Background

Born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, attended Chesterfield Grammar School.
BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Nottingham Trent University 1976.
Worked in Manufacturing Industry 11 years, initially through an engineering apprenticeship and into various Design, Production Engineering and Project Management roles.
Joined Loughborough University teaching staff in 1983 and was appointed Lecturer in Engineering Design in 1985 in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Completed PhD in Agricultural Machinery/Renewable energy in 1990 at Loughborough. Promoted to the Senior Staff in 2001 within the Teaching and Scholarship job family.

School Research Groups

Pedagogic Research Group, engCETL

Research Interests and Activities

Engineering Education
Project and Problem Based Learning
Leadership training
Peer Mentoring and Assessment
Student Engagement
Renewable Energy

External Activities

• Professional affiliations:  Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED).   Assessor for mature candidate registration of candidates for Chartered Engineer status (IED).  Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
• Editorial Board Membership:“Innovations 2007”, and “Innovations 2008” the Special Volume of the International Network for Engineering Education & Research (iNEER). CRAC degree course guide; mechanical and manufacturing engineering, 2005.
• International Conferences:  Session chair; Research in Engineering Education Symposium, Palm Cove, Queensland, July 2009.  International Conference on Engineering Education, Coimbra, Portugal, Sept 2007, Melbourne Australia, Dec 2007 and Pecs, Hungary, July 2008.
• Invited lectures/presentations: ‘Assessing Project Based Learning in Groups’., Higher Education Academy, ESC/engCETL symposium, Loughborough University, Enhancing Project Based Learning in Engineering, June 2009. ‘Student engagement & strategic learning’, Sheffield Hallam University Staff Training day; Assessment Strategy and Practise, June 2009.  ‘Small Group Teaching’: International Symposium in Engineering Education, engCETL, Nov. 2008. Peer Assessment of Team Projects’; invited lecture at University of Western Australia, Perth, Nov. 2007, ‘Group Assessment Systems’, HEA/ESC; September, 2003.
• Advisory Roles: Mechanical Engineering external subject advisor/validator for the British University in Egypt.  External course validator, University of Plymouth.
• Referee:Engineering Education: Journal of the Higher Education Academy, Engineering Subject Centre.

Awards

2004: University Teaching Prize
2006: University Academic Practice Award.
2008: IMS Global Learning Impact Award (Austin, Texas) for work on Web-PA
2009: Nominated for Times Higher Education ‘Most Innovative Teacher’ Award

Publications

View central admin publications database (new window)

Teaching Responsibilities

Director of Undergraduate Studies: School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Programme Director: B.Eng and M.Eng Mechanical Engineering(1996-2008)
Module leader: Year 1  Eng. Principles & Professional Skills, year 2 Application of Engineering Design, Year 3 Industry Design Project and Year 4, Project Leadership and lecturer on three additional modules
Seconded academic to engCETL (Engineering Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning)

University Administration

Member of Engineering Faculty Board
Member of engCETL Steering Committee
Chairman of Wolfson Teaching and Learning Committee
Chairman of Wolfson Staff-Student Committee
Director of the Loughborough Teaching Contract Scheme

Links

The website of the International Network for Engineering Education and Research iNEER www.ineer.org
Project Based Learning in Engineering website www.pble.ac.uk