Gary

I have found coming back to education an enjoyable challenge.

My research is focussed on the forces involved in stabbings. I had wanted to carry on work in the area of forensics and I came across the advertisement of a funded PhD studentship entitled 'The quantification of forces involved in stabbings' at the University of Leicester, so applied straight away. The opportunity to carry on forensics was exactly what I was looking for and focused on one of my main interests, sharp force trauma.

I did know much about Leicester before applying, but after looking around the website and speaking to a few friends I found out about the great reputation it has, especially in the areas I would be working; Engineering and Pathology. This made it an easy decision to want to study at Leicester.

The course has met and surpassed my expectations. It is both challenging and exciting and also gives me a lot more opportunities to network and attend or present at conferences than I ever expected.

The facilities in the Department are more than adequate; I haven’t yet needed a piece of equipment that we haven’t been able to source. The department itself has been very welcoming both in a professional sense and socially and I have been extremely well supported.

The University campus is a nice place to learn and socialise and there is a particularly good library: the library and O2 Academy are my favourite bits of campus.

Leicester itself has everything you could need, including a good selection of shops, restaurants, pubs and clubs and it’s a lot sunnier than Scotland! Once I have finished my degree I hope to do postdoctoral research or a lectureship.