About Martin:

Why did you choose MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development?

The ESD MPhil focuses on pathways for society to drive towards a more sustainable future, where sustainability encompasses addressing problems including anthropogenic climate change, resource depletion, waste generation and pollution, poverty and inequity. The course aims to equip students with the tools necessary to develop solutions to these problems, leveraging the roles of government policy, technical innovation, and business strategy. I’m interested in this holistic perspective on sustainable development offered by the course, as I’ve spent much of my time since my undergraduate degree working mainly with the “corporate strategy” side of sustainability. I’m especially interested in looking more concretely at how to address technical engineering problems, as well as diving deeper into the role of policy and regulation in sustainable development.

Why did you first try rowing?

My parents are both quite tall so I remember my dad wanting my brother and I to try it

Who introduced you to the sport of rowing?

Ed Johnson at KCS Wimbledon

Where else have you rowed?

Stanford University (I stopped rowing after only a few years in 2011 and then started again in 2016 when I began studying at Stanford)

What are your proudest rowing achievements?

Being elected as Captain of Stanford Men’s Rowing for 2019-20

Do you have a favourite Boat Race? Which one and why?

The 2021 Boat Race – my roommate from Stanford, Drew Taylor, stroked the Cambridge Blue Boat as they won, and so even though Covid restrictions prevented us from being there in person it was unforgettable watching it at home with my family and cheering on Drew and Cambridge.

What would winning The Boat Race mean to you?

It would be really special – I remember the lack of closure that I felt when we learned that my last season at Stanford was cancelled due to Covid, and that we weren’t going to be able to show anything for the work that we had put in that year. This year will in all likelihood be my last year of competitive rowing, so to wrap it up with winning The Boat Race, and to become a part of the long history of winning Cambridge crews, would mean a lot.

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