Welcome to the Autumn 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

STUDENT ACTIVITIES / STUDENTS IN THE NEWS

Ellie Melloy - Swansea icon!

Geography students study Navajo Sandstone in the Colorado Plateau

Computer Science PhD student wins award

Biosciences postgraduate student Ellie Meloy was selected as one of 6 “Icons” to represent Swansea University in their International undergraduate student recruitment campaign and she is soon to be seen on the backs of buses, billboards and magazines alike under the title of “#Campaigner”. 

Ellie has also recently been chosen to be featured in Marie Claire’s “You'd Never Guess That: Inspiring Women Share Their Extraordinary Stories” monthly feature, which will be published in their January 2016 issue.

Eight Geography students spent two weeks in September 2015 in the Colorado Plateau, studying the geology of the Navajo Sandstone for their final-year dissertation projects.

Highlights included visiting the St George Dixie Roundup rodeo, hiking in Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, and using a drone to make a photo-montage of geological features exposed along canyon walls.

Richard Roberts, a current Computer Science PhD student has won Best Paper award at the annual Eurographics UK conference (EGUK).

The conference is a meeting place for all those in the UK working in computer graphics and visual computing and attracts researchers from across the country and from further afield.

The 2015 conference, Computer Graphics & Visual Computing, took place from the 16-17 September.

Mathematics student and rugby star!

Josh Helps is currently pursuing a degree in Mathematics and Sports Science in the Department of Mathematics and is developing his rugby career with the Scarlets alongside his studies.   He has recently been awarded a Scarlets development contract for this new season.

The Scarlets lock forward began his rugby career with Narberth RFC at only seven years old before representing both Pembrokeshire County and Carmarthen Schools. He went on to represent the Scarlets at Under 16s and Under 18s before being selected to captain Wales at Under 16s level. In the Summer of 2013, after helping his region become Regional Champions, Josh was handed the captaincy of Wales Under 18s. The second row led his country out in South Africa during an international tournament against England, France and the host nation, South Africa.

Josh says, "Everyone wants to play rugby but you need an education behind you. Anything could happen with injuries in the game or not making it as a professional player so you need something to fall back on.
The Scarlets bursary will help me with travel to and from training and to Uni, with equipment, food and college supplies – it all adds up!”

Royal Geographical Society student training

PhD student wins poster competition

Geography MSc students visit Stackpole

On Thursday 15 October, the Royal Geographical Society visited the Department of Geography to encourage our students to become ambassadors for their discipline.

The Royal Geographical Society’s Geography Ambassador scheme harnesses the enthusiasm and passion of undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate Geographers in order to promote the benefits and relevance of the subject to school pupils, in the hope that they will take it past the compulsory stages, as well as supporting school Geography Departments.

Ambassadors use their own love for the subject to run fun and interactive sessions, and support events and fieldwork, showing not only what Geography is, but also what it can be if you take it to university level.

Biosciences PhD student Andrew Lucas attended the Royal Entomological Society 2015 Symposium and Meeting at Trinity College, Dublin.  The theme was insect ecosystem services and Andrew won second prize for best student poster.  Andrew said “The theme fitted really well with my poster, which was on my PhD looking at how DNA metabarcoding can reveal pollen transport by hoverflies, and their role as potential pollinators.  As adults, hoverflies feed only on nectar and pollen, and anyone with a garden will have them.  However, they often get mistaken for bees or wasps, because hoverflies, which are completely harmless, mimic them as form of defence.” 

“I was really pleased to win second prize for best student poster, and got a lot of interested comments. It was the first time I'd won anything like this, and was 100 Euros better off as a result!

Students on the MSc in Environmental Dynamics and Climate Change and Geographical Information and Climate Change attended the Stackpole residential field course from 9-11 October. The aim of the field course was to introduces students taking the “Principles of Environmental Dynamics” to some of the major themes of the module: environmental systems, sea-level change and human impact on the environment. Paul Culyer, the Senior Reserve Manager for Natural Resources Wales kindly gave up his Saturday morning to give a guest lecture on the environmental issues facing the Stackpole Estate. These issues were placed into an historical perspective through the analysis of long term environmental records. 

Image: students obtaining peat core at Llanllwch bog with assistance from Dr Neil Loader and Prof. Alayne Street-Perrott.

