Introducing The First Year Teaching Team

Introduction: Introducing The First Year Teaching Team in  Manchester University

It is with great pleasure that we introduce the dynamic and dedicated team that will be guiding and inspiring you through your first year in  Manchester University. Our commitment to fostering a stimulating and supportive learning environment is exemplified by the wealth of experience and passion each member brings to our esteemed institution.

In this post we introduce you to the lecturers that will be teaching all of the first year course units.

• Circuit Analysis taught by Dr Ognjen Marjanovic: Introducing The First Year Teaching Team

• Course unit details here

Summary of the course unit

Circuit analysis is the course unit that is essentially focus on modelling of electrical and electronic systems and their representation using a combination of relatively simple circuit components, namely voltage source, current source, resistor, inductor and capacitor. This course unit underpins a large number of other units that you will be taught within the Department of EEE since it teaches you the skills to be able to model and then analyse almost any electrical and electronic circuit. In this course unit you will learn how electrical and electronic systems behave when subjected to constant voltages/currents (DC Circuit Analysis), sinusoidally varying voltages and currents (AC Circuit Analysis) and voltages and currents of arbitrary shape (Transient Circuit Analysis). In this course unit we will also touch on some more general system analysis methodologies such as Superposition Principle and Fourier Analysis and try to go beyond modelling of only electrical systems by encompassing a much more general class of all physical systems.

About the lecturer:

I joined Department of EEE in August 2006 and have been teaching Circuit Analysis course unit ever since September 2011. My work is centered around mathematical modelling of physical systems. These could be electrical power systems, or chemical processes or mobile robots. Mathematical models allow me to capture relationship between system’s inputs and outputs so that I can design automatic control systems that ensure outputs of system that I am trying to control follow certain specified set-points. So for example, in the case of electrical power systems it is paramount to ensure that the variables such as voltage, current and frequency are controlled to follow their reference values. There are generally two different approaches to modelling of physical systems: the so-called mechanistic approach that relies on first-principle laws of physics; data-driven approach that utilises data collected from a given system in order to identify relationships between inputs and outputs by means of applying statistical modelling. As mentioned before, I am also involved in the design of automatic control systems that utilise feedback information from the outputs in order to compute appropriate input values so to appropriately control a given system. This field of automatic control is fascinating and all-encompassing with concepts that transcend standard division of systems into electrical, mechanical, chemical, biological etc. I would argue that it is the most conceptual sub-discipline of engineering with the most wide-ranging application area. Research profile

• Electronics Project taught by Dr Simon Watson and Dr Farshad Arvin
• Course unit details here

Summary of the course unit

The Electronics Project will introduce you to the fundamentals of electronic engineering with a strong focus on the practical elements.  We’ll teach you how to solder circuits and interpret their schematic diagrams, then how to systematically test them and identify if there are any faults.  We’ll also introduce how circuits are physically designed and fabricated using a range of CAD packages.

About the lecturers:

Dr. Simon Watson – I’m a Robotics Systems Engineer interested in the development of ground, aerial and aquatic robots for use in extreme and hazardous environments, such as those found in the nuclear, offshore energy and mining industries. I started in the Department in 2003 as an undergraduate student doing an MEng in Mechatronic Engineering with Industrial Experience.  I completed my PhD here in 2012, then joined as an academic in 2013. Research profile

Dr. Farshad Arvin – I’m an Engineer in robotics interested in the development of micro-robots for use in bio-inspired swarm robotic systems, such as modelling and simulation of collective behaviour of honeybees colony and ants foraging using micro-robots. I obtain my BSc and MSc in Computer Systems Engineering and PhD in Computer Science. I started in the Department in 2015 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Robotics for Extreme Environments, then joined as an academic in 2018. Research profile

• Electromagnetic Fields taught by Prof Anthony Peyton: Introducing The First Year Teaching Team

• Course unit details here

My field of research is electromagnetic sensing.  I have taught first year electromagnetic fields for the past ten years and increasingly find this to be a fascinating subject. Over the past few years we have worked closely with industry and other stakeholders and deployed our systems in a wide range of diverse applications partners and including: the Antarctic, mine field test sites, nuclear reactors, steel production, food production, transport infrastructure.  If you want to know more please follow these links on a couple of these examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AipzK6D52Ro
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-50549855
https://www.ingenia.org.uk/Ingenia/Articles/2f67b8a4-4fee-4fc2-88d7-f0c535b0dc89

Research profile

• Electronic Materials taught by Dr Jessica Boland
• Course unit details here

Summary of the course unit

This course will introduce the importance of electronic materials and nanotechnology in today’s society. You will ‘build’ an electronic material – starting from a single atom up through to using that material in a device. The course will explain how insulating, metallic and semiconducting properties arise in solids and how these solids can be engineered to produce desired electrical properties within a device (e.g. solar cells, light emitting diodes).

About the lecturer: 

I am interested in new nanomaterials, such as topological insulator, 2D materials and semiconductor nanowires, that have the potential to make devices smaller, faster, smarter and most importantly energy-efficient! My research uses terahertz radiation to image these materials and map their conductivity in 3D to feedback information about their performance within a device.
Research profile

More about Jessica’s work

Electronic Circuit Design taught by Prof Aimin Song: Introducing The First Year Teaching Team

Summary of the course unit

I will show you how a transistor has changed the world by understanding the most fundamental amplifying circuit. Course unit details here.
About the lecturer:  I am a nanotechnologist and I have interest in designing and testing components for future generation electronics, for instance, flexible electronic circuits and displays. Research profile

• Microcontroller Engineering 1 taught by Dr Frank Podd
• Course unit details here.

Summary of the course unit

We will learn how microprocessors work, how to control hardware using microcontrollers, and even how to program them in machine code.
About the lecturer: I have been a lecturer in Embedded Systems within the department for five years. I have interest in IoT and Cloud computer, in creating solar energy solutions for sub-Saharan Africa, and in researching the science behind Ground Penetrating Radar. Research profile

• Measurements & Analytical Software taught by Dr Paul Wright
• Course unit details here

 

Summary of the course unit

This unit aims to introduce students to the basic theory and practice of electronic measurement. Students will learn about the tools used by electrical & electronic engineers to measure electrical quantities. They will also see how other physical quantities, for example temperature, can stand in as electrical signals, enabling their measurement. Students will develop a customized measurement system using an NI my DAQ™ data acquisition device, which they will program using the LabVIEW™ language.

About the lecturer: I specialize in the design of electronics for instrumentation and measurement applications. My current research interests include medical electronics, analytic instruments. And the development of pollutant measurement systems for civil aviation and power generation. I joined the department in 2002, after several years spent working as a development engineer in industry. Research profile

Digital System Design I

Taught by Professor Zhipeng Wu, specialised in Antennas, Microwave Engineering and Communications.
Course Unit Summary: The unit aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of combinatorial. And sequential logic circuit design, which are the basis of modern digital system designs. Course unit details here

The Manchester Advantage

Beyond the classroom, Manchester University offers state-of-the-art laboratories, collaborative research opportunities, and a vibrant engineering community. Engage in extracurricular activities, join engineering societies, and be part of a network that extends beyond graduation.

Embark on this exhilarating journey of knowledge, innovation, and personal growth. Your first year in the Department of Electrical, Electronic,. And Mechatronic Engineering at Manchester University is not just an academic milestone—it’s the beginning of a transformative experience that will shape your future in the ever-evolving field of engineering.

Welcome to a world where curiosity knows no bounds, and the pursuit of excellence is a shared endeavor. Let the adventure begin!