his considerable experience as an engineering educator and civil engineer to the development of the innovative Bachelor of Technology/Master of Engineering (Civil) curriculum which has project-based learning, no exams, flexible delivery and includes four years of paid work placement.”

The course was recognised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as one of the top four emerging engineering courses in the world, the only Australian university to be included.

Mr Win presently works for Transport for NSW as a Structural Engineer (Bridges) for the western region in the regional technical services (RTS) department in Orange where he returned after working as a cadet engineer in Sydney and around NSW while studying.

“My current role involves a variety of technical tasks relating to bridges and bridge-size culverts on main roads,” Mr Win said.

“Transport for NSW has roughly 6,500 bridges in NSW, which fit in that category in its inventory.

“My everyday work includes inspecting, testing, analysing and advising on rectifying these existing bridges, and I occasionally travel to Sydney for meetings with departmental colleagues.”

Ms Cameron said she looks forward to Mr Win awarding the prize at EngFest, the annual three-day showcase of civil engineering on Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 June at Charles Sturt in Bathurst.

EngFest brings together students and cadets, the civil engineering industry, and researchers, and interested members of the public, schools, and industry are invited to join us. You can find more information at 2023 EngFest.