NEWS ARTICLES EVENTS

STRATHCLYDE STUDENTS LAND TOP AWARD AT BP COMPETITION FOR SECOND YEAR 19 – 21 MARCH 2013 Pathway to Research Enterprise: A team of Strathclyde Engineering students have won the top prize at the prestigious 2013 BP Enterprise Academy (FINAL FEW Ultimate Field Trip Competition – the second consecutive year Strathclyde students have won the PLACES) award. Enterprise Academy is an intensive ILM-accredited skills development Team Hydra, made up of Naval programme for early career research Architecture and Marine Engineering staff and postgraduate researchers, students Eric Brown, Hugh McQueen including a three-day fully-funded and Theo Scott, came out on top in the residential training element. When competition regarded as the UK’s the course piloted in 2011 it was leading science, technology, shortlisted for a THE award in the engineering and maths (STEM) talent category Outstanding Support for discovery event. Early Career Researchers, and offers a great opportunity for researchers to The students impressed the BP judges gain entrepreneurial confidence and and celebrity science enthusiast, Dara other transferable skills which will O Briain, with innovative ideas on how benefit them in their research. Full to develop a mode of transport that details about the Enterprise Academy reduces the cost of passenger travel in 2013 is available on the RDP website a selected country by 2030. or email Alexandra Ingvarsson.

Winning student, Eric Brown, said: “It's 13 FEBRUARY 2013 an amazing feeling to win. I'm really proud of our team's achievement. It's definitely a competition I Department of Civil and would recommend to other students as it gives you a chance to really show what you're capable of. Environmental Engineering It's hard work but it's worth it." Research Seminar Series Elisa Vignaga and Maria Lucey from The innovation focussed on a mode of car passenger transportation in Germany. The technical Scottish Water will present on the solution that was developed was praised by the judges for its practical and innovative approach. topic “From water research to Team Hydra’s concept is to design the Ultimate Hybrid Car (UHC), a plug-in Hybrid Compressed industry”. Will be in room 3.17 of Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicle. The car can be refuelled at home, using cheap and gas the John Anderson Building from reducing fuel costs. 4-5pm. For more information about the upcoming seminars Emma Judge, Head of Graduate Resourcing UK, BP said; “The UFT competition continues to go visit here. from strength to strength. This year a record 1,221 students registered to take part in the UK, and the eventual winners really deserve the great field trip that they will embark upon this summer.” 25 MARCH 2013

Department of Biomedical Team Hydra will begin their field trip in June 2013 for a two week period with BP. They will join the Engineering Postgraduate Open winning teams from the UFT Trinidad & Tobago and US competitions, visiting BP’s on-shore control Day room at Stavanger in Norway. 12pm - 3pm, in the Wolfson Building,

106 Rottenrow, Glasgow G4 0NW They will then visit the Sullom Voe oil terminal in Shetland and will wrap up the field trip by going to

BP’s International Centre of Business & Technology in Surrey, UK. The team will also receive Discuss which of our postgraduate Amazon vouchers worth £1000 and a guaranteed interview for a graduate or intern role at BP. courses would suit you.

Hear about our research in The success marks the second consecutive year Strathclyde students have landed the top prize Rehabilitation Engineering, Medical after Team Aspire won last year’s competition. Engineering students Guy Drori, Simonas Stilius and Devices, Medical Diagnostic Devices Edward Kay won six-week paid internships to Trinidad & Tobago and the Gulf of Mexico. & Instrumentation and Cell, Tissue and Organ Engineering, Prosthetics ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN RWANDA & Orthotics.

Five students from the Department of Architecture; Chin Wai Fan, April Lim, Ming-Shien Yeo, Ainslie Refreshments will be provided. Kennedy and Jun Hoe Wong, have recently formed a new design group, Studio S.K. The students For further details call 0141 548 are now not only working towards their Masters degree, but their final project will see them help a 3108. small community in Rwanda at the same time.

