Biography

Education

Primary Degree: 1980 -1984
University College Dublin
Major Subject Areas: Solid and Fluid Mechanics, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Materials, Control
B.E. (Mech), 2nd. Class Honours, Grade 1

Postgraduate Study: 1984 - 1986
University College Dublin
Master of Engineering Science Degree (M.Eng.Sc)
A research degree in the area of Tribology. The project involved designing, building and testing a hydraulic meter to quantify road surface macro-texture.

Doctoral Degree : 1988 - 1991
Brunel University (UK)
Ph.D (Mechanical Engineering)
A research degree in the field of Machine Design and Engineering Simulation. The project entailed designing, experimentally testing and simulating the performance of a mechanical anti-lock brake system for motorcycles.

Career History:

University College Cork
Current Position
Senior Lecturer in Process Engineering

University of Ulster
1991 - 1994
Research Officer carrying out theoretical studies into the heat and mass transfer and mechanical response of timber planks in the industrial batch drying process.

SKF, Engineering and Research Centre, Holland
1986 - 1987
Mechanical Engineer involved in stress analysis projects using the finite element technique.

Irish Sugar Company, Mallow
1984
Factory Engineer in the boiler-house.

Research Area:
Probabilistic Simulation of the thermal processing history of foods incorporating safety and quality.

Research Projects:

• Analysis of vessel collapse by buckling.
• Vessel explosions; stochastic analysis of missile trajectories.
• Use of removable liners in bioprocessing equipment.
• Timber drying.
• Probabilistic simulation of food processing.