A bit about me:

- Before starting my PhD at the School of Engineering I completed an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Liverpool. While at Liverpool, I gained a good appreciation of the scale of the energy problems on our planet and this stirred in me, a curiosity to know more about the roots of these problems and a passion to help create solutions to them. This led me to my decision to pursue PhD studies in a research area around sustainable energy.

Why I chose Warwick for my doctorate:

- My decision to study for PhD at Warwick was informed by the school’s reputation for world leading research. For instance, Warwick ranked 7^th in the country and number 1 in the Midlands in the 2014 UK Research Excellence Framework (REF). Also, the plethora of opportunities for personal development and avenues to engage in extracurricular activities even as a postgraduate seemed absent in the other universities which I considered.

What I liked best about my time at Warwick:

- The support system available within the University is what I liked most about my time at Warwick. There’s a system in place that is designed to support PhDs in their quest to solve important problems. Whether you’re in contact with workshop technicians, administrative staff or even academics, everyone willingly offers the help you require to achieve your research goals.

After completing my doctorate:

- Since completing the recommended minor corrections for my thesis, I have taken up a role as Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. My current research activities focus on the development of whole energy system models which help to investigate cost and carbon efficient pathways for energy services in the future.

If I could time travel, what advice would I give my younger self, when starting a PhD at Warwick?

- I would definitely tell my younger self to calm down and take things one day at a time. There were certain periods at the beginning of the PhD when I felt overwhelmed by the scale of the research questions which I was to solve. It’s important to realise early that a PhD is more like marathon than it is a sprint race. One shouldn’t get constantly busy thinking about the huge problems that make up the PhD project. I think it’s better to break those huge problems into smaller, much smaller chunks and work through those chunks day by day.

If you were to describe your time at Warwick in just 3 words, what would they be?

• - Intensity
• - Variety
• - Support