Biochar “Mini Open Day”

On 15 October the Swansea University Biochar Research Team, led by Professor Alayne Street-Perrott, together with Mr Sion Brackenbury from our industrial partner, local company Commons Vision Ltd, held a meeting to showcase recent biochar research by postgraduate students in Geography and Biosciences, several of whom have been supported by ESF KESS or ATM studentships sponsored by the company.

Biochar is essentially a form of charcoal that can be produced sustainably from waste biomass by a controlled heating process called pyrolysis. It is now being used for a variety of environment-friendly purposes including soil amendment and carbon sequestration.

Computer Science Maker Competition

Last month saw the kick-off meeting for the Computer Science Maker Competition. Our new Science Central area in Wallace was full of students from across the College who will work together to create new physical-digital prototypes.

Mathematics Scholarships

The Mathematics Department is offering Mathematics prizes/scholarships for students starting their university studies in September 2016. The prize will be awarded on the basis of a competitive two and a half hour examination to be taken on Wednesday,16 March 2016.  Students should be able to sit the exam in their school or college, but are also welcome to sit it in Swansea.

Application forms and specimen papers are available here. For any queries please contact.

Congratulations to the 2015 scholars:  Farn Shei, Olchfa School, Swansea; Laura Ladbrooke, Truro High School for Girls; Killian Kullar, Sheldon School, Chippenham.

We are also pleased to announce that the following Mathematics students received the following University Scholarships for 2015:

Excellence Scholarship (£3000 awarded to all students who achieve AAA at A-level or equivalent):  Steven Edmunds, Tonyrefail Comprehensive School; Poppy Reffold, Rochester Grammar School; Philippa Rylands, Gwernyfed High  School, Powys.

Merit Scholarship (£2000 awarded to all students who achieve AAB at A-level or equivalent):  Elain Jenkins, Ysgol Y Creuddyn; Laura Labrooke, Truro High School for Girls; Sandro Moruzzi, Gower College Swansea; Morgan Sprules, Seevic College; Caleb Thomas, Merthyr Tydfil College.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

Swansea University to host the 2016 British Science Festival

Swansea University has warmly welcomed the announcement by the British Science Association (BSA) that the University will host the British Science Festival 2016, from 6 – 9 September next year. The four-day event is one of Europe’s leading and longest-established science festivals.

Vice Chancellor of Swansea University, Professor Richard B. Davies said: “We are delighted that the British Science Festival has chosen Swansea to host its vibrant celebration of science, technology and engineering.  Swansea University is driving knowledge economy growth and hosting this iconic festival will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the power of science to deliver social and economic transformation.”

Trees are wonderful things!

Nature trails with Dr Dan Forman

Technocamps Accredited Teacher Training begins

In July, members of the Tree Ring Research Group, Department of Geography, took part in the BBC’s Gardeners’ Question Time Annual Garden Party, which was held this year at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire. The team (Danny McCarroll, Neil Loader & Darren Davies) were on hand to discuss all aspects of trees and tree ring research with visitors to the Garden and presented their latest results on the study of climatic change and new dating techniques in archaeology.

Dr Dan Forman, of the Department of Biosciences, was invited by the University to give a talk followed by a guided tour on the Biodiversity of Crymlin burrows as part of the Bay Campus public open day. This proved to be very popular with over 80 individuals attending the talk and a further 50 on the guided tour.

Swansea Ecology Research Team, with support from the Sustainability Team, has also led two successful nature trail walks this term for new students. Over 200 individuals joined in, gaining an insight into the diversity of life on the Singleton campus.

On Tuesday 13 October 2015, 13 teachers from across South Wales attended the first of 20 full-day training sessions to be delivered throughout the school year on campus by Technocamps as part of its Technoteach programme of teacher engagement. Upon completing this year-long course, these teachers will be awarded the Level 3 Certificate in Computing for Teaching.

Further Maths Support Programme Wales success!

SEACAMS talk at Wildlife Trust about Tidal Lagoon

The national Wales enrichment project set in the Department of Mathematics is celebrating this year’s outstanding A-level Further Maths exam results, proving that the Programme has made a significant impact.

Project Coordinator Dr Sofya Lyakhova said: “We are thrilled by the overall success of the Programme in the established FMSP areas and are working to expand the Programme in to all of Wales”.

