Laois army man Stephen receives two Global Undergraduate Awards
Stephen Cooper, SETU graduate and GUA winner is pictured with his mother, Martina Cooper, his partner, Ciara Groom and his father, Noel Cooper, at the SETU's conferring ceremonies in Carlow
A PORTARLINGTON member of the Irish defence forces received two top accolades at the Global Undergraduate Awards 2024 (GUA) in Dublin recently.
Stephen Cooper, who graduated from the South East Technological University (SETU) with a degree in engineering, became the overall winner in Ireland across all engineering disciplines. His project is also ranked in the top 10% of engineering projects in the world. Stephen received the GUA Highly Commended Award, having competed among a global cohort of students. He was also announced as the Ireland Regional winner for having the top performing submission in the engineering category for his entry – ‘LIDAR Smart-Chair Navigator’.
The Global Undergraduate Awards is the world’s leading academic awards programme with over 100 affiliated institutions of higher education. The GUA identifies leading creative thinkers and problem-solvers through its undergraduate coursework.
Stephen received a first-class honours award on SETU’s Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering (Military Communications Systems) level 7 at the university’s Carlow campus and recently celebrated his graduation at its annual conferring ceremonies.
The bachelor’s course is a collaborative programme between SETU and the Communications and Information Services (CIS) Corps of the Irish Defence Forces and is available to all members of the defence forces.
Stephen said: “I am thrilled to have received these awards. I’d like to thank my project supervisors Keith Smyth at SETU, Sergeant Keith Houlihan and Commandant James O’Neill of the CIS School at the Curragh for their immense support and guidance throughout this project. I am also deeply grateful to the defence forces for giving me the opportunity to show my potential and supporting my development in electronic engineering.
He said: “My father, Noel Cooper, sparked my interest in electronics and problem-solving, and his influence has been fundamental to my journey. I feel that innovation in assistive technology is incredibly important for creating a more inclusive world and enabling these technologies to be more accessible and affordable for all wheelchair users.” SETU lecturer and one of Stephen’s supervisors Keith Smyth said: “Huge congratulations to Stephen on his GUA wins. I’m massively proud of the hard work that he has put in to bring his project to fruition and it was a privilege for Sgt Keith Houlihan and myself to supervise Stephen and to offer him our support throughout the process. Stephen exemplifies SETU’s values as a student committed to excellence, who also has a keen sense of community and service. Keith Houlihan and I are delighted for Stephen on his outstanding achievement in winning two such prestigious awards.”
