Zone Reports

Detection Zone Report – November 2019

Read the report: Detection Zone Report – November 2019 [PDF] The Detection Zone was a themed zone supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. It featured five engineers: Will Smith works at Daresbury Laboratory collecting data from the particle accelerator. Lulu Buford works for Wood plc, an engineering partner for STFC, designing gas pipelines for a laboratory that detects dangerous elements in samples. Fahim Dhalla works at CERN as a cryogenics mechanical engineer, testing superconducting magnets. Chris Parmenter, the winner of this zone, works at STFC RAL Space designing cameras and other equipment to use in space. Candice Basson is a PhD student funded by STFC using the Large Hadron Collider to look for the building blocks of our universe.

Posted on January 15, 2020 by in 2019, STFC, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Detection Zone Report – November 2019

Milliampere Zone Report – June 2019

Read the report: Milliampere Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF] The Milliampere Zone was a general zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and NCOP schools. The six featured engineers were all employed or funded by the STFC, or worked at an STFC partner company: Ryan Smith, the winner of this Zone designs and builds cameras that go to space to look back at Earth or out to the stars. Nadine Priestman processes hardware kits containing engine parts for aeroplane. Matt Keith is trying to figure out how to recycle really big things like bikes, cars and aeroplanes. Emma Hancock is an apprentice in the second year of a University degree, currently working on software for detector systems. Daniel Wye is the Flight Controls Lead Engineer for the Lightning II F-35B fighter plane. Allanah Green is an apprentice for BT developing services for customers worldwide.

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Moderator - Josh in 2019, STFC, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Milliampere Zone Report – June 2019

Health Zone Report – June 2019

Read the report: Health Zone Report – June 2019 [PDF] The Health Zone was a themed zone supported by Wellcome. It featured six engineers: Tonia Tzemanaki designs wearable robotic devices for healthcare procedures. Sam Gaughan uses computers models to learn about enzymes, so they can be used to make medicines. Emily McNee designs and develops skin cancer treatment products. Ejay Nsugbe, the winner of this Zone, works on prosthetics for disabled children. Edgars Kelmers is working to improve implants in hips and knees and make them last longer. Charnett Chau is working to ensure drug manufacturing and the use of plastic is environmentally friendly.

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Moderator - Josh in 2019, WT, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Health Zone Report – June 2019

Energy Zone Report – March 2019

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The Energy Zone was a themed zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council. There were six engineers in the zone:

  • Oliver Moore, who is on a graduate scheme at UKAEA//Culham Fusion Centre, in Oxfordshire.
  • Lesley Colquhoun, who provides equipment to manufacturers who lay subsea power/telecommunications cables at MAATS Tech Ltd who’ve worked with STFC.
  • Leah Morgan, the winner of the zone, who maintains the equipment used to power fusion reactors at UKAEA/Culham Fusion Centre.
  • Hannah Griffin, who builds software and computer systems for scientists at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
  • Graeme Burt, who is funded by STFC and works on particle accelerators as well as teaching at Lancaster University.
  • Aleks Sokol, a Distribution Planning Technician for UK Power Networks, who work with STFC.

Continue reading

Posted on April 15, 2019 by in 2019, STFC, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Energy Zone Report – March 2019

Space Zone Report – March 2019

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The Space Zone was a themed zone supported by the UK Space Agency. There were six engineers:

  • Vinita Marwaha Madil, who plans operations at the European Space Agency (ESA) for future human spaceflight projects.
  • Rachel Hudson helps to build and test instruments for two ESA missions to Jupiter and the Sun.
  • Pam Anderson, an ambassador for the ESA, helps people understand how they might use space technology for the benefit of life on Earth.
  • Christopher Youens, a Spacecraft Operations Engineer takes care of four satellites that perform Earth Observation.
  • Brian Weaver, the winner of the zone, uses satellites that fly 20,000 km around the Earth to guide driverless tractors in farms, or ships in the ocean, all around the world.
  • Andrew Ratcliffe is the Head of Launch Systems at the UK Space Agency and leads the team investigating how to launch vehicles into space safely.