This year’s Further Mathematics A-level results are again a cause for celebration in Wales and more Welsh students will go on to study a STEM degree with a Further Maths qualification.

In October Dr Ruth Callaway gave a talk at the Bridgend Group of the South and West Wales Wildlife Trust about the proposed Tidal Lagoon in Swansea Bay. Over 60 members attended the event, which triggered a lively discussion about a topic of direct local interest and concern for many people. In her feedback Jennifer John, the programme secretary of the Bridgend Group, said: “The Wildlife Trust fosters an interest in all aspects of nature and Dr Callaway's "down to earth" approach to her subject was both informative and comprehensive without being too technical and was much appreciated by members. She resolved many previously unanswered questions about the development, detailing the impact it might have on wildlife in general and marine life in particular, as well as the on-going research to reduce or resolve any such problems. Her talk also elicited questions from members concerned about the wider effect the development would have on coastal areas adjoining Swansea Bay to which she gave full and frank answers.”

Black Mountain geological field visit

Technocamps awarded grant

Geology and landscape in the western Brecon Beacons

In early July Dr Geraint Owen, of the Department of Geography, guided a group of 25 amateur and professional geologists from the Bath Geological Society and Bristol Naturalists’ Society around some of the geological features of the Black Mountain, part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark in the western Brecon Beacons.  The visitors enjoyed the variety of the area’s geology and were particularly fascinated in features produced by the precipitation of calcium carbonate mobilised from the waste tips from old lime kilns, which are analogous in many ways to features that form more slowly in shallow tropical seas and are often found preserved in ancient limestones, including those of the Black Mountain area itself.

Technocamps have been awarded £1000 from The South Wales Institute of Engineers Educational Trust 2007 (SWIEET2007). SWIEET2007 are a funded Educational Trust  who aim to support, promote and encourage engineering related good causes in Wales such as the Technocamps Programme 2014 - 2015.

Technocamps has been selected for this award  as a result of their continued success and good work undertaken with the engagement of young people and teachers across Wales.

Dr Geraint Owen of the Department of Geography, gave a talk on ‘Geology and landscape in the western Brecon Beacons’ to the Physicians of Myddfai annual conference on 27 June.  The theme of the conference, which was attended by over 120 people, was the plants and landscapes of the Myddfai region and the uses to which they have been put.  Other speakers included Professor John S Davies, formerly of the Department of Chemistry at Swansea University.

Expansion of Further Maths Support Programme Continuous Professional Development

FMSP are pleased to be expanding their CPD programme of events.  This academic year FMSP Wales are delivering two courses, “Teaching Further Pure 1 Mathematics with Confidence” being delivered bilingually in North Wales and “Teaching Advanced Topics in Further Maths”, which covers FP2 and FP3, in South Wales.  The uptake for both events has been fantastic with 17 participants for South Wales and 9 in North Wales.  The participants are from twelve counties from across Wales.  The courses run from October 2015 – March 2016 with one event held every month.

Workshops are also being held during the winter and spring term for A Level Maths teachers, more information will be available:

Doing Science with your phone: Welsh scientists seek public support to help monitor the spread of aquatic invasive species!

Coinciding with the meeting of the Food Standard Agency (FSA), the AquaWales consortium met in Cardiff to discuss how to best monitor and control the spread of aquatic invasive species through citizen science. The workshop, hosted  by Prof Jo Cable (Cardiff University), was well attended and included talks from The AquaWales cluster leader Dr. Consuegra (Swansea University), who introduced the project on Minimising the Impacts of Intensive Aquaculture in the face of Climate Change, Prof Garcia de Leaniz (Swansea University, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research), who talked about invasive species in Aquaculture, and from David Kilbey (Nature Locator) who introduced the AquaInvaders app.

RESEARCH IN THE NEWS

Professor Rory Wilson leads wildlife ‘tag’ study

New research shows deep fjord temperatures control calving rates at tidewater glaciers

Physics Professor visits China

An international team of researchers led by zoologist Professor Rory Wilson have conducted research revealing techniques used by predators and prey – with some surprising results.

The study, published in the journal eLife examines what determines the outcomes of predator-prey interactions in wild animals and how both predators and prey can best increase their chances of success.

Image source: www.thewave.co.uk

A team of researchers led by Swansea University have found a direct link between the temperature of Arctic fjord waters and the rate at which glaciers discharge ice to the ocean.

