The Ripple Effect Conference, curated by Warwick alumna and University Council member, Yewande Akinola, took place at The University of Warwick recently. The event offered valuable insights from industry experts and inspiring women in engineering, technology, innovation and business.

At the event the audience heard key insights from Dr Mel Loveridge, Associate Professor at WMG and Jacqui Murray, South Wales Regional Director for High Value Manufacturing Catapult, who took part in a panel discussion with Innovate UK.

Dr Mel Loveridge said, “I felt privileged to participate in the recent Ripple Effect Conference, mainly (but not exclusively) aimed at women in engineering and technology. The gathering and programme was an inspiring creation and very impactful in its endeavour. The delegates were from very multi-disciplinary areas across engineering and technology, which represented great networking possibilities. The conference provided very powerful environments and events; from expert talks, panels, workshops and roundtable discussions. Such events are like ‘nectar’ for innovators.

“Indeed, one meaning of The Ripple Effect abstract metaphor is ‘the continuing and spreading results of an event or action - which seems a very apt name for such an event, with such an inspiring collective of demonstrated innovators and changemakers.”

There was also a keynote address from Dr A-Marie I., co-founder of Stemettes, a social enterprise which encourages women and non-binary people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. Nav Sawhney, founder of The Washing Machine Project, also attended the conference and discussed an initiative which aims at reducing the burden of hand washing clothes for women and girls worldwide, allowing them more time for rest, work, and education.

Jacqui Murray said, “Being part of something as inspiring as the Ripple Effect Conference, alongside women such as WMG’s Dr Mel Loveridge and Innovate UK’s Emily Knott, who has changed the way Innovate UK funds women entrepreneurs and some of their award-winning Women in Innovation, was a privilege and not something to miss! I even brought along my 14-year-old daughter Evelyn.

“From finding your own truth in feedback you have been given, to supporting other women around us in their careers - all the way through to how one of the entrepreneurs juggled the demands of the aerospace industry as well as chocolate manufacturers, discussions were full of lived experience and flavour! It provided food for thought on the need for more women to join non-exec and executive boards, and how we should be able to leverage any part of our journeys that have been made harder in our lives – after all we have learnt more!”

As part of the event, there was also guided tours of WMG’s International Manufacturing Centre led by the Technical Services team.

If you would like to find out more about WMG's women in engineering visit: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/

Staff and students from across WMG at the University of Warwick had another busy, fun-packed British Science Week, taking part in a total of seven special STEM events reaching out to more than 1,100 young scientists, teachers, and families.

British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths running from 8-17 March. It’s a chance to look into the future and celebrate the impact scientific ideas can make on society.

WMG staff and students were supported by the Outreach Team at the University of Warwick’s Resonate Festival of Science and Technology; hosted science days at local schools and held an event at the Coventry Transport Museum for parents and children embracing home schooling.

The Resonate Festival of Science and Technology welcomed over 500 people. Here them team ran an area called ‘Experience Engineering’ which featured science experiments; the opportunity to write code to control a digital embroidery machine; the navigation of robotic vehicles through a maze and more. Visitors were also able to meet the undergraduate student teams from Warwick Racing, Warwick Rail, Warwick Sub, and CyberWomen@Warwick.

WMG’s Director of Outreach and Widening Participation, Professor Margaret Low, explained: “These experiences allow students to see how their school learning applies to complicated and world-changing technologies. Through our outreach programmes we hope to inspire young people to pursue careers in STEM, widen participation in higher education and foster a culture of diversity in the future STEM workforce.”

WMG’s Widening Participation Co-ordinator, Dr Phil Jemmett, added: “WMG and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult have outreach activities that are designed to give students a sense of ownership, since there are always elements they can re-create or try out at home. All the experiments we use in science shows or at public events are written up on our website under WMG Experiments, and we show the audience how it all works.

“It’s never magic – this is something anyone can do if they put their mind to it. We want to show people how exciting science and engineering can be, and that anyone can be an engineer.”

Caroline Cannon, WMG’s Outreach Project Officer added: “None of this would be possible without our brilliant network of helpers from within WMG and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. They dedicate their time, on top of their busy day jobs and family commitments, to extend the reach of our programmes and to ensure the students have really memorable STEM experiences. We are so grateful to them.”

Find out more about WMG’s Outreach programmes here: Outreach and Widening Participation (warwick.ac.uk)

On Wednesday 7th February, the Outreach Team at WMG, University of Warwick hosted an Engineering Industry Day.

