His hard work paid off – not only did he complete his MBA in Maritime Technology Management last year, he was also awarded the David Sterrett Medal for excellence in postgraduate studies in any discipline area.

“It was a huge surprise to receive the award, but it is nice to get the recognition for all of the hard work that I put in over the duration of the course,” Mr Humphreys said.

“On a professional level, I hope that it can open some doors for me in the future and it certainly makes a great addition to my CV.”

A mechanical engineer by trade, Mr Humphreys has worked in the oil and gas industry for 20 years, and has been a PADI open water scuba instructor since 2006.

He heard about AMC through the graduate engineers he worked with, and was looking for a MBA that was non-standard and also offered technical subjects.

“I studied on campus, which was a huge benefit for me as someone who had not studied for 20 years. It allowed me to focus on my studies and get as much out of the experience as possible,” he said.

I would recommend AMC to people looking to work in the marine and maritime industry as it is unique in Australia for education in that area.

Mr Humphreys has been employed by Wood PLC as a site engineer in Papua New Guinea since October, constructing a high pressure gas pipeline as part of the $20 billion Exxon Mobil PNG LNG project.

He’s hoping that his new qualification will help him make the switch to a career in the maritime industry.

“I have always had a passion for the marine world, working as a PADI dive instructor for many years, and I am keen to gain employment within the marine or maritime industries,” he said.

“My highlight during studying was research projects looking at the potential for offshore wave energy projects, and it would be great to be involved in the emergence and development of that technology over the coming years.

“I see it as an exciting area for development and one that could hugely benefit Tasmania in the future.”

(Pictured): Professor Natalia Nikolova presents Brian Humphreys with the David Sterrett Medal.

Published on: 23 Apr 2018