Departmental news
Warwick WOW award presented to Christmas Lecture Team
On Thursday 9 February, Professor Stuart Croft (Vice-Chancellor) visited the department to present a Warwick wow award to Ally Caldecote (Outreach Officer) and Tishtrya Mehta (post-doctoral researcher) for their continuous hard work and dedication to the annual Christmas Lectures. The Christmas Lectures take place in early December at Warwick Arts Centre, and have been running for 12 years. To date, over 17,000 people have attended.
We spoke to Ally, founder of the Christmas Lectures who said:
"It is an honour to see the appreciation for the Christmas Lectures! They are a labour of love each year with lots of different people coming together to showcase fantastic science and scientists. As a physics department we are deeply committed to sharing what we do with as many as possible and if we can do it wearing Christmas jumpers and Santa hats then that's just a bonus!"
Alongside Ally, Tishtrya plays a pivotal part in the Christmas lectures each year. She said:
"Being a part of the Christmas Lectures Team has been such a highlight of my time at Warwick - I've loved watching the most incredible shows put together by passionate and talented scientists and technicians and learning about the most bizarre and wonderful research, such as the secret life of Brussels sprouts!
It's a joy to see the lectures being awarded and to hear the well earned praise for Ally Caldecote and Paul Warwick (China Plate Theatre) who have been indispensable in making the lectures so full of life and loved by so many."
The wow award celebrates amazing work, projects, and achievements at the University.
Find out more about the university award and watch the video.Link opens in a new window
Robb Johnston awarded a British Empire Medal in the 2023 New Years Honours List
Huge congratulations to Robb Johnston, Technical Services Manager who has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2023 New Year Honours List. The British Empire Medal is awarded for meritorious and 'hands-on' service to the local community. Robb has been awarded a BEM for his contribution to Physics. Robb commented on the news of his award "I was very surprised and honoured to receive it."
Robb has worked in the department for 39 years in February and oversees the management of technical support staff and the building's critical services, infrastructure, and maintenance.
PhD funding in partnership with Rutherford Appleton Laboratory awarded to two academics
Dr Xianguo Lu and Dr John Back have received funding from Science Technology and Facilities Council (STFC) for two PhD studentships for 3.5 years with top up funding provided by the University. The studentships will allow the students access to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), one of Europe’s largest multidisciplinary scientific research laboratories and the UK’s national centre for experimental particle physics.
The Particle Physics Department at RAL recruit 5-11 graduates every year, and each student is registered for a degree at a partner University.
Dr Back's project is titled "Physics studies for the Muon Collider target system" and the student will study and optimise the pion-to-muon production yields and radiation dose (energy deposition rates) for the target system that is being designed for the Muon Collider, which has great potential to be a future facility for high-energy physics research. The student would spend time both at Warwick and at RAL, working in partnership with Dr. Chris Densham's High Power Targets Group that is at the leading edge of target engineering, with the possibility of visits to CERN.
Dr Lu’s project is titled ‘Next-generation neutrino experiments in nuStorm’ and will evaluate and optimise the nuSTORM neutrino physics capabilities for processes in and beyond the Standard Model. The student would spend time both at Warwick and at the RAL with the possibility of long-term visits to CERN and working alongside physicists in the CERN neutrino group.
The positions will start in Autumn 2023. Applications are now open, with a deadline of 2nd February. Find out more.
WMG student recognised for outstanding engineering talent
A student from WMG, at the University of Warwick, has been recognised for his hard work by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Ezra Cunningham, who is employed by Jaguar Land Rover, has now completed the final year of his Applied Engineering Programme degree apprenticeship at WMG.
The IET Prize is awarded annually to outstanding students who are completing a course of study which has been accredited by the IET. Prize winners are nominated by their university based on having shown distinction in their course leading to the award of a first class degree.
As part of his win, Ezra will receive a certificate and two years free student membership of the IET.
Ezra Cunningham explains: “Thanks to the help of my lecturers, peers and colleagues at work, I have broadened my understanding of engineering. I’m looking forward to using this award to progress my career and target of studying an MBA in the next two years.”
WMG Associate Professor and Ezra’s mentor, Dr Tara Schiller adds: “I think it's a great achievement to come first in a cohort but to also achieve this award from the IET is well-deserved. I wish Ezra a wonderful future and look forward to following his career.”
Sir Julian Young, IET President, said: “Our IET Prizes are a terrific means for talented engineering students to be recognised for their outstanding ability in the early stages of their engineering journey. IET Membership provides early-career professionals with the valuable opportunity to connect with a global community, grow their networks and develop their technical knowledge.
“The IET is passionate about promoting engineering excellence and our awards and prizes showcase some of the finest engineering talent. All the winners should be justifiably proud of their achievements. I wish them all the best for a long, fulfilling and successful engineering career: they are all difference makers of the future!”
