Alumni profile - Simon Mills My Engineering degree has meant that I have ended up in locations that resemble those found in a James Bond movie. I have visited places like CERN, and a power station in Scotland that's ¼ of a mile underneath a mountain with giant hydroelectric turbines - both seem like being in a villain’s lair! Published: 12 April 2021 Why did you decide to study Mechanical Engineering at Queen Mary College (as it was known in 1968)? I was good at mathematics and my uncle, who was an engineer, and my father, who was a watchmaker and thus dealt with very small engineering masterpieces, also helped sway my decision. I secured my place at Queen Mary College (QMC) via clearing and looking back I realise how fortunate I was. Initially when I found out I didn’t get the grades for my top choices my heart dropped, but when QMC offered me a place, it lifted back up again.