Establishing a chemistry department within Science and Technology: update on progress
Dean of Science and Technology Mary Smyth writes:
The Faculty of Science and Technology has proposed to the university that it should establish (or re-establish) a Department of Chemistry. Lancaster had a department of chemistry which was closed in the late 1990s, and has strong chemistry based research in LEC, Engineering and Physics. There has been a resurgence of interest in chemistry at A-level since the previous department was closed with 60,000 A-level students predicted to take chemistry in 2012 compared with 36,000 in 2003, and a new department would build on this interest to recruit students and build on the strong interdisciplinary nature of chemistry at Lancaster to develop a unique presence in chemistry research.
Before a new department can be established it has to be agreed by both Senate, which approves the academic strategy, and Council, which approves the resourcing strategy. At its meeting on Wednesday 12 October, Senate agreed to recommend to Council that a new department should be established. This is exciting news and an important development for the Faculty. However, it is Council which finally agrees that a department should be established and that final decision will not be made until Council's meeting in November. If Council does approve the proposal we will make a full announcement about the new department in late November.
Science and Technology Christmas Conference
The 2011 Science and Technology Christmas Conference will be held on Tuesday 20 December in the Management School building. The day will include a poster session for PhD students and contract researchers, together with talks from all Science and Technology departments.
Speakers Announced
Two speakers have been confirmed for this year's event:
David Southwood, Professor emeritus Imperial College and former Director of Science at the European Space Agency, will deliver a talk titled What's the Use of Space Science?: Space Science in a Modern Society. Also speaking will be Lancaster University's incoming Vice Chancellor, Professor Mark Smith.
Graduate School Poster Competition
Science and Technology research students and early career contract research staff are invited to submit a poster for the Christmas Conference. Two £200 prizes will be awarded for the best posters; one for early career contract research staff and one for research students. £100 will be awarded to the runner up in the PhD category.
At this stage all you need is a title and an abstract. The deadline for these is Friday 18 November. Guidelines and online submission can be found on the SciTech website: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/conference/call_for_posters
Put the Christmas Conference in your diary
UG Admissions latest
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Teaching Jane E Taylor writes:
FST undergraduate recruitment for the academic year 2011/12 has been outstanding! All the hard work carried out by staff involved in all elements of the admissions process has enabled Science and Technology to recruit high calibre undergraduates, in increased numbers, with all departments experiencing an increase in the student's average A-level score. This result places the Faculty in a very good position for recruitment in the next cycle, and although the sector remains unsure about the impact of fees, early indications at the time of writing suggest that FST departments remain highly attractive to current applicants. We cannot however become complacent. I'd like to give my thanks to the admissions tutors in particular, and to encourage all staff to help these key people recruit the very best students.
Introduction to the News Media Event
Scientists and Engineers with little or no media experience are invited to the Science Media Centre's 'Introduction to the News Media Event' in London, on Friday 18 November. This highly informative free event is a beginner's guide to the media, giving an insight into the way the news media works. Journalists, press officers and other scientists will explain: the role of the editor, how journalists find stories, top tips for dealing with the media, the role of the press officer and the importance of engaging with the media. For further information please contact b.broomby@lancaster.ac.uk.
News
Recent stories from Science and Technology:
Lancaster University Working Across Europe to Tackle Child Abuse
A team led by Lancaster University is developing tools to help EU law enforcement identify criminals who make and share child abuse media across the Internet.
Lancaster takes part in Antarctic lake mission
Lancaster Environment Centre is contributing to a pioneering British expedition seeking life in a lake 3km under the Antarctic ice.
Event Reveals New Insights Into Businesses' Cyber Security Concerns
Around 70 delegates attended the Cyber Security Conference 2011 this month.
Lancaster Engineering hosts nuclear conference
The Department of Engineering hosted the Control and Instrumentation in Nuclear Installations conference - CANDI2011 - this week, on behalf of the Nuclear Institute and the Institute of Measurement and Control.
New water quality science paves the way for improving river health in the UK
A new river monitoring system to assist local communities to improve water quality of the River Eden and its tributaries is now online.
Plant 'body clock' observed in tropical forest research
Predictions of the ground-level pollutant ozone will be more accurate in future following research led by Lancaster University, published in Nature Geoscience.
Lancaster receives European recognition for its plans to support researchers' career development
Lancaster has achieved the prestigious 'HR Excellence in Research', a badge of excellence awarded by the European Commission to institutions which meet the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for Recruitment of Researchers.
Events
Coming up in the next two weeks:
Phosphorus interactions in a groundwater fed river from in-situ sampling; the River Leith, Cumbria, UK
Wednesday 19 October 2011, 1200-1300 - LEC Training Room 2
Centre for Sustainable Water Management Seminar
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Physics Colloquium - Spirals with Supercomputers: Have We Finally Got it Right?
Wednesday 19 October 2011, 1400-1530 - Faraday Lecture Theatre
The presentation will be aimed at a general physics audience.
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Understanding (or not) the chemistry of isoprene under low NOx conditions
Wednesday 19 October 2011, 1400-1500 - LEC Training Rooms 1 And 2
Atmospheric Science Theme Seminar
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Long term trends of PBDEs in sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) eggs, an apex terrestrial predator in the UK
Thursday 20 October 2011, 1600-1700 - LEC Training Rooms 1 And 2
Centre for Chemicals Management Seminar