University of Sheffield to host 2019 Frank Morton Sports Day

CHEMICAL engineering students at the University of Sheffield, UK have successfully won the bid to host the 2019 Frank Morton Sports Day, together with IChemE. Around 2,500 students are expected to attend the event, which will be hosted at the university’s award-winning Student Union on 18 February 2019.

The annual event was born in 1961, when Frank Morton, a renowned chemical engineering professor, arranged a football match between chemical engineering students from the University of Birmingham and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST).

Over the decades it has grown significantly and has become a prominent sporting event in the calendars of UK and Irish chemical engineering undergraduates.

Students participate in a number of sporting competitions and activities, such as basketball, quidditch and ultimate frisbee. The 2019 event is also set to include an escape room, and tug-of-war.

The day will also include a careers fair and evening entertainment, including a cinema, and a mocktail bar.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) the chemical and biological engineering department at Sheffield was ranked in the UK’s top five for chemical engineering output. It is a “Top 100” university according to the QS world university rankings.

David Miller, president of Sheffield’s Frank Morton committee, said: “We’re honoured to be upholding the long-standing tradition of Frank Morton; it’s the highlight of the chemical engineering calendar for students across the UK and Ireland, and a welcome break after the stress of winter exams.”

“IChemE is also looking forward to the event…” said Tara Wilson, head of communications at IChemE. “The University of Sheffield submitted a fantastic bid for the 2019 Frank Morton Sports Day. I have no doubt that they will deliver a great event.”

Sheffield is taking the reins from the University of Leeds who hosted the event in 2018. Any interested parties can receive updates by following the dedicated Facebook page, and companies interested in supporting the event can contact the team by e-mailing: frankmorton2019@gmail.com.