We spoke with Dr. Gianluca Marcelli, Head of School and Senior Lecturer in Engineering and gained vital insights into his experience at the University of Kent, top tips for students and his fascinating research!
What is your academic area of expertise?
My area of expertise is biomedical engineering. I teach biomechanics and biomaterials, research biomechanics of biological cells and work in medical instrumentation. At Kent we also have connections with Kent and Canterbury Hospital, so medical professionals from the hospital come here to teach our students and help them with their research too.
What is your biggest academic achievement?
I’m happy that my research has made an impact. I work on red blood cells, and we proposed a methodology to understand – by looking at just at one cell in an experiment – if the cell had some abnormalities. Students follow this method, and some publish their dissertations on it. It’s become quite a big area of research now, and I’m proud that I had a part to play in this process as I was one of the first to model this in a specific way.
Are you working on any exciting projects that you can share?
Using Virtual Reality (VR) for medical applications is a great new area. For example, I’ve worked on a project using VR to provide driving training skills for wheelchair users.
What do you love most about the University of Kent?
As academic staff, I love that we always have the time and freedom to conduct our own research. We are also very dedicated to teaching and to our students, and when I ran the Biomedical Engineering course at Undergraduate level, it was very much a community-based course and cohort. I also love the campus, it’s fantastic – the sports facilities, for example. As a campus university, these facilities are all in one place. Canterbury is a beautiful historical town, and we are very close to London as well.
What are your top tips for prospective students in writing their applications for Engineering at Kent?
Grades are important, especially Maths A-Level. Study hard to get the grades as Mathematics is important! However, here at Kent we also offer a Foundation year for our Undergraduate courses, if you don’t have Maths at A-Level. It’s also important to understand what Engineering is about. You don’t use or fix the technology; you design future technology. You design the future. Engineers shape societies, and engineers are very important as they transform scientific theory into technologies that have a practical use. And then technology shapes society, so it’s a symbiotic relationship.
What careers can you go into with a degree in Engineering from Kent?
Our students work across a large variety of careers, including the NHS, start-ups and further research, such as pursuing a PhD. Some students also learn how to program on our courses and want to pursue that, and others prefer the hardware side of our courses and go on to develop technologies such as prosthetics.
What kind of communities can students join when they arrive at Kent?
Through the Kent Student Union, there is an Engineering society and one for Digital Design students too. On social media, we also have communities on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!
Are there areas for Engineering students to study quietly or access useful equipment?
We have a social area with kiosks in our Engineering building, and we have two pods there too. We are also in the process of transforming another area into a student lounge, where they can make hot drinks and socialize. In terms of useful equipment, we have the Makerspace in Jennison, but also access to facilities in the School of Computing. We have Mechanical labs and an Electronic lab, which can be used from 9 to 5. We generally have a wide array of facilities and equipment here for our students to use, and they are welcome to use them as much as they like.
What support is on offer for students struggling with something academic or personal during their degree?
We have the Student Support service, who can help with extensions and any extenuating circumstances. We also have Mentors, for example students in their final year that can help newer students. We also have the Student Success team who can help support specific groups, such as BAME students. Overall, I would 100% say there is a lot of support available to students at Kent.
What are your favourite parts of Canterbury and the surrounding area?
The location here is great, you can drive or get a bus and take a short journey to Whitstable, a lovely seaside town where you can kayak, paddle board, and experience a variety of sea sports. Canterbury has great shops and historical buildings, such as the Cathedral – where we hold our graduation ceremonies! There are also great pubs, such as the Parrot in Canterbury and the Marine Hotel in Whitstable, where you can relax and enjoy being right by the sea – it’s beautiful.
Any final thoughts?
The sense of community in the School of Engineering is fantastic. I also have a top tip for students, which is to form a network when you get here within a group of students – buddy up with them. Some students like to work alone (which is also fine), but I see that the students working in groups often succeed even better as it allows them to receive extra support mentally and academically – on every level!