Skip to main content
Navigate back to homepage
Open search bar.
Open main navigation menu

Main navigation

  • Study
    UCL Portico statue
    Study at UCL

    Being a student at UCL is about so much more than just acquiring knowledge. Studying here gives you the opportunity to realise your potential as an individual, and the skills and tools to thrive.

    • Undergraduate courses
    • Graduate courses
    • Short courses
    • Study abroad
    • Centre for Languages & International Education
  • Research
    Tree-of-Life-MehmetDavrandi-UCL-EastmanDentalInstitute-042_2017-18-800x500-withborder (1)
    Research at UCL

    Find out more about what makes UCL research world-leading, how to access UCL expertise, and teams in the Office of the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement).

    • Engage with us
    • Explore our Research
    • Initiatives and networks
    • Research news
  • Engage
    UCL Print room
    Engage with UCL

    Discover the many ways you can connect with UCL, and how we work with industry, government and not-for-profit organisations to tackle tough challenges.

    • Alumni
    • Business partnerships and collaboration
    • Global engagement
    • News and Media relations
    • Public Policy
    • Schools and priority groups
    • Visit us
  • About
    UCL welcome quad
    About UCL

    Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL is London's leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 16,000 staff and 50,000 students from 150 different countries.

    • Who we are
    • Faculties
    • Governance
    • President and Provost
    • Strategy
  • Active parent page: UCL Engineering
    • Study
    • Research
    • Collaborate
    • Departments
    • Active parent page: News and events
    • People
    • About

Welcome to the Crook Society 2017

Breadcrumb trail

  • UCL Engineering
  • News and events

Faculty menu

  • Events
  • Current page: Faculty news
  • UCL News: Engineering

Welcome to The Crook Society's New Committee in 2017

The newly-appointed members of the Biochemical Engineering Department's long-running Crook Society take some time to tell about themselves and what the society is up to.

(From left to right: Allia, Justin, Davinia, Cecile and Mathilde)

What is The Crook Society?

The Crook Society has been running for nearly twenty years, since The Department of Biochemical Engineering was set up in 1998. We’re the undergraduate society who organises events to help students feel integrated in the department. We’re all studying the Engineering stream, one of the four programmes run within The Department.

Tell me about yourselves

Allia Ruggerio, President

I grew up in Germany but have a mixed background. I studied my A levels in Essex, my subjects were maths, physics, chemistry, biology and further maths. I basically put myself forward for this role at Brenda’s suggestion (Dr Brenda Parker, undergraduate admissions tutor) I’m currently living in Archway alright while I study.

Davina Rehal, Vice President

I am committed to listening and introducing ideas to the society. I grew up in southwest London taking A-levels in biology, chemistry and media. I’m living at home in in Southwest London while studying at UCL which means a nice easy commute up the Northern Line each day!

Justin Lutterbuese, Treasurer

I took my A levels in Buckinghamshire (everyone says this it’s very posh) studying maths, further maths, chemistry and physics and I’m the only first year student in the committee. I’m currently in UCL Student Halls at Schafer house which is fine but I’ve had a few issues with “interesting” guests in the halls (mice) and but it’s good fun!

Mathilde Thoulouze, Social Secretary

I did my baccalauréat in Paris that covered a range of subjects focusing on science with further maths. I think I’ve had a different experience than my fellow students at Biochemical Engineering because those of us who did a baccalauréat studied a wider range of subjects but not as in depth than with more focused scholar systems, I notice that we bring different skills to the group. As Social Sec I would like to organize welcoming events for the first years, so they feel integrated in the department quicker and get to know everyone, but also organize various small gatherings through the year and some specific pub crawls!

Cécile Geier, General Secretary

I am French & German and grew up in Luxembourg, a country at the crossroad of Europe where 50% of the population is non Luxembourgish. Hence, I have always lived in an international environment and I really enjoy the diversity in the the department. Before university I did the International Baccalaureate (IB) covering higher level maths, chemistry and French, with standard level history, English and German. Due to its structure the IB widens your knowledge and that interdisciplinary experience comes out when doing scenarios.

What are you looking forward to?

We’re excited about getting to know more people around The Department, so far we’ve mostly had contact with those in our own classes which can mean that some people don’t get to know the wider department until their second year.

The society has a number of ideas for events that will start helping undergraduate students to get to know people in other years and on other programmes, as well as academics and support staff. We’re planning a mentoring scheme and a treasure hunt – that will be a great way to explore what goes on here. We’ll also be doing smaller gatherings throughout the terms and a big end-of-exam pub crawl, maybe a carnival (after some discussion they thought carnival may be a bit much, but a unicorn/ onesie day would be a great idea), and a cake sale to raise money for the society. We’ll also be planning class photos and create departmental hoodies to show off on campus. We also want to get involved in the organisation of the Christmas Ball. Last but not least we will organise several career talks and get involved in the open days to attract as many freshers to the department as possible.

We are really excited to be the new Crook committee and we are looking forward to an exciting year ahead!

“The undergraduate society is named in honour of Professor Eric Crook one of the early supporters of Biochemical Engineering research at UCL. He undertook some of the early scale-up studies on biological systems in the 1950s while working in the then UCL Department of Biochemistry and collaborating with engineers in the then UCL Department of Chemical Engineering. Crook was one of the original editors of ‘Biotechnology and Bioengineering’ which is still the leading journal in the field.” Prof. Gary Lye, Head of Department

Widget Placeholder

Open Days

Book now for forthcoming events

More from UCL Engineering...

Engineering Foundation Year
UCL East Marshgate building at dusk

Programme Spotlight

Engineering Foundation Year

We'll help you to gain new knowledge, learn academic and study skills, and develop your confidence levels so you'll have what it takes to transform your life.

Inaugural Lectures
Farhaneen Mazlan delivering a talk at UCL

Event series

Inaugural Lectures

An opportunity to explore ground-breaking research that is shaping the future and transforming the world.

Disruptive Thinkers Video Series
Dr Claire Walsh looking at a human organ in an imaging facility

Watch Now

Disruptive Thinkers Video Series

From making cities more inclusive to using fibre optics in innovative medical procedures, explore the disruptive thinking taking place across UCL Engineering.

UCL footer

Visit

  • Bloomsbury Theatre and Studio
  • Library, Museums and Collections
  • UCL Maps
  • UCL Shop
  • Contact UCL

Students

  • Accommodation
  • Current Students
  • Moodle
  • Students' Union

Staff

  • Inside UCL
  • Staff Intranet
  • Work at UCL
  • Human Resources

UCL social media menu

  • Link to Soundcloud
  • Link to Flickr
  • Link to TikTok
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to Twitter

University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7679 2000

© 2025 UCL

Essential

  • Disclaimer
  • Freedom of Information
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • Slavery statement
  • Log in