Dr Andrew Kidd
Staff profile
I have a wealth of real-world experience with a career spanning manufacturing, energy, and process industries. I have worked with top companies, applying cutting-edge technologies to solve complex challenges.
- Online Tutor (Instrumentation & Control Engineering)
What do you most enjoy about teaching at Teesside University?
The good relationships I have with students and technical staff. I enjoy working on research projects and contributing to the advancement and sharing of knowledge.
How do your students benefit from your experience?
They learn from an industry-relevant perspective and can explore complex concepts in an understandable and unintimidating way, so they are much more engaged.
Tell us about your career
I’ve worked as a technician and engineer in manufacturing, energy and process industries, and with companies such as Nissan, Toyota, General Electric and integrator firms in the North East. I’ve worked with AI vision systems on automotive production lines and the production of the Covid-19 vaccine, as well as with robots. I’ve completed a BEng, MSc and PhD, and I’m an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I’ve also provided Siemens PLC/TIA Portal training in industry.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
It’s hard to choose, but as an academic, my highlight would be when I overhear students after a class, talking about how great the session was.
In industry, I enjoyed performing pH measurement system calibration for a top tier control of major accident hazard (COMAH) process plant, creating a digital twin for 11kV cranes and quantifying the potential regenerated energy which could be re-utilised. I also enjoyed using AI and research to solve problems, such as engine production defects, counting vaccine vials, or energy, fault, and maintenance prediction in process plants – when a trained model produces the desired output, it’s delightful.
Tell us about the course you’re teaching?
I teach instrumentation and control engineering, where students explore how to design and implement measurement and control systems in industry.
The course is aimed at Level 4 undergraduates in all areas of industry, who are looking to acquire a BEng and advance their career.
Why should students consider studying this course?
Very few universities offer a comparable course and mode of study at this level. The skills students learn are highly industry-relevant and in demand worldwide in a range of industries.
There’s always a choice of careers on offer for instrumentation and control engineering graduates. Alternatively, they can go on to study a Masters, PhD or Chartership.
