UCL-Energy welcomes Sam Gordon

Sam Gordon has joined the UCL Energy Institute to work on the Low Carbon Shipping project and the Knowledge Transfer, Enterprise and Impact strategy. Sam tells us more about the work he is doing with UCL-Energy:

Tell us about the work that you're doing here:

My time with the UCL Energy Institute is divided between two projects: the Low Carbon Shipping ("LCS") work and a Knowledge Transfer, Enterprise and Impact ("KTEI") strategy for the Institute as a whole. The LCS work is a range of projects that will improve our understanding of drivers of change within the shipping industry, and the KTEI work is about enhancing the overall contribution of UCL-Energy. I'm learning a lot through both.

What attracted you to working at the UCL Energy Institute?

The key attraction was the work on Low Carbon Shipping. I'd studied the shipping industry before, as part of my MSc and through a short project for Forum for the Future, so wanted to be a part of work that aims to reduce carbon dioxide from this sector.  I'm not with UCL-Energy for long, as I'm in the process of starting and growing my own business. However, I expect to be with UCL for several months.

Tell us about your academic background:

My academic background is a mixture of technical and interdisciplinary training. My Bachelors degree was in Engineering Science at Auckland University in New Zealand, and focused on mathematical tools for solving complex problems. My Masters degree was the one year Environmental Change and Management course at Oxford University, which taught a holistic approach to understanding and managing the drivers of environmental change. I'm a problem solver at heart!

What attracted you to living and working in London?

Put simply: London is a hub. It has one of the largest concentration of new university graduates in the country, is close to where key decisions on climate change are made, and there's a lot to explore. It's a good place for me to be right now.

What are your plans for the future?

In the short and medium term I'll be building up my business in London. It's called ‘First Year In’, and is a consultancy that designs and runs graduate schemes - helping companies to help graduates adapt, perform and innovate faster at work. This is something I'm very passionate about so looking forwarding to creating. At the same time I'll be building knowledge and skills to achieve my long-term career goal, which is to help shift the world to a zero-carbon society by 2040.

Email Sam: s.gordon@ucl.ac.uk