The village of San Kizito was completely destroyed in the infamous 1994 genocide that saw over a 26 MARCH 2013 million people killed. Father Hermann, a missioner, was working in Rwanda before the genocide and, Department of Architecture having seen the number of orphans as a result of the genocide, helped rebuild the village and Celebration Event established the children's village to provide food, care, and education to the orphans. Today, the 5.30pm, Architecture Department village provides essential training and skills for the children to succeed in life. Recently the Rwandan Lecture Theatre government has deemed four buildings in the village no longer fit for purpose and they now need to be demolished and replaced. Studio S.K. aims to replace the four buildings by working with the small Part One - CHARLES ANDERSON village community and the children of the village to see to their needs. DA RSW (sculptor) Part Two - CONSTRUCTING AN The group is working within the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) framework at the University of ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL, Strathclyde. The projects in this framework give students from first year through postgraduate level Professor Frank A. Walker / John C. the opportunity to work with staff and external partners in multi-disciplinary teams on research and Cunningham with Charles Anderson development projects. The project 'Construction & Therapy' began with three parties: the Department of Architecture (Professor Sergio Porta), the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship This celebration event is sure to be of (Professor Jonathan Levie), and Barabbas Clowns (the Italian NGO currently managing the village of interest for all who have an interest in San Kizito). Art and Architecture in Scotland of the 1960’s. Studio S.K. plans to get the local community fully immersed in the entire process of making their Public Lecture Series introduced space from conception to actual direct construction. To achieve this, the group will be making their by the Student Society A@131 - first visit to San Kizito in April to establish a connection with the local community prior to the Cheese and wine will be served. If construction phase of the project. you would like to reserve a place, or further details, please RSVP the The students are being mentored by Professor Sergio Porta, who found out about San Kizito after Society at: arch- one of his friends visited the village. [email protected]

Before the group implements the intended approach in Rwanda, they will be trialling the design For more information about the future process on university grounds. A pavilion will be constructed at the Rottenrow Gardens that will also lectures visit the Architecture event exhibit their work in conjunction with works from first year architecture students. The pavilion will be page. opened to the public on the 19th of March 2013. 17 APRIL 2013

Civil and Environmental To find out more about Studio SK and to donate money to the project visit the website Engineering Inaugural Lecture 5pm – 6.30pm, McCance Building EEE GRADUATE ON ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION Room 301

Can critical infrastructure projects Susan McDonald, a 2010 MEng Electrical and Mechanical Engineering graduate from the deliver across a wider range of Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, has recently returned from a ten day Arctic engineering, environmental and research expedition with the non-profit organisation Earthwatch, working with 14 other volunteers social needs? and three researchers at the Churchill Northern Studies Research Centre in Canada. The aim of the trip was to collate data at 20 sites to help monitor the impacts of climate change at the Arctic’s edge. Looking for sustainability benefits through ecosystem service based The work mainly involved taking a full suite of snow analysis in snow pits, as well as taking snow approaches. cores to measure the depth and weight of snow at that site. The team had to work under extreme weather conditions, with temperatures ranging from -45 to -50 degrees Celsius. Susan was part of a Executive Manager within the multinational team which included members from the UK, Canada, Japan, Belgium, Germany, USA, Environment Agency of England & Wales with responsibility for the Turkey and Russia with the majority of the group being engineers working in mainly energy roles. National Environmental Assessment Service (NEAS), Professor Ross Susan found out about Earthwatch, a non-profit organisation whose mission is ‘to engage people Marshall (new visiting professor in worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action the department) will discuss how necessary for a sustainable future’ whilst participating in the Scottish Space School outreach project considering ecosystem services in visit to NASA in Houston, Texas before she became a student at Strathclyde the following year. infrastructure projects is no longer NASA’s research undertakes to simulate operations and monitor crew performance on Mars through an ‘optional extra’. He will argue that the value of the services we get from research in the Arctic Circle. nature is starting to form a central concept within the strategies that Susan said: “I feel very privileged to have contributed to the long-term monitoring of the effects of ultimately determine the form and climate change at the Arctic’s edge. I would strongly recommend that if this is an area of interest and function of how successfully projects you want to learn first-hand then get involved in research expeditions as it’s a rewarding experience.” will be delivered.

