CfAI’s recipients of the Physics Department Awards for Excellence 2025

The Physics Department of Durham University celebrated today the ceremony of the Awards for Excellence 2025.

Within the winners of 2025, Spencer Davies received the award in the category of Technical Support. As an apprentice, Spencer has excelled over the past two years, representing CfAI in projects with the UKATC and through international collaborations with NARIT. He demonstrates outstanding attention to detail and has quickly developed expertise in Aluminium Optics. His contributions have advanced CfAI manufacturing capability and strengthened key partnerships at both national and international levels.

Perrine Lognone received the Research Award for CfAI. Perrine is at her second PDRA year and, at this early stage of her career, she has already demonstrated outstanding talent with great initiative for her own projects on satellite optical communications; leadership skills, bringing her own ideas and developing them; she has obtained her own funding (Seedcorn Funding) and her networking skills has resulted in further collaborations with LAM and ONERA, in France.

The NAM 2025 Local Organising Committee (LOC) received a collective award for an outstanding organisation of a national meeting with over a thousand attendees with a significant aspect of community outreach, engagement with the attendees, and a strong scientific programme, in which some members of CfAI participated (see full list of LOC here: National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) 2025 (7-11 July 2025): Organisation Committee · Durham Astronomy Group Conference System (Indico)).