2011 student cohort

2011 CDT in Communications cohort


	Peter Bagot Peter studied at the University of Bristol and graduated with an MEng in Computer Science and Electronics in 2011. He did his final year project with Dr Mike Fraser, looking at the possible uses of smart Anoto Pen Technology. Other then studying, his interests include acting, especially in Pantomime, where he has performed in, written and directed many shows. "I knew that after spending four years in Bristol, I had to stay. It's an amazing city, and I wanted to work or study in this great city once more. The CDT is a great way of doing a PhD, if like me, you are unsure as to what you wanted to do your research project on; having the first year taught means you can find your feet and work out what you want to spend the following 3 years doing research on. It's also a good way of getting the basics in a lot of areas. Communications is an area that I have found fascinating over my four years as an undergrad. It's an ever expanding area that is starting to incorporate a large range of different engineers. There is an awful lot to study, and lots of opportunities to find a project that suits you."

	Brett Hosking Brett graduated from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge in 2010 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Audio and Music Technology. He then went on to Loughborough University where he obtained an MSc in Digital Communications Systems in 2011. He did his project under the supervision of Dr Vassilios Chouliaras, in collaboration with Dr. Ioannis Sarris at Antcor, looking at MIMO systems in LTE and LTE-Advanced. Following this, Brett decided to pursue a PhD in Communications and became part of the first intake to Bristol's CDT in Communications in October 2011 as he felt the CDT structure had the benefit of a foundation year in which to develop a deeper understanding of the area as well as many opportunities for engaging with the associated industrial partners. "The CDT in Comms at Bristol really appealed to me as I liked the fact that it had the benefit of a foundation year which I felt would give me a much stronger background in Communications before tackling the PhD. I believe being part of the CDTat Bristol and the number of opportunities for engaging with the industrial partners associated with the Centre will be a real benefit to my future career."



	Vaia Kalokidou Vaia Kalokidou graduated with an MEng in Electronic Engineering from the University of Reading in 2005. She was supervised by Eur Ing Dr. R. Simon Sherratt on her 4th year final project “Development of high level functions in a UWB system”. Her main interest area of research is Wireless Networks. "I chose to study for a PhD through the CDT in Communications because it combines the deep knowledge provided by an MSc with the opportunities for research and future development given by a PhD. The fact that the University of Bristol has an excellent reputation in the field of engineering influenced and facilitated her choice."

	Alexander Kartun-Giles

	Leo Laughlin Leo graduated from the University of York in 2011 with an MEng degree in Electronic Engineering. For his MEng project he designed and implemented an FPGA based MIMO wireless modem. In 2009/10 Leo completed a 12 month industrial placement at Qualcomm, working on Physical Layer DSP for GSM receivers. In summer 2011 he worked on real time geolocation systems at Omnisense Ltd, characterising receiver performance in prototype tracking systems and developing signal processing algorithms for human fall detection. Leo is also a Jungle/Drum and Bass DJ performing at raves in London, and in his spare time enjoys listening to music and cycling fast down hills.

	Divya Mohan Divya graduated with Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from Cochin University, India in 2005. She worked as lecturer in computer science in India. Her research interests include network security, wireless networks and algorithms and complexity. "The unique mix of academic and industrial exposure offered by the CDT programme along with the first year taught course made the decision a no-brainer ."

	Christopher Morris Chris attended the University of Bristol and graduated with an MSc in Physics and Astrophysics in 2011. He and his partner received the Winton Capital Management Prize for their research constraining properties of hypothetical dark matter particles using gamma-ray data from the Fermi space telescope. In his spare time Chris plays guitar in an Alt-Rock band. "The CDT course has allowed me to take my skills from astrophysics and learn to apply them to new challenges in communications engineering"

	Richard Porter Richard graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2011 with a BA in Mathematics. "The CDT's foundation year allows for a much smoother transition from mathematics to engineering."

	David Simmons David attended the University of Central Lancashire in 2011 and took a first in Mathematics. "I decided that after completing my first degree I would like to continue into postgraduate education, with a goal of attaining a PhD - to apply my mathematical abilities to an electronic engineering and computer science related discipline. Due to the nature of my first degree, I hadn't had a great deal of exposure to these disciplines. The CDT at Bristol, which is composed of a first year of taught modules, was a fantastic opportunity to advance to PhD level within the field of communications."

	Jorge Sved Jorge attended the University of Kent and graduated with a BSc in Communications Engineering in 1988. He worked as a digital electronics R&D engineer for 20 years, 16 of them at Hewlett-Packard. In 2009 he received an MSc in Economics, Finance and Management from the University of Bristol. After a year of unemployment and another dull year working as a tax accountant, Jorge jumped at the opportunity to return to the exciting world of engineering and to learn about modern communications technology, much of which did not even exist when he studied his first degree. "I felt that the first taught year would help me build up knowledge and skills that will be very useful for the research part of my PhD. The stipend provided was generous enough for me to be able to leave my job so that I can now focus 100% on my studies."