This year’s Distinguished Service Award winner is Professor Bill Lucas who is an Accreditation and Education Committee Member and has been a Member of The Welding Institute since 1971.

About the Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to an employee or Branch Member in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the operation, events and activities of The Welding Institute as a result of which the membership, status and position of the Institute has been significantly advanced.

About Bill

Bill has been a member of the Institute since 1971, gaining his Chartership (CEng) and Fellowship (FWeldI) in 1983. He holds a Doctorate in Science from Queens University of Belfast, as well as a PhD and is also an IWE member.

Professor Bill Lucas’s Involvement with The Welding Institute

Professor Bill Lucas chairs The Welding Institute’s Education Committee, where he advises on matters regarding the development and provision of education and training in welding, joining and allied technologies at higher education level. Bill also represents the Institute at the Engineering Council’s Engineering Accreditation Board (EAB), advising on accreditation policy and higher education relevant to education of engineers. Through his work, Bill actively supports and campaigns for the promotion of The Welding Institute and membership, as well as emphasising the importance of Engineering Council registration to young professionals.

Career

Bill worked at TWI Ltd from 1970 to 2007, during which, an important aspect of his role was the technical supervision of contract work for industrial companies involved with manufacturing. Bill continued his career from 2007 to 2012 as an independent consultant. Within his work, Bill also took on the role as Visiting Professor at the University of Liverpool, as well as chairing their Industrial Advisory Board for the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering.

Since becoming a Member of The Welding Institute in 1970, Bill has carried out fundamental research into process and manufacturing technology, with the overall objective of his research being to improve knowledge of welding processes, especially regarding their operation and control. His research also continues on to focus on welding process involvements, advanced software techniques and novel sensor systems.

Bill has been awarded with the Distinguished Service Award due to his continued support of The Welding Institute throughout his career, including his role as a former Chair of the International Welding’s Commission XII ‘Arc Welding Processes and Production Systems’ between 2001 and 2010. He was also a member of the British Standards Institute WEE 36 Committee, ‘Qualification of Welding Personnel and Welding Procedures,’ and has written and been involved with the publishing of over 150 academic papers.

The Welding Institute would like to congratulate Professor Bill Lucas on winning this award and thank him for his continued support of the Institute!

If you are interested in how you can get involved with The Welding Institute please contact us!