Swansea Engineering researcher’s PhD thesis recognised as best in Europe by ECCOMAS

Please note, this page has been archived and is no longer being updated.

A researcher from Swansea University’s College of Engineering has been awarded the European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (ECCOMAS) prize for the best 2016 PhD thesis in Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering Mechanics in Europe.

Dr Rogelio Ortigosa MartinezDr Rogelio Ortigosa Martinez (pictured), who is based within the College’s Zienkiewicz Centre in Computational Engineering, received the prestigious award for his thesis entitled, “On a new variational and computational framework for polyconvex nonlinear continuum mechanics and convex multi-variable nonlinear electro-elasticity”.

The ECCOMAS award, to highlight the outstanding achievement of young researchers at the start of their scientific careers, includes a diploma, the sum of €2,000 Euros, and the cost of attendance at the award ceremony, which takes place during the ECCOMAS Young Investigator Conference 2017, held in Milan, Italy from September 13-15, 2017.

Dr Ortigosa Martinez, originally from Spain, also recently secured a prestigious Sêr Cymru II Fellowship through the Welsh Government’s Sêr Cymru (Stars Wales) programme, to carry out research into the numerical modelling and material characterisation of the new generation of biomimetic electro-active polymer-based artificial muscles.

Dr Rogelio Ortigosa Martinez said: “It fills me with great pleasure to have been awarded this prize and I feel honoured to have represented the Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering and Swansea University.

“This prize has been the result of both the hard work carried out during my PhD and of the excellent guidance of my PhD supervisors, Professor Antonio J Gil and Professor Javier Bonet, to whom I feel indebted.”

Professor Perumal Nithiarasu, Head of the Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering and Dean Academic Leadership (Research Impact), said: “Only three Swansea University PhD students, including Dr Ortigosa Martinez, have won this prestigious ECCOMAS award for best PhD thesis in the last two decades – our warmest congratulations to him on this outstanding achievement.”

Professor Antonio J Gil, Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, said: “It has been a fantastic experience to guide Dr Ortigosa Martinez throughout his PhD studies.

“His passion, enthusiasm and incredible talent are the signs of a truly star in the field of Computational Mechanics. UK, in general, and Swansea in particular, can be proud of this outstanding researcher.”