John Jack

Senior Technician - Teaching & Research

Responsibilities

The main element of my role is the operational management and development of the London Road Workshop and the instruction and supervision of workshop users, both students and staff. The workshop provides support primarily for teaching and research activities in both the School of Architecture and the Art Department of the Institute of Education, but also, when possible, for other schools and technical units within the University. The workshop is currently equipped with hand tools, power tools, a laser cutter, a 3D printer and a ceramics kiln. An additional element of my role is to ensure that users of Building L04 get the technical support necessary to enable them to work safely and efficiently.

Areas of Interest

Earth system processes; anthroposphere/biosphere interactions; sustainable built environments; space, place and identity; good design; aesthetics; graphic communication; digital media; digital 3D modelling; 3D printing.

Career History

After gaining a BSc(Hons) Geology I took on a technical role in the Postgraduate Research Institute for Sedimentology (PRIS) at the University of Reading. During my time in PRIS I was responsible for running the Thin Section Unit and the ICP-MS unit and I gained an MPhil in Geological Remote Sensing and Image Processing. I then took on technical roles similar to my PRIS role, plus a teaching support role for a Remote Sensing and Image Processing course, in the University of Reading's School of Human and Environmental Sciences and then its School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science. During my time in the latter, the focus of my interest changed and, after gaining a BA(Hons) Architecture, I took on my current role.