During the first year of my PhD, I was actively involved with the University of Strathclyde Eco Vehicle Society (USEV) that I have been a member of since my undergraduate degree. As an elected member of the board in the society I was able to use this towards completing my PGCERT for the module RD902 Researcher Personal Effectiveness. This module aims to enhance and develop personal qualities, self-management, and professional and career development skills in researchers. 

As a board member of the society, I was responsible for holding management meetings, chairing the competition planning committee, as well as overseeing finances, marketing and communications, strategic planning for the team’s growth, and the operation of the entire team as whole as we worked towards successfully attending competition. Through this I was able to develop effective leadership, project planning, time management, and inter-personal skills, whilst increasing my own confidence. Additionally, through being a sub-team manager I had the opportunity for further involvement at a more individual level with undergraduate and postgraduate students through being able to teach, guide, and advise them with the design, manufacture, repair, and testing of the body and aerodynamic aspects of both the current and future cars. 

My involvement in the society has greatly contributed to developing both personal and professional skills that are relevant both in academia and in industry. The experience of managing a multi-disciplinary engineering team and project has personally been an incredibly valuable way of contributing towards meeting the aims and criteria of the RD902 module.