Welcome to the Spring Issue of News Bites from the College of Science where you can find out some of the latest news and events. For more information about the College of Science visit www.swan.ac.uk/science

Welcome from Professor Matt Jones

It’s an exciting time for Science@Swansea and I am delighted to begin work as the new Head of College. In December the results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) were published and the College did extremely well - we are a community of researchers that is doing world leading research with impact and purpose.

As we look forward to the 100th anniversary of the University in 2020, we are thinking through how the College can transform itself - becoming bigger, with all the opportunities this brings in terms of agility and flexibility; more diverse, with respect to the subjects pursued; and, crucially, alive to the sense of being a community focussed on the opportunities of working across - and indeed redefining - discipline boundaries.

Our students are an essential part of this open, adventurous and entrepreneurial Science culture. We want everyone who joins us to know they can work to understand, disrupt and change the world from the first day they begin their studies with us. 

During this process of change, we have put in place a range of initiatives to hear from our stakeholders and the community of staff and students. From these debates and discussions, we'll work to provide resources and activities to drive us forward as we become a vibrant, growing community.  A community that works together in the pursuit of excellence to benefit society and the economy, globally.

Matt Jones

STUDENT ACTIVITIES / STUDENTS IN THE NEWS

Bioscience students heading into the mangroves at Mosio Jose, Puerto Rico

Computer science graduate is first employee for Swansea-based Finnish company

Sikkim field trip inspires Biosciences student Amy

In January, students from biosciences embarked on a tropical marine biology field trip to Puerto Rico.

The first of its kind for students at Swansea, the course provides an insight into the ecology of tropical marine systems equipping students with key practical skills required by tropical marine biologists, and provides them with training in how to design, implement and report scientifically robust marine research.

A Swansea University computer science graduate has become the first employee of Leadin, a Finnish company which recently announced that they are locating their UK headquarters in Swansea.

Tom Owen is joining the team at Leadin, which is a Finland-based user experience and service design agency. They provide user research, service design and software development services to companies like Jaguar Land Rover, ABB, and Nokia.

Biosciences student Amy Cole describes her field trip experience:

"The field course in Sikkim was a fantastic opportunity to study in a unique and beautiful environment. As a biologist, it was a brilliant experience to learn about biodiversity in such a varied ecosystem. The field course involved working as part of an inter-disciplinary team, which included biologist, zoologist, human geographers and physical geographers. This allowed me insight into each discipline and really made me think on a broader scale when approaching an issue, such as hydropower, which was my group’s project."

Student placements on the rise!

The Big Welsh Idea

The College is leading the way in placement opportunities across the University with a significant increase in the number of students taking up placements in the past year, putting us top of the table!

With 31 students already on placements through the WoW, SPIN and Santander programmes, a further 65 have now signed up to take on the work place challenge this year.

For further information on the WOW, SPIN and Santander programmes:

A team from Swansea University, including Computer Science PhD student Liam Betsworth and mechanical engineer Carys Chambers, have competed in The Big Welsh Idea Innovation Challenge. The Dragons Den style contest was hosted by Jason Mohammed as part of BBC Radio Wales’s ‘The Big Welsh Idea’ day.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

Celebrating the First Foundation Degree Graduates

Plankton proves popular at Super Science Saturday - National Science Week

Technocamps teacher training recognised by national accreditation body

On the 11th of February 2015, a dinner was held at the Liberty Stadium to celebrate the success of the Foundation Degree (FD) in Computer Science, following the graduation of our first cohort of students.

Children from across Swansea flocked to the EnAlgae stand at the Super Science Saturday event in the National Waterfront Museum, curious about the bubblers on display and eager to try their hand at making their own plankton.

Swansea University established Technocamps has become the only organisation within Wales which is accredited to deliver the Ofqual-recognised ASFI Certificate in Computing for Teachers.

Swansea biologists appear at the The Times Cheltenham Science Festival 2-7 June

Brynmill Primary pupils experience solar eclipse

Otter expert Dr Dan Forman will show what makes these river creatures so fascinating in his talk on Friday 5 June.

Professor Rory Wilson will talk about "Penguins, narwhals and other really cool animals" on Sunday 7 June. 

