As part of our Alumni Series, we speak to Riccardo Manno, Research and Development Engineer at Ansys about life after the BCI…
Why did you choose the Bristol Composites Institute for your studies?
Back in 2017 I was involved in a research project that saw me spending some time in an University in US. That time I realized I wanted to pursue a PhD in some relevant University. I therefore, started searching for the best academic institutes around the world and I came across BCI. Looking at the website I suddenly understood that it was the place to be for an Advanced Composites Doctorate.
What research area did you specialise in whilst you were here?
I was mainly involved in the numerical modelling of advanced Ceramic Matrix Composites within the Rolls Royce University of Technology Centre at BCI. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with engineers working at Rolls Royce as well as other researchers based at Imperial College London and University of Oxford. I have to say it was an incredible journey.
After leaving the BCI where did you go?
After finishing my PhD I won a Knowledge Transfer Secondment of which I was the Principal Investigator. During this time, I transferred all the work that I had produced during my PhD to Rolls Royce. While, completing the file period of the KTS I secured a position at Ansys as Research and Development Engineer.
What are you currently working on and what do your future plans look like?
In my day to day, I implement models and pieces of software which are used for performing multiscale simulations of composite and lattice materials. I am happy to work at Ansys and I am trying to build as much knowledge as possible for progress within the company.
How did the BCI prepare you for work outside of academia?
I think BCI is an excellent starting point for working within academia as well as outside academia. It is really well known around the world from companies working in the composites field. Furthermore, all the trainings provided by the BCI prepared me well to make the leap into industry after my PhD and Postdoc.