Meet the engineers!

Education:

I studied Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. At 6th Form college I studied Maths, Physics and Art for my A-levels and was torn between doing engineering and going to Art School.

Qualifications:

I have an MEng (M = masters which I did as a 4 year full time course) in mechanical engineering. 3 A-levels, 11 GCSE’s

Work History:

During university summer breaks I worked for special effects company helping produce pyrotechnic effects (fire and explosions), weather effects (snow, rain, wind) for music videos, tv ads and dramas. I also worked at a small company to design and make the head and neck of an animatronic dinosaur (like you see in the museums). After university I worked in construction on the Terminal 5 project at Heathrow. I project managed the construction work required to extend the train and tube lines.

Employer:

Science and Technology Facilties Council – this is a reasearch council that funds facilties required to produce science research that can not be done at a university.

Current Job:

I have a mixed role of mechanical engineering design and project management. I design whatever the scientists need to perform their experiments. An example of what a laser scientist may ask for is something to move a big mirror in 3 directions remotely to a high accuracy so that they can aim their laser beam where they need to. I also manage the mechanical workshop, so I allocate tasks to my staff based on the priorities of the department and the staff skills.