We work among extraordinary people doing extraordinary things; get to know some of them by reading these quick-fire interviews.
Name: Nico Rotolo
Job title: Electronics Engineer
What are you currently working on?
I have worked for many years in industry and research establishments in a variety of roles, from the production floor to the R&D lab. This allowed me to gain a wide range of experience and I have an appreciation of the whole life cycle of a product/system. I am actually a 'returner', having worked for the Department of Physics several years ago and contributed to the LHCb project. I then went on to work for the national synchrotron Diamond Light Source and the JET fusion experiment; I also worked for a gas detection company and a magnetic resonance scanner company. I am keen to pass on my experience and I believe in the power of synergy when people work to their strengths co-operatively. In my new role back at the Department of Physics, I am currently helping with assembling and testing a component of the SKA radio telescope.
Describe a typical day
Reading emails and meeting with people to plan the work ahead. Then a mix of sitting at my desk researching and designing with software tools, and at my workbench using instruments and tools to assemble, test and fault-find electronics.
If you had an entire day at your disposal (not at work), what would be your ideal way to spend it?
I would probably go somewhere nice by the sea and have some fresh seafood for lunch.
What is your favourite place in Oxford?
I like to wander and admire the old college buildings and stroll in the University Parks by the river. I am very lucky my place of work is so well situated.
What discovery would you like to see in your lifetime?
How to contain and extract energy from nuclear fusion then we would have plentiful clean energy that could be used, among other things, for fast, cheap and clean public transport.