Andy Linton
Andy is one of 14 people worldwide entrusted with keeping the keys to the Internet safe.
Andy’s work history is a story in itself. “I’ve been a shipyard worker, a school teacher, a rock climbing instructor, a Royal Marine, a Royal Navy officer, a researcher at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, worked for AARNet (Australia's Academic and Research Network), been the Chief IP Engineer for TelstraSaturn and a company director for the Public Interest Registry and the Domain Name Commission.”
It’s from this wide experience that Andy is able to connect employers and students for the work experience programme, which is a key part of the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours degree.
“Our students are going to spend a very large part of their adult lives working in industry or in academia. Helping them prepare for that is a good thing. I think it helps them grow as people and it can help make their studies more relevant to them,” he says. “It’s also good for employers in two ways—they get to see how good our students are and by engaging with our School, they can influence our teaching and research development.”
Andy is pretty keen on networks—both the digital kind and the people kind. “The Internet wouldn't work without those people networks. I have a friend in Japan who awards people the accolade, ‘you work for the Internet’. I take that to mean they work for the greater good rather than just the company they get paid by.”
“I really enjoy the chance to work on complex real-world problems where the results can bring benefit to others, and engaging with staff, students and employers through teaching and the work experience programme. It’s always a challenge to work with good minds on problems.”