Professor Richard Birmingham
An unconventional background for a faculty head of Newcastle University, Richard started his career as a fisherman and boatyard worker in Scotland, Norway and Iceland before becoming a boat builder.
When younger he took the boat he had built across the seas, developing a love and understanding of the sea in the process. When he was 35 he decided to go to university and discovered that he enjoyed developing his practical and technical knowledge into a deeper understanding of marine technology as a teacher and academic.
He became Professor of Small Craft Design in 2002, and in 2007 the Head of the recently combined Faculty of Marine Science and Technology.