stem news news spring 201… · scifest 2016 welcome to this edition of stem news. as a university...

STEM NewsFaculty of Science and Engineering Issue 2 Spring 2016

University of WolverhamptonWulfruna Street WolverhamptonWest Midlands WV1 1LYUnited Kingdom

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STEM News STEM News

Issue 2 Spring 2016 wlv.ac.uk/FSE wlv.ac.uk/FSE Issue 2 Spring 2016

Welcome

ContentsSpringfield Campus

Telford investment

A university at the forefront of cyber security

New course for biomedical scientists

Research focus

Staff in the spotlight

International focus

Business focus

Scifest 2016

Welcome to this edition of STEM News. As a University and as a Faculty, we are pivotally positioned in the rebuilding of the technological and scientific capacity vital for the regeneration of engineering and related expertise in our country. We are dedicated to this, and our excellent staff work tirelessly to this aim. We continue, as part of the University’s ambitious investment programme, to make significant investments in our Faculty and students. In addition to the state-of-the-art Rosalind Franklin Science Centre, we are investing £10million in engineering at Telford Innovation Campus and developing the new Springfield Campus, a £65million jointly funded centre of excellence for construction and the built environment. We are also committed to raising the aspirationsof young people by galvanising interest in STEM subjects, as well as delivering world-leading researchand research opportunities. In this issue, we look at just some of the exciting developments and projects in STEM at the University, from new business partnerships to our increasing international profile. We hope you enjoy this edition.

Prof Nazira Karodia Interim Head of the Faculty of Science and Engineering

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Springfield Campus:Building a new future at MIPIM 2016

The University’s new Springfield Campus development was recently showcased at a major international real estate event.

A delegation from the University travelled to the Marché International des Professionnels d’Immobilier (MIPIM) in Cannes, France, in March, highlighting opportunities atthe new construction super campus.

Led by our Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Jackie Dunne, the group joined up with the City of Wolverhampton Council and the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership at the annual exhibition, which is one of the world’s leading property events.

Our representatives spoke to delegates about our ambitious vision to transform the 12 acre former brewery site in Wolverhampton into a centre of excellence for construction and the built environment.

Springfield Campus is part of a £100m jointly-funded redevelopment to transform higher education delivery in the region, responding to employer demand, and providing lifelong learning, research and innovation inone of the Black Country’s key growth sectors.

The School of Architecture and the Built Environmentwill be relocated there with plans being developed to create its new home, including refurbishments to the Grade II listed buildings currently on the site.

Our School will join the newly opened West Midlands Construction UTC – due to open in its new home in November 2016 – and the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills, which was recently announced by the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and is due to open in November 2017.

A further six acres is available for development, offering the opportunity for industry partners to co-locate on the campus – providing a chance to work with us at the University to develop, showcase, and upskill the sectorin the latest smart and sustainable innovations.

Jackie Dunne said: “It’s a fantastic chance to show the world what Wolverhampton and the University has to offer. We are very excited about the redevelopment at Springfield and feel there are some great opportunitieson the rest of the site which can complement what weare doing.

“The ambition is that, when complete, it will be the leading centre for the built environment and construction not only in the UK but in Europe.”

For more information and development news, visit:wlv.ac.uk/springfield

“The ambition is that Springfield Campus will be the leading centre for built environment and construction not only in the UK but in Europe.”

Jackie DunneDeputy Vice-Chancellor

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Telford investment update:engineering tomorrow’s talent By 2020, there’ll be a shortfall of 200,000 qualified engineers in the UK.

In response to this, at the University of Wolverhampton we’re more committed than ever to producing the next generation of skilled engineers.

By investing £10million in advanced new engineering facilities and courses at our Telford Innovation Campus, we’re strengthening the region’s engineeringinfrastructure through:

Following the announcement of an exciting new partnership, UWR students will have the opportunityto work alongside traditional craftsmen on a range of Morgan vehicles.

Students will also be able to get involved in the annual AR Motorsport Morgan Challenge, a one-make race series for racing Morgans sponsored by AR Motorsport, the performance arm of the Morgan Motor Company.

The landmark partnership with Morgan complements our Formula 3 race activities, allowing the students a glimpse into the world of car manufacturing which focuses on traditional craftsmanship coupled with modern design and engineering innovation.