All welcome but please register For more information on Susan’s expedition please see her blog: http://susanhmcdonald.com/ here www.ce.strath.ac.uk/events

MAKING THE MOST OF ALUMNI 30 APRIL 2013 Staff from the Departments of Chemical & Process Engineering, Design, Manufacture & Engineering Faculty of Engineering Public Management and Pure & Applied have won funding to promote integration of student Lecture – NASA Technology cohorts and Strathclyde alumni across major global companies. Investments: Building our Future The project, funded by the University’s Educational Enhancement Fund and supported by the in Space University’s Careers and Alumni and Development services, will bring together a student team from Lecture Theatre 1, McCance the three departments to set up student-run ‘alumni clubs’. Clubs will have student members and Building, University of Strathclyde alumni members: graduating students will automatically become alumni members, promoting Registration from 6pm, Lecture from continuing links between alumni and their ‘alma mater’ university departments. 6.30pm - 7.30pm followed by a networking reception. “Many departments have extensive links to employers through student placements, research projects and knowledge exchange work,” said project leader Dr Mark Haw of Chemical & Process Investments in technology and Engineering, “but it’s rare that students and alumni are at the centre of the employer-university innovation enable new space relationship. Alumni clubs will be about maximising the personal touch.” missions, stimulate the global Over the summer the project team will recruit recently graduated alumni as well as students from all economy, and inspire the next years of the current cohort, and design the first wave of events and activities. The team aims to generation of , engineers develop ideas covering the whole range of Strathclyde’s activities, including research and knowledge and . Chief Technologist exchange as well as teaching and learning. Possibilities range from industry-based alumni directly Professor Mason Peck will provide mentoring project students and students using alumni networks for advice on jobs, to employers, an overview of NASA's ambitious through their Strathclyde alumni, using the alumni clubs to play a greater role in course development programme of that and delivery. Going beyond teaching and learning, alumni and students could lead development of builds on new technologies, as well new research and knowledge exchange projects directly linked to employers’ needs. as proven capabilities, as it expands humanity's reach into the solar The clubs will be implemented and run by students and alumni—allowing them to evolve quickly system, while providing broadly according to students’, employers’ and alumni requirements, and bringing students valuable applicable benefits here on earth. personal and professional development opportunities through taking charge of club activities. The project team is confident that once successfully piloted, alumni clubs can grow across all Faculties For more information and to register and Departments. “University shouldn’t end on graduation day,” says Dr Haw: “Through alumni clubs to attend the lecture visit the we want to integrate students and alumni across all sectors of industry and society, to make registration webpage here. Strathclyde connections that will last lifetimes.” 8 MAY 2013 CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING ANNUAL LECTURE ATTRACTS MORE THAN Faculty of Engineering Public 400 PEOPLE Lecture – The Science, Engineering and Art of Golf: from Professor Iain Stewart, geoscientist and broadcaster, came to his old alma mater on the 4th of tee to green March. Iain was at Strathclyde University to present the 2013 Department of Civil and Environmental Lecture Theatre 1, McCance Engineering Annual Lecture entitled "A Geologist's View of Britain's Energy Future". Now at the Building, University of Strathclyde University of Plymouth, Iain graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 1986 with a degree in and Geography. Since then he has built a research career examining , natural Lecture delivered by Dr Steve Otto, disasters and their effect on human culture. Iain has won acclaim for his awe-inspiring BBC Director – Research & Testing, The documentaries on our planet and the forces that shape it. This includes ‘Journeys From the Centre R&A, St Andrews of the Earth’, ‘Earth: The Power of the Planet’, ‘The Climate Wars’, ‘How Earth Made Us’, ‘How to Grow a Planet’, and ‘Making Scotland's Landscape’. He has also appeared in numerous episodes of The seemingly simple process of ‘Horizon’ and on the ‘Rough Science’ series. hitting a golf ball has proved challenging in the centuries since His lecture at Strathclyde built on research for his new ‘Horizon’ documentary, which he is currently golf was first played in Scotland. filming. He summarised the current and future state of energy supply in Britain, and examined new This talk will include a description of sources of energy with a particular focus on shale gas and fracking. He looked in detail at the the physics of impact and clear up fracking industry of North Dakota. Overall he took a neutral stance to this new way of extracting oil some commonly misunderstood and gas, but his ideas constantly challenged the audience. The audience, of more than 400 people, aspects of the game. included students and staff from seven Scottish Universities, representatives of the energy, engineering and water industries, local government, media and NGOs. The talk was followed by a The talk will be given by Dr Otto, The lively debate around the future of energy supply in the UK, which ranged from discussion of gas R&A’s Director responsible for the extraction in Falkirk, the implications for Scottish independence, and issues of global politics, ethics group who evaluate clubs and balls and economics. against the Rules of Golf. A former Mathematician and NASA The lecture was supported by the Scottish Branch of the Institution of Structural Engineers. staff , Dr Otto has published a wide range of articles describing GLASGOW SCHOOL CHILDREN EXPERIENCE THE MARS ROVER CHALLENGE the fate of fluid flows, bubbles, micro-organisms and more recently The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering recently hosted the Mars Rover Challenge material on the physics of golf. involving 228 P6/7 pupils from 30 Glasgow primary schools. The challenge was run in collaboration with the UK Space Agency by the Scottish Space School and Glasgow City Council as the first in a Registration from 6pm, Lecture from series of events leading up to the UK Space Conference in July 2013. The winning team from each 6.30pm - 7.30pm. To register for the event will be presented at the conference where they will meet the first British , Tim Peake. event

