Introducing the 2022 Grads! (Part 4)

It has been an especially large and excellent intake of graduate this year with almost 50 graduates having joined us in 2022. So please give a warm welcome to this last, but by no means least bunch of grads!

Ryan Spence

Name: Ryan Spence
University & Course: Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Newcastle University
Department you're working in: Central Engineering
Where are you based? Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Engineering Analysis and not having to revise for exams :)
What do you like to do in your spare time? Boxing, piano and guitar
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Italy. Pizza.
Who inspires you? Dwight Schrute (See above picture)
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Silly question, infinite wishes obviously
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? My flatmates so I wouldn’t suffer alone

Kallen Johnson

Name: Kallen Johnson
University & Course: Oxford Brookes, Business and Management
Department you're working in: Procurement
Where are you based? Culham, Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Making the most of all the opportunities UKAEA provides
What do you like to do in your spare time? Gym, MMA, Snowboarding/Mountainboarding/Wakeboarding
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Did a road trip around Alaska, spectacular views and lots of wild bears
Who inspires you? Ross Edgley – swam around great Britain, did a triathlon carrying a tree, completed a marathon pulling a mini, amongst other things
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Teleportation – Would be handy for travelling and experiencing other cultures
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? An escape helicopter would be ideal to be honest

Nathan Eedy

Name: Nathan Eedy
University & Course: University of Bath, Chemical Engineering
Department you're working in: H3AT
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Being trapped in Devon for 5 days
What do you like to do in your spare time? Football, Rugby, Watching videos of people angrily debating about said sports
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Lions Rugby Tour of Australia, Future – win lottery
Who inspires you? Parth Kotwal
Be more like Parth Kotwal
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A boat

Bruno Boggiani Cruz

Name: Bruno Boggiani Cruz
University & Course: Federal University of Santa Catarina - Electrical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? London, for now. Oxford soon.
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Developing my skills while working on exciting projects. Being part of making fusion energy a reality.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Travelling, going on long walks, doing some DIY.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Delta quadrant, because resistance is futile.
Who inspires you? Bob Loblaw, particularly his blog "The Bob Loblaw Law blog".
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Fast, reliable and cheap public transport for all.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Parmigiano Reggiano aged 30 months or older.

Ben Jones

Name: Ben Jones
University & Course: University of Bath, Chemical Engineering
Department you're working in: H3AT
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? I’m looking forward to getting hands on with fusion research and wearing a hard hat more.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy climbing and cycling (when it’s not raining).
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? I’d love to cycle the silk road, just need to find a spare 6 months to do it.
Who inspires you? I had a great chemistry teacher at school who really inspired me to get into engineering.
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? For a self-cleaning bike.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A rubik’s cube, so I’d be forced to finally learn how to solve one.

Tom McArdle

Name: Tom McArdle
University & Course: Durham University, Aeronautical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting other talented people, and seeing the kinds of problems we need to overcome for fusion to become a reality
What do you like to do in your spare time? Football, gym, trombone and guitar
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Japan, I’ve never been but it seems like an amazing place to go
Who inspires you? Bill Gates
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? To be able to learn any skill just by watching someone else do it
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A good book and a hammock

Alex Fieldsend

Name: Alex Fieldsend
University & Course: University of Liverpool - Mechanical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Getting involved in a wide range of projects
What do you like to do in your spare time? I play squash in a local league and a bit of climbing
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Tour du Mont Blanc as it looks like a great challenge in beautiful surroundings
Who inspires you? Nims Purja
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Teleportation, so I can travel to a different country every evening for dinner
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A copy of Infinite Jest so I have no excuse but to finish it

Parth Kotwal

Name: Parth Kotwal
University & Course: University of Cambridge, Engineering
Department you're working in: Fusion Technology, STEP
Where are you based? Culham/Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting people with shared interests, Ian Chiang’s emails.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I like cycling (both watching and doing) and going to the cinema.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Iceland. A half planned pre-COVID trip that never happened.
Who inspires you? Keanu Reeves
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Faster than light travel
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A telescope/lamb biryani/Ray Mears