From an employability perspective, this partnership will provide an outstanding opportunity for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the automotive industry.

Landmark partnership with Morgan Cars

Professor Ian Oakes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “Enhancing the student experience by strengthening our links with world leading companies in the region like Morgan Cars is a priority for the University.”

Steve Morris, Morgan Managing Director, said: “The combined expertise of craftsmanship working alongside engineering students on a number of projects will bring added benefits to both parties whilst affording students an invaluable insight into the world of car manufacturing and racing.”

For more information about investment at Telford, visit: wlv.ac.uk/telfordinvestment

For the latest UWR Team news: wlv.ac.uk/uwr

• new and improved facilities including breakout areas, labs, a visualisation centre and pit lane themed concourse with its own F1 car

• industry-standard equipment and software to aid students in becoming the engineers of tomorrow

• increased employability, with experience-enhancing opportunities to collaborate and work on live industry projects such as the Human Powered Flight Project.

University of Wolverhampton Racing Team (UWR) engineering students unveiled their new MSV Formula 3 Cup Championship racing car at Birmingham’s Bullring Shopping Centre in March.

As the only University competing in this season’s MSV F3 Cup competition, UWR will be competing in all 17 rounds over the next few months at world famous tracks including Spa Francorchamps, Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington Circuit.

Last year, in their debut season, the race team students ran a Formula Renault 2.0 in the Monoposto 2000 Championship. The UWR team achieved two wins and six podiums, finishing in fourth place overall.

Our engineering students are taught how to run a car professionally to the standard of a Formula 1 team under the help and guidance of professional motorsport engineer Matt Fenton, and professional driver and team mentor Shane Kelly.

Formula 3 Carunveiled at the Bullring

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Traditionally, hi-tech policing has focused on digital forensics, obtaining evidence from technology that has been seized as a result of a raid or arrest and not normally associated with cyber-crime. This is a relatively new aspect of policing and it was particularly interesting to hear that hackers do not operate exclusively from overseas, they can also be found much closer to home in our own region.”

Detective Sergeant Gary Sirrell said: “We found that the students were very attentive and especially enjoyed the questions that they asked. We would like this to be the start of a strong relationship with the University of Wolverhampton and it is anticipated that this visit will be the first in a series of collaborative activities between the University and the police in this important area.”

Dave Wedderburn, a final year BSc (Hons) Information Technology Security student, said: “I thought it was great that our tutors arranged the seminar with the cyber cops. It allowed me to see and understand some of the work that goes on behind the scenes, which allows us all to use cyber space safely.

“What I found particularly interesting was seeing IT security from another perspective. It’s all very well reading journals and researching the internet, but being able to ask questions about situations and scenarios was a very rewarding experience which you cannot get from a book or a computer.”

To find out more, including details of our new BSc (Hons) Cyber Security course, visit: wlv.ac.uk/mcs

A university atthe forefront of cyber securityThe University of Wolverhampton has been involved in Cyber Security Information Sharing since 2006 and has forged valuable links with the Cyber Crime Unit.

Set up in 2014, the combined venture between the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and West Mercia Police Forces focuses specifically on hi-tech crimes: for example, computer-related systems or hacking devices.

Detective Inspector Rob Harris and Detective Sergeant Gary Sirrel, from the recently formed Regional Cyber Crime Unit, spent an afternoon with final year students discussing the regional cyber investigation capability and outlining some of the cases they have been investigating.

They discussed some of the challenges they face in pursuing cyber criminals and talked about how theyare helping to protect businesses and the public from cyber scams.

Tony Proctor, principal lecturer and information security consultant at the University, said: “It was great thatRob and Gary were able to spend some time with our students sharing their experiences of cyber investigation.

New course extends training forbiomedical scientistsA joint venture between the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and University of Wolverhampton aims to support the training of biomedical scientists (BMS) who wish to extend their current role.

Histological Tissue Dissection is both an introductory course for BMS wishing to develop their practice, as well as being suitable for those BMS who are taking the Royal College of Pathologists/ Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) Diploma – Expert Practice in Histological Dissection.

The Institute’s Diploma serves to provide evidence of distinct areas of knowledge and skills that complement the main biomedical science subject areas. Its aim is to enable successful candidates to demonstrate that they have the necessary professional knowledge, skills and competencies which contribute to the provision of services and the care of patients at the highest level.

