SAM Council and Committees 2025/26

COUNCIL 

President:             Prof Brad Wynne

Vice-President:      Dr Tatyana Konkova

Hon Secretary:      Dr John Wilcox

Hon Treasurer:       Dr Neil Shearer

Council Members:  Prof Stuart Lyon

                            Dr Amir Siddiq

                            Prof Nadimul Faisal

                            Dr Faezeh Shalchy

                            Mr Chibuzor Nwanebu

                            Dr Alireza Valizadeh

Younger member:  Mr Obey Suleyman

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE                    ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Dr Norrie McPherson                                      Dr Tiziana Marrocco

Dr Salah Rahimi                                             Mr Obey Suleyman

Prof Bob Reuben                                            Dr Tatyana Konkova

Dr Neil Shearer                                               Prof Nadimul Faisal

Dr John Wilcox                                               Dr Neil Shearer

                                                                     Dr John Wilcox 

GRANTS FOR EXTRA-MURAL ACTIVITIES

THIS GRANT SCHEME HAS NOW OPENED FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2025/26

THE CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS 5PM 31ST OCTOBER 2025

The Scottish Association for Metals (www.scottishmetals.org) invites formally constituted student societies or student groups at Scottish universities to apply for a grant to support extra-mural activities focussed on developing knowledge, expertise or experience in the science or engineering of materials and related manufacturing.

The grant may be used to support the costs of the following types of activities:

• The purchase of engineering materials 
• The cost of shaping, coating or fabricating engineering materials
• The costs of the inspection or testing of fabricated components
• Travel and accommodation costs for society members to attend events away from the home university

Applications for funding should be sent by email to scottishmetals@gmail.com outlining the intended purpose of the grant and the size of grant being sought.  Each application will be considered on its own merits by Council such as innovative use of materials / manufacturing, inclusivity of the work within the group etc.  The amount available to an individual society or student group nominally be up to £750 though larger applications will be considered.

Successful applicants are expected to acknowledge publicly the support of the Scottish Association for Metals and may be asked to give a short report or presentation of their activities.

Grant awards are made at the sole discretion of the Association and no correspondence can be entered into.

Young Engineers Colloquium

The Association hosted its 2025 Young Engineers event at the University of Strathclyde on Weds 17 September from 2pm to 4.30pm.

Those present heard short presentations from post-graduate materials students from the University of Strathclyde and the University of Dundee covering erosive-corrosive wear, hydrogen embrittlement of metals, cold sprayed metal coatings and the modelling of continuous casting.

Seven engineering student societies demonstrated some of their activities and discussed their achievements:

• GCU Racing Society
• Strathclyde Marine Robotics Society
• University of Strathclyde Motor Racing
• UG Aeronautics Society
• Team Aero-Watt
• HW Racing
• UG Racing

The event was attended by the President of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining, Christine Blackmore who closed the colloquium by reflecting on what she had seen and heard and congratulated everyone on their achievements, finally wishing them very success in their future endeavours.

Post-graduate student scoops awards

Obey Suleyman, a PhD student at the University of Strathclyde and the current young member representative on the SAM Council, has been awarded the 2025 Frank Fitzgerald Medal and Travel Grant by the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining.

This award is made to a student or early career member of IOM3 who is active in the field of iron and steel and has demonstrated excellence in and commitment to continuing professional development in the form of depth or breadth of technical knowledge, or in a personal contribution to promoting the profession.

Obey has also recently won the Academic Award at the 2025 Young Professionals Green Energy Awards for his pioneering research on the manufacture of wind turbine components which is advancing the sustainability of Scotland’s renewable energy industry.  His work has been featured in the Herald Scotland newspaper.

Award for long-serving SAM Secretary

John Wilcox has been awarded the Sir Andrew Bryan medal by the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (IOM3).  The award is in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to the Institute through his involvement with Scottish Association for Metals (SAM) over a sustained period of time. 

John Wilcox's journey with SAM began in 1983 when he was first appointed Honorary Secretary. His dedication has been unwavering ever since. In 1998, he briefly stepped away from his Secretary role to serve as the Regional Representative of the Institute of Materials for Scotland and Ireland. However, his commitment to SAM brought him back as President in 2003, and he resumed his role as Secretary in 2005, a position he still holds today. 

Beyond his invaluable contributions to SAM, John was a member of the Council of the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining from 2009 to 2019 and served on the Institute’s Accreditation Committee. He also represented SAM at the Federation of Engineering Societies in Glasgow (now Engineering Scotland) and acted as its Secretary from 2000 to 2012. 

John has been the heart and soul of the Association for many years. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he led SAM into the digital age, maintaining regular lectures and expanding the audience and speakers to a global scale, significantly enhancing the association's appeal beyond Scotland.

John's leadership is evident in every aspect of the association, from organizing events and supporting office bearers to updating and maintaining the membership and constitution. He ensures that all operations run smoothly and efficiently.

He is also actively involved in various Association activities, such as site visits and engaging with student societies. John tirelessly works to expand the network of Scotland's metals, materials, and manufacturing industry, connecting students with industry professionals. His innovative ideas continually bring like-minded individuals together, fostering a vibrant Scottish materials and manufacturing network.

John is truly the pillar of the Association and a remarkable ambassador for SAM. His dedication to promoting the advancement of the science and technology of metals, alloys, and allied materials within Scotland is unparalleled.

The awards will be presented at the 2025 IOM3 Awards Day in London on Thursday 4 December.