To find out more information about the range of prizes and awards available to young and aspiring engineers through the IET, please visit: www.theiet.org/awards
Find out more about WMG’s Degree Apprenticeships here: Degree Apprenticeships : WMG, University of Warwick
EPSRC New Horizons Grant Awarded
Professor Animesh Datta has been awarded funding through the EPSRC New Horizons initiative, working alongside Dr Tom Gur from the Department of Computer Science titled 'Property Testing for Quantum Engineering (ProTeQE). In addition to advancing the building of quantum computers, ProTeQE will nourish basic curiosity. Quantum mechanics, our present fundamental theory of Nature, is inherently probabilistic, and non-local. When these concepts interface with those of property testing and approximate decision-making, the outcomes could impact the foundations of our understanding of the laws of Nature. In particular, ProTeQE may eventually shed light on an abiding question: Are all fundamental laws of Nature (such as quantum mechanics) efficiently testable?
Athena SWAN Silver Award Renewed
We are proud to announce our Athena SWAN Silver Award has been renewed for another five years. We would like to thank everyone who has helped with the progress we have made advancing gender equality in the department, with our Women in Physics group highlighted as an example of good practice.
Professor Steve Dixon elected as a Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow
We would like to wish Professor Steve DixonLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window a huge congratulations as he has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering during their AGM on 20 September 2022. Steve is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Industrial Ultrasonics.
WMG’s SME group receive double award at the Technology Supply Chain Awards
WMG’s SME group have been awarded as manufacturing innovation champions for their work with Midlands manufacturers at an awards ceremony held in Birmingham by membership group – the Technology Supply Chain.
They were celebrated for the delivery of the DI4M (Digital Innovation for Manufacturing programme), a four-year project funded by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) to aid SME manufacturers adopt digital technology for increased productivity and profitability.
Over 300 businesses have already benefited from one-to-one project support from WMG experts to implement automation, new information systems, and digital manufacturing techniques with transformative results.
One of the beneficiaries of the programme, Daniel Robinson, Head of Finance, Operations & I.T, Gordon Ellis & Co said: “We’ve spent over 150 years in the industry. We know it well, however, we are looking to the future and need to use digital to continue to be innovative and competitive. WMG have the know-how in smart factories, and we got support that we wouldn’t have got anywhere else.”
Dr Mark Swift, Head of SME Programmes at WMG, University of Warwick said: “We are delighted to have received this award in recognition of our work with the Midlands manufacturing community. Our team cut through the technical jargon to get things done. From quick wins, helping businesses minimise waste in a process to longer term projects, implementing technology such as sensors and cameras to better track production throughput. The results can be transformational for businesses who are having to navigate some of the most challenging times.”
WMG were also jointly awarded the engineering innovation champion prize for delivery of the Made Smarter programme with partners at the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth LEP Hub, West Midlands Combined Authority and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
WMG graduate recognised by leading professional body
Akzhunis Arystanbek, WMG Master’s in Supply Chain Logistics Management graduate, has won the Logistics Research Network Dissertation of the Year
Award 2022 from the Charted Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).
Akzhunis’s dissertation entitled “Implementation of Demand Sensing in Supply Chain Management” was nominated by Professor Dan Nunan, Director of full-time Postgraduate Programmes, at WMG at the University of Warwick.
The Awards are open to all UK students, and recognise outstanding dissertations at three levels – Bachelors, Master’s and PhD.
However, this year the panel of judges only awarded a prize in the Master’s category, with Akzhunis’s work being the only nomination that met the exceptional high standard required.
Akzhunis will be presented with her certificate and prize money at the Logistics Research Network Conference (LRN 2022) dinner and awards ceremony on the 8th September.
Alexa Kirkaldy, Associate Professor, at WMG, University of Warwick explains: “Akzhunis’s dissertation was nominated for this award, not only for its academic excellence, but also for the contemporary topic addressed which is essential to the future of world logistics and supply chain management.”
Akzhunis Arystanbek said: “It is a huge honour and pleasure for me to receive this award. My study involved an investigation into a very specialised area of supply chain management. When writing a dissertation, we all stand on the shoulders of giants.
“After graduating I moved on to continue my career in supply chain management at a metals and mining company in Kazakhstan.”
Akzhunis’s research was supervised by David Food, Industrial Fellow at WMG and Head of Supply Chain at Board International, who said: “Akzhunis was a thoroughly diligent and focussed researcher who delivered value and insight both through the creation of the data and in the interpretation of the results, delivering insights that would be commercially beneficial.”
Find out more about WMG’s Postgraduate Programmes here: WMG (University of Warwick) Full-time Master's (MSc) Programmes
Global challenge-tackling partnerships between industry and universities announced as Bhattacharyya Award finalists
- Six industry-academia partnerships from across the UK shortlisted for the annual Bhattacharyya Award including solutions for tsunami resilience, sustainable aviation, industrial decarbonisation, and cybersecurity
- Winning partnership to be announced at awards ceremony on 29 September 2022
- Applications for Bhattacharyya Award 2023 open until 16 December 2022
The Royal Academy of Engineering and WMG at the University of Warwick have shortlisted six exceptional industry-academia partnerships from across the UK for the second annual Bhattacharyya Award.
