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Women's Engineering Society eNewsletter
October 2011
Greetings!
 
Welcome to this months newsletter.

'Getting there' the WES Annual Conference took place on the 7th October 2011 at the IET. It was a great day and all that attended really enjoyed. It was brilliant to see so many WES members there and in next months newsletter and the WES journal we will bring you a full report and pictures of the event. The AGM followed the conference and we would like to extend our congratulations to Milada Williams on becoming the new WES president and also our thanks to Jan Peters, the outgoing president, for all the tireless work she has done and continues to do for WES.

 

If you are having an event or have any stories you would like to share with the WES community please let us know, we would love to hear about them and pass them onto all our readers.

 

The WES e-news team

 
In This Issue
2011 WES Karen Burt Award
Appointments to Research Council
FameLab
WES needs your help
Delivering Regeneration Conference
Analyticak and semi-analytical methods for vibration analysis of rail-foundation structures
WISE Awards
Call for Nominations from the Royal Acadamey of Engineering
The Fawcett Led Walk
2011 WES Karen Burt Award for the best newly chartered woman announced
 
The WES Karen Burt Memorial Award is made annually to the most outstanding newly chartered woman engineer.  This year's deserving winner is Cardiff Academic Fellow for the Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre at Cardiff University Dr Gemma Whatling, who was presented with her award at the WES Annual Conference on Friday 7th October 2011.

 

Appointments to the Research Councils 2012

 

Five of the seven UK Research Councils are currently seeking applications from senior academics and industrialists to serve on its Councils.

 

They are non-departmental public bodies principally funded through the Science Budget by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Council members are appointed by the Secretary of State for BIS who sets broad guidelines within which Council members are expected to work.

 

They currently have vacancies on the following:

 

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

 

Supporting documents and an application form can be accessed via Research Councils' websites.

The deadline for applications is 14 November 2011.

 

Enquiries about the process including matters relating to conflicts of interest should be directed to Dr David Wilcox by telephone 0207 215 1246 or email 

 

Enquiries about the person specification should be directed to:  

 

BBSRC: Ksymena Okonska, telephone:  01793 442192

or the website

ESRC: Marie Root, telephone: 01793 413132

or the website 

EPSRC: Michaela Simpson, telephone:  01793 444028

or the website 

MRC: Ellen Doughty, telephone: 02073 952284

or the website  

STFC: Hina Padhiar, telephone:  01235 778080
or the website 

 

FameLab

 

The search is on for the new voices of science communication. The regional heats of FameLab UK, the UK's biggest competition for new talent to engage the public in science, will start in October 2011.

FameLab was set up in 2004 by Cheltenham Science Festival in partnership with NESTA.  In 2007 the competition was adopted by the British Council as one of its flagship science engagement projects first in a South East Europe pilot and then expanding this in 2010 to include 16 across Europe, Asia and Africa.  In 2012, 20 countries will be taking part in the competition.

We're looking to attract enthusiastic early career scientists to take part in order to identify a new generation of individuals who can engage the public.  FameLab not only inspires the next generation of science communicators but excels at building the skills that will enable scientists and engineers to explain, debate, discuss and be challenged. 

The competition is open to contestants over 21 years old and working in or studying science, technology, engineering, medicine or maths in the UK.  Contestants have just 3 minutes to prove themselves to a panel of expert judges, with only the best going forward to the next round.

Heats are taking place in:

Newcastle, Centre for Life on 8 October 2011

Oxford, Science Oxford on 20 and 25 October 2011 (final on 17 November)

 

Cardiff, Chapter Arts Centre on 12 November 2011

 

 

Glasgow, Glasgow Science Centre on 19 November 2011

London, Kings College London on 23 and 30 November 2011 (final on 30 November)

Manchester, Museum of Science and Industry on 3 December 2011

 

Contestants who can't attend one of the regional heats will also be able to submit their entries online.

The UK National Final will take place on 21 March 2012 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Contestants taking part in the final will get the chance to take part in a weekend FameLab Master Class with Professor of Sciences and Society at Bristol University, Kathy Sykes, and experienced trainer, specialising in media & communication skills, Malcolm Love.  The UK winner, chosen at the final, will win a place in the International Final and take home �1000 for themselves and up to �750 to spend on a science communication activity, whether it's attending a conference, further training or developing a new event or activity.

