Dr John Atkinson (BSc, MSc, PhD, CEng, MIMechE) - personal details

John Atkinson worked in manufacturing industry for seven years, including a mechanical engineering apprenticeship and work in the drawing office of Francis Shaw & Co. Ltd. During this time he gained ONC and HNC qualifications by part-time study. He then went on to study at UMIST, gaining a BSc (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering followed by an MSc in Machine Tool Technology. He returned to Industry, carrying out design work at the Vaughan Crane Co. Ltd, and then studied for a PhD at UMIST. He was subsequently employed by the Machine Tool Industry Research Association for three years, rising to Senior Research Engineer. He then accepted a post as Lecturer in UMIST and became a Senior Lecturer in 1996. He has engaged in research collaborations with many companies in the UK and overseas. He is author of some 60 technical publications and has been principal investigator and co-investigator on a number of funded research projects. He has successfully supervised some 10 PhDs and 5 MPhils by research. His main research interests are in electrical machining processes, machine design and metal forming. He is Director of the MSc programme in Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems Management, a past president of the Manchester Association of Engineers and has served as Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education and as Editor of the Transactions of the Manchester Association of Engineers. He was, for some time, Treasurer of the Northwestern branch of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.