University Updates
19 June 2009
News
Engineering students at Bath get ahead of the game
Richard Joiner (Psychology) and Jos Darling (Mechanical Engineering) have won a prestigious award for their assessment of a racing car computer simulation game that helps undergraduates learn the principles of engineering. The computer simulation game, ‘Racing Academy’, allows first year engineering students to theoretically design aspects of a racing car such as the tyres, gearbox and engine, before racing it against a computer generated car.
President of Institution of Structural Engineers visits University
Dr Graham Owens, President of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), paid a visit to the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering recently. After looking around the diverse set of research work being conducted by MEng and BEng undergraduate students, Dr Owens commented how impressed he had been with what he saw.
Selected for leadership
Benjamin Lane, Jonathan Scott and Thomas Yates (Mechanical Engineering undergraduates) have been awarded prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Leadership Awards. The Awards allow ambitious, inspiring engineering undergraduates, who want to become leadership role models for the next generation of engineers, to undertake an accelerated personal development programme.
Hearing therapist becomes first Professional Doctorate in Health graduate
Hearing Therapist Dr Helen Pryce has become the first graduate from the Professional Doctorate in Health postgraduate programme, at the School for Health.
Mobile phone entrepreneurs invited to networking event
The openMIC Mobile Innovation Camp is being held in Bristol on 2 July for anyone with ideas for new mobile phone applications. The networking event is taking place from 9am at the Mercure Holland House Hotel & Spa and will include discussions and debate on developing new mobile applications and mobile web services, as well as the chance to develop new ideas.
Local pupils get the chance to tackle climate change
One hundred and eighty young people from schools across Bath and North East Somerset took part in a two-day conference on combating climate change, hosted on campus this week. Pupils heard from local and national organisations, including Comic Relief, WaterAid, Send a Cow, Sustainable Frome and Wessex Water on climate change issues and new green technology, as well as taking part in workshops on renewable energy, food for the future and carbon footprints.
Writing your first grant proposal? RDSO can help!
The University’s Research Development & Support Office (RDSO) offers support in writing research grant proposals, particularly for academics writing their first grant or fellowship. One of the recent successful bids for a large first research grant was that of Davide Mattia (Chemical Engineering), who has been awarded a grant of £234,000 by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council for a project to investigate the use of ultra-high flow membranes for water purification and ‘lab-on-a-chip’ applications.
Information
Possible disruption to car parking
There are a number of events taking place in the next couple of weeks which may have an impact on parking on campus. Staff are advised to try and park in their normal car park but to follow directions to the playing field near the medical centre, which will be used as an overflow car park as necessary.
New Fitness to Study Policy
At its meeting on 10 June 2009, Senate approved a new Fitness to Study Policy. The policy provides a clear set of procedures to deal with mental health issues and any other issue which results in a student’s fitness to study being questioned.
RICE Memory Trail
Take part in the 16th annual Memory Trail and help support research into Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Starting in the pretty village of Rode and following the river Frome as far as Tellisford the two longer routes then take you to Farleigh Hungerford and its 12th century castle and as far as the weir at Avoncliffe.
Swine Flu: Latest information
Although the World Health Organisation has declared a global flu pandemic, the declaration does not of itself increase the risk of infection, spread or severity of the virus. The University has a well-developed pandemic flu plan and the Emergency Management Team has been making further preparations in recent weeks to mitigate the impact on the University of a pandemic. In July a desk-top simulation will take place, with support from B&NES' Directorate of Public Health.
Nominations for Council
Nominations are requested for the vacancy for one member of non-academic staff to serve on the Council of the University from 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2012.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs
Greener travel in June
Jam Busting June competition
Each time during the month of June that you share a journey or travel by a more sustainable mode of transport, you can earn points, and every 30 points you are awarded then qualify you for one prize draw entry. Eligible journeys are made by bus, car sharing, cycling, scooter, train, park and ride, and walking earn five points for each journey. Travelling by motor cycles earns three points for each journey. The University operates its own car share scheme.
Get on your bike and get more out of life...for less money
During the month of June, anyone who cycles up to the Sports Training Village can join and get their joining fee waived (normally £25). Evidence of having cycled is all that is sufficient (cycle helmet, lycra clad or similar!) to qualify.
New secure cycle store at bottom of Bathwick Hill
The secure cycle store located at Canal Wharf, is operated by a programmed library card. The 36 spaces in the store will be allocated to the first 36 staff who apply. If you are interested in having an allocated space, please contact Sarah Haigh, Estates Officer.
In the media
- Gary Mathlin (Physics) and Liz Andrews (Outreach) were interviewed on BBC Points West and Radio Wiltshire about the Physics Extension Day on campus which allowed school children to investigate Newton’s Laws of Motion and apply them as they constructed water rockets.
- Nick Mitchell (Centre for Space, Atmospheric & Oceanic Science) talked about the rare phenomenon of 'night shining' of noctilucent cloud formations in the Mail.
Training & development
- Consultancy in academia - an overview 22 June
- Developing management skills June 2009-May 2010
- Management skills for researchers 1 & 2 July (off-site at Bailbrook House)
- Performance Review - Getting the most out of your review (Support Staff) 2 July
- Theory & practice of grant writing - Optimising the approach 22 July
- An intro to HE - A programme for new managers and administrators 2-4 September 2009
- An introduction to project management 29 September (off-site at Marriott Airport Hotel, Manchester)
- Agresso familiarisation courses
- IT courses
- Content Management System (CMS) courses
- Summer e-learning staff development programme
Forthcoming lectures & conferences
Sustaining future ecosystem services – From understanding to action - Friday 26 June
This is the fifth and final conference in the series of interdisciplinary conferences organised by the Institute for Sustainable Energy & the Environment (I-SEE), held at the National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London. Speakers will review understanding from the four seminars to date, and explore policy and practical implications. The conference is being sponsored by a grant from ESRC/NERC and is free to all participants.
Internationalisation of Higher Education and Higher Education Management - Friday 3 July
This third annual seminar will provide the opportunity to discuss the Internationalisation of Higher Education. It will take place in 6 East 2.2. Please refer any queries to Joanna Al-Youssef
Product Lifecycle Management 2009 (PLM09) 6-8 July
The University is to host the sixth international PLM conference, the first to be held in the United Kingdom. Some 68 full papers will be presented at the conference, together with 20 keynote and industrial presentations from companies such as BAE Systems, BMW, Eurostep, HP, IBM, Rolls-Royce and Samsung. Industrial presentations will be concentrated on Tuesday 7 July to encourage one-day delegates to attend. The Conference organising team is being led by Chris McMahon (Director of the Innovative Design and Manufacturing Research Centre).
Effective technology for mathematics & statistics support - Thursday 9 July
As well as
featuring talks on the use of different technologies for mathematics and statistics support, the meeting will see a sigma-sw discussion forum with reflection on 2008/09 activities and planning for 2009/10.
What's on next week
More details about events below
Wednesday 24
19:30 PM John Dryden's poetry - Absalom & Achitopel
Friday 26
06:00 AM UBSA trip Monet's garden & Palace of Versailles
09:00 AM Sustaining future ecosystem services – From understanding to action
18:30 PM Baroque - Style in the Age of Magnificence
UBSA trips - open to everyone
- Trip to Cotswold steam railway & Cheltenham 25 July | £20
- Four-day tour of Ireland through County Cork / County Kerry / Killarney and the Ring of Kerry 4 September | £269