Staff Profile

Background

A professional chartered Control & Instrumentation engineer (IET) with 30 years experience in electronics and software design, working with local SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises) and academic organisations in the development of commercial products. Previous roles include technical lead on research projects involving: ECAD (Electronic Computer Aided Design) tools, 3D computer graphics, Internet technologies, sustainable engineering product design and wildlife monitoring. I previously worked for the SWAN sustainable energy group and the SAgE faculty quantifying research impact on the Research Excellence framework.

Roles and Responsibilities 

Currently I manage the daily operation of the Electronics, Robotics, Assistive Technology, Neural engineering and AI labs and provide technical assistance and solutions from academic staff and students. I produce engineering prototype designs, repair equipment, re-stock and purchase necessary components and equipment to support research and UG/PG teaching projects. I provide specialist expertise on control and instrumentation problems and embedded software projects involving the Arduino microcontroller. I provide technical guidance to lab technicians on complex engineering problems, maintaining the laboratory to reflect advances in relevant equipment and products/applications for potential projects.

A major part of my role is also supporting Stage 3, Stage 4 and MSc student practical projects involving autonomous car design, medical test rigs, wind turbine testing etc. Other department duties include test rig construction and support on the Formula Student car, locomotive train and moon buggy project involving electronics/software/control systems.

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Electronic Systems and Control Engineering 

MSc Control Systems

CEng & MIET (Institute of Engineering Technology)

UKPSF FHEA (Engineering) - Fellow (Descriptor 2) level of the Higher Education Academy. 

Previous Positions 

Research Associate (Research Impact) - SAgE Faculty

Project Technical/Coordinator - StEP Group (Newcastle University)

Senior Design Engineer - RCID (Resource Centre for Innovation in Engineering Design - Newcastle University)

Test Engineer - TRW

Control Engineer - Ferodo

Research & Related Work:

2024 - Co-wrote and presented a poster titled 'Design/Build Of a Bespoke Musical Instrument Stand' at the ISAM (International Symposium Academic Makerspace) conference at Sheffield University. https://ijamm.pubpub.org/isam2024

2024 - Designed a proof of concept LoRa (Long Range) wireless sensor prototype as part of a methane emission monitoring project involving dairy cows.

2023 - Designed the electronic sampling equipment and setup that allowed for the non-invasive monitoring of methane emissions in dairy cows, an important part of the fight against climate change.

https://from.ncl.ac.uk/cow-burps-and-the-drive-to-net-zero

https://youtu.be/AynRGs_YHfc?si=I7iqF_3B2DU_kufh 

2022 - Acknowledged for my technical assistance involving the work in the Novak lab that contributed to the journal paper "Stratification effects on shoaling internal solitary waves" published in J.Fluid Mechanics.

2021 - Project Supervisor for a student engineering team that won first prize in the national Hackcessible competition to design a bespoke musical instrument stand, supporting a French Horn for a physically disabled professional musician.

Case study: Fully functioning French horn stand created thanks to make-a-thon. - The OHMI Trust

Article 'Innovative horn stand proves a winner for student team' published in the BBC music magazine - The full score March 2022.

2021 - Presented 'Low Cost Portable Renewable Energy Monitoring System' project and poster at Sheffield University - Unimaker 2021 conference & Practical Engineering Education conferences.

2020 - Dynamites award winner - Project of the Year (Public Sector / Not for Profit) - Newcastle University "GET PPE-NCL" https://www.dynamonortheast.co.uk/events/dynamites-20/ Involved in coordinating the School of Engineering NHS visor 3D printing production.

2020 - Project Article 'Covid-19 3D Printed Visor Strap Production for NHS Trust at Newcastle University' accepted at Sheffield University Unimaker conference.

2017: Presented a poster and talk at Cultra Manor, Belfast to the Red Squirrels Knowledge Fair concerning my prototype for a wireless wildlife monitoring system.   

2017 EPSRC IAA funding July 2017-18 for wildlife monitoring project, involving authorised access to trial engineering prototype on the Duke of Northumberland's Alnwick estate.

2015-16: Co-Investigator on 2 SAgE research strategic development funds for impact generation involving 'Portable Micro-Energy Harvesting Product for Renewable Energy' and 'Intelligent Low-Cost Wildlife Monitoring'

2012-2013: Managed the International research funded project 'Global Secure' involving Newcastle University and a number of leading Chinese Universities. The aim was to improve and develop new sustainable and clean energy technologies (EPSRC).

2012-2013:Control systems development and technical support on the Transforming Energy Demand through Digital Innovation (TEDDI) (EPSRC). 

1996-2012: Whilst working at the RCID (Resource Centre for Innovation in Engineering Design - Newcastle University) I was responsible for over £250,000 consultancy/research work developing engineering products for local N.E companies.

2011: Developed the Siemens PLC based SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system to control a tri-generation diesel engine for the SWAN group (ERDF). 

2005-2010: Technical lead on the Web based 3D computer graphics for virtual product prototyping (HEIF-Higher Education Innovation Fund).

1996-2000: ECAD Framework: Showcasing ECAD tools to implement right-first-time simulated electronic designs.  

Teaching 

Awarded Fellow (Descriptor 2) level of the Higher Education Academy UKPSF in February 2017. 

I support the delivery of lab tutorials on the Arduino microcontroller for Stage 2 students Professional Skills Framework module, MSc practical projects and Stage 3/4 practical projects.

I support the Mechatronics MEC3033/MEC8063 module on Instrumentation and Drive Systems