Ava is a PhD researcher in the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield. She is supervised by Professor Brant Walkley and receives industrial supervision from the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) and Sellafield Ltd. This PhD is funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

Ava completed her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering (BEng) at Northumbria University in 2020 where she won the Cundall Prize (Best Undergraduate Thesis Project 20/21) for her project titled "The Effect of Capillary Pressure in Shrinkage Cracking in Young Age Concrete". She was elected Vice President (Education) of Northumbria Students’ Union for the 21/22 academic year where she sat on many executive committees which supported the governance and management of the University and its campuses, including the Board of Governors, Health and Safety Committee and Sustainability Committee. 

Ava joined the University of Sheffield to undertake her PhD in September 2022. Ava’s research focusses on powder-superplasticiser interactions in blended Portland cement wasteforms with the aim of widening the working envelope of suitable encapsulation powders to provide security in mid-term supply chains.

In addition to her PhD work, Ava has been a Trustee at Sheffield Students’ Union since 2023, and is on her fourth term as the PGR representative on the Senate Academic Assurance Committee (SAAC), and is also a Grantham Scholar, as part the training programme at the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures. In 2025, Ava was awarded the prestigious Roy G Post Scholarship for her research, contribution to industry and extra-curricular activities. Learn more about her experience here!