Profiles

Mr Jan Theron
Master of Engineering - Mechanical major
Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus

A passion for mechanical engineering brought Jan Theron to Deakin where he is currently studying a Master of Engineering specialising in mechanical engineering (product design and development).

‘I completed my undergraduate degree in industrial engineering technology some years ago which I followed up with a masters degree specialising in industrial systems. But I still felt a desire to gain knowledge in the field of mechanical engineering - a specialised area of engineering that I feel passionate about,’ he says.

Currently working as the Web Operations Manager at Deakin, Jan enjoys the convenience of undertaking postgraduate study close to home and is consistently impressed by the University’s research expertise.

‘Deakin has an industry-leading competency in materials research and this is what really drew me to postgraduate study here,’ he says.

Jan’s studies have provided him with the opportunity to learn from industry experts and academic staff who all have a proven track record in a variety of industry-specific projects.

‘Due to the close relationship between industry partners and Deakin, I’ve been able to participate in industry visits that have enhanced my study experience by seeing first-hand how the knowledge I am gaining is applied in practice and solves real world problems,’ he says.

Jan also enjoys solving problems in his current role where he is responsible for the operational oversight of Deakin’s web environment from a content management tool and web analytics perspective.

‘Irrespective of whether it is in the field of systems engineering or mechanical engineering, solving complex problems through innovative approaches is my passion,’ he says.

In the future Jan would like to tackle a global focused problem.

‘With the knowledge gained from my studies at Deakin I would like to commercialise an idea I have been working on for some time, which, if successful, will zero the carbon footprint of power generation as we know it. Of course, there is still a lot to be done to achieve this, but I believe that every person should set themselves a goal to solve at least one worldly problem in their lives.’