Professor Sandra Chapman (Director, Centre for Fusion Space and Astrophysics) has been awarded the 2024 European Geosciences Union (EGU) Hannes Alfvén medal.

Professor Emma MacPherson has been announced as the first female winner of the 2024 IRMMW-THz Society Exceptional Service Award.

A series of videos have been developed to highlight the department's research culture.

Our department commits to a positive research culture and to highlight this Dr Sue Burrows and Dr Reza Kashtiban were granted funding from the University's Research Culture Forum with the idea of developing videos of some of our researchers.

Professor Ray Dupree, Dr Rosalie Cresswell and Dr Dinu Iuga are co-authors of a recently published paper in Nature Plants titled ‘Ectopic callose deposition into woody biomass modulates the nano-architecture of macrofibrils’.

Dr Farzana Meru has recently been appointed as a member of the University Gender Taskforce.

Farzana was invited by the Gender Taskforce (GTF) to become a member due to her knowledge and expertise on gender related issues.

The Gender Taskforce champions and oversees the advancement, implementation, and further development of gender equality at institutional level in line with the Gender Statement of Intent catalysed by the Women in Academia workshops and reports to the university social inclusion committee.

Farzana tells us about why she accepted the invitation to become a member:

“I have always been interested in gender issues within Physics and STEM. I have also personally experienced (negative) gender related issues as a female Physicist and have mentored others through their challenges too. I am keen to use my experience that I have gained – both lived and through operational activities that I have been part of – to enable positive gender-related initiatives at the university’s strategic level.”

15 students joined the ‘Coding with Sophie’ launch session at Limbrick Wood Primary School after school club, and completed their six session programme just before the summer holidays.

The ‘Coding with Sophie’ programme has been developed by Dr Rebecca Nealon and Dr Farzana Meru, with the aim to improve coding literacy and to inspire children to consider coding (and more broadly STEM) in their future, as well as empowering teachers and parents to support children in their coding journey.