Your Manchester
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your manchesterFor Engineering and Physical Sciences Alumni Spring 2014 Stand up for climate change Stargazing with Leena Gade Tim O’Brien The real value of No1 Engineer & our water ‘man of the year’ THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER TIMELINE EPS people 1824 Manchester Mechanics’ Institute founded The Faculty is led by the Vice-President and Dean, Professor Colin Bailey, 1851 and comprises nine academic Schools and four Research Institutes. Owens College founded The Faculty Leadership Team also includes six Associate Deans who support key areas of activity, including Research, Teaching and Learning, 1872 Graduate Education, Social Responsibility, Internationalisation and Owens College incorporated the Royal School of Medicine Business Engagement. The Director of Faculty Operations is responsible and Surgery, which had been for leading the administration across the Faculty. formed in 1824 1880 Owens College becomes the School of Chemical Engineering Manchester Institute of Biotechnology first constituent part of the federal and Analytical Science Victoria University, England’s Director, first civic university Head of School, Professor Nigel Scrutton Professor Mike Sutcliffe Photon Science Institute 1883 School of Chemistry Director, The Mechanics’ Institute converted Head of School, Professor Richard Winpenny into the Manchester Technical Professor Christopher Whitehead School and in 1892 becomes University of Manchester Aerospace the Manchester Municipal School of Computer Science Research Institute (UMARI) Technical School Head of School, Director, Professor Jim Miles Professor Costas Soutis 1903 Owens College reconstituted as the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Acting Associate Dean (Research) Victoria University of Manchester Environmental Sciences Professor Stephen Yeates Head of School, Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) Professor Hugh Coe 1918 Dr Danielle George The Technical School renamed School of Electrical and Electronic the Manchester Municipal College Associate Dean (Graduate Education) of Technology Engineering Professor Ann Webb Head of School, 1956 Professor Tony Brown Associate Dean (Social Responsibility) Professor Tim O’Brien The College of Technology gains School of Materials independent status as a university Acting Associate Dean (Business college and in 1966 renamed Head of School, the University of Manchester Professor Paul O’Brien Engagement) Institute of Science and Professor Mike Sutcliffe Technology (UMIST) School of Mathematics Head of School, Associate Dean (Internationalisation) Professor Stephen Flint 1994 Professor Peter Duck UMIST gains its own School of Mechanical, Aerospace Director of Faculty Operations degree-awarding powers and Civil Engineering Rachel Brealey Head of School, Head of Faculty Finance 2004 Professor Andy Gibson The University of Manchester Pauline Morgan created when, after a century School of Physics and Astronomy Head of Faculty HR of partnership, UMIST and the Head of School, Sue Field Victoria University of Manchester Professor Stephen Watts agree to combine and form a single, world-class university Dalton Nuclear Institute Director, Professor Andrew Sherry For full history visit www.manchester.ac.uk/ aboutus/heritage/history/ Contents 14 30 STAND UP FOR NUCLEAR NEWS CLIMATE CHANGE Cutting-edge facility now open, 2 Public engagement the DNI-AMEC partnership and Royal 22 Society Fellowship funny way THE DEAN’S EXTREME WELCOME REMOVALS Professor Colin Bailey introduces 16 Start packing – how we’re this edition of Your Manchester planning our move to the new 32 for EPS engineering campus WE ARE MADE SUCCESSES AND OF STARS AWARDS 4 Tim O’Brien on Stargazing LIVE 24 Peter Higgs and Bobby Charlton and making our work accessible recognised and New Year’s Honours for three colleagues LE MANS WORLD HONOURING We talk to top motor racing OUR HISTORY engineer and EPS graduate Alan Turing remembered and Leena Gade 20 34 the brave contribution our community made to WW1 BUSY PEOPLE ROYAL AWARD FIND TIME World-leading imaging Peter Mount CBE proves that techniques honoured with 8 Queen’s Anniversary Award fundraising can run alongside 26 a brilliant career A NEW SCHOOL FACULTY NEWS FOR MLAMBE Anti-matter to X-ray vision; global impact to school Three friends building a new 21 governors 36 school in a Malawi village A DREAM COME STUDENT SUCCESS TRUE AND NEWS 10 A prestigious Fellowship for 28 From speed networking to Women in Science in Sub- European City of Science Saharan Africa for Mercy Badu announcement THE REAL VALUE GRAPHENE NEWS OF OUR WATER Graphene Flagship sets sail, Our new Chair of Water partnership brings £5m and Engineering on how we manage Regius professorship bestowed our water supplies 1 Welcome from the Vice-President and Dean 2 Universities are all about people, whether students, staff or alumni – and it’s the people that make The University of Manchester one of the greatest universities in the world. In this annual