David Cottrell

Name: David Cottrell
University & Course: Birmingham City University - Computer Science
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Culworth (near Banbury)
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Growing my skills & learning about different projects
What do you like to do in your spare time? Playing the guitar and watching the Simpsons
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Anywhere with a beach to relax on (ideally with a cocktail bar)
Who inspires you? David Attenborough
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Probably to go back in time to a Nirvana concert
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Louis Theroux

Paras Mistry

Name: Paras Mistry
University & Course: Sheffield Hallam University studying Electrical & Electronic Engineering BEng (Hons)
Department you're working in: Electrical Engineering
Where are you based? D3.2.18
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting other grads and developing myself as an engineer & person.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Make music, read, watch movies
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Greenland to see the northern lights and I haven't been to many cold countries
Who inspires you? Engineers working at NASA and Boston Dynamics
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?
Enough money to live comfortably
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? My old Nintendo ds

Daniel Collishaw-Schepman

Name: Daniel Collishaw-Schepman
University & Course: University of Bath, BSc Computer Science
Department you're working in: CODAS & IT
Where are you based: London
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme: Developing my software engineering skills in the context of scientific computing and meeting new people.
What do you like to do in your spare time: Reading and travelling.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why: Australia, cannot beat the unique landscape and wildlife.
Who inspires you: Friends and family.
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be: The overnight completion of STEP.
Favourite thing/food/person you'd bring with you to a desert island: Richard Hammond of course.

Introducing the 2022 Grads! (Part 3)

This is the third instalment of grad introductions for the 2022 Cohort. One last bunch in a couple weeks' time to wrap up our largest graduate intake so far!

And now, onto the Graduate Introductions Part 3:

Alisha Khan

Name: Alisha Khan

University & Course: Coventry University, BEng Electronic Engineering (with a placement year)
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting new people, working collaboratively with others and developing a wide range of skills within Electronics and Electrical engineering.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Crochet, Knitting, Painting, Drawing, Hiking and Gaming.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Nara, Japan because of the adorable free roaming deer that visitors can feed, the beautiful scenery and the artwork.
Who inspires you? One of my friends I met during my undergraduate studies, they’re an incredibly hardworking and enthusiastic person who always goes out of their way to help others. Also Sami (he made me add this)
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? To remove the class divide.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? An unlimited supply of Black Forest Gateau 😋

Oliver Crosby

Name: Oliver Crosby
University & Course: University of Manchester: Mechanical Engineering MEng
Department you're working in: STEP
Where are you based? Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme: Working on the most important and exciting engineering challenge in the world.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Rock climbing, reading, going to gigs, the pub.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Go to Mars
Who inspires you? My Dad.
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Time travel
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? My copy of Ulysses/ Beans on toast/ My Brother.

Elliot

Name: Elliott Lambert Parsons
University & Course: University of Sheffield – Meng Mechanical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Oxford - Cowley
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Grad Olympics
What do you like to do in your spare time? Running, Gym, Pub
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? South America – Have never been and it looks like a beautiful part of the world
Who inspires you? David Attenborough – Legend of the environmental community
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Meeting David Attenborough
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? David Attenborough

Kiyana Patel

Name: Kiyana Patel

University & Course: University of Southampton, MEng Aero and Astro with Spacecraft Engineering
Department you're working in: Central Engineering
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting new people and taking part in lots of different projects
What do you like to do in your spare time? Orchestra, hiking and climbing
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Tanzania, went this summer and it is a beautiful country
Who inspires you? My friends and family
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? To have an unlimited supply of chai
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? My sister and best friend, we survived wild camping together