The Team welcomed over 100, year 9 and 10, pupils who were identified by their teachers as students, from groups under-represented in engineering and STEM careers, with an interest and a potential to do well in those subjects.

The students came from schools across the West Midlands region including the WMG Academies for Young Engineers in Coventry and Solihull; Barr’s Hill School and Community College; Bishop Perowne C of E College, Foxford Community School, Meadow Park School and Nicholas Chamberlain School.

The group was welcomed by Professor Margaret Low, WMG’s Director of Outreach and Widening Participation; Dr Phil Jemmett, WMG’s Widening Participation Co-ordinator; Caroline Cannon, WMG Outreach Project Officer, and Rebecca Sanderson Senior Programme Manager for Schools from the Royal Academy of Engineering. They were introduced to the various industry partners before heading over to the Degree Apprenticeship Centre (DAC).

The event was supported by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult through the Inspiring Young Engineers project which aims to foster a positive culture of engineering in young people and create the future engineering workforce.

At DAC the students had the opportunity to chat with representatives from industry partners including; Aston Martin; Balfour Beatty; Bentley; Bosch UK; Capgemini, Collins Aerospace; Honda; National Grid ESO; Polestar; Ramboll; 3P Innovations; SMP Alliance; Severn Trent and Lisi Aerospace.

The industry partners gave advice and guidance about the skills and knowledge required to become an engineer, and a snapshot of what an engineer is and might do in a variety of roles.

Along with their teachers the students heard more about the research being carried out at WMG. They also had the chance to see the student projects including Warwick Racing, Warwick Moto, Warwick Submarine, Warwick Robotics and CyberWomen@Warwick, and chat to WMG apprentices.

They also received information from the School of Engineering about how they can study to become an engineer and learnt more about the Degree Apprenticeship route into engineering too.

WMG’s Outreach Project Officer, Caroline Cannon, who organised the event, explained: "We know that role models are an important part of outreach and STEM enrichment sessions, but it is daunting for students to approach and talk to industry professionals. This event was designed to show the vast array of engineering opportunities from different sectors of the engineering industry and give them a valuable interaction with positive role models.”

Paula Carmichael from WMG Academy for Young Engineers said: “I just wanted to say a massive thank you for today, it was a really good event that had just the right number of activities versus talks. I know how much hard work goes into this, from lost property to keeping the talks to the right timings, there was a great mix of companies and stands over the breaktime. Much better than a normal career fair, certainly the way forward.”

Dr Phil Jemmett from the WMG Outreach team said: “When we talk about engineering and how it could fight global challenges or make life easier for people, it's easy to forget the engineers who work on these massive projects. Events like our Industry Day aim to link young people up with those very engineers who are working on some of the biggest challenges our society faces. We want to inspire young people to imagine themselves as engineers in the future and picture what they would design to help our planet."

Find out more about WMG’s Outreach programme here: https://warwick.ac.uk/wmgoutreach 

WMG at the University of Warwick’s Outreach Team was pleased to take part in the Royal Institution’s (Ri) holiday workshops.

Professor Margaret Low and Dr Phil Jemmett both led sessions at the holiday workshops designed to bring all areas of science - including mathematics, computing and engineering - to life for 9 to 14 year olds.

Professor Margaret Low’s session was a fun and creative introduction to programming using TurtleStitch. TurtleStitch is free, easy to use, and generates patterns that can be stitched by embroidery machines, enabling the creation of physical things from code.

At Dr Phil Jemmett’s session he asked, ‘Where is engineering?’ Dr Jemmett explained how every product, tool, device and service relies on engineers designing, refining and creating solutions to problems. Students used programmable electronics and sensors, and had the opportunity to make a product for the future.

Dr Phil Jemmett, Widening Participation Co-ordinator at WMG, University of Warwick, said: “The Royal Institution has centuries of tradition in educating people about science in a fun and engaging way. We are so proud to have supported the holiday workshop programme for another year, and continue to work with one of the most famous scientific bodies in the world. What better place to showcase the engineering and innovation that WMG is part of in building the future? We aimed to show people how simple it can be to start to create their own projects, whether making a smart city for the future, or controlling an embroidery machine in Margaret’s workshop. And it really showed in the engagement of the students in the activities – the things they were able to build in one day were mind-blowing.”

Professor Margaret Low, Director of Outreach and Widening Participation at WMG, University of Warwick, showed her commitment to making science accessible: “Science, engineering, mathematics, and computer science are not traditionally seen as being fun subjects to dip into. With these workshops we were able to provide an inspiring introduction for young people, and perhaps set them on a path to becoming scientists or engineers in the future. Working in partnership between a university and a public body like the Ri is a good example of how we can create opportunities for young people to discover what they want to do, and be empowered to achieve it.”

