Sam is an experienced electronics and systems engineer, currently working as a Senior Researcher at the University of Bristol. Before carrying out his PhD Sam spent many years in industry, working across both the transport and energy sectors, designing, implementing and evaluating complex sociotechnical systems. Now within accademica Sam’s real-world experience is crucial to his research, helping him to build long lasting relationships with partners across the public and private sector.

The focus of Sam’s research is on the use of data to support more effective decision making. Sometimes this requires Sam to build bespoke remote monitoring systems (such in the REPLICATE and LocalAir projects) and sometimes it requires Sam to examine an existing system to understand where data might already be being generated that could be put to better use (such as in the TwinERGY and Urban Ride Research Projects). In either case, a major focus of Sam’s approach is engagement with real-world stakeholders, co-designing the data outputs to ensure that they are meeting the needs of decision-makers.

Sam has collaborated closely with a large number of different organisations, on a range of projects. Examples include; partnering with Bristol City Council to evaluate the impact of home energy interventions for the TwinERGY project, partnering with Voi to produce an e-scooter mounted air quality monitoring system in the LocalAir project, partnering with the West of England Combined Authority to understand how existing micro-mobility data might support policy makers in the Urban Ride Research project, partnering with the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust to build a Digital Twin of Bristol’s most icon structure, and partnering with We The Curious to help them understand their facilities energy usage. 

In each occasion Sam has been able to use his engineering and system understanding to deliver fresh understanding and ground breaking research to real world problems, and by engaging with those at the coal-face of decision making Sam hopes to add impact to his research and possibly even deliver some social good.