David Stanier (2011 cohort)
Please provide a brief summary of your PhD project.
Investigating solutions to produce bespoke engineering materials that behave in imaginative and functional ways. This is achieved through the careful alignment of reinforcing fibres by a magnetic field. The resulting material could (e.g.) be envisaged as a micro-swimmer that bends and twists in a swimming motion when in the presence of an alternating magnetic field.
Did you choose to continue your XP project as a PhD? Why or why not?
Yes. The XP project did not provide enough time to satisfactorily bring the project to a natural conclusion. Instead it laid the groundwork for the PhD, and it would have been a personal disappointment not to 'see it through to the end'.
How did the taught component benefit your PhD research?
It benefited me personally, as it exposed me to a lot of research I wasn't aware of and expanded my interests.
How did the cohort structure benefit your PhD research?
It was a nice environment in which to work and make friends. Additionally, older cohorts provided experience and assistance in a number of ways.
What did you most value about being part of a CDT?
The added learning experience of the taught year, and the large ACCIS group with so many inter-linked research topics.
What was the 'impact' of your research?
I expect that oriented tailored reinforcements will become more common-place once their effects are more fully understood, and their alignment can be completely controlled in 3-dimensions.
How have the skills and knowledge you acquired during your time in the CDT helped develop your career?
The job I have secured has primarily appreciated the PhD experience and the 'soft' skills that are developed during the process.