Chemistry Graduate Wins Being Edinburgh Award

MChem graduate wins alumni award

Congratulations to MChem Chemistry 2019 graduate Elisabeth Feldstein, who has been named the winner of the 2021 Being Edinburgh alumni award!

The Being Edinburgh award was created to increase knowledge and appreciation of Edinburgh’s diverse community of former students. Elisabeth was one of four outstanding candidates shortlisted for the award, winning with over 34% of the student, staff and alumni vote.

Elisabeth balanced her studies with building initiatives to bring the University community together and create change. As a third-year student at the School of Chemistry, Elisabeth was proactive in forming and developing the first Edinburgh University Women in STEM group to inspire, motivate, and connect women studying STEM subjects who often feel outnumbered by their male counterparts. The society is still going strong today and has become an important extra-curricular resource for students.

As a final year student, Elisabeth founded the medical device start-up Augment Bionics that produces cost-effective 3D printed prosthetic limbs, making them much more accessible to a wide range of people who otherwise couldn't afford them.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Elisabeth’s team collectively re-purposed the business in order to provide face shields to the NHS as well as abroad to countries in need. And with the support of the University's staff, students and alumni she was able to raise over £100,000 in charitable donations and 120,000 face shields, all for the NHS.

Since late 2020, Elisabeth has also decided to give back to both the University of Edinburgh and its students by running online careers and networking workshops organised by the School of Chemistry, displaying an engaged and passionate desire to use her own enthusiasm to empower others.

Elisabeth is currently working with Johnson Matthey as part of their Global Graduate Program.

I feel incredibly honoured to have been nominated for the 2021 Being Edinburgh award let alone to have won. The University has played a fundamental role in my personal development and in launching my career. Since graduating, I’ve made a conscious effort to stay involved with the University, and to be recognised by it for my efforts feels like a great accomplishment.

There is no doubt that the past year has been challenging and stressful and when I think back to early 2020 and the start of the pandemic, I think of all the many lessons we have learned since then. From the simple routine of wearing masks, to the rapid and innovative deployment of COVID-19 vaccinations, the world around us has changed in ways we could have never predicted. The presence and support of the Edinburgh community has become even more important to me and others through this time. And so to be honoured for this award amidst all that is going on really enhances the gratitude that I feel.

The School of Chemistry is immensely proud of Elisabeth, who has inspired many with her dedication to the community both during her studies and as a recent graduate. I am delighted that her achievements are being recognised and celebrated through the Being Edinburgh Award.

Even as a student, Elisabeth was making a difference within the student community through her work as a woman in STEM. She has carried this through into her working life and developing her Augment Bionics company even further. For such a recent graduate Elisabeth has already proven that her Edinburgh education is being put to good use and that’s so inspiring to me. She’s a worthy winner of the Being Edinburgh award and I wish to extend my congratulations to her on behalf of the Students’ Association.

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Publication date

15 Apr, 2021