Lee Tabis, a 22-year-old trainee design engineer with NG Bailey, has been named the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year 2012.
He received his award from CIBSE President David Fisk during the CIBSE Young Engineers' Awards, sponsored by Lochinvar and Ruskin Air Management, held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on October 11.

JDP was named the Employer of the Year for its outstanding record of investment in the education of young engineers and its advanced apprenticeship programme.
Lee, who is a graduate of Leeds College of Building, was selected from a shortlist of seven outstanding young engineers.

Each finalist was challenged to give a presentation to an audience of over 140 and a distinguished judging panel that included the presidents of CIBSE and ASHRAE (the American technical society) and last year's Graduate of the Year Angela Malynn.

Lee's prize is a trip to Dallas, Texas to attend the ASHRAE Winter Meeting next January. There he will be a VIP guest of the Society and will serve as CIBSE's 'ambassador' for young engineers.

Chris Marien of Brunel University and design practice Calfordseaden was the runner up and received a cheque for £500 from the Rumford Club. Imran Shaikh, a graduate of BITS Pilani in India and a design engineer with CKR Consulting in Dubai, was placed third and received £250.

Also shortlisted were Dinachi Onuzo of Imperial College and AECOM; Georgina Donnelly from Cambridge University and Arup; Baljit Bhogal of Coventry University and WSP; and Tom Greenhill from Bristol University and Max Fordham.

Each finalist had just five minutes to address the topic: 'How will I help to engineer better communities?' This subject was chosen to complement the theme of ASHRAE President Tom Watson's talk to the UK industry on 'Broadening Horizons', which was another highlight of the packed programme.

David Warriner received the IMechE Construction and Building Services Division (CBSD) special achievement award following the inaugural CBSD lecture given by Professor Tony Day.

In the Employer of the Year awards AECOM was named the winner of the large company category; Max Fordham won the medium company section; with JDP taking the small employer award as well as the overall accolade. Shortlisted were Hoare Lea; Cundall Johnson and Method.