MEng Student working for QuinetiQ

Graduated with 2:1 Master’s in Electronic Engineering, July 2010.

Hometown: Tenby, Pembrokeshire current home town is Monmouth.

"I recently started working for QinetiQ in Malvern as graduate Electronic Engineer in the Special Projects division. Currently I am involved with various projects utilising the Passive Millimetre Wave technology developed here at QinetiQ. 

"Recently I have become involved with the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) ambassador programme involved with reaching out to schools and encouraging students into engineering and science related subjects.

"I chose Bangor University to study for a range of factors

 

  • Firstly being situated in my home country of Wales was a primary attraction to maintain a welsh heritage. The bursaries and government incentives for being welsh and studying in Wales for me outweighed the prospects of studying elsewhere in the UK!
  •  The facilities and the staff within the department at Bangor were second to none, displaying a wealth of knowledge with a friendly attitude and a great level of approachability. Meeting staff members during open days it became apparent that lecturers, admin staff and other students shared common interests within academic disciplines in addition to outdoor sports and everyday life.
  • Lastly and frankly the reason I chose Bangor is its stunning location! Bangor sitting on the doorstep of Snowdonia National Park containing some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Wales. Having access to rivers & waterfalls, mountains & valleys  and the lakes & beautiful villages within Snowdonia. Being from a strong outdoor background and having world renowned rivers, climbing and hiking within walking distance of the university contributed heavily to my decision.
  • A combinational factor of all these made Bangor stand out from other universities for me when comparing universities.

"My interests in engineering lie heavily in an ability to dismantle anything and everything in a curious search for the understanding of its operations. From an early age my curiosity of wanting to understand how everything worked became apparent. Engineering further enhanced this learning in regards to understanding electrical and electronic principles. Doing a course on electronics at a college level showed me that for engineering simply knowing often isn’t enough. An understanding and working knowledge of components or systems is required in engineering to fully gain a grasp on concepts.

"Having graduated from Bangor I often look back on the university years as some of the best years of my life so far. Being a student you are encouraged to socialise with fellow students and join groups or teams of students with similar interests. I thoroughly enjoyed the student lifestyle of studying, playing and partying at Bangor, with various pubs and clubs and plenty of alternative activities provided a vibrant nightlife and seldom a day without an activity such as hiking, mountain climbing or simply chilling out.

"Bangor’s main selling points for me are its location, the city’s history & proud traditions, the facilities and staff. Bangor provides you with an all-round experience of living in Wales and studying at a highly rated university. Having a close proximity to Snowdon and the national park, being in a vibrant city that is never overwhelming and having facilities & staff members who retain world class expertise in there subject matters.

"During my time in Bangor I enjoyed making lasting friendships with peers and students alike. The activities easily accessible to Bangor allowed for my development in sports such as canoe polo, mountain biking and rock climbing. 
In particular to Bangor the clubs and societies on offer to you as a student was terrific with friendly and inviting people to partake in all sorts of activities. Whilst at Bangor I enjoyed playing in the sport of canoe polo and in particular winning two bronze medals at the national competition.

" My lasting memories of Bangor are narrowed down to making lifetime friends, achieving the bronze medals, guiding Freshers and helping out with Freshers events , the University balls & dinners and graduating with a 2:1.

"My degree helped me to get the job I’m at the minute. Gaining the Master’s degree and showing companies that you’re willing to go the extra year in order to stand out. In addition to the Master’s degree itself the teachings and confidence that my university life has given me in presenting myself and giving presentations on various projects.

"Gaining a degree in a STEM subject is critical to gaining a career in Electronic Engineering. Without the knowledge and understanding gained during university I cannot foresee a way of gaining a career in electronic engineering. Having worked on complex projects in teams of engineers prior to working here gives you an idea of how engineers collaborate together to achieve a goal or target."

Publication date: 30 January 2018