Peter Gallivan, Family Programme Manager, at the Royal Institution, explains: “Holiday Workshops at the Royal Institution are one of the main ways we work with young people, welcoming around 2,000 young people across the summer to get hands-on exploring STEM subjects. The sessions run by Margaret and Phil are some of my favourites, as they showcase how creativity and imagination are important skills used by scientists and engineers. It was a delight to see their sessions packed full of excited young scientists happily working together to solve a variety of engineering challenges. How else would you want to spend your summer holidays?!”

Find out more about WMG’s Outreach programmes here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/outreach/

The University of Warwick's commitment to widening participation and fostering inclusivity took centre stage during a week-long programme aimed at inspiring 30 students from local schools to pursue careers in engineering. The initiative was organised by WMG at the University of Warwick and the University's Widening Participation Team which wanted to support under-represented students that might lack confidence or support when they consider a future in engineering.

Throughout the programme, participants gained valuable insights into various engineering pathways and learnt more about research and careers at WMG alongside partners like Tata Motors. WMG research and teaching staff mentored the students, providing them with a taste of what studying engineering involves through an engineering project.

Laboratory and workshop tours, facilitated by WMG apprentices and Tata Motors, gave participants firsthand exposure to the dynamic environment of an engineering workplace. The event culminated in a showcase where the students presented their projects, highlighting both their engineering skills and the knowledge they gained during the week.

The project was also supported by student ambassadors from across the University; Drishti, David, Ana, Brij, Sheerah, Diya, Michelle, Gabe and Chinmay, giving the young visitors to our campus an experience of what studying in Higher Education is like. The Widening Participation team also gave a session providing information, advice and guidance on how they might enter university study. Throughout the week, young people therefore had experiences and interactions all the way from undergraduate level through the University hierarchy to the Dean of WMG.

One participating student said: "Visiting the National Automotive Innovation Centre with Tata Motors has opened my eyes to what engineering is really like, and I would like to learn more about degree apprenticeships with the University of Warwick.”

Another said: "I would describe this programme to a friend as an unmissable and eventful opportunity which I would heavily recommend as it has boosted my skills and given me a greater insight into careers, apprenticeships and university as a whole which has inspired me to want to go to university.”

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG said: “There is a clear pathway from this point to being professional engineers. There may be many routes – whether through an apprenticeship or through a taught degree programme – but the skills and experience needed for all those routes are the same: perseverance, determination, initiative, and curiosity. Having a product on display at this showcase also demonstrates plainly those qualities in the people who have made them.”

Dr Phil Jemmett, Widening Participation Coordinator at WMG said: "This work experience model has been in our minds since 2019 and this is the first time we've been able to run it at full scale. Students have been working with our engineers on group projects all week and have gone on a journey through engineering and rapidly prototyping equipment.

“Each challenge links to WMG research and to challenges in the real world that could help make our planet's future more sustainable. With the skills we have seen in these students this week I have no doubt that our STEM industry is in safe hands in the future. They have been amazing."

The University of Warwick's initiative reflects its dedication to providing equal opportunities in engineering education. By empowering less privileged local students and challenging misconceptions about the field, they are nurturing a diverse talent pool that will shape the future of engineering.

Find out more about WMG's Outreach programme here

Ends

Notes to editors

For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact:

Bron Mills, Bron.mills@warwick.ac.uk, +447824 540 720

Members from WMG at the University of Warwick’s SME team worked together with the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN Group), on Tuesday (11th July), to offer a group of students the opportunity to learn real life engineering and design skills.

Eighty pupils from 16 local schools swapped their daily lessons to take part in the challenge. They were tasked, supported by engineers from the MAN Group's eight member companies, with building a miniature aircraft and then testing the designs.

The event took place on the University of Warwick campus and was attended by WMG’s Executive Chair, Margot James, as well as representatives from the BBC and Sky News.

 Dr Mark Swift, Director of SME Engagement at WMG, University of Warwick: "WMG is working tirelessly to address the skills gap, that our SME manufacturing partners continue to face, through education programmes; innovation projects; internships and knowledge transfer partnerships.

“It’s important that the manufacturing industry engages with future engineers, to encourage, inspire and lead us into a prosperous future together. This is exactly what the Design and Make Challenge aims to do.