Izzy

Name: Isobel Anne Butler (Izzy)
Uni and Course: Newcastle University, MEng Chemical Engineering
Department: H3AT, TIU
Based: B24 (at work), Headington (at home)
Grad Scheme: outreach section, I enjoy meeting young people and presenting new ideas etc
Spare Time: I’m a bit of a chaotic mix of yoga and pub quizzes, I tend to use the weekends to catch up w old friends and family (if you stay with them it's like a budget holiday, lol)
Dream holiday: It’s gotta be Iceland, right? Everyone is waiting for the day they are rich enough to stay in an igloo with loads of hot chocolate and watch the northern lights
Inspiration: Sounds cringe, but my sister gives everyone AMAZING Christmas gifts and she sticks to a budget too. I aim to one day up my present skills to match hers.
One wish granted: If you don’t say world peace are you a terrible person? My wish would have to be free tea and coffee at work, it doesn’t taste as good if you have to pay for it ☹
Dessert Island item: My duvet. I don’t care how warm it is, if I’m not sleeping under a huge pile of blankets and pillows it’s not a good night’s sleep (seems like an island essential)

Tom Aveyard

Name: Thomas Aveyard

University & Course: University of Sheffield, MEng Engineering (Aerospace)
Department you're working in: Central Engineering

Where are you based? Culham, living in Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Hopefully making some kind of meaningful contribution to a future working fusion reactor
What do you like to do in your spare time? Mainly sport - gym, cycling, running etc. Also quite like cooking and being more into coffee than is probably sensible
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Bikepacking trip through Vietnam
Who inspires you? Chris Hadfield
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? To go to space

Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Coffee. It’s not an addiction, I swear

Clark Rutter

Name: Clark Rutter

University & Course: University of Bath – MEng Electronic Electrical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE Electrical
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Developing my electrical design skills further, and gaining experience in other departments using my graduate development time
What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy flying my own FPV quadcopters, Boxing, and music
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Iceland – Never been but looks amazing!
Who inspires you? Sergio Perez
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Unlimited wishes
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Pavlova

Ben Mercer

Name: Ben Mercer
University & Course: Newcastle University, MEng Chemical Engineering
Department you're working in: Central Engineering Department
Where are you based? Based at the Culham site, living in Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Helping contribute towards the STEP concept design by 2024
What do you like to do in your spare time? Running, playing guitar & visiting friends around the UK
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? I enjoy skiing over a sun & beach holiday because I like to be active!
Who inspires you? Thiago Alcantara, inspirational man
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? To skip the Culham traffic in a morning
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Marcus Wareing, for his cooking talents

Rohan Inston

Name: Rohan Inston
Uni/Course: Bristol, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Department: MRF
Based: Culham (M1)
Looking forward to: Learning all the WONs off by heart
Spare time: Recuperating, playing music, working with old rusty hand tools etc
Dream holiday: Travelling around the med sounds nice
Who inspires me: Ray Mears (not Bear Grylls)
Wish: A form of carbon capture that also feeds and offers education to everyone and that is free, profitable, dissolves all conflict, and boosts biodiversity … :D
Thing to take to a desert island: A wilson branded volleyball (moral support) and that guy from primitive technology (technical support)

Fin Christie

Name: Finlay Christie
University & Course: Strathclyde, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Department you're working in: STEP
Where are you based? Oxford, Cowley
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting lots of interesting people and helping the team get some energy back from fusion - sick and tired of it only ever taking tbh...
What do you like to do in your spare time? I like hanging out with my friends, going to gigs, climbing and hillwalking. I also play a fair bit of playstation, I know I will be shunned for this, but I enjoy FIFA and football manager quite a lot :0
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? I want to go to Chille/ Peru to see the Ande's and the Atacama Desert, but will have to save up for 10-15 years at this rate.
Who inspires you? Stevie Clarke
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Scotland at a world cup
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? My tent

KIT Summer School 2022

In September, the grads visited Germany to attend the 14th International School on Fusion Technologies at KIT in the beautiful Karlsruhe. This was the first time the school had run since before the pandemic, so grad scheme alumni from the 2019 cohort joined the 2020 and 2021 cohorts as we journeyed together for the long-anticipated summer school.

In total there were 31 of us, making up about half of the conference attendees! Our grads represented a variety of departments: CED (Central Engineering), RACE (our Robotics facility), H3AT (our Tritium lab), H&CD (Heating & Current Drive), OCE (Office of the Chief Engineer), Technology, and myself in Advanced Computing.