If you want to find out more please visit the website

 

WES needs your help

 

WES is run by a Council of volunteers and we currently have a number of vacancies. We are currently looking for

 

Event co-ordinators in the local regions and

Someone to organise and run two Technical leaders events each year.

 

If you can help or know someone who can particularly in the above roles please contact the WES Office.

 

And finally....
If you have any articles you would like to have featured please contact the WES office  by clicking here.
We'd love to hear your stories of your schools outreach activities or ideas to inpsire young people that we can share across our community.

Don't forget to forward on our e-newsletter to your friends and contacts, male and female and help to inpsire more young women to consider engineering and technology as a career.

With good wishes
the e-News team. 
Delivering Regeneration Conference

 

Thursday 3rd November 2011

County Hall Cardiff

 

A conference organised by Regeneration Skills Collective Wales including ICE Wales Cymru a. The keynote address will be by Mr Huw Lewis AM, Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage.

 

For details and booking please go to the website.

 

 

Analytical and semi-analytical methods for vibration analysis of rail-foundation structures

 

at the Railways 2012

The First International Conference on Railway Technology:

Research, Development and Maintenance

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, 18-20 April 2012

 

Session organisers:

Piotr Koziol, Koszalin University of Technology

Zuzana Dimitrovov�, DEC/FCT/UNL

 

For details and booking go to the website 

 

This special session will be a part of the RW2012: The First International Conference on Railway Technology: Research, Development and Maintenance to be held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, 18-20 April 2012.

 

WISE honours those who inspire girls and women into science, technology, engineering and maths

 

The Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE) awards were announced on Wednesday, October 19 at London's Institute of Engineering and Technology. 

Guest of Honour was Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal.

Mechanical project engineer, Claire Jones, who works at Sellafield in Cumbria, received the WISE Excellence Award for being a role model for young engineers.

The Warwick School in Redhill and the Unlimited Theatre Company in Leeds, jointly took the WISE Champion Award for inspirational educational work getting young girls into STEM subjects.

WISE's Advisor Award, open to careers advisors, educators and mentors, went to Heather Aspinwall, a curriculum leader in applied science and mathematics at Wirral Metropolitan College. Marianne Hill, a curriculum leader in science, maths and physics at City of Sunderland College, was runner-up.

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) was the headline sponsor for the event.  A spokesperson for the organisation said:

"Supporting gender diversity is a priority fo the EADS Group and the efforts of all who promote STEM studies and careers to the next generation of young women engineers and scientists will help organisations like ourselves meet our objectives to recruit more women into our industries, and ensure equal opportunity for all."

The fact that this year's event attracted a record number of entrants can only be good news if we are to redress the gender bias in STEM subjects and careers.

 

Call for Nominations from the Royal Academy of Engineering
 

The call for nominations is now open for the following awards and medals.

CLOSING DATE: FRIDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2011

The Prince Philip Medal

The Prince Philip Medal is awarded biennially to an engineer of any nationality who has made an exceptional contribution to engineering as a whole through practice, management or education.

The Silver Medal

The Silver Medal recognises an outstanding and demonstrated personal contribution to British engineering, which is resulting in successful market exploitation, by an engineer working in the United Kingdom, with less than 22 years in full time employment or equivalent on 1 January in year of award.
Up to four medals are awarded annually.

The Sir Frank Whittle Medal

Named after Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle OM KBE FREng FRS HonFRAeS, father of the jet propulsion engine, this medal is awarded to an engineer, normally resident in the UK, for outstanding and sustained achievement which has contributed to the well-being of the nation. The field of activity in which the Medal is presented changes annually. This year the theme is Engineering Innovations in Sports Performance Engineering focusing on specialist equipment manufacture and instrumentation, and performance analysis.

For further information please email Sylvia Hampartumian  or call 0207 766 0648

 

The Fawcett Led Walk

 

Have you been affected by the cuts and economic climate? Strong enough to take a stand and let your voice be heard? Then join the Fawcett Led walk on 19 November at noon.....

For details

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