The new Histological Tissue Dissection course will be delivered over five consecutive days by consultant histopathologists and senior biomedical scientists from the department of cellular pathology at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. The department has both United Kingdom Accreditation Services status and IBMS laboratory training approval, and there have been strong links between the department and the University in place for many years.

The focus of the course is upon developing both the theoretical and practical knowledge required for BMS to perform this extended role. This five-day course will be delivered in the Rosalind Franklin Science Centre, which offers state-of-the-art facilities to enable hands-on

dissection practice. The new facilities offer BMS an ideal learning environment with additional features such as lecture capture, allowing BMS to access lectures and recordings of dissection demonstrations on completion of the course to support continued learning.

The course will cover the dissection of all major organs such as gastro-intestinal, gynaecological and breast. The BMS will learn about anatomical nomenclature and the general principles of dissection along with other important areas such as clinical governance and standard documentation.The course will use group work and hands-on practice

“What I found particularly interesting was seeing IT security from another perspective.” Dave WedderburnFinal Year BSc (Hons) Technology Security Student

via the use of everyday objects to demonstrate the role of dissection. The aim is to create a relaxed, fun and experimental environment – a ‘safe space’ outside of the clinical setting – where individuals can learn new skills and required learning outcomes.

The first five-day course is scheduled to run during Spring/Summer 2016.

For more information, contact: [email protected]

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Research focusPlant extracts: antimicrobial effects on skin pathogens

Students Hannah Abbassi, postgraduate researcher in Biomedical Sciences, and Elizabeth O’Gara, School of Biomedical Science and Physiology, are examining the possible antimicrobial properties of plant extracts against a range of microorganism found commonly in infectionsof the skin.

Although there is currently a wide range of antibiotics supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the rate of new antibiotic discovery and approval has not kept up with the growing level of resistance to drugs, and so the continued investigation for discovery of active compounds from between 250,000 and 500,000 plant species across the globe is rapidly taking place.

With the level of antibiotic resistance increasing and persistence of reoccurring infections of the skin, attention has been driven to expand the spectrum of topical antimicrobials available from plant and marine sources.

The potential of natural antibiotic products has gained importance in the field of medicine, along with the production of new, updated technologies, allowing isolation, extraction and structure elucidation for identification of new molecules.

Every year in the UK, around 9,700 new cases of primary brain tumours are diagnosed, including nearly 400 cases in children. Brain tumours have one of the lowest cancer survival rates – only 40% of patients survive for one year following diagnosis and more people aged under 40 die of a brain tumour than any other cancer.

The efficacy of currently available treatments is hampered by the need to preserve normal brain function (particularly in children in whom therapy can significantly impact on neurological development) and by the tumours’ intrinsic resistance to radiotherapy and conventional cytotoxic drugs. A major focus of a research programme undertaken by Professor Tracy Warr is to improve outcomes for paediatric and adult patients, through identifying and validating novel therapeutic targets for clinical intervention.

The most common type of brain tumour in all age groups is glioma. This is a complex disease with significantintra- and inter-tumour heterogeneity. Using high throughput array screening, Professor Warr’s research group has identified genetic aberrations in a number of metabolic enzymes, including those involved in energy production and amino acid synthesis, which can be used as drug targets.

Treatments which modulate metabolism are likely tobe effective in a higher percentage of patients, whilst sparing normal cells and reducing negative side effects. Together with other colleagues in the University’s Research Institute in Healthcare Science, Professor Warr is assessing the effectiveness of novel combinations of drugs to selectively kill tumour cells, including repurposed drugs (eg. the anti-diabetes drug metformin), agentsin early phase clinical trials for other cancers andnovel experimental agents which are being specifically designed against target genes.

The research group has also shown that changing the metabolism of glioma cells can increase the efficacy of established chemotherapy drugs.

In parallel, Professor Warr and colleagues are using patient-derived tumour material to develop better models of glioma that are more representative of the tumour inthe human brain. Assessing drug response in thesetypes of systems will greatly assist in accelerating the translation of laboratory research from bench to bedside to directly benefit patients.

Changing the metabolismof glioma cells

Professor Tracy Warr

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Approximately 16,000 people in the UK die of colorectal (bowel) cancer each year.