The Bhattacharyya Award and a cash prize of £25,000 will be presented to the team who best demonstrate how industry and universities can work together. The winning partnership will be announced on 29 September 2022.
The Bhattacharyya Award is a tribute to Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya KT CBE FREng FRS, the Regius Professor of Manufacturing at the University of Warwick and founder of WMG
who advocated for greater collaboration between industry and universities. Funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the annual Bhattacharyya Award is open to UK universities and colleges that have demonstrated a sustained, strategic industrial partnership that has benefitted society and is deserving of national recognition. Industry-academia partnerships from any academic discipline are eligible for the Bhattacharyya Award.
This year’s shortlist spotlights partnerships that address some of the most pressing challenges in the UK and globally, including coastal resilience against tsunamis, low carbon electricity supply, cybersecurity, sustainable aviation, and support for rail and steel industries.
The full shortlist of finalists is as follows:
· University of Birmingham and Rolls-Royce: Advanced Metallic Alloys
Dating back to 1989, this collaboration has enabled transformative advances in engine efficiencies - directly addressing environmental concerns, while also saving billions of pounds over 30 years of large fleet activity. The partnership is at the heart of activities to develop and deliver the new engine technologies required to achieve or better the ACARE Flightpath 2050 targets of 75% reduction in CO2 emissions and 90% reduction in NOx.
· University of Cambridge and ARM: Digital Security by Design
This partnership focuses on redesigning the architecture that integrates both hardware and software with technology that will fundamentally improve cyber security. This new architecture, known as CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions), could stop around two thirds of hacks, cyber-attacks and data breaches, according to Microsoft. The partnership launched a prototype known as Morello, which has been adopted by the UK government’s Digital Security Design programme and is being rolled out to industry and academia for wide-scale testing and development.
· Imperial College London and Transport Strategy Centre: Optimising Transport Systems
The Centre’s focus on urban transport systems has become increasingly important as the world attempts to tackle the challenges of climate change and transport-related air pollution. Its work has provided over £1.5 billion worth of benefits to the rail industry over the last 15 years. The Centre’s research and collaboration has benefitted 125 major transport providers in the UK and globally – influencing funding policy, improving cost efficiency, service quality, and safety, and helping transport operators respond to Covid-19.
· University of Manchester and National Grid: Impacts to Electricity Networks
By providing low carbon electricity, this partnership has delivered significant CO2 reductions, increased productivity, stimulated large investment in new jobs and engineering activity in the UK, and supported the growth of many SMEs. Knowledge generated by the partnership has provided cost savings of approximately £11 million to the UK energy network and helped to develop many key projects - including the T-Pylon in Somerset that delivers power to six million homes.
· Swansea University and Steel Strategic Alliance: Sustainable Steelmaking
This partnership aims to help the UK to become a leader in sustainable steelmaking, with a focus on decarbonising the whole manufacturing supply chain. Some of its major projects include the creation of the Materials and Manufacturing Academy, that provides industry-led postgraduate training, the Steel and Metals Institute, providing advanced steel testing, and the SUSTAIN Future Manufacturing Research Hub, that develops carbon-neutral steel supply chains and sustainable solutions for transport, energy and buildings.
· University College London, HR Wallingford and Arup: Advanced Tsunami Engineering
This collaboration began following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which killed more than 250,000 people and caused widespread destruction. The partnership led to the creation of a new tsunami simulator, unique worldwide for its ability to recreate realistic representations of tsunamis. The partnership’s work has improved knowledge of tsunami interaction with coastal environments, developed emergency evacuation protocols and provided tsunami assessments in the UK, including for the Wylfa Newydd nuclear plant project in North Wales, as well as internationally.
Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FREng FRS, former President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chair of the judging panel for the Bhattacharyya Award, said: “All six shortlisted partnerships are excellent examples of industry-academia collaboration, with timely and innovative responses to some of the most challenging issues facing society today. It is a privilege to showcase these successful collaborations and we hope that doing so fosters even greater connection between industry and academia in the UK.”
Margot James, Executive Chair of WMG, University of Warwick, said: “It’s great to see the extremely high quality of industry-academia partnerships shortlisted for the second annual Bhattacharyya Award. As a celebration of Lord Bhattacharyya’s legacy, the Award continues to highlight how building symmetry between academia and industry is so vital for meeting the needs of society, and adapting to global challenges. We look forward to seeing which collaboration is selected as the overall winner.”
The winner of the Bhattacharyya Award will be announced on Thursday 29 September 2022, at an event showcasing the shortlisted partnerships at the University of Warwick.
Those wishing to attend the Bhattacharyya Award ceremony can register via the Academy’s website.
Applications for Bhattacharyya Award 2023 are now open until 16 December 2022 and can be submitted via the Academy’s online grant system.
Notes for Editors
For media enquiries please contact: Chris Urquhart at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. +44 207 766 0725; email: Chris.Urquhart@raeng.org.uk