ALASDAIR HASTEWELL REPTON ROLE MODEL

Alasdair Hastewell (O'14) fell in love with science and maths at Repton. He was driven by trying to understand the world around him and as such spent much of his spare time soaking up theories, old and new, in our library as well as attending STEM lectures laid on at school and at other great seats of learning around the country. 

Alasdair was offered places at Oxford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to continue his studies and, supported by his teachers, chose to head to America. He says: "I was able to explore not only a breadth of science and engineering with like-minded and ever curious peers but more importantly see the connections and interplay between science, mathematics and computer science." 

Alasdair chose to pursue a degree in mathematics and physics, finding an "amazing mentor" who encouraged him to look deeper into how mathematics, physics and computer simulation could be applied to understand biology better. 

Having graduated Alasdair embarked on a PhD at MIT and explains: "I get to explore the frontiers of how these subjects interact pursuing a PhD in applied mathematics. Using the fundamental principles of physics combined with computer simulations and machine learning to push our knowledge of a wide spectrum of biological problems ranging from bacteria growth to the development of cells during embryogenesis".  

He remains committed to further understanding the world around us through his love of science, maths and engineering. 

Headmaster Mark Semmence is immensely proud of how Alasdair embraced every opportunity presented to him at Repton, saying: "STEM subjects are highly prized at Repton; it is scientists and engineers who have the capacity to solve many of humanities most urgent challenges. By rethinking the status quo, pioneers like Alasdair promise to change the course of history."