We met attendees from all over the world, representing both academic and industrial backgrounds, all congregated together to learn more about the technology and engineering that is making fusion energy a reality. After two years largely working in our bedrooms during lockdown, or otherwise focussed on our own projects, it was a refreshing reminder of the context which each of our own day-to-day work fits into, and the global nature of our quest.

KIT Summer School Group Photo 2022 ~ Credit: Mihaela Ionescu-Bujor

The school covered twelve key fusion technology topics over five days:

• Monday opened with an introduction to fusion and plasma physics, by guest lecturers from EUROfusion, the CEA, and our own UKAEA, followed by a lecture on neutronics. 
  
  These topics comprise the core physics of fusion energy: the coupling of magnetohydrodynamic and nuclear considerations that make the magnetically confined deuterium-tritium reaction a viable route to the decarbonised future of energy generation.
  
  
• Tuesday ramped things up by delving into the various plasma heating technologies, plasma diagnostics, and the fusion power plant fuel cycle with guest lectures from UKAEA and the CEA. Tuesday also featured a tour of the gyrotron test stand and was rounded off by tours of KIT’s fusion materials and tritium laboratories.
  
  Developing technologies to efficiently heat and fuel a fusion power plant are very much the sort of practical engineering challenges that define the modern stage of fusion R&D, as distinct from the theoretical physics groundwork solved in the preceding decades.
  
  
• Wednesday covered two major fusion technologies: breeder blankets (required for providing tritium to the fuel cycle), and superconductive magnets (required for plasma confinement).
  
  Breeder blankets are a technology unique to fusion, and a personal favourite of mine, so it was very interesting to learn about the designs being tested in ITER with a guest lecture from F4E (the ITER organisation's European contribution). Tritium is the rarest and most expensive fusion fuel, so a commercial fusion power plant will need to breed tritium in-situ to sustain its fuel cycle and provide a tritium inventory. An elegant solution to this challenge lies in lithium, which emits tritium upon capture of a high energy neutron: exactly the kind of neutron emitted by the main fusion reaction. Thus, a breeder blanket sits snuggly around the vacuum vessel performing two functions: absorbing high energy neutrons and turning their energy into electricity while returning the produced tritium to the power plant fuel cycle.
  
  Superconductive magnets are another fascinating technology used in only a handful of modern applications (including MRI scanners and maglev trains). They are crucial to the design of most fusion power plants, because confining a fusion plasma in a tokamak requires a strong magnetic field. The field strength of an electromagnet grows in line with the current applied, which in a conductor leads to resistive heating as electrons collide with atomic nuclei in the material. Superconductors, however, quite literally have zero resistance, allowing for strong magnetic fields to be produced without melting the magnet in the process.
  
  
• Thursday discussed the materials for fusion devices, including the tungsten divertors. Fusion materials require special properties, capable of withstanding exposure to high heat flux and neutron irradiation for extended periods of time. Neutrons become embedded in these materials, causing microscopic impurities in the lattice which act to embrittle them. At the same time, the high temperatures involved act to soften the materials. Understanding the complex interplay between these phenomena is crucial to engineering a fusion power plant from materials capable of operation throughout its lifetime.
  
  We also discussed the safety, socioeconomics, and waste considerations of fusion with guest lectures from F4E and ENEA. I was glad to see the inclusion of this topic, as the positive socioeconomic impact of fusion is what drew so many of us into the field. The potential to decarbonise the energy supply, while avoiding the waste and safety issues of fossil fuels and nuclear fission is attractive, but it doesn’t come for free; the only way to realise that goal is to integrate safety and waste considerations directly into the design processes in a transparent way, and I’m proud to see that that is exactly how it’s being done.
  
  
• Friday closed with remote handling and maintenance, something my robotics colleagues in RACE are very experienced with, all topped off with guest lectures from the Max Planck Institute on the ASDEX Upgrade and Wendelstein 7-X stellerator facilities. It was great to hear how much progress had been achieved in stellarator technology, especially since it's not something that gets researched much at UKAEA. It was another reminder of how fusion is a collaborative worldwide effort with many organisations and countries involved in bringing the future closer, and a great topic for the final day of KIT.

