Saeed Alkahtani

Course lecture•Manager

To whom it may concern: This is a reference letter provided at the request of Saeed Alkahtani. I have known Saeed for the 4 years (2012-16) that he has been involved in the BEng. (Hons) in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Degree course in the Waterford Institute of Technology. I served as Course Leader on the programme until 2014, and also supervised Saeed’s final year project. On that basis I am satisfied to provide a reference. As his lecturer, I have had an opportunity to observe Saeed’s participation and interaction in class and to evaluate his knowledge on a range of subject matter. I would rate the student as good overall performance in these respects as good, and this is evident in his grades. As part of his degree in Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Saeed was required to complete a final year project. This project was focused on the recommissioning of a piece of industrial equipment. Saeed managed to negotiate a series of obstacles and illustrated some ability to work with automated equipment through PLCs and LabView. His motivation to complete the project was evident at all stages of the work. A particular strength of Saeed’s is in the area of interpersonal skills. Facing several cultural challenges as he progressed through his time here in the Waterford Institute of Technology, including language issues and communicating with class-mates, Saeed performed exceptionally well in terms of integrating into his environment. His language skills—verbal and written are strong, and he is comfortable around people and within teams. In my experience he has an optimistic perspective, and brings a positive attitude to group work. He is happy to take a lead in group interactions, and is reliably proactive in this respect. Based upon the student’s character and his academic performance thus far, I believe he has the capacity, motivation and interpersonal skills required to succeed in a wide range of potential future roles. Sincerely, Dr. Jim Lawlor