In the past 30 years or so, there has been a growing body of evidence to suggest that small doses of aspirin taken regularly over long periods can dramatically reduce the incidence of the disease, and it’s been said that people who have a family history of bowel cancer should seriously consider regular intake of low dose aspirin.

But it hasn’t been recommended for everyone to do this, because regular use of aspirin brings with it side effect risks of ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeds and very rarely is a contributory factor to strokes.

Dr Nicholl and Dr Perry, at the University of Wolverhampton’s Research Institute in Healthcare Science, have been wrestling with this problem and for the past eight years have been looking for aspirin-like molecules that could bring benefits with reducedside-effects.

Dr Nicholl said: “We’ve tried to understand more about the precise role of aspirin in the protection against bowel cancer, and have identified a promising lead compound that appears to have activity against colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.”

Research focus - US patent granted for new drug to fight bowel cancer

Dr Perry added: “The good news seems to be that whilst effective against colorectal cancer cells, the drugs developed so far do not appear to be seriously toxic. The hope is that this will result in reduced side effects, although a lot of work still needs to be done to translate this into a viable treatment in humans.”

The University has been granted a US patent for the use of some of the aspirin-like derivatives that the researchers have prepared and tested and is now looking for collaborative partners to assist in testing out these ideas.

“The good news seems to be that whilst effective against colorectal cancer cells, the drugs developed so far do not appear to be seriously toxic.” Dr PerryUniversity of Wolverhampton’s Research Institutein Healthcare Science

Approximately 16,000 people in the UK die of colorectal (bowel) cancer each year.

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Dr Stefano Vaglio joined the School of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science as a lecturer in Animal Behaviour, while he continues his research work in collaboration with Durham University as an Honorary Research Fellow.

He graduated in Biology at Pisa University and then gained his PhD in Anthropology from Florence University. After that, he worked as a research fellow and part-time lecturer at Florence University as well as a part-time research scientist at Garda Zoological Park, before moving from Italy to Durham University as a Marie Curie post-doctoral fellow in Anthropology.

He is interested in primate behaviour and conservation biology. As the majority of his research work has focused on non-human primates housed at European zoological gardens, he has also developed an interest in welfare assessment and management of captive primates.

His current EU-funded project PrimOlf integrates behavioural ecology, digital imaging, cytology, endocrinology and semiochemistry to address questions relating to reproductive strategies, sexual selection and signalling in olive baboons.

Dr Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem is senior lecturer for the School of Architecture and the Built Environment , and is a practising architect with a professional degree in architecture from Cairo University and a PhD from the University of Sheffield.

He led the Royal Institute of British Architects-accredited BSc (Hons) Architecture at Queen’s University Belfast to become the fifth top course nationally. He formerly led design studios and taught architecture theory at Queen’s University Belfast and Sheffield School of Architecture.

He has received several international research and design awards, including the internationally-acclaimed Jeffrey Cook Award in 2014 for his scholarly research on urban heritage environments. He has led several national and European research grants and acted as a visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley and the Royal College of Arts in London. He is a published author and his articles feature frequently in world-leading journals. His research focuses on studying urban environments, the architecture of home, spatial memory, politics of urban space in everyday lifeand the Pedagogy of Architectural Studio.

Dr Daniel J. Keddie completed both his BAppSc (Hons) (2003) and PhD (2008) in synthetic organic/free radical chemistry at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He undertook postdoctoral research at the same institution in the area of silicone polymer synthesis.

In 2009, he moved to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, where he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship and remained until taking up a position as lecturer of Organic Chemistry at the University of New England in Armidale, Australia in late 2012.

He subsequently relocated to the UK and, following a short appointment working on commercial research at the University of Warwick, took up his current position as senior lecturer of Organic Chemistry in the School of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science at Wolverhampton in July 2015.

Dr Keddie’s research interests include, but are not limited to: free radical chemistry; development of new methods in functional polymer synthesis; precision polymer synthesis; transition metal catalysis; photochemistry; and polymer self-assembly.