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Posted on April 15, 2019 by in 2019, UKSA, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Space Zone Report – March 2019

Milligram Zone Report – March 2019

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The Milligram Zone was a general engineering zone supported by the Science & Technology Facilities Council. There were six engineers taking part:

  • The winner of the zone, Shruti Turner, a PhD student who researches the development of artificial legs for people who have lost theirs.
  • Mark Bentley, who designs and makes bespoke and custom made “things” for scientific research and teaching practicals.
  • Faranak Bahrami, who designs better ways to perforate thermoplastics without reducing their load-bearing capabilities at TWI Ltd who partner with STFC.
  • Douglas Wragg, who is a road transport consultant engineer.
  • Charlene Chung, a hydraulic modeller who works on designing sewers and drainage system at Aktins Global, who partner with STFC.
  • Alistair McConnell, who designs and builds robotic sensor nodes for monitoring offshore structures.

Continue reading

Posted on April 15, 2019 by in 2019, STFC, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Milligram Zone Report – March 2019

Millisecond Zone Report – November 2018

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The Millisecond Zone has been possible due to extra capacity from contributions from NCOP consortia. This was a general zone and featured six engineers:

  • Sophie Rimmer is a PhD student researching how we can make machines waste less energy
  • Pauline Issard is the director and CEO of Trackener; a company revolutionising horse care with technology
  • Michelle Hands is a construction site engineer who shows those on site where and how to build things
  • Henry Watts, the winner of this zone, turns cutting edge research into a set of physical products to be installed in submarines and ships
  • Fidel Olaye is an electrical engineer working at Mott Macdonald, where he works on various road and highway design projects
  • Chris Neale builds and designs virtual cloud storage spaces for customers of DXC.technology

Students in this zone were very interested in finding out what it is like to be an engineer, asking lots of questions about careers and education options for engineering jobs. They also wanted to know about the engineers’ hobbies and what they did with their spare time (sometimes being shocked to learn they have free time at all!). Continue reading

Posted on January 14, 2019 by in 2018, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Millisecond Zone Report – November 2018

Space Zone Report – November 2018

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The Space Zone was a themed zone supported by the UK Space Agency and featured six engineers:

  • Samuel Bancroft works in the tech team at Earth-i and develops code to process data from live satellites
  • Robson Witts is an apprentice at Oxford Space Systems and creates deployable satellite structures for the space industry
  • Reshma Vora is a product application specialist at NAVBLUE and uses techniques to predict the availability of GPS to help pilots navigate
  • Raam Shanker is the founder of Equitus Engineering Ltd, making parts for rockets that are sent to space
  • K-Jo O’Flynn, this zone’s winner, is also an apprentice at Oxford Space Systems, where she builds antennas and other space technologies
  • Alison Dufresne is a propulsion and systems engineer at Deep Space Industries where she designs and build rocket engines

The students in this zone were keen to hear about the different paths the engineers took to get to their current roles, especially interested in K-Jo and Robson’s experience getting an apprenticeship. K-Jo is the youngest ever winner of I’m an Engineer, and at 17 she was closer in age to the students than to most of the other engineers in the zone. The students engaged well with her and could relate to her more recent experiences. Continue reading

Posted on January 14, 2019 by in 2018, UKSA, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Space Zone Report – November 2018

Artificial Body Zone Report – June 2018

Read the full report The Artificial Body Zone was supported by Wellcome, with six engineers taking part. Sufia is looking at the metals used for vaccination needles, and figuring out ways to make them less painful when inserted into the body Sophie is a medical research engineer using 3D printing to make metal bones Ian is a PhD researcher who designs surgical implants to help people with joint-related injuries Chung Han is undertaking a PhD, currently testing different upper-limb prosthesis designs using a virtual simulation Cat works as a clinical scientist in a hospital developing new pieces of medical equipment to improve patient care Boris, the winner of the zone, is a PhD student using machine learning techniques to teach a robot how to process visual sign language

Posted on July 17, 2018 by in 2018, WT, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Artificial Body Zone Report – June 2018

Space Zone Report – June 2018

Read the full report The Space Zone was supported by the UK Space Agency with six engineers from upstream and downstream fields of the space industry taking part. Xu is an ecologist and Earth observation scientist using satellites to take pictures of Earth and telling people about what those pictures may mean Leah-Nani helps to build scientific instruments that go on spacecraft to explore the solar system Kathryn is computer modelling a precise, low gravity clock to be installed on the International Space Station Ian is CEO at Goonhilly Earth Station, a company that communicates with space ships and satellites Hina is working to make the information we collect from satellites in space useful for people on Earth and to make our life on Earth better Andrew (the winner of this zone) is an electronics engineer who designs equipment such as cameras and propulsion systems for spacecraft

Posted on July 17, 2018 by in 2018, UKSA, Zone Reports | Comments Off on Space Zone Report – June 2018