Nicolette Formosa
Civil Engineering PhD
Working on her PhD project takes up most of Nicolette's time but she still prioritises supporting undergraduate students with their studies, gaining the experience she needs to work as an academic.
"Loughborough University gave me the opportunity to work on a real-world engineering project. Loughborough has been an international pioneer in this sector for decades and the campus is set up with excellent facilities that allow you to excel in your studies.
My research is focused on the importance of enhancing our driving experience to have safer roads. The aim is to develop a Collision Avoidance System (CAS) algorithm to assist motorists by detecting obstacles in order to avoid an imminent collision. The system works by collecting data from various sensors installed across the vehicle, which is then processed to obtain a more accurate data set using Artificial Intelligence. A vehicle trajectory is generated in order to be able to predict and prevent any potential collision by giving out collision warnings through the avoidance control dashboard.
During my studies, I took part in a number of conferences as well as a student exchange experience with the University of Central Florida. I have also been awarded the inaugural Postgraduate Female Engineer of Year 2019 by WES Lboro, which highlights inspirational female engineers at Loughborough that are excelling both academically as well as part of the Loughborough and wider engineering community.
During my free time, I support the lecturing staff by delivering tutorial sessions to undergraduate students within the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering. I’m also a Sub-Warden because I like to be involved in the campus community. This gives me the opportunity to meet other students and support them in their daily struggles of university life. I have always wanted to pursue an academic career. I love teaching because it has an impact on students’ lives, especially on their potential future careers and professional development. The university environment also promotes opportunities for collaboration agreements and cross-disciplinary research, which is very exciting. Doing a PhD degree at Loughborough University is a big first step towards my career.
A career in engineering is very rewarding because you can really contribute to improving people's lives. The more you expose yourself to the world of engineering, the more opportunities you will find and the better prepared you will be to meet any challenges that might come your way."