Dr Kate Nixon joined the School of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science as a lecturer in Physical Chemistry in September 2015. Her research focuses on electron collisions with atoms and molecules. Applications of this research include aiding understanding of cancer treatments by radiotherapy or optimising the yield of second generation biofuels. Dr Nixon graduated from Flinders University, Australia, with a BTech in Forensic and Analytical Chemistry and BSc (Hons), before undertaking her PhD in Electron Momentum Spectroscopy. She has been a researcher within the Photon

Science Institute at the University of Manchester as a Royal Society Newton Fellow and Marie Curie International Incoming Fellow at the Universidade Federal de Juizde Fora, Brazil.

Staff in the spotlight

Katherine Rodenhurst is a senior lecturer in Environmental Science, and recently joined the team at Wolverhampton from Coventry University, where she taught on the Environmental Health BSc and other degree courses.

She is a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and an active member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health(CIEH) with 18 years’ experience working asa professional. She is Chair of the Shropshire Branch of the CIEH and a member of the

Niki Zakeri was appointed as a lecturer in theSchool of Engineering at Telford Innovation Campus in October 2015. She has an MEng degree in Electronicsand Telecommunications and includes signal processing,control engineering and robotics among herspecialist areas.

She is a member of the professional body the Institutionof Engineering and Technology, and is in the processof setting up a Robotics club for engineering studentswhich aims to enhance the students’ knowledge ofrobotics and will enable them to compete against each other and, in the future, against other Universities.

Dr Matthew Conner is a senior lecturer in Biochemistry for the School of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science. After teaching for years within inner-

city secondary schools in Leeds, Halifax, Wakefield and Wolverhampton, he completed a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Birmingham.

Dr Conner was a Wellcome fellow at Birmingham before joining Aston University to work on G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and Aquaporins. He joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2012 and became course

leader before leaving this role to join the University of Wolverhampton in January 2016. His research focus is the function of membrane proteins, primarily two major families: the aquaporin water channels and GPCRs. As these membrane proteins are found throughout the body and in all organisms, the research is multidisciplinary, allowing for collaboration, and has implications for the treatment of brain oedema, strokes, cystic fibrosis and more.

Prof Phil Cox is Director of Studies for Chemical Engineering in the University’s School of Engineering. He joined the Faculty in September 2015, after 25 years’ experience in the Chemical Engineering department at the University of Birmingham. As well as establishing the Chemical Engineering degree, Prof Cox is setting up a suite of food courses ranging from Advanced Apprenticeships (in collaboration with Harper Adams University) to full degree programmes and postgraduate courses.

His research interests centre mostly on food emulsions and creating low fat foods, and his teaching covers areas including fluid dynamics, mixing and rheology, intellectual property, processing of structured products, ethics, and food safety and security.

West Midlands Regional Board, representing the University and our students. Katherine’s career profile includes various positions working within Local Government as an environmental health enforcer and educator and with the Ministry of Defence as a civil servant working for the Army.

She has a real passion for environmental health, particularly food safety, and will be looking to develop and forge local and international partnerships which support our Environmental Health degree course.

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International focus:our partners in Sri Lanka

A delegation from the University of Wolverhampton was fortunate enough to be invited to the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College (CINEC) last September.

Based in Colombo and Malabe in Sri Lanka, with branches in Jaffna and Trincomalee, CINEC was established in 1990 and offers more than 175 education and training courses to 14,000 students.

Its key strength is maritime engineering, for which it has an international reputation, with representatives from major shipping companies around the world visiting CINEC to directly employ the young cadet officers. CINEC also delivers courses in engineering, technology, logistics, management and IT.

Through our partnership, CINEC has delivered University of Wolverhampton programmes for the last ten years, supported by Faculty of Science and Engineering module leaders and two Link Tutors. It currently offers our courses in Computing and IT, Mechatronics, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Automotive Systems Engineering and Civil Engineering.

In recognition of the status of CINEC as one of our most important providers overseas, it was awarded the title of Associate Branch Campus. The Malabe campus, which is home to state-of-the-art navigation bridge and engine room simulators, even delivers our courses in a building they have named the Wulfruna Building.

Quality is at the heart of CINEC’s philosophy, and it has won the prestigious Sri Lanka National Quality Award for five years in a row. In recognition of this accomplishment, the President of Seychelles and the Prime Minister of Fiji have entrusted CINEC with the management of the maritime colleges of those two countries. Much of this success has been as a result of the leadership of Captain Ajith Peiris, the Group Managing Director and President of CINEC.

We look forward to our continued partnership withCINEC as they move in to new exciting subject areas, and delivery in regions outside Sri Lanka.