Prof. Dave Dunbar from the Physics Department set up two telescopes for the pupils of Brynmill Primary School to view the solar eclipse safely. Children were able to view the eclipse in a safe way and hear from Dave on why the eclipse took place, a great end to Science week and inspiring tomorrow’s scientists.

Further Maths Support Programme delivers continuous professional development

The Further Maths Support Programme Wales has delivered its first pilot CPD programme of events. As part of this programme FMSP Wales ran a full day workshop entitled “Big Ideas in A Level Maths” delivered by Dr Martin Crossley, Swansea University, Department of Mathematics.  This one day course covered Trigonometry, Calculus and Algebra and was aimed at teachers with some experience of teaching A level Mathematics. It looked at some of the big ideas in more depth. The course gave participants a deeper understanding of the concepts underpinning A level Mathematics and an appreciation of how they form a coherent set of ideas. 

TEACHING DEVELOPMENTS

Computer Science Year in Industry

A new degree programme that will offer Computer Science students at Swansea University the opportunity to spend a year in industry is being rolled out this September (2015/16).

The introduction of an Industrial Placement year as part of this new degree will provide Computer Science students with a strong academic record to transfer onto in readiness for the forthcoming academic year.

RESEARCH IN THE NEWS

Physics Guru Professor Mike Charlton is recognised for his research by EPSRC

How innovations in technology have transformed the study of wild animals

BBC Wales reports on bowel cancer tests featuring research undertaken by Professor Peter Dunstan

In a recent article ‘Anti Heroes’ published in Pioneer (page 50) the journal for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Professor Charlton and his team in Physics have been highly praised for making the first ever direct measurement of an atom of pure anti-hydrogen – the simplest form of antimatter.

The Guardian carries an article by Professor Rory Wilson, Head of the Department of Biosciences at Swansea University’s College of Science, on how zoology has been transformed by mobile technology.

From binoculars, to location trackers, to smart loggers, innovation in technology has allowed for minute observations with minimal disruption. Professor Wilson states: "...wild zoology is an important science. We need to know what animals do and where they do it to understand how the diverse elements of ecosystems interact to make the system work. Robust, functioning ecosystems have robust, healthy animals within them, and everybody should want that."

BBC Wales reports that bowel cancer tests which are currently available for people aged over 60 may not be extended to those in their 50s, the Welsh government says.

The report features research undertaken by Professor Peter Dunstan in Physics and his student Cerys Jenkins on the Raman spectroscopy equipment based in Centre for NanoHealth.

Antarctica has been recreated in Minecraft using more than three billion blocks!

Swansea mathematician takes his research to Parliament

Professor Kam Tang researches lake methane emissions in Germany

WIRED UK features an article on the work of Dr Martin O'Leary, Research Officer and glaciologist in the Department of Geography. Martin has recreated the entire continent of Antarctica in Minecraft using a Minecraft map editing library, some geodata processing tools and data from Bedmap2, a British Antarctic Survey project.

Dr Gibin Powathil, a Senior Lecturer at Swansea University, hailing from India, attended Parliament to present his maths research to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of SET for Britain on Monday 9 March.

Professor Kam Tang’s recent study in Germany has featured in an article in Environmental Monitor as part of his research into lake methane emissions

His paper which the article is based on is Enhancing Surface Methane Fluxes from an Oligotrophis Lake: Exploring the Microbubble Hypothesis.

Transnational Asia: Swansea academic explores cultural and artistic exchanges through new book

Dr Amanda Rogers, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography, is the author of a new interdisciplinary text that explores the global networks of theatre that link Asia, America and Europe, using a variety of policy, practice and political examples.

Performing Asian Transnationalisms: Theatre, identity and the geographies of performance primarily explores the relationships between Asian American, British East Asian and South East Asian theatres. It investigates how transnational flows of people and culture can create new careers, identities and artistic works, but also attends to the constraints placed upon individuals and communities.

Acid oceans and climate change affect plankton and the food chain

Are wildfires locking up carbon?

Our oceans and the life in them face a more uncertain future because ocean acidification, caused by climate change, is altering the growth of phytoplankton, the organisms which are the basis of the entire food chain in the sea, a Swansea-led research team has shown.

The team included researchers from Swansea University’s Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research (CSAR), with colleagues from Plymouth, Denmark and the USA. Their research has been published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Researchers Dr Cristina Santín and Professor Stefan Doerr from the Geography Department have led a study that shows wildfires compensate for the amount of carbon they release into the atmosphere by generating a stable carbon store that lasts for centuries.