Of course, we couldn’t visit Karlsruhe without sampling some of their world-famous beer. Luckily, we were honoured to be provided an excellent evening meal at the Badisch Brauhaus (“Badisch Brewery”) which was enjoyed by all.

Evening Meal at the Badisch Brauhaus ~ Credit: Luke Humphrey

On behalf of the graduate scheme, I’d like to thank the organisers for getting this event running again after the pandemic. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from experts, communicate with others working in fusion, and to enjoy a week in Germany.

The famous Schlossgarten of Karlsruhe ~ Credit: James Hodson

Finally, if anybody reading this would like the attend, the next Summer School will take place at KIT in Karlsruhe, Germany from September 11 to 15, 2023. I invite you to keep an eye on this page for details: https://summerschool.fusion.kit.edu/index.php.

You can also check out our own Plasma Physics Summer School here at UKAEA in Oxfordshire, UK at: https://culhamsummerschool.org.uk/.

Article by: Luke Humphrey

Introducing the 2022 Grads! (Part 2)

 Here is part two of the Grad Introductions for 2022!

Name: Abdullah Ansari
University & Course:

Abdullah Ansari

University of Warwick - MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management
Department: FTF Procurement team
Based: FTF, Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Most looking forward to: Lots of learning, development and building professional relationships with both internal and external stakeholders to advance my professional network which will benefit me in my professional career. Further, looking to develop my professional skillset to become a versatile professional to have the most impact in my work and have lots of fun too along the way too!!

Spare time: Spend time with friends to go out for fun outdoor activities such as cycling, as well as social activities such as meals, movies and walks. I like to stay fit and active, so I take a keen interest in most sports (both watching and participating) and going to the gym.
Dream holiday: Dubai, UAE. Just so modern, the lifestyle, shopping, hospitality, food, everything was fabulous.
Inspiration: My mother. The passion, hard work, dedication, determination, and constantly moving forwards despite the hurdles and challenges that may present themselves, is everything she has ever taught me.
One wish: Go on a world tour right now - I absolutely love travelling!
Favourite food: Plenty of lamb curry & Biryani.

Darren Roberts

Name: Darren Roberts
University & Course: Coventry University (BEng) & Brunel University London (MSc) – Mechanical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE, Mechanical Group
Where are you based? Culham, living in Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme: Being around loads of interesting people and getting involved in the quest for fusion power
What do you like to do in your spare time? Cycling, hiking, playing guitar/ukulele/piano and rebuilding classic motorbikes
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Japan (Kyoto and Okinawa) because there might be something to learn from their fascinating culture
Who inspires you? Guy Martin (who I unexpectedly met on site a couple weeks ago)
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Remove evil/cruelty from existence
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Bear Grylls

Charlie (Chaz) Acres

Name: Charlie Acres
University & Course: University of Manchester, Aerospace Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Oxford, hopefully. Radley temporarily
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Working with some of the most intelligent minds in the country, and finding out how much tritium one could keep in their pocket.
What do you like to do in your spare time? All types of engineering hobbies, movie buff, and ice hockey.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Spent a month “working” for a cousin in Canada, water skiing and lake days came with the payment. However, I would love to go to any Asian country in the near future!!
Who inspires you? Any Backyard engineer – especially the YouTube inclined ones. There’s no better way to learn than to just try! (just don’t blow up)
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? I’d wish it was Robin Williams and not Will Smith
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A working license of CATIA

Steve Etches

Name: Steve Etches
University & Course: MSc Data Science at the University of Bath
Department you're working in: Advanced Computing
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Getting to learn about various aspects of the work that is done in UKAEA.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Outdoor activities, hiking, camping, rock climbing, skiing, swimming in the sea and surf
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? I’ve been lucky enough to have travelled quite a bit and whilst I love exploring new places, my favourite holiday is camping in West Cornwall where I can hiking along the coastal footpath with my partner and daughter, or go swimming in the beautiful turquoise waters of Sennen and Porthcurno.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? I wouldn’t want to be away from my family so they’d have to come too.

