Dr James Moultrie - Department of Engineering

Cambridge University has produced a series of films about five of this year’s Pilkington Prize winners. These films go behind the scenes to show Cambridge teaching in action as well as inviting winners to explain their passion for teaching and reveal some of their trade secrets. The films feature Lecturer in German Thought, Martin Ruehl; Physics Lecturer Lisa Jardine-Wright; Sociologist Mónica Moreno Figueroa; Zoologist Andrew Balmford; and Design Engineer James Moultrie.

Dr James Moultrie - Department of Engineering

Dr James Moultrie is a superb teacher whose vision, drive and dedication has led to one of the UK’s most successful team-based projects for manufacturing students. The ‘Major Project’ for students on the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos has become an exemplar for how skills learned through lectures can be applied to solving real world problems and addressing new opportunities. Students work in teams to design and build a functioning prototype for a new product in parallel with the development of a full business case for its commercialisation, before presenting them at the annual public IfM Design Show. As a result of this experience, students from the Tripos are highly sought after by employers, and many have also gone on to set up successful businesses. The focus on a design project is unusual in a Manufacturing Engineering course, and James has worked relentlessly to ensure that it delivers a professionally managed learning experience for students that is challenging and valuable, as well as fun.

James has also taken on numerous administrative duties, while maintaining his heavy teaching load. He has recently taken on the role as Director of the MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture and Management where he is developing this long standing course in response to the changing context of the manufacturing industry.