Prof. Mike Wood
Bio
Professor Wood is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Scientist, with approaching 40 years of experience from running a successful consultancy business.
Its portfolio includes aeromechanical, electromechanical, mechanical, nuclear, structural and vibration engineering, design project management, also higher education teaching and research.
He is a former lecturer to MEng students at the University of Nottingham in Integrated Systems Analysis and Advanced Structural Vibration, also to BEng students at the University of Aston in Finite Element Analysis and Mechanical Plant Design.
Prof Wood has taught students in topics associated with Engineering Design at both Nottingham and Aston universities. He retains his academic ties through research links with several universities, also as a Lead Supervisor for industry-based undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Prof Wood is a former reviewer of technical papers submitted to both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Journal of Structural Health Monitoring and the biennial ASME Engineering Systems and Design Analysis conferences, also the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Engineering Mechanics.
He was an independent consultant to the JRC and DG for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, also the NII-NSD and Cogent in the UK.
Prof Wood is a former Trustee of the Science Council also former Member of Council for two nuclear engineering institutions. He was a member of the Energy Intelligence and Security research steering-group within the Cambridge-MIT Institute Energy Security Initiative.
He is a Royal Academy of Engineering representative to the UK Parliamentary and Scientific Committee.
Mike's Mentoring Background
“My background's of the European Commission, DG Research, I've worked with the NII, the Nuclear Safety Directorate and also Cogent. My background is eclectic. That's the best way I can describe it.
I have been a mentor or a coach. The exercise I had to go through just to remind myself what I've been doing was quite surprising. So: I've mentored the owner of an international structural design consultancy; I've managed the sort of mentored the Managing Director of a Tier 2 nuclear engineering company; I've mentored 5 Royal Academy of Engineering visiting professors; I mentor 2 professorial departmental heads, two career university lecturers;
And approximately 20 industry based postgraduate students, plus at least 100 industry based undergraduate students.
Despite that, I'm quite happy to do more mentoring!
The probably the most important thing that you want to find out is the lessons that I've learned.
Basically, expect the unexpected because every individual has a different outlook to being coached. You'll find that there's a minority of them who actually “know it all”. Some will be blushing violets and it will be very difficult to extract what they need, not what they want, but what they need. And that takes a little bit of iteration.
- All need your help, so you have to be flexible in your support.
- Try to plan regular slots of contact. If you don't hear from them.
- Then a common cause is that they're incredibly busy. That said, it's best to prompt them because otherwise you might find they've disengaged. So prompt them if you don't hear from them
My advice to you is really just enjoy it because it's really interesting and it's rewarding personally helping these mentees.
Look upon it as enjoyable CPD, because it is a CPD activity and you can log it as such against your returns for the institution.
Most important of all, don't panic if you've got a problem with a particular mentee, then ask a fellow mentor or colleague [join the NI Mentors group on LinkedIn and NI Connect].
So don’t hesitate to contact us or the NI for help!”
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