Name: Matt Field

Matt Field

University & Course: Physics, University of Exeter
Department you're working in: Research Software Engineering, CODAS & IT
Where are you based? Culham (K1), living in Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting new people, and working on new and interesting challenges
What do you like to do in your spare time? Playing tennis or squash, cooking, and playing board games
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Continue my trip around Europe which I started this summer (would love to see every European capital!)
Who inspires you? Alan Turing
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? The ability to time travel
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A fully stocked cocktail bar (or if that's pushing it, at least a few Singapore Slings - top tier cocktail!)

Josh Blake

Name: Josh Blake

University & Course: University of Nottingham - MEng Aerospace Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based?: Reading
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? I'm looking forwarding to getting to know the team at UKAEA and developing software and robotics that will be used in reactors (and other places) for years to come.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I play a fair amount of lacrosse and like to go to the gym. I also have my pilot's license, so love to go flying when I can (which isn't very often at the moment unfortunately).
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? I'd love to explore some Scandanavian countries at some point. I've never been on holiday to somewhere cold, but I'd love to experience it at some point and go to see the Northern Lights!
Who inspires you? Alan Turing
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? A selfish one, but I would love to go to space at some point.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Honestly, I could survive a very long time on just pasta alone - as proven by my four years of uni.




Name: Charlie Keenan

Charlie Keenan

University & Course: Aerospace Engineering BSc – University, Safety & Human factors in aviation MSc – Cranfield University
Department you are working in: RACE
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the grad scheme? Learning enough to earn a lot quickly so I can retire before I’m 80 years old.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy a range of martial arts and archery. Just so you don’t think I have violent tendencies I also fly light aircrafts and love pub quizzes.
Dream holiday? My favourite past holiday was travelling the east coast of Australia, especially the great barrier reef. I am currently planning to tour Japan so I can see the culture at first hand and not just on the television.
Who inspires you? Captain Chesley Sullenberger - a man who really knows how stay calm in a stressful situation
If you could have one wish granted what would it be? A permanent unlimited supply of wishes
Favourite thing/food/person you bring with you on a desert island? A satellite phone or a raft would do.

Ross MacDonald

Name: Ross MacDonald
University & Course: Product Design Engineering Meng @ Loughborough University
Department you're working in: Engineering Realisation Group / Fusion Technology
Where are you based? Culham, living in Reading
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Getting to work with the latest technologies to engineer futuristic systems.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I generally spend my spare time keeping fit alongside hobbies of photography, skating and DJing (all of which I’m very amateur at!) I also enjoy a good night out and the festival scene.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Travelling China – I find the cultural differences across the world fascinating, and if I’m able to go to China in future then hopefully that means the geopolitical situation has calmed down!
Who inspires you? Nikola Tesla
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Major progress in the development of carbon capture and storage – this can’t happen soon enough!
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Solar-powered speakers, can’t go without the tunes.

Omar El-Zobaidi

Name: Omar El-Zobaidi
University & Course: Robotics Engineering, Queen Mary University of London
Department you're working in: RACE - Cybernetics
Where are you based? Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting my fellow graduates. Working on interesting and fulfilling projects both on RACE and decommissioning to make dangerous tasks safer for all.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Table-Top RPGs (need to put more free time into this), video games, drinking coffee and traveling.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? South-East Asia and a road trip of North America.
Who inspires you? My parents.
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? That the space race never ended. Plus, I wish I had legible handwriting.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? As long as there's wifi I am good anywhere.

Introducing the 2022 Grads! (Part 1)

The Grad Scheme has yet again taken in a record number of new graduates. Spanning a wide range of departments, backgrounds, and interests, it's really great to see so many lovely people joining us to make fusion happen. As the Culham and Yorkshire sites continue to grow and with the STEP project having been sited recently, it's a really exciting time to join UKAEA and we're sure there will be plenty of fantastic projects and adventures the grads will get to experience.

As per usual, we've asked the new cohort to introduce themselves. Please do give this first lot a read and let's give the new intake a very warm welcome to UKAEA!