After eight sessions in the Mars Rover Challenge involving 38 teams it was not possible to separate To attend the lecture visit the Garrowhill and St Joachim’s Primary Schools so they were declared the joint winners, and both registration webpage here. teams will take on the NASA astronauts during Space School week in June. Feedback from the Challenge was excellent and the City Council is keen to repeat it next year. 11-13 JUNE 2013 The Third International This is an example of how the Faculty of Engineering is undertaking long term outreach activities Symposium on Solar Sailing with schools. This is in line with recommendations from the Office for Fair Access (Offa) which McCance Building, University of suggested in a recent report that Universities could help widen university participation through Strathclyde working with children from the age of seven upwards by giving them a taste of university life or Bringing together international running projects that develop interest in particular subjects. experts, the symposium will provide a unique opportunity to discuss NATIONAL CENTRE STAFF AND STUDENTS RETURN TO VISIT MUKTI CLINIC funded solar sail flight programs alongside on-going technology In early February 2013 a small team of staff from the National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics development and testing programs. (NCPO), within the Department of Biomedical Engineering, accompanied by four final-year It will also provide a forum for the undergraduate students, revisited the MUKTI centre located in Chennai, India. The NCPO has been discussion of enabling technologies, involved with the charity MUKTI for the past two years and this visit was the second attended by new application concepts, materials students, who were financed by fundraising events to cover basic travel and accommodation costs. and structural concepts, space environmental effects, dynamics, The charity provides prostheses and orthoses, free of charge, for people with mobility problems as a navigation, control, and much more. result of amputation and diseases such as polio and who would otherwise be left without care and For more information visit the unable to provide for their families. website.

Facilities at the MUKTI centre are basic but clean and well organised. The staffing level appears to 12-13 JUNE 2013 meet the requirements of a daily caseload of approximately 12-14 patients along with any others that Directed Assembly of Functional attend without appointment. Nanomaterials: Design, Control and Manufacture Conference Last year’s visit highlighted the fact that the clinical procedures used are in need of up-grading and This EPSRC Grand Challenge that a systematic follow up of provided prostheses and orthotics would benefit the service provided. Directed Assembly network The suggested follow up process would be beneficial for two reasons; as a process to measure the conference will focus on the success or otherwise of the service and to identify the real need for prosthetic and orthotic provision. assembly and manufacture of The latter could be used for strategy planning for the centre and fundraising purposes as well as to nanomaterials with designed influence policy makers on a governmental level. functions, covering themes including:  controlling nanoscale Since the 2012 visit the centre’s management has employed a full time social worker who has synthesis and properties started the recommended follow up process. Although encouraging, this person needs constructive input from the University to develop a demographical appropriate review system, which is currently  controlling nucleation and being discussed by the project team. In addition discussions are in progress regarding the crystallization processes appointment of a category 2 prosthetist/orthotist who would be employed to introduce appropriate clinical techniques and liaise with other allied health professionals.  assembly of hybrid materials such as metal It can be concluded that the visit to MUKTI was very successful and an engagement strategy plan is organic frameworks currently being developed by the team involved with help from the students, to decide how best to move forward in working with MUKTI to ensure the relationship is beneficial to all those involved.  modelling of assembly processes MITSUBISHI CORPORATION HVDC RESEARCH COLLABORATION WITH STRATHCLYDE

