Kate Ward
Subjects Studied:
Standard Grade: English, Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, Tech Studies, French, PE, REHigher: English, Maths, Chemistry, Physics , Geography. Advanced Higher: Chemistry, Geography, Maths (which I failed)
Career:
When I left Millburn, I travelled to a remote Amerindian village in Guyana to teach science for a year (with Project Trust). As well as getting to experience a completely different way of life, I learnt to be resourceful as I only had four textbooks for over 40 students.
When I returned to Scotland, I studied Civil Engineering at the University of Strathclyde for five years. During this time I was lucky enough to study in Valencia for 6 months and I spent my summers getting work experience with an engineering company called Mott MacDonald. Once I graduated I went to work for Mott MacDonald full time, where I was involved in the design of infrastructure related to water - from projects reducing the risk of sewers flooding to the decommissioning of Dounreay Nuclear power station. I also spent one year working in Helmand Province in Afghanistan working to repair the irrigation canals that people relied on to grow food and to help train Afghan engineers to look after this infrastructure. I am now a Chartered Civil Engineer - a professional qualification that is a mark of competence above degree level.
In 2014, I took my career in a new direction, by starting a PhD at the University of Edinburgh. I worked with archaeologists and engineers to understand the water supply of Byzantine Constantinople- basically a giant 1500 year old jigsaw puzzle with lots of pieces missing and no picture on the front of the box!
I am now a lecturer at the University of Dundee, where I teach on the Graduate Apprenticeship programme, helping people study towards a degree whilst they work in the field of civil engineering.