One of the largest uncertainties in predicting sea level rise in a warming climate is the iceberg calving rate, i.e. the rate at which marine-terminating glaciers will discharge ice to the ocean. Previous work has assumed that calving is controlled mainly by the speed of the glacier.

However new research, published in Nature Communications, shows that in many glaciers it is actually the temperature of sea water in contact with the glacier that controls the rate of ice loss.

Professor Gert Aarts, Department of Physics, recently toured China to intensify links with various Institutions.  During his 10-day stay Professor Aarts visited the Physics Departments of the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB) and Chongqing University of Technology (CQUT), where he met senior staff and lectured on Quantum Mechanics to undergraduate students, sometimes with the help of a translator.  Subsequently Gert attended the Central China Normal University (CCNU) in Wuhan, where he delivered an invited talk on 'nucleons at nonzero temperature' at the 13th international Extreme QCD (XQCD) conference. The hope that this visit will stimulate further student and research exchanges in the coming years.

Swansea glaciologists head to Antarctica to investigate ice shelf melt

Researchers discover Nitrous oxide from urine patches is no laughing matter

Shining the spotlight on Swansea Computer Scientist

A team of glaciologists from Swansea University fly to Antarctica this autumn to study the phenomenon of large melt lakes that have been forming on the world’s fourth largest ice shelf.

Dr Suzanne Bevan from the Department of Geography will be travelling with team members Adam Booth and Heidi Sevestre to join colleagues from Aberystwyth University as part of project MIDAS (impacts of Melt on Ice shelf Dynamics and Stability). The team will be blogging from Antarctica athttp://www.projectmidas.org/ and you can follow their progress on Twitter (@MIDASOnIce).

Professor Rory Wilson and Dr Andrew King from the Department of Biosciences have been awarded a grant from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) which will fund a project that seeks to explore the interaction between sheep’s grazing behaviour, urine composition and subsequent nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from urine patches. 

Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas produced in the soil by micro-organisms and is 180 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas, molecule for molecule, than CO2. Urine patches in pastures created by grazing livestock are recognised as ‘hot-spots’ for N2O production and emission.

Dr Robert Laramee, of the Department of Computer Science, has appeared in the Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CFMS) newsletter.

Dr Laramee specialises in data visualisation for extremely large datasets - a first for the UK! He has also worked on the Bloodhound SCC, visualising aerodynamic flow with state-of-the-art visualisation techniques.

Dr Richard Unsworth on ecosystem resilience

Dr Stephen Lindsay featured as part of the Welsh Crucible series

Dr Ivonne Zavala receives Royal Society Award

Management of the world’s marine habitats needs to look beyond only Marine Protected Areas and put achieving ecosystem resilience at the top of the agenda, according to research by an international group of scientists led by Dr Richard Unsworth of the Department of Biosciences.

Our oceans and coasts are changing rapidly due to human impacts. But our very existence depends on the resources and functions that their biodiversity and productive habitats provide. Learning to manage the habitats and biodiversity within our oceans and coasts is one of the greatest challenges of this century.

The research published online in Marine Pollution Bulletin examines the ecosystem resilience of seagrass meadows globally. The work shows how the resilience of these productive ecosystems is becoming compromised by a range of local to global disturbances and stressors, resulting in ecological regime shifts that undermine their long-term viability.

Dr Stephen Lindsay, Department of Computer Science, is one of 30 researchers to be selected this year by the Welsh Crucible programme which organises "skills labs" for cross disciplinary collaboration in Wales.

Wales Online reports on the research undertaken by Dr Lindsay, a computer science lecturer, who is studying the applications of technology for older adults and in healthcare as part of the Computer Science department's FIT Lab, Future Interaction technology.

Now in its fourth year, the Welsh Crucible which supports research, is funded by a consortium of Welsh universities in partnership with the Higher Education Funding Council. The award-winning programme seeks to explore how the research of participants can gain greater impact through collaborations with other researchers from different disciplines and through the Welsh Crucible alumni network.

Dr Ivonne Zavala, Department of Physics, has won a Royal Society Newton International Exchanges 2015 Award to develop a joint project in collaboration with Prof. Oscar Loaiza-Brito and Dr. Nana Cabo Bizet from the Physics Department, University of Guanajuato (Leon), Mexico.