“This event in particular, really brings home the creativity and innovation involved in the manufacturing sector, and it was a privilege to be part of it.”

You can watch footage of the event here: http://www.capturepr.co.uk/design_and_make_challenge_110723.html

Students at the WMG Academy for Young Engineers are preparing for lift-off after being named UK national champions in the European Space Agency’s CanSat competition. Having launched themselves to the top spot in the UK, WMG Academy’s Team Phoenix 2 will soon blast off to the European finals.

Inspired by NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander mission, the young space explorers from Team Phoenix 2 have designed and manufactured a suborbital satellite capable of measuring and collecting temperature and air pressure data whilst looking for signs of life on a planet by sampling surface dust – all contained within the size and shape of a soft-drinks can. Launched to a height of 1,000 feet, the satellite descends, launching an integrated parachute before transmitting data back to the team at the command centre.

As part of the competition, the students, all aged between 14 and 17 years old and studying a combination of maths, science and engineering, have produced designs and prototypes, submitted testing data and launch reports, and presented to a team of experts, setting themselves apart from over 250 other entries and 12 finalists to take the title of UK national champions.

Commenting on the team’s success, WMG Academy Chief Executive, Stewart Tait, said: “Our students are clearly high-flyers with ambitions that are out of this world. We could not be more proud of Oliver, Joshua, Callum, Amneet, Timurs and George who have worked so hard to design an innovative and successful can-sized satellite.

“This year’s CanSat project was launched by Bob Hodge who has been an integral part of WMG Academy since we opened in 2014. Unfortunately, after a long illness, Bob sadly passed away just a few weeks ago and there is no better way to pay tribute to the time and energy Bob invested in the lives of our young engineers than continuing his legacy of inspiring the next generation through projects like CanSat.

"We are looking forward to taking Team Phoenix2 to the European finals to showcase the incredible engineering talent of WMG Academy students on the international stage.”

Notes to Editors:

• For media enquiries, please contact WMG Academy, Coventry, via info@wmgacademy.org.uk

• WMG Academy for Young Engineers is part of the WMG Academy Trust, consisting of two University Technical Colleges (UTC) in Coventry and Solihull. The Trust was founded by the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya and works closely with WMG at the University of Warwick.
• WMG Academy offers an innovative curriculum of STEM subjects, working with local and national employers to deliver a ‘business-like, business-led’ pathway of study to prepare students for life beyond the classroom.
• Opening in 2014, WMG Academy Coventry was first-rated Good by Ofsted in 2017 and again in 2022. WMG Academy Solihull opened in 2016 and is also rated Good by Ofsted.
• WMG Academy has seen local, national and international success before in engineering projects including F1 in Schools, Greenpower, the Royal Navy UTC Challenge and the 2021 and 2022 CanSat competitions.
• The European CanSat Competition is an ESA Education project that promotes STEM skills amongst young European students through project-based learning. A CanSat is a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. The team’s challenge is to fit all the major subsystems of a satellite inside this minimal volume, launched by a small rocket up to an altitude of 1 km.

Social Media and External Links

• WMG Academy Website – www.wmgacademy.org.uk
• CanSat Website – https://www.esa.int/Education/CanSat
• CanSat Stem Learning - https://www.stem.org.uk/all-news/lift-off-for-winners-of-the-uk-cansat-competition-2023
• WMG Academy Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WMGAcademyCov
• Team Phoenix Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088983507094
• Team Phoenix Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/phoenix2cansat/Link opens in a new window 
• Team Phoenix Twitter – https://twitter.com/Phoenix2cansat
• TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@phoenix2cansatLink opens in a new window
• Team Phoenix YouTube – www.youtube.com/@Phoenixcansat

Six female scientists, from WMG at the University of Warwick, joined the students at Eden Girls School Coventry to celebrate International Women and Girls in Science Day.

The event, organised by the WMG Outreach Team and chaired by WMG’s Executive Chair Margot James, took place on Friday (10th February).

The expert panel, including Dr Claire Dancer; Antonia Betzou; Dr Elspeth Keating; Farah Villa Lopez; Magdalena Cieslak and Rupika Gulati, hosted a lively discussion with the girls about the highs and lows as a ‘woman in science.’

Each of the scientists shared their own personal journey and explained what had inspired them to pursue a career in science.

Margot James, WMG’s Executive Chair, said: “It's no secret that women have historically struggled because of the gender gap in STEM. We’re extremely passionate about this, and through our Outreach programme we are committed to build links with local schools and the community to provide role models that can help create a more equitable future.

