Sam completed an EPSRC funded PhD in Renewable Energies during the summer of 2006. His research is aimed specifically at the development of a low-cost electricity generation solution. His primary focus is on the application of this technology in developing countries. He is the author of several papers in this field and has presented at a number of international conferences. His passion for all things mechanical and renewable comes from a lifetime of building machines, including his ‘Power Drum’ , a very adaptable and rugged kinetic energy electricity generator for use in rural areas without access to other sources of electricity. His interest in international development comes from having parents intimately involved in this field and consequently being exposed to it from an early age. His first seven years were spent growing up in the beautiful kingdom of Swaziland in southern Africa, followed by twelve years spent between Bangladesh, Nigeria and London. Sam has traveled widely and aims to continue doing so, both within the context of work and purely for pleasure. His other passions are wide-ranging and include playing and writing music, surfing, Capoeira and the occasional kinetic sculpture.