Supporting and mentoring young engineers

Stephen Ugwuanyi MIET developed his passion for engineering at college and is now working as a Research and Development Engineer at the University of Strathclyde Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC).

As well as contributing to realising a sustainable ecosystem, he dedicates his free time to supporting and mentoring young engineers.

Can you describe your career path so far?

I hold a BEng in electronic engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. My MSc is in communication, control, and digital signal processing from the University of Strathclyde, where I obtained a PhD in Industrial IoT with a focus on connectivity and resilience. I also have a postgraduate diploma in education from Federal College of Education Technical, Rivers State Nigeria.

I have more than 10 years of teaching and research experience in electrical and electronic engineering. I worked in two higher institutions in Nigeria, rising from Assistant Lecturer to Lecturer II. Before joining PNDC full-time in July 2022, I was involved in delivering a couple of research projects for PNDC including bandwidth analysis of smart grids, MPLS IP/TP, smart grid virtualisation, and secure OT/IT convergence.

I am a visionary engineer with over 7 years of combined R&D experience in communication networks, network security, and system integration. My work contributes to realising a sustainable social and industrial ecosystem. I am currently an industrial IoT, connectivity and security specialist at PNDC.

While part of my role involves accelerating innovations and delivering real-world results in emerging communications and security technologies for industrial applications, I also ensure that it satisfies the sustainable energy network of the future which must be resilient, reliable, and secure. 

Can you tell us about some of the interesting projects you have worked in your role?

All the projects that I have worked on at PNDC are particularly interesting as they are innovative and impactful.

An example worth mentioning is Constellation, a world-first innovation project awarded by Ofgem as part of the energy industry Network Innovation Competition (NIC) in 2020 to enable the installation of power computers in a series of substations to facilitate net zero at the lowest cost to consumers.

I find it interesting working on a long-term project that involves different industry partners, working collaboratively to develop a solution that is fit for purpose. Constellation has many workstreams and I’ve had the opportunity to support the testbed development at PNDC, specifically on virtualisation, layer 2/3 networking, cyber security, applications functional/performance testing, etc.

Have you faced challenges in your role?

As common in every research and development role, most projects that I work on involve generating innovative solutions to address complex research problems, pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and exploring new research ideas.

The challenges in my current role can therefore be summarised as delivering innovative and complex research projects, which I overcome through upskilling. Working in an organisation that supports staff to upskill is key to overcoming any challenges.

Do you participate in any career-related activities such as mentoring and volunteering?

I am actively involved in mentoring and volunteering activities. As a STEM Ambassador, I have a long volunteering experience at Strathclyde University as a Student Ambassador/Representative and African Challenge Scotland as a mentor with three Strath Union’s Star Awards.

As the current Chair of The Nigerian Society of Engineers Glasgow – Scotland, I spend most of my free time coordinating branch activities and supporting the professional development of Nigerian engineering professionals and students engineers alike, from different parts of the engineering industry in the UK and Nigeria.

I particularly enjoy mentoring young people and have participated in different STEM initiatives like Nuffield Research Placements by SSERC and the STEM Life After School mentoring project.

What does the future look like for you?

The next step for me professionally is to continue to deepen my expertise in communications and cyber security for the energy sector, while also expanding my skill set and taking on increasing levels of research responsibilities. Over the next five years, I hope to actively work towards building skills that allow me to drive positive impacts in society, lead large-scale innovative research projects, collaborate with industry leaders internationally, and continue to mentor the next generation.

What advice would you give to some at the early stages of their engineering career?

For young people navigating through their early engineering career, my advice would be to consider the following:

• Internships and placement opportunities are a great way to gain work-based experience.
• Joining professional bodies like the IET helps you to stay updated on the latest engineering discoveries and tools and identify paths for career progression.
• Joining groups within professional bodies will grow your networking opportunities.
• Having a mentor at the early stage will help one to stay on top of having a top-notch CV, interview tips, and receiving guidance from professionals.

Has your IET Membership helped you overcome any challenges in your role/ career?

Keeping tabs on technology innovations is one key challenge for research and development engineers. My IET membership has helped me to advance my career, gain professional credibility and a reputation for career opportunities and advancements within the utility sector.

In addition to the online-based resources, I receive the monthly magazine that has helped me to stay informed on the latest innovations, events, and opportunities, and I am currently using IET Career Manager to meet part of my CEng application requirements.

IET membership offers professional recognition and networking opportunities and can also help you gain access to professional development and research resources like training courses, conferences, technical publications, research journals, workshops, and online libraries.