 following bio-inspired routes The Power Electronics, Drives and Energy Conversion (PEDEC) Group, within the Department of to directed assembly of EEE, has embarked upon a major collaborative research programme, funded by the Mitsubishi nanomaterials. Electric Corporation, to investigate technologies for application in high-voltage dc (HVDC) power systems. The project will focus on the two research themes of power converter and network models, Speakers will include invited keynote where simulation tools will be developed to enable investigation of a number of power electronic researchers plus a range of network converter topologies, network configurations and operating scenarios, and dc circuit breakers, where members. There will also be a a scaled-down prototype system will be developed and demonstrated. During the 15 month, £250k variety of activities, including short project, the PEDEC Group will host Mitsubishi engineers from Japan. presentations, group discussions and poster sessions, to promote Derrick Holliday, who is leading the project at Strathclyde, said “The PEDEC Group is delighted to debate, ideas-shaping and have been selected by the Mitsubishi Corporation as the UK hub of its HVDC research networking. programme. We are already in discussion with Mitsubishi regarding related HVDC research and hope that this project will lead to a much bigger, long-term collaboration at Strathclyde.” The 1.5-day conference, hosted by the University of Strathclyde LECTURER SELECTED TO JOIN MATERIALS CHEMISTRY DIVISION COUNCIL Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, opens at Dr Siddharth V. Patwardhan from the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering was lunchtime on Wednesday June 12th recently selected on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Materials Chemistry Division Council; his term and closes at 5pm Thursday June starts from July 2013. 13th. More information on registration, abstract submission etc This division aims to promote “Materials Chemistry as a key area that underpins many fundamental will be available in due course. In the aspects of science and technology (e.g. nanotechnology, energy generation and storage, etc.)”, and meantime to be put on the mailing “Enhancing international influence and impact with industry, academia and policy makers”. Through list please contact the conference this Council, Dr Patwardhan aims to act as an ambassador to promote materials science globally lead organiser, Dr Mark Haw, through international networks as well as demonstrate fundamental role materials science plays in [email protected] modern-day life. With a background in chemical engineering and expertise in materials science and engineering, and as a member of the Materials Chemistry Division Council, he hopes to narrow this 16-17 JULY 2013 gap through a range of interdisciplinary activities. UK Space Conference 2013 Scottish Exhibition and FIRST STRATHCLYDE AMEC SCHOLARSHIP WINNER Conference Centre, Glasgow Following on from the success of the Damon Lynch, a third year MEng Electrical and Mechanical Engineering student from the UK Space Conference 2011, the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering has become the first University of Strathclyde space community will once again be student to win the AMEC Electrical Engineering Student Scholarship. Damon was one of four brought together for two fascinating students shortlisted by the Department and invited to a mini-assessment Centre at AMEC in days looking at the space sector in the UK and around the world. Aberdeen. The scholarship provides an annual bursary and a 10-12 week paid Industrial Placement Government, industry and academia with AMEC in Aberdeen working alongside graduates, engineers and designers on everything from will share their plans, their power generation to distribution. achievements and their concerns for the future of space to the wider AMEC Natural Resources provides engineering services for major Oil and Gas clients around the public at the UK Space Conference world, including BP, Shell and Conoco-Phillips. They are one of the world’s leading engineering, 2013. project management and consultancy companies carrying out engineering work on Brownfield (work The Conference will focus on on existing Onshore and Offshore facilities) and Greenfield (work on new Onshore and Offshore realising the UK’s ambitions in space facilities) sites. - including making a global impact with science and research, contributing to the UK’s economic growth by developing new MESSAGE TO ACADEMIC STAFF commercial applications and businesses and developing the Engineering Faculty Research Presentation Day 2013 interactions between these activities. For more information visit the As a part of the usual activities for the Faculty of Engineering, the annual Research Presentation website. Day will take place on 26th of June 2013.

Research students will be presenting their research work through posters and oral presentations.

Industry guests are welcomed to view the diverse research undertaken in the Faculty of Engineering.

Feedback from previous years highlights the positive impact of staff attendance and input to the event. The RPD Committee would be grateful if you would be able to attend the RPD and offer your valuable feedback on students’ research work. The committee appreciate consideration for our call for voluntary judges. Online registration for the event allows you to specify the capacity in which you are able to participate.

For more details, or to register please visit the new RPD website at: http://www.strath.ac.uk/dmem/research/researchpresentationdayrpd/

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the RPD Committee at: Eng- [email protected]

USEFUL LINKS SUBSCRIBE TO CONTACT Pegasus Follow the Faculty of Engineering If you have any news or events that you Nemo on Twitter @StrathEng would like to include in the Faculty Engineering Homepage newsletter contact Engineering Sharepoint [email protected] by the 11th of each month.