PhD subject area: PhD in Fracture mechanics of Z-fibre reinforced composites
PhD completion year: 2005
Current position: Structural Engineer, European Space Agency Technology Centre, ESTEC
Previous education: MEng Aeronautical Engineering, Imperial College London
Studying at Imperial
Why did you choose to study a PhD within the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial?
I recognised early on that I wanted to try to work in the Space industry in some way. It was clear that entering a high technology industry would require some specialisation and that a PhD from a recognised world-leading institution would be the most widely recognised way to demonstrate that.
The PhD opportunity that I looked at included a great supervisor and was also linked with industry, which meant that I would directly interact with industrial contacts that represented eventual employers. I was also offered an EPSRC studentship, which removed a lot of financial burden and made a PhD at Imperial Aeronautics the best choice for me.
What values from your studies have you carried into professional life/your career?
Other than providing a deeper knowledge of Composite materials, their manufacture and performance than I would have gained by only working in industry; the PhD provided a strong work ethic and desire to get to the bottom of a technical problem, whilst being prepared to learn new skills and devise solutions very quickly and by myself in many cases. These skills turned out to be very useful in modern engineering industrial settings.
What has been the greatest benefit of achieving your PhD?
The PhD was, for me, a long-term investment in myself, providing deep knowledge into a field that I found interesting (enough so to continue in that field for years to come) and also giving me the confidence to know that I can learn new things and propose credible solutions for technical problems to a variety of subjects, especially anything related to what I studied.
When it came to changing my career path, my PhD was one of the most important transferable qualifications that demonstrated my knowledge and experience. Hence the investment paid off eventually, even if it was not directly recognised in the first part of my career.
How has your time at Imperial influenced your life and career?
In fact one of the most useful aspects of the PhD time, was actually the human interactions that improved my interpersonal skills and empathy for colleagues’ professional needs. Activities like tutoring undergraduates and MSc students for various labs, acting as Postgraduate Representative for the Aero Department in front of the Graduate School, or training and practicing as a Harassment Support Contact for IC Union, all took time, but encouraged me to look up from my own personal work and get to know how others were doing and how things worked around the College as a whole. This set the tone for how I work with others in my daily life.
My supervisor also encouraged our research group to support outreach and communication for the Imperial Composites Centre, so this also gave us opportunities to discuss professional matters in front of peers in other Industries, including major Aerospace companies and Formula 1 motorsport. This opened me to learn how to manage and present technical discussions with senior people in industry, which has also been helpful to this day.
Career path and future goals
What has your journey been since leaving Imperial?
Since obtaining my PhD, I entered the Commercial Aircraft industry as a Composites Stress (Structures) Engineer at Airbus Commercial Aircraft in the UK. My role was to develop analytical tools and methods for Composite materials used on current and future passenger aircraft. The team’s activity was trans-national and I worked with colleagues in France, Germany and Spain, even living in France for several years. Over time my responsibilities grew and I worked on wing primary structure testing and on stress methods and tools at aircraft level.
After around 10 years, I wanted to recover my original intention of working in the Space industry and started applying for roles in the Space sector. I found myself dusting off my old Aeronautics notes to prepare myself for interviews and learnt some new things as well.
When I applied to ESA, I was pleasantly surprised that they valued my experience in industry with Composite materials and recognised my degrees and especially my PhD in a relevant subject, which showed that I could work with people at a high level of expertise. I was offered a role in Materials and Processes and could start contributing immediately from the first day. Over time, I saw an opportunity to get back to my original discipline of Structural engineering but this time for Spacecraft instead of Aircraft. There is a lot still to learn, but it is always very interesting!
What are you currently doing and how has your PhD helped you achieve this?
I am currently a Structural Engineer in the Mechanical Engineering department of the ESA technology centre, based in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
At ESA, Structural engineers for Space projects are responsible for overseeing the safe design of all structural items and components, so that they can sustain all the loads and environments that can be expected in service over the mission life time. Space structures use a lot of Carbon, Glass and Ceramic Composites, which means that my specialist knowledge from my PhD is still quite relevant!
When coupled with the many years of industry experience in providing technical solutions for Aircraft and Spacecraft, I am able to support ESA Space project teams that have questions about Composite materials and their applications, and also provide guidance to future technology development activities that are needed to fulfil ESA objectives in the future.
Words of wisdom
Any advice for current PhD students?
Engaging in a PhD is not always a ‘fun thing’ to do in my experience. It requires a long and sustained effort that will test your patience and abilities, as it rightly should. Hence, please think hard about why you want to start a PhD and what you want to do with it; Might it be useful for something later, or might you need that specific knowledge to enter in a career path immediately after graduation? Also holding a PhD is not necessarily going to guarantee you any job or respect by itself. In my personal experience, a willingness to work hard, and continually demonstrate your capabilities as a person with specialist knowledge who also works well with others, is much more important.