Faculty alumni magazine we highlight some of the achievements of our graduates, as well as highlighting some new staff members and news across the Faculty. As always the articles only scratch the a commitment to fundraising can run The outstanding contribution made by surface of the activities within the Faculty alongside a demanding career. As well as another Manchester legend Alan Turing of Engineering and Physical Sciences, being the chairman of Central Manchester during the Second World War is also which continues to grow its global University Hospitals NHS Foundation remembered. A new film, The Imitation reputation in education, research and its Trust, Peter also supports hundreds of Game, is about to be released, and it is impact on the economy and society. schoolchildren to access an education in fitting that Manchester graduate Benedict Engineering graduate Leena Gade was told Uganda and Rwanda through a number of Cumberbatch (who skilfully portrays ‘engineering wasn’t for girls’, a comment charitable projects. Sherlock Holmes in the critically acclaimed I personally find infuriating. Such narrow- The work of the Faculty’s academic BBC TV series) is playing the role of the minded thinking has no place within community is also put under the spotlight. brilliant code-breaker. modern society and within the Faculty we Professor Tim O’Brien, Associate Director From our earliest heritage to today’s are continually engaging with primary and of Jodrell Bank Observatory, talks about success stories, everything we do in secondary schools to promote engineering his role in supporting the Faculty’s the Faculty of Engineering and Physical and physical sciences to girls. We all know commitment to making our work more Sciences is underpinned by a dedication that design teams are much more creative accessible and relevant to the wider public. to quality. This was demonstrated recently and effective with a reasonable gender This is an aspect of our work that all staff when we were once again awarded balance as well as the leadership qualities are passionate about. A good example is the Queen’s Anniversary Prize – one of that both genders provide. Luckily, Leena the BBC Stargazing LIVE event broadcast the most prestigious awards in higher completely ignored this nonsensical advice earlier this year from Jodrell Bank and education. The recent award recognises and pursued her passion for a career in featuring our own Professor Brian Cox and our leading staff and the work they carry engineering and motor racing. But how science champion Dara O Briain. out in imaging techniques, which in turn is many other great female engineers and In an interesting twist on supporting supporting the UK’s strategic development scientists have been lost? We must all our public engagement strategy Dr Ruth in advanced materials and manufacturing. work hard to promote the discipline we Wood, a Research Fellow at the Tyndall This is the second Queen’s Anniversary love and the rewards it gives to all those Centre for Climate Change Research, has Prize presented to the Faculty following that follow this path. As you will see from taken to the stage to use comedy as a way recognition in the previous round for our Leena’s story she has proved herself to be of getting her message across about the internationally renowned research and one of very best engineers in motor racing, challenges of our vulnerable environment. skills training for the nuclear industry. Such helping her Audi team win the Le Mans As you can imagine this is not an easy task coveted hallmarks demonstrate the impact 24-hour endurance race twice! I am sure but Ruth is a natural! we are making to our economy and society she will achieve even more in the future as as a whole. well as being an inspiration to us all. The changing state of our environment is also very much at the heart of work led by I hope you enjoy this latest edition of Your Mercy Badu is a scholar who has been Professor Julien Harou, our new Chair of Manchester. We always have an open recognised as someone who is also set to Water Engineering. Julien’s research group invitation for you to become even more make an impact in her chosen field. Mercy will be putting some radical proposals directly involved with this Faculty and the has been awarded the prestigious L’Oréal- forward on how we can better manage our University, so please contact us with your UNESCO Regional Fellowships for Women water supplies so we are not dealing with thoughts and ideas. I look forward to in Science in Sub-Saharan Africa in a bid to floods one season and droughts the next. hearing from you. break down any barriers she may face to fulfil her academic destiny in this region. With the anniversary of the outbreak of First World War being marked this year, we Equally determined to support the are also reminded of the brave contribution ambitions of developing Africa are three made by our community during this friends – Jamie Proctor, Tom Morris and tumultuous period and the sacrifices that Aidan Mosley – who have set up their own were made.