Emir Pinto

Name: Emir Pinto
University & Course:  University of Birmingham – Physics with Technology of Nuclear Reactors
Department you're working in: H3AT
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme:  Working on Decommissioning JET
What do you like to do in your spare time? Tennis
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Past holiday to Seattle, went to visit the Boeing factory
Who inspires you? Rafa Nadal
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Working fusion reactors
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Tiramisu

Tom Boden

Name: Tom Boden
University & Course: Spacecraft Systems Engineering at the University of Leicester
Department you're working in: RACE

Where are you based? Drayton
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme: Going to international seminars.
What do you like to do in your spare time? The Pub™, gaming, debating, nature walks and birdwatching, cleaning.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Big trip all over South East Asia. Start in Vietnam, work my around, end in Japan.
Who inspires you? Diogenes, a fascinating man.
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Trade the kid for Harambe, the world’s been on a downward spiral and that was the nexus point.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a dessert island? A spoon. I ain’t gonna eat all that pud with my hands.

Davidson Sabu

Name: Davidson Sabu
University & Course: University of Oxford, MEng Materials Science
Department you're working in: Manufacturing Technology and Equipment Qualification (MTEQ), in Fusion Technology
Where are you based? Sheffield/Rotherham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting a lot of intelligent people and working towards the common goal of fusion energy commercialisation
What do you like to do in your spare time? Badminton is my main sporting hobby, though you'll find me playing most sports, ranging from Ultimate frisbee to rowing. I enjoy reading philosophy and watching YouTube when I'm feeling lazy.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Travelling to every county and beach in the UK and experiencing the local culture and attractions in each area, because there is so much of the UK I haven't seen.
Who inspires you? My family
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? To find a significant breakthrough in science which would leave a legacy for generations ahead 

Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Plenty of Lamb biryani

JC

Name: Jacob Connors (But pretty much everyone just calls me ‘Jc’)
University & Course: BE(Hons) Chem Eng at University of Queensland in Australia
Department you're working in: Central Engineering (CED), but currently working in STEP
Where are you based? Reading
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme: Getting to know about and (hopefully) getting involved in the fusion industry!
What do you like to do in your spare time? Pre-covid used to enjoy climbing and running – during covid moved towards video and board games. Also a huge book nerd. Currently tryna get back into baking so I can make snacks to bring into work.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Right now I’m keen to explore Europe or the Americas – see random things I’ve never experienced before!
Who inspires you? I’ve had so many amazing mentors and project leaders throughout engineering who just seem to know everything about their work, and I hope to one day get to even half that that level of confidence and experience as an engineer!
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? I want to be able to teleport so bad. Could go anywhere without limits and wouldn’t get stuck every time there’s a train delay :(
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Crêpes. Convinced I could survive a couple of years on the island just living off Crêpes. (Desert island? More like ‘Dessert’ Island *laugh track*)

Sophie Gribben

Name: Sophie Gribben
University & Course: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow)
Department you're working in: Electrical Engineering, Electrical Services
Where are you based? Culham, living in Didcot
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Making a community of fellow grads and finding out what's going on across site
What do you like to do in your spare time? Draw, knit, cycle, play dnd, and most commonly sit on the couch with my cat watching tele!
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? I'd like to go to Japan, for the food and also to have a go on the bullet train/shinkansen.
Who inspires you? My nan, she's a powerhouse of a woman
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? High speed rail in all of the UK, free to use (hey, it's a wish so I can dream big) 

Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Bread, the one with the olives in it, and some butter

Emil Kaijanen

Name: Emil Kaijanen

University & Course: University of Southampton, Mechanical Engineering
Department you're working in: Central Engineering Department
Where are you based? Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? All the learning and development opportunities, both technical and general.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I like to brew coffee and bake stuff that I can eat while watching TV shows and movies.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? A recent road trip around Iceland because the scenery and environment were amazing.
Who inspires you? James Hoffmann
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? That everyone would be happy.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Sparkling water

Mohamad Ali Abdallah

Name: Mohamad Ali Abdallah

University & Course: University College London - MEng Chemical Engineering International Programme

Department you're working in: H3AT

Where are you based? Oxford

What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Meeting new people, learning more about fusion, working across different departments

What do you like to do in your spare time? Working out, playing basketball, traveling, watching shows on Netflix and F1.

Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Definitely Puerto Rico! I went there last summer and I would definitely go back there soon!

Who inspires you? My friends, they’re a cool bunch from all over the world.

If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? I would wish for infinite wishes

Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A burrito from Cabo Bobs.

Ocean Wong

Name: Ocean Wong
University & Course: University of Birmingham: BSc Nuclear Science and Materials, University of Birmingham: PTNR, Sheffield Hallam University: PhD Physics
Department you're working in: Power Plant Technology, Fusion Technology Business Unit
Where are you based? Culham
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Team building days, having a community of like-minded people, and also having some time to finish the unfinished projects during my PhD!
The past couple of years hasn't been easy without access to the site, it would be nice to be in a group of scientist & engineers again and interact with people face-to-face!
What do you like to do in your spare time? Parkour, calisthenics, breakdancing, some circus skills, and (sorry for fitting the stereotype so well😅️) climbing! Or for something less athletically demanding, I like to explore new places, either by bike or on foot. I also love fellrunning and caving, but I haven't joined any clubs for doing that down here yet.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? A trip to Antarctica in the future, hopefully before the permafrost melts!
Who inspires you? Future me :)
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Apart from making fusion a reality at the snap of my fingers (which is probably what everyone else also answered), I wish everyone (but especially politicians and school-aged children) are taught about how (mis)information spreads, what role does social media play in it, as well as how everyone is susceptible (yes, even me and you) to it. And I hope one day we will stop framing this in an Anglo-centric manner, and people will finally realize the true scale of the problem.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? A fully-charged satellite phone, preferably with built-in GPS. It would double as a very ergonomic bludgeoning tool once I've finished using it to call for help then call up my friends to debate about the linguistics of internet slang or which voting system is the best. The Lithium battery may also work as a spontaneous, unreliable fire starter if you're lazy and have a sharp stick. If that's not an option, I'll request a sturdy pull-up bar. I love hanging around and doing muscle-ups.

Wei Leong

Name: Wei Leong

University & Course: University of Bath, Mechanical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE DEMO
Where are you based? Didcot
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Getting involved with different projects and breaking stuff broaden my skillset.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Sleep, play games, play badminton/football and cook.
Dream holiday? Would like to visit Asian countries and eat lots of food.
Who inspires you? All three of my brothers.
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Be greedy and ask for more wishes. Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Bring a rock and name it Will.

Matt Lobb

Name: Matt Lobb
University & Course: MEng Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Oxford
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? Gaining Knowledge relating to fusion from outside of my discipline and meeting lots of new people
What do you like to do in your spare time? Gaming, baking, going to the gym and watching F1 and Football.
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Peru, specifically Machu Picchu looks like a beautiful place to visit and so different to home. (Also from playing the Civilisation series 😃)
Who inspires you? My friends and family especially my parents.
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? Unlimited Wishes…obviously…but if that’s not allowed then I’d wish I could teleport, so many places to see not enough time to do it.
Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Pizza, with all the variety, could never get bored.

Artem Shargorodskii

Name: Artem Shargorodskii

University & Course: University of Bath, Integrated Design Engineering
Department you're working in: RACE
Where are you based? Abingdon, reallocating to Oxford soon (hopefully)
What are you looking forward to on the Grad Scheme? 5-day Skern trip, getting a chance to operate MASCOT
What do you like to do in your spare time? Sleep (as you can see)
Dream holiday, past or future, and why? Trip to Edinburgh with my friends this summer. Climbed a volcano, toasted marshmallows on the beach, tried haggis and took a picture of every other building in the city.
Who inspires you? Elon Musk, if you ignore his recent tweets though (applicable at any point of time)
If you could have one wish granted, what would it be? End of War 

Favourite thing/food/person you’d bring with you to a desert island? Chinese (food)