Graduates of 2016

It’s been that time of year again! We’ve got a new gaggle of graduates and they’re here to open up and share a bit about themselves with Tokamak Tales!

 As is tradition, they have been asked some serious and not-so-serious questions!

Name Joe Dobrashian

Department PS and RF Systems

What was the favourite part of your degree? My group design project on designing the electrical system of an off-shore gas rig

What’s your pet peeve? When you know someone has seen a message but they do not respond

Hopes for the graduate scheme? To put my studies into practice and to settle in well in the company

If you could be any animal what would you be and why? An elephant – they’re intelligent and strong so they can do anything that they want

If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Teleportation so I could go anywhere at any time and could be get to work in no time

Name Alex Wagner

Department RACE

What was the favourite part of your degree? Hmmm, academically, I would say that my favourite module was based on ‘Energy and the Environment’, which I found interesting and relevant. However, there was another module where the lecturer was Canadian, who would regularly get side tracked and either start talking about his obsession with gongs, or start randomly shouting enthusiastically about nothing important! He was a very entertaining lecturer indeed.

What’s your pet peeve? I must say, that I am starting to believe in the ‘earphone fairy’; a creature that enters your pocket or bag and deliberately tangles the cabling to your earphones, even after being carefully and neatly stored in said pocket or bag.

Hopes for the graduate scheme? I hope that the graduate scheme would offer me good engineering experience, whilst having the career support and guidance from a mentor/supervisor.

If you could be any animal what would you be and why? Along with many people, the ability to fly is quite enticing, so some sort of bird would be good. Obviously, I wouldn’t want to be a bird that is low down on the food chain, so probably a Peregrine Falcon, or a Golden Eagle (flying around North Scotland).

If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Being able to be invisible on command, or to be able to pause time and resume it (like Bernard’s watch) sounds quite fun.

Name Douglas (Doug) Craven

Department Engineering Implementation

What was the favourite part of your degree? Statics & Stress Analysis

What’s your pet peeve?  Horses being ridden on public roads, totally unnecessary. Aside from having no handlebars or a steering wheel or any brakes you have to drive past them at 2mph and they freak out if you go any faster, they poo anywhere and everywhere!

Hopes for the graduate scheme? To improve my public speaking and presentation skills/confidence.

To attain a good knowledge of the systems involved in creating, sustaining and monitoring the nuclear fusion reaction as a whole.

To apply the skills and knowledge I have already learned through previous work and studies.

To be an integral part of the progress of nuclear fusion.

If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

Name Ian Clargo

Department Central Engineering Department (although working within RACE for DEMO)

What was the favourite part of your degree? The consumption of alcohol (sorry I meant knowledge)

What’s your pet peeve?  Bags on seats (which doesn’t actually annoy me) but then the glare/tut/moan/complaint when I ask them to move it. (“You’re right actually, I really would prefer to stand on this train for the next 3 hours rather than causing you to get a little dust on the bottom on your Asda bags”)

Hopes for the graduate scheme? To get heavily involved in a technology capable of changing the world and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve.

If you could be any animal what would you be and why?  Pterodactyl - because they’re awesome, can fly and you get the added perk of getting a glimpse back in history.

If you could have any super power what would it be and why? Am I the only who with superpowers or does everybody have superpowers? Either way, still probably telekinesis because I can subtly use my powers or I can just go mental with them.

Name Ronan Kelly

Department RACE

What was the favourite part of your degree? Writing a ray-tracer* from scratch, and using it to render a 3D scene from scratch for the first time.

I felt like a god.

*Ray-tracing: imagine bouncing imaginary light rays off imaginary shapes in a computer to create an imaginary image. Imagine it…

What’s your pet peeve? Computers, they’re the worst.

Hopes for the graduate scheme? To do interesting work with clever people! And drink lots of coffee along the way.

If you could be any animal what would you be and why? A sloth with the head of an owl. Why? Evening lounging

If you could have any super power what would it be and why? The power to create a miniature sun inside a metal doughnut on Earth! …and why? To power my new GPU. And then sell any surplus electrons at great profit.

So there we have it! Another year of graduate intake for CCFE and RACE!