Profile

My background is in Engineering Product Design with a master’s degree in Engineering Projects and Systems Management and I am currently working on a research project involving the sustainable design of IT equipment. I am hoping to achieve a PhD and become a lecturer at my university.  I love what I do for work because it makes an impact on society and I am passionate about eco-design. I also love cycling, watching Star Trek and DIY and I am fluent in 2 other languages.

My research area is Circular Economy for the Data Centre Industry – I work on the development of the sustainable design for complex computers called servers. A Circular Economy is a sustainable economic system that is more in tune with nature and is way forward to a more sustainable and progressive society. Data Centres are buildings full of servers that communicate together to make the internet happen. So, they are very important for the infrastructure. Without Data Centres TikTok would not exist, smartphones would not work and the modern world would come to a standstill. Unfortunately, Data Centres also produce a huge amount of electronic waste that is toxic and doesn’t get recycled well, so my job is to design servers that last longer, don’t produce a lot of waste and can be easily recycled.

I  leave home at 9 am and cycle to work to get there for 10 am. I can be doing various tasks depending on the day. Some days I am taking servers apart to see how they are made and what they are made from and make excel sheet logs of the inventories, sometimes I even need to use a high-tech electronic microscope to see what materials are used in some electronic components. On other days I work on the design and use CAD software and 3D printers when designing server parts. I write reports and academic papers to share research findings with other professionals or create graphic promotional materials for the project. I also have to participate in conferences and do some public speaking when presenting my work. Most of the time I work on my own in the lab. My day finishes at 6 pm, but I often stay longer because I really enjoy my work.

Schools can book for Royal Institute professional Science presenter to come to your school and perform 2 shows for families and the wider community. Their shows are full of experiments and colourful explosions that children can participate in. I have been to several Ri live lectures at the institute itself and watched them online, and they are amazing! I think it’s a great way to get kids engaged in science and show that it’s very exciting. I’ve attached the leaflet with all the information for the teachers to look at or you can go to the Royal Institute website and look for “science in your school” under the education tab. The price is a bit more than the prize money, but I will be happy to donate it towards the booking as it would cover about 52% of the cost.

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