Daniel Mitchard
Cardiff University
Welsh Crucible 2024
Daniel obtained his MPhys degree in physics from Swansea University and went on to complete a PhD in particle physics at CERN, Switzerland. After a few years working for an engineering consultancy mostly in industrial radiography, he joined Cardiff University as a postdoctoral researcher in the lightning laboratory; where controlled lightning bolts are made in the lab.
He is now a lecturer in the mechanical engineering department at Cardiff University, and continues to explore lightning, lightning phenomena, and lightning interactions across a range of scientific applications; from ensure aircraft struck in flight remain safe, to understanding whether struck trees live or die, and replicating rare phenomena at the edge of space.