The annual BrightSparks awards celebrate some of the brightest and most talented young engineers in the UK today and we’re delighted that one of our students was among the latest group of national winners at the Elektra Awards for 2024 organised by Electronics Weekly and announced at the IET, London.
Nandni Jamnadas, a UKESF Scholar a student from the Electronic Engineering Department at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a Software Tool Chain Engineer at Embecosm was selected for an award for her outstanding achievements.
Nandni was a member of the Embecosm GNU compiler team, serving as the lead for the CORE-V GNU tool chain project. In terms of her achievements, Nandni highlighted her efforts dedicated to contributing to GNU. Specifically, focusing on the RISC-V and CORE-V architecture. This involved developing and integrating new features, and enhancing existing components. It was also ensuring the alignment of the company’s tools with the evolving specifications of the RISC-V and CORE-V architectures.
For her open source community work, Nandni highlighted her role at Embecosm, where she felt privileged to serve as a UK Electronic Skills Foundation (UKESF) scholar. She shared that UKESF had profoundly shaped her journey. Selected as one of 60 scholars, she says she benefited immensely from UKESF’s support, “contributing significantly to my growth and development in the field”.
Caroline Hayes, editor of Electronics Weekly, commented on Nandni's accomplishments,
“Her clear vision to tailor tools for the GNU and Dolphin projects was impressive and an active participation in UKESF initiatives is equally commendable.”
Summing up her experience, Nandni commented,
“As a UKESF scholar, I actively engage in outreach activities aimed at inspiring the next generation of engineers. Notably, I served as a UKESF ambassador at Alexandra Park School, where I participated in an engineering day with 75 Key Stage 3 students from five schools in North London. Together, we tackled engineering challenges using Crumble Microcontrollers, aiming to ignite a passion for electrical engineering. Jed Marshall, the head teacher, praised our effective engagement and hands-on expertise in programming and circuitry, skills that are often underrepresented in traditional school curricula. This experience has not only enhanced my communication and presentation abilities but also reinforced my commitment to nurturing young STEM talent.”
Finally, Nandni has also been honoured with the Best Industrial Award by the Engineering Department at Royal Holloway, recognising her contributions and achievements. This accolade was paired with the distinction of Most Improved Student, which highlights her progress overcoming challenges.
Congratulations to Nandni!
Read the full award profile on the EW website
