New academic staff join TEDI-London 

We are delighted to announce two new academic appointments at TEDI-London: Professor Julie Bregulla, as Director of Project Based Learning and Dr Frank Nickols, Senior Teaching Fellow.

Both Julie and Frank join TEDI-London with a wealth of engineering education and industry experience, and will take leading roles in delivering our innovative curriculum, where traditional lectures will be replaced by project work.

Learn more about our new colleagues:

Julie Bregulla, Director of Project-Based Learning

Professor Julie Bregulla is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was previously Director, Fire and Building Technology Group, Building Research Establishment (BRE). She is an expert in construction regulation and the process of setting, reviewing and updating engineering standards and interlinked UK/EU legislation and regulatory provisions. She has worked in academia, consulting and construction, giving her a blended experience in the multi-faceted interactions of engineering practice.

Julie has extensive has experience in applied research and certification testing in specialist engineering facilities providing robust experimental data for projects in the UK and abroad. She represents the UK national position at key code and regulatory committees, facilitating the translation of requirements, professional and societal, to future provisions to deliver safety, quality and productivity. She currently serves on the ICE Council and chairs key industry initiatives.

Julie will be instrumental in shaping and delivering project-based learning at TEDI-London. She will work in partnership with our industry network to integrate real-life projects into the TEDI-London curriculum both to develop the skills students need to train as professional engineers, and help industry tackle challenges and topics through a different lens. 

Julie says: “I am excited to join TEDI-London at this time of complex global challenges in which engineers are vital to improving people’s lives. I look forward to working with industry and stakeholders to identify and create projects and exchange that bring tangible benefits and shape the next generation of engineers with the right mix of technical, social and contextual skills.”

Frank Nickols, Senior Teaching Fellow

Frank is an experienced educator, mentor and coach in Robotics and Mechatronics, specialising in creating robots as learning platforms for students to understand the fundamentals of engineering science in a fun and exciting way. His passion is to pass on this knowledge by teaching students how to design and build their own robots in TEDI-London’s makerspaces.

Frank gained his engineering knowledge by working for 15 years in industry as an R&D product design engineer, designing computer-controlled machines for UK industry, i.e., Ford Motor Company, Lucas Industries, AMF Inc., Renishaw Research, Danfoss, before moving into academia.

Thereafter, he taught Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering at universities around the world, namely, in the USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Brunei and the UK. This experience enabled Frank to become appreciative of many cultures around the world which will enable him to best support and mentor the diverse range of students TEDI-London wants to attract.

As senior teaching fellow Frank will act as coach and mentor to students, facilitating master classes, pop-up tutorials and workshops as well as providing day to day customised support to our students – both academic and pastoral.  

Frank says: “I believe that TEDI-London’s approach to the teaching of engineering is the way forward. It seamlessly prepares students from the closed classroom to industry, equipping students with a toolkit of skills that they can delve into, modify and execute as challenges confront them.”

TEDI-London is looking forward to announcing further details about our new teaching fellows later in the year.  

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