The British College of Applied Studies (BCAS) is our second partner in Sri Lanka, and complements theCINEC curriculum; as well as University of Wolverhampton degrees in Law and Business, BCAS delivers courses from three of the Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Schools. Degrees include: Computing, Computer Science, IT, Biomedical Sciences, Quantity Surveying and Construction Project Management.

Founded in 1999, BCAS became a valued partner of the University in 2006. In 2015, 383 students studied our programmes at BCAS, which has branches in two main cities in the Central and Eastern Provinces – Kandy and Batticaloa – and a successful overseas campus in theState of Qatar. Chairman Mr. M M Abdur Rahman is a regular, and always welcome, visitor to Wolverhampton.

Ranked as the number one private higher education institution in Sri Lanka by Pioneer Business Magazine in 2013, beyond its education programmes BCAS offers students leisure opportunities and includes a number of initiatives supporting the local community, including donating blood.

October 2015 saw the ceremonial opening of the Biomedical Sciences Lab, enabling students followingour Biomedical Sciences degree to complete their labwork in-house.

In November 2015, 443 students were awarded theirHND at a ceremony in Colombo, the majority of them in subjects which enabled them to move to our University’s top-up courses.

BCAS has recently opened a second campus on the Galle Road in Colombo. It is a large five-storey building, with ample room for expansion, where all University of Wolverhampton courses will be taught from now on.

BCAS

CINEC

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At the University of Wolverhampton, we have always had a strong affinity for Knowledge Transfer, having successfully collaborated on some 160 projects to date.The Faculty of Science and Engineering has an excellent track record in the delivery of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). As KTPs recently celebrated 40 years (including a previous incarnation as the Teaching Company Scheme), the Faculty organised a celebratory event and prize-giving held in the Rosalind Franklin Science Centre.

The event was well attended by a number of companies, including the project sponsors and their KTP associates as well as their University supervisors and business support colleagues.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jackie Dunne welcomed the participants, thanked all involved and also went on to say that the “The benefits to the University, researchers and the curriculum from such long-term collaboration with industry are clear to see.”

We currently have 13 live projects, and three in the recruitment stage. There is also one new project planned for submission in March 2016.

The completed KTP category prize-winner:Evaluation of a bioremediating parts washer systemand the development of new products and markets.

Clare Rowe (pictured) was winner of the completedKTP category. An ex-associate with Rozone Ltd, her project with Professor Dave Hill and Dr Raul Suttonwas completed seven years ago and Clare is now asenior manager with a Rozone partner company.

Rozone has recently won a new KTP project with us, currently in recruitment.

The new KTP category prize-winner:Design and development of hand-held flamecutting tools.

Hamza Saleem (pictured) was winner of the new KTP category, only six months into his project with WescolLtd in Wolverhampton, supervised by Martin Eason.

The project is concerned with the design of a novelflame cutting tool for multiple markets, using modular design principles to minimise components and CFD modelling to ensure gas flow maximisation through different configurations.

“Benefits to the University, researchers and the curriculumare clear to see.”

Jackie DunneDeputy Vice-Chancellor

Business focus: KTP@40 Prize-winners

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Business focus:The BiG projectBusiness Interfacing with Graduates (BiG) is a Higher Education Innovation Funded (HEIF) pilot project that recruited its first graduate in February this year.

The project’s purpose is to give live work and project experience to students and graduates from the University, initially from the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

It aims to capitalise on demand from businesses for specialist technical assistance, and to integrate that with the provision of workplace and business practice for our undergraduates, graduates and future entrepreneurs.

BiG is based at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park and utilises the Faculty’s links with businesses; it also reinforces the perception of a business working environment for those graduates that complete paid-for work placements.

The STEM Outreach and Community Engagement team works in conjunction with Student Recruitment and Marketing. Our role incorporates working with our local colleges and schools to provide engaging STEM activities which we run as part of the pupils’ university visits to our dedicated STEM outreach laboratory and in-school sessions. Our aspiration raising STEM outreach activities aim to raise the awareness of STEM subjects and inspire pupils in schools, colleges and the wider community, reaching out to the young people who are the next generation of professionals.