The project aim was to make progress in the understanding accelerating solutions in specific types of string theory compactifications (so called flux compactifications) with an eye on their relevance for early universe acceleration (also known as cosmological inflation) as well as late time acceleration (also known as Dark Energy). The award has covered the costs of a three week visit during September to the Mexican partners.

American Physical Society honours Swansea physicist

Swansea University physicist Professor Niels Madsen has been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) – the world's largest organisation of physicists – in recognition of his outstanding contributions to antihydrogen physics.

The citation, which will appear on Professor Madsen’s Fellowship Certificate, will read as follows: “For seminal contribution to the field of antihydrogen and leadership in developing techniques that enabled the trapping and first microwave spectroscopy of antihydrogen.”

Professor Madsen, who is based in the Department of Physics, said: “I was delighted and honoured to learn I had been recommended for the Society Fellowship by the Division of Plasma Physics, at the September meeting of the APS Council of Representatives.

Swansea University leads innovation in Salmon health and welfare

Geography Professor filming climate change documentary

Warm conditions could cause higher female turtle population

Swansea University’s Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research (CSAR) has fostered a leading role in supporting sustainable development of salmon aquaculture, via innovative co-operation with Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd, RAS Aquaculture Research Ltd and The Cleaner Fish Company Ltd.

Salmon lice are crustacean parasites that attach to the skin of salmon, causing lesions that can reduce health, growth and survival. Sea lice infestation can also compromise fish welfare and its treatment costs the salmon industry in the region of €300m every year and £30m every year in the UK alone.

In the search for a sustainable and effective alternative to use of medicines for treating sea lice, deployment of “cleaner fish” into salmon pens has been investigated.

Prof. Siwan Davies, of the Department of Geography, is filming a TV documentary series on climate change for S4C. The series is produced by Telesgop and explores the evidence and impact of climate change together with some of the solutions and adaptations developed for the future. Greenland was the first filming location where Siwan learnt how the people are currently responding to climate change. Elin Rhys (a Bioschemistry graduate from Swansea University) is the series producer and Managing Director of Telesgop. Dr Rhian Meara, of the Department of Geography, is also a consultant researcher and contributor on the series as part of her British Science Association Media Fellowship. The series is due to be broadcast in the spring of 2016.

A new study by Swansea University academics has revealed that warmer temperatures associated with climate change may lead to higher numbers of female sea turtles which could result in the population collapsing in some areas of the world.

Image source: Frogfish Photography

Dr Gianmassimo Tasinato receives mobility grant

Dr Gianmassimo Tasinato, Department of Physics, has won a short-term mobility grant from the Mexican Academy of Sciences (MAS) to develop a project in conjunction with Drs Gustavo Niz and Javier Chagoya, working at the Physics Department, University of Guanajuato (Leon), Mexico.

The award covered the costs of a three week scientific visit to the Physics Department in Leon, Mexico, to work on a project on cosmology. The project aim was  to study novel methods, based on strong coupling,  to screen  long range forces associated with  fields that possibly source present day cosmic acceleration.  Besides cosmology, the working group also explored the possibility to apply the findings to other fields of physics, as  quantum field theory and condensed matter. 

The MAS short-term Mobility Grants provide the opportunity for early career and established researchers based in the UK to establish and develop new collaborations with Mexican counterparts. The awards cover the costs towards subsistence, research and travel expenses.

OTHER NEWS AND EVENTS

International Biopesticide Conference a huge success!

Celebrating Award success for the College of Science!

International Seagrass Biology Workshop

From 7-9 September, Swansea University hosted an International Biopesticides Symposium organised by Professor Tariq Butt, Department of Biosciences.

The symosium welcomed 195 delegates from 25 different countries which included Norway, USA, Germany, Egypt, Croatia and Brazil. The conference allowed organisations within the biopesticides and related industries to present and share their experiences and to consider new innovative technologies which could enhance biopesticide efficacy and competitiveness.

Professor Butt said: "The symposium and workshop have been a huge success. The talks were enlightening, business deals were done, new contacts made and consortia were developed.”

Image source: Phil Rees

 The College of Science organised an event to celebrate the fantastic achievement of the Athena SWAN Bronze Award received in November 2014. The Award recognises commitment to advancing women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine in higher education and research. 

