In 2023, Mitch was awarded Young Engineer of the Year. Read Mitch’s career story here

Back in 2015, he received an EEA scholarship while studying at the University of Canterbury and answered the questions below.

How would you introduce yourself in one sentence?

A very competitive kayaker from Hawkes Bay with a passion for electricity.

Why did you choose to study electrical engineering?

I had a very passionate physics teacher who directed my passion for finding out how things work towards the awesome field of electricity.

In which projects have you been involved in and outside of university? What challenges and opportunities did you encounter?

Inside Canterbury University I had the opportunity to be involved in a renewable energy feasibility study for Tonga Power Limited which included a field trip to Tonga! We looked at the renewable electricity generation options in Tonga such as solar PV, wind, biofuel, and tidal generation. Another exciting project was the High Country Electric Vehicle in which we converted a Toyota Landcruiser fully electric to be New Zealands first fully functional farm truck. This was a very hands on project and we finally got to test drive the final product once it was driving.

In the industry I have had the pleasure of working for Unison Networks in Hawkes Bay on a number of field-leading industry research such as the Interplay project which is looking at the impacts of new green technologies on the distribution grid. I modelled solar PV generation along with battery storage and electric vehicles in a subdivision in Hastings and compared the findings to real-time data coming in from the field.

How would you like to contribute to the electricity supply industry in the future?

By being on the cutting edge of industry-lead research and helping to improve strategic leadership within the power industry.

What is the most important piece of advice you would give to high school students willing to start a degree in engineering? And to university students willing to specialise in power engineering?

Follow your passion and if you love to find out how things work then engineering is the way to go! Power engineering is a very exciting field with electric vehicles and solar generation about to take off there is going to be plenty of challenges ahead. It is nearly impossible to imagine the living without power these days with cellphones and computers so you will have great job security and career prospects.