We aim to provide as many opportunities for our FSE students to participate in. We work closely with Black Country STEMNET who provide training and the required DBS clearance for a student to work in a school. This enhances the volunteering opportunities where FSE students can gain valuable experience of working in a classroom by assisting in development and delivery to school groups of varying ages. Students are encouraged to record all volunteering hours through our Volunteer Central Office as a way of showing potential employers their wider skills developed whilst here at the Universityof Wolverhampton.

Many of our STEM outreach activities are developed in collaboration with the students, which provides an insight into the planning process as well as funding awareness that is required to enable a session to run successfully. Our students also enhance their public and community engagement skills whilst supporting schools and colleges’ engagement activities. During our annual Scifest event in the summer, we showcase many of these activities and provide some paid work as a bonus to student helpers who have worked with us during the year.

STEM outreach:Working with our Student Ambassadors

The service is a ‘graduate finishing school’, in the first instance for computing and engineering graduates andwhere possible undergraduates, offering live projects asa transition from university to the world of work. Ifsuccessful, it should become self-sustaining and startto draw from the University as a whole.

Graduates will work alongside experienced technical specialists in a supervised working environment. This ongoing business engagement will also inform the Facultyof current business demand and trends that can guidefuture course and curriculum developments.

For more information on BiG, visit:wlv.ac.uk/bigscheme

Major projectsInnovative Product Support Services:the IPSS Programme

Led by Professor Andrew Pollard and running in the Innovation Centre in the School of Engineering, this business support programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It offers support to local businesses in early stage product development; for example, with intellectual property protection, market research and product design. It aims to support 200 companies in the next three years with short interventions, and with longer ‘research’ collaborations offered on a competitive basis. The grant value is c. £1.3million.

Built Environment Climate Change Innovations: the BECCI Programme

The Built Environment department, within the School of Architecture and Built Environment, is working with up to 100 companies on innovations to reduce carbon emissions from buildings. The project includes setting technical challenges for companies to tackle; for example, Housing Associations seeking innovations in insulation to improve housing performance. Its grant value is c. £600,000 and, building on its success, the BECCI team expect to work on its successor programme – a parallel environmental and resource management programme where a bid has been submitted – also to support around 100 companies with environmental innovations. A decision is imminent on this ‘BECCI 2’ programme with a grant value also c. £600,000.

A new University Technical College

A bid to open a University Technical College (UTC) in Stafford was submitted in January 2016. The new UTC will specialise in advanced engineering and technology (including areas such as computing, electronics and communications) with large employers in engineering and technology around Stafford, plus the Ministry of Defence, positioned as project and business engagement partners.

The project’s purpose is to give live work and project experience to students and graduates from the University, initially from the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

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Scifest 2016 - STEM community outreach

Celebrating its fifth year, Scifest is a dedicated programme of STEM activities for West Midlands based schools, colleges and the wider community living in the region. The focus of the event is to create excitement and interest in STEM subjects, giving visitors the opportunity to experience STEM as part of this fun and interactive weeklong festival.

The aim is to widen participation in STEM subjects and encourage the next generation of young scientists and engineers who are tomorrow’s leaders of industry. Scifest continues to successfully raise aspirations among students and families to study STEM subjects, providing them with a detailed picture of how these subjects impact upon our daily lives and give an in-depth knowledge of the fantastic careers they can progress onto. Past Scifest events have offered attractions such as celebrity guest appearances, including TV presenter Johnny Ball, science entertainer Dr Bunhead and Blue Peter presenter Radzi Chinyanganya who is returning in 2016. The event continues to attract over 3,000 visitors of all ages and Scifest 2016 is set to be better than ever.

Scifest 2016

GCSE Day - Wednesday 29 JuneDeveloped specifically for Year 10 students who are studying science and engineering GCSEs’, the Scifest GCSE Day will enhance the GCSE science curriculum and our experts will bring the classroom to life.

Primary Day – Friday 1 July Developed specifically for Year 5 and 6 children, the Scifest Primary Day has been created to enhance the Key Stage 2 science curriculum. Take part in an incredible class journey across science and engineering.

Family Day - Saturday 2 July 10am - 4pmOur Family Day is open to the general public so come along and enjoy the fun!

For more information about Scifest 2016, visit: wlv.ac.uk/scifest or [email protected]

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stem news news spring 201… · scifest 2016 welcome to this edition of stem news. as a university...

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