Profiles

Dan Chandrakumar is in the penultimate year of his 4-year MEng course in Computer Systems Engineering at Imperial College, London.

He developed an interest in computer science while studying A-Level mathematics, further mathematics, physics and electronics at Trinity School, Croydon.

His Headstart Course at Leeds University in 2001 included a computing module. Since that time, Leeds has become a Computer Systems Focus course, looking at wide-ranging applications for modern computing including artificial intelligence,
informatics in business, software engineering and virtual reality.

During his summer holiday last year, Dan gained valuable experience working for the family business, writing bespoke software to help clients streamline their business procedures and to make the accounting process less of a headache. His software package allows clients to automate routine tasks such as generating invoices.

Dan is a volunteer science teacher at Notting Hill Gate School and during weekly visits teaches science: the school has a shortage of teachers and without the help of volunteers would be unable to provide practical science lessons. He not only finds this enjoyable, but believes it is vitally important for students to see examples of
practical science as this is where it comes to life, becoming interesting and fun.

Having nearly completed his degree course, Dan plans to work in IT and engineering consultancy as he enjoys working with people and problem solving - or teaching, if the right opportunity comes his way.

During the last 2 years Dan has been actively involved with the organisation and marketing of charity shows at the Hammersmith Apollo and Barbican Theatre in London. In addition to behind-the-scenes work, he treads the boards at the front of house and recently performed a lead role and several comedy sketches.

Dan is helping Headstart develop the new Spectrum range of courses, designed to help students from ethnic minorities see how engineering teams benefit from cultural diversity. Visiting the University of Arizona in June with another Headstart alumnus, he will be providing important research input for the Spectrum project.