Swansea glaciologist quoted in mysterious crater article

Live Science reports that a mysterious crater discovered in East Antarctica was most likely to have been formed beneath a leaky meltwater lake, rather than as a result of a meteorite impact. Peter Kuipers Munneke, a glaciologist at Swansea University is quoted in the article.

OTHER NEWS AND EVENTS

University honour for broadcaster at the Winter Degree and Award Ceremony 2015

Professor Simon Hands to take part in strategic review of particle physics phenomenology

Swansea University and College of Science represented by EnAlgae at Brussels Showcase

Swansea University has bestowed an Honorary Degree on one of Wales’s best-known broadcasters.

Wildlife expert Iolo Williams, presenter of the BBC’s Springwatch, received the award on January 27 during the graduation ceremony for the College of Human and Health Sciences and the College of Science held at the Brangwyn Hall.

Presenting the award, Professor Steve Wilks, Pro-VC Designate and, until earlier this month, Head of the College of Science, said: “Iolo demonstrates qualities that we seek to develop and encourage at all levels at Swansea University to add value to the student experience.  “He is community-centred, dedicated to communication and actively engaged in addressing real world problems – many of the attributes we value so highly at Swansea University.”

Prof. Simon Hands (Physics), who chairs STFC’s Particle Physics Grants Panel, has been invited to take part in a strategic review of particle physics phenomenology in the UK, on behalf of STFC.

Phenomenology is the theoretical activity closely concerned with modelling and interpreting the results emerging from experiments, such as the programme at the LHC accelerator in CERN, or those designed to study neutrinos or the still-mysterious Dark Matter which makes up the bulk of the Universe.

The review will consider the progress and quality of UK phenomenology, how the programme compares internationally, the level of support required for the phenomenology programme and the most appropriate funding mechanisms. The panel is expected to submit recommendations to STFC Science Board in July. 

Staff from the College of Science working on EnAlgae travelled to Brussels in November for a project showcase at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Five MEPs attended the event, including local Welsh MEP Derek Vaughan, who has been a firm supporter of the project over the past four years. He co-hosted the event along with Richard Ashworth MEP for South East England.

They were joined by Kay Swinburne, MEP for Wales, Timothy Kirkhope, MEP for Yorkshire, and Lambert Van Nistelrooij, MEP for the Netherlands.

"Heavy quarks: a continuing probe of the strong interaction"

Swansea physicists organise Royal Society International Scientific Seminar.

Swansea Professors Gert Aarts and Chris Allton, of the College of Science's Physics Department, and Prof Christine Davies of Glasgow University have organised a Royal Society International Scientific Seminar at Chicheley Hall, home of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre, near Milton Keynes. The event, which took place on 28/29 January 2015, is entitled "Heavy quarks: a continuing probe of the strong interaction" and brought together 20 world-leading scientists from Europe, the USA and Asia.

Professor Marcus Doel delivers the 5th Annual Bassett Lecture

Professor of Computer Science appointed Expert Advisor by Royal College of Physicians, London

Digital Democracy commission Live Launch

Professor Marcus Doel delivered the 5th Annual Bassett Lecture at the University of Bristol on January 29th.

His abstract ‘Through a net darkly: spatial expression and schizoanalysis (subject to finance) can be found here:

Harold Thimbleby, Professor of Computer Science at Swansea University has been appointed Expert Advisor to the Royal College of Physicians’ Health Informatics Unit. 

Professor Thimbleby will help identify opportunities to adopt new technologies to improve the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in the UK and internationally.

A year ago, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon. John Bercow MP, commissioned a report, engaging people across the UK on how to use digital technology to improve parliamentary democracy.

Following this, in July last year, the Department of Computer Science held an event in the Cardiff Millennium Centre as part of the Digital Democracy Commission to discuss issues around technology and democracy.

Caer Las charity benefits from fundraising

The Geography department has donated £87.50 to South Wales charity Caer Las, raised by staff and students attending the Geography Christmas dinner this year. 

Caer Las is a charity that tackles the causes and effects of social exclusion in South Wales.

For further details on any item reported above, please contact the member of staff concerned, or email Sian Jones