Director Engineering Policy & Innovation
Mike has been working at ICE for over 30 years, providing information on civil engineering through the Institution’s Library and Information services of which he has been head for over 20 years. He believes passionately in the capability of the internet and digital communications to deliver better, and better value, knowledge transfer for all members.
During his tenure at ICE, Mike has taken the lead in the adoption of IT to improve the service, introducing e-mail in 1994 and writing much of the web content for the ICE’s first website in 1996. He has collaborated closely with ICE Publishing/Thomas Telford Ltd in developing the Virtual Library. His service for ICE was recognised by the award of the Garth Watson medal in 1996, and the Spirit of Telford Award in 2007.
More broadly Mike’s professional commitment has involved regularly mentoring aspirant information professionals outside ICE, and serving on various professional liaison groups. He has written chapters on Civil engineering information sources for a number of publications including the forthcoming Routledge guide to engineering information sources (Ed. Bonnie Osif).
Since early in 2010 Mike has taken a broader responsibility for Knowledge Transfer as Director Engineering Policy and Innovation. In that role he is leading knowledge transfer across the Institution, managing the Policy, Innovation, Associated Societies’ and Management Procurement and Law teams in their development of the ICE’s Learned Society programme. He is working closely with the Events team, ICE Regions and ICE Publishing to ensure coordinated activity across ICE.
Mike has written and lectured extensively on the history of civil engineering, including contributions to the forthcoming history of the ICE: The Civil Engineers. His books include Civil engineering 1839-1889 (1991); The Civil engineering of canals and railways (1997); Historic concrete (with Sutherland and Humm) (2002) and Robert Stephenson- (with Michael Bailey) (2003). Recent papers include: Geotechnical publications before Geotechnique. Geotechnique, 2008; A forgotten chapter: the contribution of British engineers to masonry dam design in India in the Victorian era, 3rd International conference on construction history, Cottbus, May 2009; The Italian motorway experiment. Engineering History and Heritage, ICE Procs June 2010.. Since 1996 Mike has been involved with ICE’s Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers Project,. In 2007 Mike’s historical contribution was recognised with the American Society of Civil Engineers History and Heritage Award.
Mike’s current external appointments include acting as an adviser to the University of Leuven project on “Engineering a New World. The Role of Engineers in Modern Society, 1815 – c. 1890”, and membership of English Heritage’s Industrial Archaeology Panel.