High calibre teaching
The prospect of studying under leading lecturers at the University of Greenwich greatly appealed to USA national Duncan when he was looking for an undergraduate degree programme in Engineering. His decision was confirmed after learning he would have the opportunity to work on a final year project in Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) under the guidance of Dr Yehdego Habtay. For Duncan, this set the programme at the university apart from other engineering programmes on offer in the UK or the United States.
Studies pivotal to a career
Duncan says his experience as an undergraduate student at Greenwich bettered him both professionally and personally. After graduating from his degree programme, Duncan was able to work for several high-profile companies in the USA in electrical controls engineering. He credits his successful career to his course and the lecturers who taught him, saying they provided him with the knowledge and drive he needed to succeed.
My studies have been pivotal for my career. I was introduced to PLC programming by Dr Yehdego Habtay for my BEng final year project and the rest is history.
Even though Duncan had been promoted to Senior Electromechanical Engineer in a multination company, he knew a postgraduate qualification would enhance his progression into management as an Engineering Manager or Project Manager. His positive experience as an undergraduate student at Greenwich meant there was no doubt in his mind to return to the UK to study his MSc at the university. He opted to study the MSc Electrical Power Engineering course, which was a natural fit following on from his career in electrics, as the course allows students to specialise in the field of electrical power, an industry that contributes to the quality of everyday life through power generation, transmission and distribution.
Duncan also successfully applied for the £1000 Alumni Postgraduate Award available to graduates who progress to a non-government/research-funded master’s or PGCE teacher training course at the University of Greenwich.
Fundamentals of power engineering
One challenge Duncan found when completing his course was trying to relate everything he had experienced in the field to the theory being taught. However, the teaching he encountered was the same high quality that he remembered from his undergraduate studies, which made the transition to his Master’s degree smoother.
This Master's degree has enhanced my knowledge in the fundamentals of power engineering. The best part of studying at the University of Greenwich is the quality of teaching.
As an experienced engineer, Duncan appreciated opportunities for practical work, particularly practical sessions led by Dr Olusegun Olowookere, and cites Dr Wim Melis’ support with enhancing his technical writing as an example of the excellent standard of teaching across the School of Engineering. For his final project, Duncan hopes to design a PLC algorithm that students could use as a reference for future research.
The future is bright for Duncan, with several opportunities for employment available to him on completion of his course – all offers he has received while completing his course at Greenwich.
