Why did you choose the Bristol Composites Institute for your studies?
I chose to study at BCI for a number of reasons. When I was reaching the end of my MSci degree I was really unsure of what I wanted to do but I knew that I wanted to pursue a PhD, that led to me having a scattershot approach in applying to various CDTs including one within the School of Chemistry (where I did my undergrad degree) and one across the road, what was then called the ACCIS CDT. What decided it for me was the desire to work in a more applied area than the highly academic chemistry I was used to, and if I am being completely honest… the reverse psychology Paul Weaver (the then head of the CDT) used on me in my interview— “We’re going to make you an offer, but I don’t think you’re going to accept it”—master tactics from the former used car salesman.
What research area did you specialise in whilst you were here?
I continued to work in the synthetic chemistry building through large parts of my PhD, trying to make new molecules to build vitrimers and covalent adaptable networks (CANs)—in short, functional (healable/recyclable) composite materials.
After leaving the BCI where did you go?
After finishing my PhD, I did a year and half post-doc-ing in the RR UTC with Ian Hamerton as my line manager. Then after 9.5 years of working at UoB I decided to move on… and work for a UoB subsidiary, the BCI finishing school that is the NCC.
What are you currently working on and what do your future plans look like?
I now work within the Materials Science team at the NCC, working largely on sustainability projects e.g. wind blade recycling, hydrogen tank recycling, sustainable manufacturing consumables, biomaterials, and various other bits and pieces!
How did the BCI prepare you for work outside of academia?
Unsurprisingly given my current place of work, the BCI was the perfect foundation for the composite materials research I am doing now. By working between the School of Chemistry and BCI, I got plenty of exposure to various ways of working. Plenty of practice in presenting, report writing, self management etc. Importantly, the exposure to various courses and people of various cultures in the BCI helped strengthen the soft skills that are more acutely important in industry.