How long have you worked at the Uni? What does your role involve?
I’ve been here for seven years. I'm a Technical Manager in Engineering and Design, and so I am responsible for the lab facilities and technicians in Architecture & Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. That gets us involved in lots of different activities - it's quite a broad field of work, so anything from vehicle and engine testing to manufacturing parts, to testing building materials and architectural model making.
What would you most like to achieve while at the University?
I've been working on the Technician Commitment and my goal is to make sure it makes a real difference at the University. The Technician Commitment is about raising the profile of technical staff and creating parity of esteem with academic and professional service colleagues. I'd also like to see technicians taking pride in their careers and empowering technicians to be bold in their career steps.
Name one thing that makes you feel proud to work at the University of Bath?
I really like working in a place that is, in all of its activities, doing something to benefit society. Whether it's in the world leading research that we do, or educating students to go out and make a difference, everybody at the University is involved in supporting that directly or indirectly. As lots of other people have said in Staff Spotlight it is the people that come together to make that happen that really makes this place special.
What piece of advice would you like to give to a student?
That it's okay to try and fail. When I was a student I generally did quite well and when I got into the world of work, I found it was a lot harder than I thought it might be. I had a few failures, and took that quite badly, but actually that's just part of the reality of life and that's okay, you learn from those.
Who was your most influential teacher/educator, and why?
A few people that come to mind, but actually the person that has taught me the most is my wife. I'm not naturally a people person, and she is. She has taught me a lot about compassion and empathy and learning to see the human in other people. That's been really valuable to me.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I think every little boy wants to be a train driver! But I never really had a clear occupation in mind when I was growing up, and that's partly what led to me doing this job because I never had a particular career path in mind. I stumbled through a few jobs before ending up at Bath. I never would have ended up here if I'd planned it out, but I'm glad I have.
What was your first job?
When I was 15 I had a paper round, as lots of people do. Trudging up and down the road on a Friday evening in the rain with a trolley! But my first proper job was as a science teacher in a secondary school, which I fell into by accident after not really knowing what to do after University.
Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?
I'm a bit of a home bird and I love the UK, so I've travelled around a bit, and it's always been great, but I always come back to the UK. My favourite holiday destination is Scotland, particularly the west coast of Scotland. I first went there when I was 16 on Outward Bound trip and I've loved it ever since. It's just spectacular.
What’s your favourite book or album and why?
I like the classic sci-fi novels like Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, because it's fascinating to see what they thought the future would look like in the 50s and 60s, seeing which of their predictions have come true and which were way off, and comparing those concepts to the reality of the 21st century.
When are you happiest?
I love being outdoors and hill walking, so I love being up mountains. And also with my wife and two girls. Our youngest was born this summer and I’m taking shared parental leave in the new year. I’m really looking forward to spending more quality time with them.
If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and why?
I did have a think about this beforehand and my answer is the Queen. Not because I'm a royalist or have any particular strong views about the monarchy, but because I think she's someone with a real depth of wisdom and insight, and it'd be really interesting in a turbulent world to talk to somebody who I think seems really grounded and wise.
Which one superpower would you like to possess?
To make people more concise and less waffley to cut down on meeting times.
Tell us your favourite joke
Guess who I bumped into on the way to the opticians the other day? Everyone.