I first graduated from De Montfort University in 1994 with a BEng Electronic Engineering.
In 1997 I obtained my MSc in Image Processing also from De Montfort, where I was mentored by Professor Jonathan Blackledge. He introduced me to how Kantian philosophy can be applied to “well-defined” and “ill-defined” problems in mathematics, physics and engineering.
In 1998 I moved to Birmingham to become Teaching Company Associate with the University of Central England (now Birmingham City University). My work at Birmingham was concerned with the design and development of a range of intrinsically-safe ultrasonic flowmeters for use in hazardous environments. The project incorporated a mixture of analogue and digital electronics, as well as statistical signal analysis and mathematical modelling techniques. Here I authored a number of academic papers for which I was awarded my fist doctoral level qualification (2000). Here also I began to explore the problem of pragmatic language games as given by Lyotard and Wittegenstein.
In 2000 I worked for Degree2 Innovations in Bristol (an offshoot of Bristol University) where my work was concerned with finding statistical models for optimising Internet traffic data flow profiles – what is more commonly known as the “Quality of Service” problem.
In 2001 I returned to De Montfort to undertake further doctoral training in Advanced Numerical Methods. Here I contrasted calculus-based optimisation techniques with Evolutionary and Genetic Algorithms. This was also where my explorations in Formal Logic became articulated. I then developed an ontological algorithm for use in multi-modal (i.e. multi-criteria) search based problems, which constructs and manages a task-specific Bayesian-Nash object function which is unique to each problem. The algorithm itself was based upon a number of papers that had sought to put Heidegger’s Sein und Zeit into Formal Methods. In addition, this approach took my research into Group Theory, Theorem Proving, Formal Logic and Game Theory.
In 2002, after what should have been the start of a sabbatical year, I enrolled on a BA (Hons) English at De Montfort. I graduated in 2005 with First Class Honours. Here I established strong contacts with academic staff from the English Faculty and what is now the Centre for Adaptations. In 2007 I obtained my MA English, also from De Montfort.
In 2010 I enrolled at the University of Leicester to undertake a PhD on George Eliot. During this time I also undertook various works of translation, which strengthened my language, linguistic and critical reading skills and my ancient and modern language skills. I have since extended this work to develop Eliot’s scholarly writing into a philosophy of continuous improvement – itself derived from Spinoza, Kant, Strauss, Hegel, Feuerbach, etc. It is anticipated that this work will provide an alternative or complementary approach to existing process improvement and Total Quality Management methods.
In July 2014 I returned to De Montfort to work as a Research Assistant in the Lean Engineering Research Group. Here I am currently involved in a number of projects concerning process improvement, lean-agile and reactive scheduling, as well as writing reports and proof reading academic papers for other members of staff.