Noémie Fedon (2016 cohort)
Please provide a brief summary of your PhD project.
My PhD research was on the design of composite laminates in aerospace applications. To reduce fuel consumption, planes should be made as light as possible. Planes have structures made of composite materials because they exhibit lightweight properties. My project was to improve further the design tools for designing composite laminates to reach greater weight savings.
Did you choose to continue your XP project as a PhD? Why or why not?
Yes, I continued by XP project as a PhD because I was still interested in the subject matter and had many research ideas to explore.
How did the taught component benefit your PhD research?
The main advantage of the first year was to learn the variety of research topics concerning composite materials, and who were the experts in the field from ACCIS.
How did the cohort structure benefit your PhD research?
Working in a cohort is a great way to feel welcome in a new city, and then to obtain technical and multidisciplinary support throughout the PhD.
What did you most value about being part of a CDT?
The most valuable part of my CDT experience was getting to know the whole range of topics in composite materials that is researched at the University of Bristol. From day one, I felt part of an academic community.
What was the 'impact' of your research?
The outcomes of my PhD are free-to-download tools for designing composite laminates for aerospace applications, and a contribution to the scientific understanding of "lamination parameters", a set of parameters concerning composite-lamniate design that mostly interest part of the academic community but not the industry yet.
What was your destination on leaving the CDT?
Model operations analyst at EV.
What are your main responsibilities?
Maintaining and improving a model optimising asset portfolios.
Where do you see yourself in five to ten years' time?
Good question. For the moment, I am taking a rest from research and am transitioning to a computer-science oriented career.
How have the skills and knowledge you acquired during your time in the CDT helped develop your career?
During the PhD, I had the opportunity to attend to many seminars from the ACRC, in which I improved my programming skills and attitudes. I also dedicated extensive time to become an expert in Python. Apart from computer-science skills, the CDT experience taught me how to deliver high-quality presentations to experts in the field, and to write academic papers.