How long have you been working at Imperial College and what do you enjoy about working in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering?
I joined the Department in September 2019. So far, it is one of the best workplaces that I have experienced (I write this sincerely and having had experiences at a handful of the world’s top universities). We are located in Central London, which is a fantastically vibrant and connected place to be for both my work and personal life. The Department is undoubtedly one of the top hubs of expertise in civil and environmental (and materials!) engineering globally since we have both comprehensive state-of-the-art facilities as well as academics, researchers, and students with world-leading expertise and passion for what we do. The environment in the Materials Section is supportive and we mutually seek to deliver rigorous/high quality/impactful work. The professional services staff that I work closely with are similarly supportive and highly effective in their roles. I also thrive off the dynamic and ‘go-getter’ nature of the wider Imperial working environment.
Tell us about your main research interests
At a high level, I am chiefly interested in supporting society transition to a sustainable future, meaning a world in which all humans (at least) have their basic needs met and without excessive environmental loss. Since this is a hugely complex problem, I mainly focus on the ‘built environment’ (infrastructure, buildings, cities) and civil engineering materials (cement, concrete, bricks, etc.) due to their high importance in our lives. In practice, this means that I aim to identify through modelling how we can improve the built environment to approach a sustainable future (e.g. by redesign, use of alternative materials and their production processes). I then advance potentially significant materials science and technologies that are uncovered through that modelling and analysis (e.g. building materials derived from bauxite residue, also known as ‘red mud’). My approach is interdisciplinary and leverages my expertise in industrial ecology, materials science, and chemical engineering.
How and why did you become an academic?
Answering this requires a bit of background. I graduated with a BEng (Hons) in chemical engineering and a BSc majoring in applied mathematics at the University of Melbourne, which is roughly equivalent to completing a MEng degree in the UK. During the summer between the third and fourth years of my (five year) studies I worked as a research assistant within the group of an academic whose research I found interesting, on low carbon cementitious materials. I later completed my final year undergraduate research project in the same group and topic. I spent my next summer working as an intern in industry (in rural Australia), and after graduating took six months to work in Prague and travel around Europe. During those six months I decided to take up the PhD scholarship which I had applied for at the end of my studies and later won. My PhD started in Melbourne but it took me to Sheffield and Zürich, and basically offered me the opportunity to work wherever I liked (within the constraints of my modest PhD stipend). After my PhD I worked as a postdoctoral researcher for ~2.5 years, which is when I landed my first Lecturer role. That is how I became an academic. The main reason why I continued with a research career and sought to become an academic is because I enjoy the significantly autonomous academic lifestyle. Additionally, I find it fulfilling to solve complex and often numerical problems, and meaningful to apply knowledge and insights that I have learnt and accumulated throughout my studies and life.
What excites you most about your role?
I definitely find idea generation in research fun. This often occurs early along the research pipeline, but crucially also at important moments throughout the process when key insights are discovered (‘ah ha!’ moments). It is really exciting to see these early research ideas, honed through years of critical thinking and analysis, and often with the help of talented collaborators (including students and staff), come to fruition. We are currently approaching this (really exciting!) place in a project that I am working on with two Imperial academics, a research assistant, and an undergraduate student, for an idea that I conceived four to five years ago. It is also exciting to reconnect with colleagues and friends at conferences, particularly Gordon Research Conferences where much time is dedicated to discussion (‘hanging out’). Naturally these are key occasions to develop and share ideas.
Why should people study at PhD level in your academic area?
The world needs more people who understand the complexities of the sustainable development challenge, have the skills to contribute meaningfully towards solutions, and can champion progress in this area especially in the public eye. Since the solutions are not straightforward, in my mind one of the most important attributes needed here is long-term (life-long?) scholarship, which means the ability to critically make sense of information and act rationally (including spontaneously) based on this understanding. Scholarship is one of the key skills that a PhD student develops and hones during their studies. Systems thinking is also important. The specific area that I work in, sustainable materials engineering, particularly in relation to the built environment, is central to delivering a sustainable future, because buildings and infrastructure underpin good quality of life. Here, an example situation where scholarship and systems thinking are needed is in evaluating the environmental trade-offs related to using a material like wood rather than concrete. This evaluation depends on both technical aspects like material composition and the scale that the material is used at, which could be in an individual building or throughout the entire construction sector. Considerations like natural resource availability can be insignificant at the small scale but a severely limiting factor at the large scale, which may thus affect the evaluation.
What are you looking for in a PhD student?
I look for talented and motivated people who are passionate about socioeconomic and environmental issues, and who have a science or engineering background. They need to fit well within my group and the wider team (Materials Section, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London), along both skills and personality dimensions. Usually, the type of person who can complete a good PhD will be diligent, reliable, detail oriented, friendly/personable, and can communicate clearly – in written and verbal forms. Not necessarily the person with the highest marks in their cohort. Usually finding the right person is the key, since I am seeking a close match between them and a new and interesting (at least I think so…!) research idea, which I and my colleagues are continually generating. But perhaps most of all is that I seek to support people who I would enjoy working with for the long-term, and vice-versa, since the PhD-supervisor relationship is potentially a career-long one.
Do you have any advice for students wanting to study for a PhD?
Yes. (1) Choose your supervisor wisely. It is a hugely important choice. Do you think you will get along well with them? Learn about the culture of the Department and group that you are joining. What facilities do they have? Read papers published by them. Your supervisor should have expertise and connections in a research area that interests you. (2) Choose your location wisely. You will probably invest at least three years of your life completing your PhD, and ideally you want that to benefit your personal life too. If you want to become settled somewhere, you can achieve that during the PhD. Or alternatively, if you want to experience someplace entirely new, a PhD offers a great opportunity to do this and explore. (3) Choose your topic wisely. Your interests will change throughout your career, so your topic choice does not (and cannot) be perfect, but it should provide you with a sound basis to build on in the future. If you are interested in becoming an academic, then you should be aware that relatively few academics diverge greatly from their PhD topic. Most succeed by following their PhD topic and publishing high quality work in that area. This is partly because it is really challenging to shift to an entirely new topic, especially alongside the other demands of the academic role (e.g. teaching). The PhD is a career-defining period when time should be invested in your interests, and to hopefully deliver Nobel prize winning research!