Ash clouds, flooding, power outages and a pandemic – all in a day’s work for lead technician Andy Quin, who is retiring from the Lancaster Environment Centre after nearly 3 decades.

When asked about his favourite memory of his time at Lancaster University Andy said simply, “dealing with the unexpected”. This a good summary of a career that has seen him guide Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) through the challenges of Storm Desmond, a global pandemic and huge changes in learning technology.

Andy joined Lancaster University as a mature student, venturing across the Yorkshire border to study BSc Geography and Environmental Science. After graduating in 1993 he stayed, taking the role of laboratory technician in the then Geography Department. This led to several more senior technical roles, and at his retirement he is not only LEC’s Lead Technician but also Technical Director for the Faculty of Science and Technology.

Laboratory manager and area safety officer Dr Annette Ryan describes Andy as “a great source of wisdom.

“I have certainly grown in confidence due to his support and guidance since I joined the technical team. He could always be relied upon to offer sage advice, lend an aura of calm and quiet confidence to any situation… and my internal regular refrain now for most things is ‘what would Andy do...?’.”

Since Lancaster University brought Geography, Environmental Sciences and Biological Sciences together in 2007 to create the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC), Andy has been critical to the smooth running of the site. This has included building the ongoing close relationship with site partner, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UK CEH).

Roger Merritt, Facilities Manager of UK CEH’s Lancaster site “I have worked with Andy over my 16 years at UK CEH and have always found him to be approachable with queries and very enthusiastic about building the relationship with UK CEH that we have today.” Roger goes on to say that it has been “an absolute pleasure to have worked with him and [he] will be missed.”

LEC’s Andy Quin (third from left) and UK CEH’s Roger Merritt (third from right) at the opening of the organisations’ joint social courtyard in 2018. (Others, from left to right: Prof Mark Bailey, Prof Paula Harrison, and Prof Richard Shore of UK CEH, Prof Pete Atkinson and Prof Jane Taylor of LEC.

Lately Andy was also the site manager for the university’s COVID-19 Asymptomatic Testing Site (ATS), which, as with the development of LEC, will remain as a legacy of his efforts.

Andy emphasises, “The ATS is still operating, and you should get tested twice a week!”

LEC director, Professor Phil Barker said, “You learn most about people when things get difficult, whether it was the pandemic, the flood, the ash cloud or any number of minor incidents, Andy has been the natural leader we all looked to. Few people give such a complete sense of calm confidence and authority while maintaining a sharp sense of humour. We have all learned a lot from him and are immensely grateful for his fantastic contribution to the life of the university.”

Andy says the things that he will miss most about the work are, “mixing with colleagues and students in a lively multicultural ‘international’ environment. I will also very much miss being involved with helping students to develop their interest in the environment in which we live and developing the skills needed to ask relevant research questions and design projects to help answer those questions, in short fieldwork.”

As this suggests, Andy’s role hasn’t always kept him tied to the campus. For many years his experience, language skills, and love of country music, have been key components of the undergraduate Geography residential field course in southern Spain.

Professor Alan Blackburn, convenor of the field course, said, “Andy has inspired many students over the years through his field teaching, particularly in one of his favourite countries, Spain. With his combination of dry humour and a deep knowledge of landscapes, Andy has gently encouraged and supported students to find their own ways of exploring the environment… We have all appreciated the opportunity to learn from Andy about the importance of taking a different and often unexpected approach to tackling a problem.”

Andy Quin sharing his expertise with students on the Geography undergraduate residential field course in southern Spain.

After 28 years Andy shares an interesting perspective on how the student experience has changed at Lancaster University, “I think that two things have driven the biggest changes: technology and student’s having to finance their own tuition fees. We really are in a different world than we were 28 years ago.

“Campus has also changed beyond recognition and thanks to the vision and hard work of many. I think it is now a much more pleasant environment to work, study and live in.”

What does he think is to come for LEC over the next 28 years?

“That is for you guys to consider and help shape not for me…! However, I am sure that we will still absolutely rely on technicians to make the place work.”

For his own future, Andy says he is looking forward to “spending more time cycling, hill walking, a little bit of caving plus the occasional glass of red wine and good food” without “having to work when the weather is good”! We wish him well.

And maybe one day Annette will finally talk him into that Santa suit for the children’s Christmas party…