Departmental news

Congratulations to Professor Don Pollacco who has just been awarded £3 million from the ERC to develop a ‘digital telescope’ that will be capable of producing a highly sensitive continuous movie of the night sky.

Find out more.

Joe Gillham (2nd year PhD student in Radiation Dense Materials) has been awarded the Best Student poster Prize at the 12th International Conference on the Science of Hard Materials (ICSHM12) in Sri Lanka.Link opens in a new window

Two former WMG graduates from the University of Warwick have been recognised at the British Council’s prestigious StudyUK Alumni Awards.

The Awards celebrate the achievements of international students who have studied in the UK and gone on to achieve great things.

Yerkenaz Zholymbayeva, from Kazakhstan, who studied on the MSc Process Business Management programme in 2014 was announced as a winner of the Science and Sustainability Award.

Yerkenaz spearheaded the Repaper project, introducing a novel method for multiple deinking of wasted A4 paper in office environments securing an international patent in the process. She also organised, with the support of various institutions and colleagues, a summer science school for children aged 8-14 in rural areas of Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile Olugbenga Ojo from Nigeria, who studied on the MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management 2014, was a finalist in the Business and Innovation category. Olugbenga established Warehöuzit, a digital warehouse ecosystem leading to a shift in how individuals and businesses source their warehouse spaces. He also contributed to the increase in employment opportunities and empowered businesses to become more agile in their operations.

Professor Steve Maggs, Director of Alumni and Industry Engagement, said: "Congratulations Yerkenaz and Olugbenga on your outstanding achievements! Your successes are a testament to the University of Warwick's commitment to excellence. As former WMG graduates, your contributions to science, sustainability, and innovation truly exemplify the spirit of our institution.

“Your recognition at the British Council’s prestigious StudyUK Alumni Awards serves as inspiration to our global network of over 285,000 alumni across more than 185 countries and territories. With over 29,000 proud WMG graduates, know that you're always part of the supportive and inclusive Warwick family, where connections thrive long after you've left our campus.”

To find out more about studying at WMG visit: Study | WMG | University of Warwick

The Centre for Doctoral Training in Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems
(HetSys II), led by Professor James Kermode from the School of
Engineering, Dr Livia Bartok-Partay from Chemistry and Professor
Nicholas Hine from Physics, will train a new generation of scientists
in computational modelling. It spans seven departments and three
university research centres forming a national centre of excellence in
computational simulation, providing world class opportunities in the
West Midlands.

Find out more.Link opens in a new window

Dr Wing Ying Chow has been awarded the Institute of Physics excellent contribution to Magnetic Resonance AwardLink opens in a new window for her contributions to NMR characterisation of biological systems.

Sophie Powell, a recent BSc Cyber Security graduate, has been named Cyber Student of the Year at the National Cyber Awards 2023. This recognition is a result of her inspirational work to promote gender diversity and equality within cyber security.

The prestigious National Cyber Awards, now in their fifth year, bring together cyber professionals from across public and private sectors to celebrate excellence and innovation in the UK’s cyber security industry.

Sophie has made significant contributions to education and learning in the cyber security space. Notably, she co-founded CyberWomen@Warwick in her second year at university. This initiative was launched in collaboration with the Cyber Security academic team and fellow students.

Since its inception, CyberWomen@Warwick has grown into the CyberWomen Groups Community Interest Company (CIC). The non-profit CIC, directed by Sophie, supports branches of students in different UK universities looking to spotlight the importance of diversity in STEM. It currently has four active branches, CyberWomen@Warwick, CyberWomen@Coventry, CyberWomen@Portsmouth, CyberWomen@UWE, with plans to expand in the future. Executives within each branch work directly with the CIC to set and achieve their own diversity goals and ambitions.

Reflecting on her journey with CyberWomen Groups CIC, Sophie said: “We started this company to ensure every woman in university studying Cyber Security is welcomed into a safe, inclusive environment, where they can flourish both personally and professionally. We look to provide opportunities and resources to encourage a smooth transition into the Cyber industry and create a community that welcomes everybody from different walks of life.”

Alongside Sophie’s success, two current BSc Cyber Security students, Anahitha Vijay and Oscar Williamson, were also recognised at the National Cyber Awards as finalists in the Cyber Student of the Year category.

Dr Sandy Taramonli, Assistant Professor and Course Leader for BSc Cyber Security, said: “I’m incredibly proud of our students for their remarkable achievement. It’s a clear reflection of their hard work, dedication, and the exceptional skills they’ve developed during their time with us. The support from our Cyber Security course team and our commitment to our students’ growth have been key to this success. A hearty congratulations to all, and here’s to more success in the future!”

See the full list of 2023 finalists and winners of the National Cyber Awards 2023.

Researchers at WMG at the University of Warwick and the University of Victoria in Canada, have won the inaugural Synthos Rubber Circularity Award.

The international competition was launched to encourage cutting-edge ideas and solutions that will significantly improve the environmental performance of synthetic rubber-based tyre compounds, aligning with the sustainability objectives of the global automotive and tyre industries.

Synthos, a global leader in synthetic rubber, praised the two universities for their breakthrough technology research concept and global collaborative approach.

Professor of Nanocomposites at WMG, University of Warwick, Chaoying Wan explained: “Rubbers are ubiquitous materials in modern society and have played important roles across transportation; construction; oil and gas; biomedical devices; sports and electronics.

“As the key component to connect the vehicle to the road the performance of the tyre, including its rolling resistance, abrasion resistance and wet grip, directly determines the fuel efficiency, wear emission and safety.

“The emerging EVs and SUVs have raised increasing higher demands for performance that challenge the current technology. This new partnership, with Synthos Synthetic Rubber and the University of Victoria, will enable us to innovate rubber chemistry and develop functional rubber nanocomposites manufacturing technologies to address performance challenges. The new technology will also innovate traditional rubber systems to be actively recyclable.”

Matteo Marchisio, Vice President, Synthetic Rubber, stressed the importance of investing in research and development of sustainable rubber and tyre materials. “We are very proud of our diverse group of exceptional and talented scientists that make up the Synthos Rubber R&D team. Together with the University of Warwick and the University of Victoria, we see an exciting future in expanding our product development horizons. I firmly believe that by fostering innovation and collaborating with the brightest minds in scientific research, we move not only ourselves but also the entire value chain closer to our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Synthos Synthetic Rubber R&D Director Dr. Malte Wohlfahrt added, “We congratulate the University of Warwick and the University of Victoria for presenting an impressive research concept that we believe is the best fit for us. However, I also want to acknowledge the excellence of many other entries we received. The Synthos Rubber Circularity Award isn't just about crowning a winner; it's about advancing a culture of innovation. Therefore, we intend to collaborate with and invest in some of the other standout scientists and institutes we’ve had the honor to engage with. Overall, this award has sparked immense inspiration across our entire rubber business and given us much food for thought.”

The university collaborators will receive a three-year funding package to support a dedicated research team. They will also be provided with Synthos rubber materials and access to its state-of-the-art facilities. In addition, scientists from both institutions and Synthos will form a project team to work closely together and leverage the capabilities of all parties in a way that maximises the value of the collaboration to the tyre industry.

Find out more about Nanocomposites research at WMG here: Nanocomposites (warwick.ac.uk)

The 22/23 Pettifer prize has been awarded to Connor Johnson for best overall examination performance.

Dr Peng Wang (Microscopy group) has been named as a Highly Cited Researcher in the Clarivate's 2023 list.Link opens in a new window The researchers are those whose publications are most often cited in academic journals that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year.

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