The event took place on 7 October 2015 on the Wallace first floor landing and was well attended by College staff who enjoyed food, drink and cakes to celebrate the occasion.

Dr Carole Llewellyn, the current CoS Chair for Athena SWAN, introduced the event and explained the principles of Athena SWAN and how to get involved. Professor Matt Jones, Head of College, spoke about the importance of Athena SWAN in the College and Professor Dave Clarke, the CoS Chair for the award winning bid, thanked the Athena SWAN team.

In October 2016 researchers from Swansea will be leading the hosting of the 12th International Seagrass Biology Workshop in North Wales. The hosting of this meeting of international seagrass experts is a collaboration with researchers at Cardiff University, Natural Resources Wales,  Gwynedd Council and our newly formed charity Project Seagrass. We hope to have a range of participation from Swansea researchers and students and expect it to be a great success.

We have an absolute first class line up of plenary speakers and also some excellent interactive workshops planned. For those members of the department curious about seagrasses but unable or unlikely to attend a full conference we have day tickets available, so please come along.

Physics Professor awarded Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford

Professor Chris Allton, Department of Physics, is currently on a teaching-free Leverhulme Fellowship and has been awarded a Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College, Oxford. This means that he is able to concentrate on his research away from the day-to-day distractions of life in Swansea University.

All Souls College has the distinction in that it has no undergraduate students and is therefore a haven for the research-focussed mind. Chris will be there for this term and will return to Swansea University after Christmas.

Successful Gower Field Meeting

Mexican scientists visit Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research

Computer Science expert witness seals case for the defence

Dr John Hiemstra and Dr Rick Shakesby of the Department of Geography, hosted a very successful QRA-GLWG Field Meeting on the Gower Peninsula from 22 - 25 October 2015. It was organised on behalf of the Quaternary Research Association (QRA) and the Glacial Landsystems Working Group (GLWG). Dr Geraint Owen and Professor Danny McCarroll, also of the Department of Geography, contributed.

As part of a UK-Mexico NEWTON British Council - CONACYT, a group of Mexican scientists have visited the UK to continue developing a Road Map encompassing algal biotechnology.

Their tour included University College London, Westminster University, Cranfield  University and Swansea University.

At Swansea University the visitors were keen to take a tour of our world class algal cultivation facilities in the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research in the College of Science's Department of Biosciences.

Professor Harold Thimbleby, of the Department of Computer Science, has recently provided expert evidence in the defence of a case in the Crown Court resulting in its collapse. Professor Thimblebly said “the computer evidence presented by the prosecution was flawed in numerous ways that I identified precisely and at length. The prosecution decided to present no evidence (since all they had was unreliable) against the defendants, and the Judge therefore directed the jury to declare a not guilty verdict.”

Professor Carlos Garcia de Leaniz gives keynote talk in China

Professor Carlos Garcia de Leaniz of the Department of Biosciences, was invited by the Chinese Academy of Sciences to give a keynote talk in Chongqing, China.  The talk entitled “Restoring connectivity of European Rivers: challenges and opportunities” was presented at the 3rd Symposium on Healthy Rivers and Sustainable Water Resource Management, on 21-23 October.

Professor Garcia de Leaniz was also invited to give a public a lecture at Scotland’s Salmon Festival in Inverness on 3 September entitled “Salmon are complicated!” and was an invited speaker at the ‘Salmon, Science & Society’ Conference in Inverness on 4 September.

Swansea ecologists interviewed on Radio Wales

DVLA and Swansea University partnership in training

Rounding off the EnAlgae project

Swansea ecologists Dr Dan Forman and Dr Wendy Harris, of the Department of Biosciences, were interviewed by BBC Radio Wales Science Cafe on fen orchids and polecat ecology.

On 23 September, 20 employees of the Driver and Vehicle Registration Agency (DVLA) started their two-year Foundation Degree Programme in Computer Science (FdSc), fully funded by a £300,000 grant from the DVLA.

The Foundation Degree in Computer Science was created three years ago, with the support of an ESF grant, and this year the University saw the programme's first 35 graduates awarded their FdSc degrees. 

After four years, Swansea staff working on EnAlgae are finalising the closure of the locally led and EU funded research project.

In September, the team travelled to Brussels for their very successful close out conference. The event, held within walking distance of the seat of European policy and decision making, attracted around 100 delegates and generated some positive responses.

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