“It was an absolute pleasure to meet such an inspiring group of girls, and I know our female scientists have helped to motivate them in their future career choices.”

A year 10 student from Eden Girls School added: “ I really enjoyed the science engineering workshop because it allowed me to understand what options are available to me after secondary school.

“Having women speak about their accomplishments and experiences really inspired me into thinking more about science, and trying my hardest to be able to achieve great things like they have. I learned so much and enjoyed everything.”

Find out more about WMG’s Outreach here: Public engagement and Outreach (warwick.ac.uk)

The Warwick Submarine team, which consists of seven 4th year engineering students at the University of Warwick, has successfully completed the European International Submarine Races (eISR-22) in Gosport.

The student team raced their human powered submarine, against other science and marine engineering students from across the world. The submarine, named Godiva picked up two awards – the ‘Winner Day 5’ and a new award for best ‘Communication.’

The team was able to complete the whole slalom course at the Ocean Basin, and record a very respectable time of three minutes and 56 seconds. This is the first time that Godiva has achieved this since its very first entry at ISR in the USA in 2014. This impressive progress led to Godiva receiving the ‘Winner Day 5’ recognition.

The ‘Communication’ prize was judged by a group of school children who attended the races and met with the competitors. The children felt that the Warwick Sub team were the best at explaining the complexities of the project and notably without ‘talking-down’ to them.

The Warwick Submarine Academic Supervisor at WMG, University of Warwick, Professor Ian Tuersley, said: “The students were a real credit to the University, and their performance as practical engineers was very impressive”.

“The competition invariably involves a great deal of on-the-spot problem solving. Every single member of our team contributed handsomely to this effort by identifying the issues, generating innovative solutions, and then implementing them with only the barest of workshop resources to hand.”

In preparation for the competition, the students had access to cutting-edge engineering research and facilities at WMG at the University of Warwick, as well as funding from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and help from sponsors.

Professor David Greenwood, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, at WMG, University of Warwick, explained: “Well done to this year’s team on their achievements at e-ISR-22. We are now beginning the planning process for next year’s competition, and are looking forward to supporting a new group of students as they look to design and manufacture a new hull from composite materials. With the help of our team, they will gain indispensable hands-on practical engineering skills, at our world leading facilities.”

After arriving back from eISR-22 there was more good news for the team, as they were announced as winners of the inaugural Warwick Award for Public and Community Engagement (WAPCE), by the Warwick Institute for Engagement (WIE).

Professor Tuersley added: “It’s another fantastic achievement and provides further evidence of the team’s commitment to outreach and engagement activities.”

Find out more about the University’s student projects here.

The WMG team had a busy, fun-packed British Science Week, taking part in six special STEM events reaching out to more than 2015 young scientists and engineers.

British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths; and is a chance to look into the future and celebrate the impact scientific ideas can make on society. In support, the Team took part in the University of Warwick’s ‘Slice of Science;’ attended the Royal Institution’s Powering our Sustainable Future event, where Rohin Titmarsh and Phil Jemmett shared their expertise on battery tech and robotics; and conducted experiments at a library science fair in Staffordshire.

Dr Phil Jemmett, Outreach Project Officer at WMG, said: “Presenters at the events noticed students building in confidence as they engaged with our staff, and we have received some really positive feedback from both organisers and parents.”

The team at Perton Library said the ‘experiments were great – excellent explanations for the children.’

A parent at the Ri event said it was an ‘excellent event. Having the booths from universities/companies after the event was a great bonus for my son. He had the chance to discuss not only about batteries but about different courses to study as he is still undecided as to which course to choose.’

Another parent added: ‘It gave my 17-year-old a frame of reference to where a career in STEM could lead.’

Phil explained: “For the UK to remain at the forefront of innovation, a strong and diverse workforce will be needed. We believe that events such as these can give youngsters the information and the inspiration, they need to pursue a STEM career.”

The Outreach team would like to say a huge thank you to Bethany Haynes; Rebecca Swan-McAdam; Mucahit Ozden; Veronika Majherova; Yiduo Wang; Zeina Rihawi; Jianhua Yang; Rohin Titmarsh; Tom Goodman; Rachael Kirwan; Eugene Prout; Nilavan Thipaharan; Bianca Agapito; and Claire Davis, for their help and support at the events.

Find out more about WMG’s Outreach programme, including the Lord Bhattacharyya Engineering Education Programme and the Resonate Festival, taking place in April, here: Public engagement and Outreach (warwick.ac.uk)