Bernard Howard

Technical Officer

Initially after leaving school, Bernard studied Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from 1972 to 1974. He was then a social worker for Southwark with learning disabled children, moving to Kensington and Chelsea in 1975 and becoming qualified as a social worker in 1981 and working in fostering and adoption.

Bernard moved to an adolescent reception and assessment centre as deputy office in charge for Bromley in 1988. In 1989 he left social work after being seriously assaulted by a client.

Bernard then took up an Engineering Technicians National Diploma including Mechanical Engineering, Computers and Electronics and Electrical Principles. He designed and built a Capacitive Discharge Electronic Ignition System and qualified second in class overall. He worked as a precision engineer making components for injection moulding machines for a short while, but hated the oily hands and dull work.

In 1991, Bernard saw the SOAS Phonetics Lab Technician post advertised in the New Scientist and has worked for SOAS ever since, discovering the pleasure in helping people who want to be helped! (What a change from social work with teenagers in care.)

Bernard worked with the late Dr Katrina Hayward recording many consultants for her projects, and providing technical support for her lectures. He assisted students in their research be recording their consultants, and provided technical support in the Phonetics Lab.

Bernard was involved in video production and graphic design work for Dr Katrina Hayward's two video publications on "Fibre-Optic Laryngoscopy: Hausa Korean Gujarati" and "Javanese Stop Consonants: The role of the Vocal Folds." Lately he has been responsible for cataloguing the Phonetics Lac Recorded archive and the South East Asia Dept Recorded Archive. He has also made digital copies of requested recordings in support of various SOAS lecturers and students.

Interests: