My time at The Holgate Academy really shaped the person I am today and established the principles that I still try to live by. The staff were always amazing and so supportive whenever I needed them. I especially remember my A-Level physics with Mr Newcombe, who really pulled me through, which was exactly what I needed at that time in my life.
After Holgate, I went to Nottingham Trent University, where I studied BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering. During my placement year, I worked as part of the design team upgrading water treatment facilities on behalf of Yorkshire Water, and I had the opportunity to go out and build on-site. The company I worked for offered me a graduate job, which I accepted after completing my studies in 2008.
Of course, at that time, the credit crunch hit construction really hard, and we had quite a number of projects cancelled due to budget constraints. As a result, I looked for other ways to apply my skills. This led me to a research and development job manufacturing resins for structural use. I quickly rose through the company to oversee all engineering output worldwide, working with local contacts to be specified on new projects. I was fortunate enough to work on various committees in the USA and Europe, where I contributed to writing building codes and improving safety within the industry.
I was privileged to be elected as vice president of the trade association in the USA, a position I held for around four years. I travelled around Europe and the Americas, working with building research institutes on product testing and integrating my findings into standardised documents for the industry.
Being so research-focused, it is little wonder that I reached out to my old university to do some testing for us. I ended up becoming an external PhD supervisor for a doctoral candidate working in my field, and when a vacancy came up, I leapt at the chance to join Nottingham Trent University in a teaching position. I teach at all levels on our civil engineering courses, mainly around projects, construction practice, and my personal specialism, non-structural fastening.
I was promoted to principal lecturer in 2023, meaning that I now manage all of our civil engineering undergraduate courses. It gives me the opportunity to reach out to young people, spread my enthusiasm for STEM subjects, and share practice with industry as a consultant.
During my teaching career, I have won the most prestigious teaching award offered by the university—the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. I also received a school award for my work on remote learning during COVID-19 and was nominated for a student-led teaching award. All of this has contributed to my high profile in scholarship, opening doors for me to work as a mentor to new academics and assist colleagues in their own scholarly journeys. I am currently a Fellow of Advance HE (the body that recognises scholarship in higher education) and am working towards becoming a Senior Fellow. Additionally, I am a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
My work is now leading me to integrate more with the newly formed government offices for the East Midlands, where I advocate on behalf of higher education in the region and for the implementation of new or upgraded infrastructure projects.
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Made at Holgate
Please visit our dedicated alumni page, Made at Holgate, for more inspiring stories and experiences from our former students, and to learn how you can become part of our unique network.
