R&D engineer Martin Wallace has had an interesting couple of weeks as a result of his participation in a project called ‘I’m An Engineer – Get Me Out Of Here!’, which was a national online event funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering as part of National Science and Engineering Week. The aim was to give students from around the country the opportunity to talk online to engineers and scientists about technology and scientific issues.
Martin has been involved in the STEM Ambassadors Programme for some time. Its main objective is to support pupils, teachers and schools by enriching and enhancing the curriculum, thereby encouraging an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) subjects.
In addition to enabling students to discuss scientific and technological issues with professionals in an informal environment, it also provided the opportunity to discuss issues with other engineers and to learn more about current developments within the industry, as well as improving communication skills and inspiring the engineers of tomorrow. There were various ‘zones’ within the event, and Martin was placed in the Health Zone – very pertinent to Sidhil’s line of work!
Martin was involved in a range of activities including web chat sessions and contributing to message boards, answering hundreds of questions on a wide range of topics from what inspired him to take engineering through to ethical issues relating to overpopulation and animal testing. “The questions the students asked were really tough,” said Martin. “I’ve really been inspired and enthused about my career as an engineer through taking part in this; it’s been so refreshing to communicate with people who are so uninhibited and inquiring.”
During the two-week programme, the engineers were ‘voted off’ one by one by students and teachers. Congratulations to Martin, who was obviously a popular participant – he did very well and made it right through to be runner up in his Zone. For more information visit http://imanengineer.org.uk/
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