The committee chair for the year 2012-2013 is Chris Wood. He has been acting Chair since March. Chris studied Engineering Science at Oxford University, his dissertation was on retrofitting adobe buildings against seismic action. After graduating in 2009 he has worked for Parsons Brinckerhoff in the Bridges team in Manchester. He has a few words for the year to come.
How long have you volunteered for the North West Graduates and Students group?
3 years.
What has been your greatest achievement with the group?
Organising the Olympics themed Construction Challenge last year.
Why did you want to take the role of Chair?
It is a very worthwhile committee to be on and does a lot of good work. I wanted to continue that but also add a few new things to the group's activities.
I think it is a great opportunity on a personal level to assist with developing and demonstrating some of the attributes you need to become chartered.
What your aims are for the group this year?
I aim to continue with the success of some of the strong events we have previously held, but to move the group towards being able to provide a network between students and graduates to allow them to talk to others outside of their normal circles and gain an insight into some of the good things other members are doing.
I feel that particularly in the current climate where work experience for students is increasingly difficult to find that this is important to allow them the opportunity to find out about the different parts of the industry.
Where is your favourite holiday destination?
I recently returned from Bolivia and Peru. Absolutely loved Bolivia (Peru was a little touristy) and will definitely be going back there.
Did you go to the Olympics?
Yes. I went to see some of the cycling, rowing and athletics. My favourite moment was watching Usain Bolt smash the field in the 200m. I thought the stadium was excellent, easy to get into, felt open and was a far cry from watching Bolton.