Academic biography

Leah holds an MEng degree and a PhD in Electronic Engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK.

She has taught electrical and electronic engineering at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo China (UNNC) and the University of Liverpool before returning to the University of Nottingham UK.

Back in Nottingham Leah joined the Department of Foundation Engineering and Physical Sciences (common entry year 0 for engineering, physics and computer science) - with a specialism in the electrical and electronic engineering areas. Working as part of a small interdisciplinary team, Leah learnt a lot about how to engage students with a subject that is not their main area of interest - teaching a group of Mechanical Engineering minded students about why electrical systems are important was a great challenge! Highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of modern engineering is a key theme in their teaching.

In 2017 Leah returned to the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham. They worked with students from all year groups on the electronics side of the discipline with final year projects in intuitive control of electronic devices - the glove controlled 3D printed hand being one of the most popular and visible around the Department. Her teaching interests include circuit fundamentals, ethics, sustainability and business planning for engineers.

Leah is now based in the School of Electronic Engineering at DCU having joined in 2022 to be part of the BSc Global Challenges programme; an interdisciplinary programme aiming to produce the next generation of adaptive problem solvers our world needs. 

Current specialisms

Large class teaching in electronic engineering

Leah has redesigned and delivers large class modules in electronic engineering fundamentals, incorporating lectures and laboratory teaching. This includes the first year module, Introduction to Electronics (240 students from all engineering disciplines), and the second year Circuit Analysis Techniques (180 students from electronics, mechatronics and biomedical programmes). 

Final year projects in mechatronics and electronics

Leah supervises a range of industrially orientated final year projects in both mechatronic engineering and electronic and computer engineering. These span a range of topics incorporating sensors and how people interact with electronic systems and are often solution agnostic where a problem is presented and she works in partnership with students to develop a project that can be build to solve the problem based on the interests of the project student. Sample past project titles include:

• Find My Item: A Cold Chain Logistics Solution to Last-Mile Delivery using IoT Technology
• Human-Machine Interaction: Gesture Controlled Robotic Arm
• Implementation of Electronic & Mechanical Components in an Exergame to Aid the Rehabilitation of Stroke Victims
• Sensor System Design for Head Motion Analysis During a Rally
• Mechatronic System for Medication Management in an Independent Living Environment
• Engineering the Escape: User-centered Mechatronics Design for Escape Rooms

They are a Programme Chair for DCU's Common Entry into Engineering undergraduate course. They are part of DCU's CASTeL group; Ireland’s largest Research Centre in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education.