Last week saw the Celebration of Science hosted by the Faulty of Science and Technology. Taking place on campus, this was a celebration of the wide-ranging research happening across the Faculty. Every department and Research Centre offered an engaging talk across the packed programme. In addition, over thirty students presented posters on a wide range of research areas from body dysmorphia to the aurora on Saturn, which are like Earth’s Northern Lights.

The posters were displayed for the full two days and attendees were able to vote on their three favourites. The person receiving the most votes won £200, with two runners up prizes also available. It was noted that all of the posters were of a very high standard and the calibre of the students presenting posters from across the Faculty, were excellent.

Professor Teresa Anderson from the University of Manchester gave the keynote talk on the first day. The focus was on her work as the Director of the Discovery Centre at Jodrell Bank Observatory, and she said: “It was lovely to be part of the Lancaster University’s Celebration of Science this year. The audience was very engaged and the discussion after my talk was very thought-provoking and inspiring!”

On the second day, Professor Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester gave an engaging keynote talk about his work in Astrophysics, focussing on the James Webb telescope. He said: “It was a pleasure to visit Lancaster and see the breadth of the research taking place on your campus.  These discipline-spanning events are so important for institutions – sparks of ideas from one research area could help to ignite new ideas in totally unrelated disciplines.  It helps to remind us why we got into science in the first place, and it’s a fabulous way for researchers to see the shared opportunities and challenges across the university, and in the wider sector.”

PhD students from across the Faculty were also invited to give speed talks about their research area on the morning of the second day. These were very well received by the audience and all students managed to explain their research in only three minutes, which requires a huge amount of skill. The Celebration of Science was a wonderful event to showcase everything the Faculty has to offer.

Professor Pete Atkinson, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology said: “The 2024 Celebration of Science with its theme of “Awe and Wonder” was a great opportunity to showcase the research success we have in the Faulty of Science and Technology. Alongside two excellent keynote speakers, every department and Research Centre gave an illuminating talk about current research in their area. Additionally, a range of PhD students from across the Faculty took part in a poster competition which led to a wide range of engaging conversations and prizes for the winners. Opportunities such as this allow us to celebrate our hardworking colleagues and students. We hope that all our participants enjoyed this year’s Celebration which was very well attended. Thank you to the Faculty team for organising such an interesting and worthwhile event.”