Engineering Academics Network Annual Congress 2023
Engineering Academics Network Annual Congress 2023
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Bookings for the EAN Annual Congress are now closed.
Follow proceedings on Twitter #EPCCongress23 @EngProfCouncil
The 2023 Congress theme is New Models, embodied in the fabric of our host, NMITE, who welcome us to their outstanding new sustainable Skylon campus in Hereford from 12th to 14th June.
The Engineering Academics Network Annual Congress is the flagship event of the EPC each year and in 2023, our theme is ‘New Models’. We will be exploring some of the disruptive challenges and innovative approaches in Engineering higher education relating to everything from student pathways into, through and beyond Engineering degrees to how we support our staff to support them. To see the amazing array of speakers, visit the Programme and Speakers tabs.
New models in recruitment
New models of delivery
New models in curriculum
New models in assessment
New models in employability
New models of academic employment and progression
New models of funding
The full line-up of activities is being updated all the time! Follow our Twitter announcements @EngProfCouncil #EPCCongress23.
We all want to see how the new kid on the block stands out, so take a tour of NMITE’s Building in Hereford city centre and join us for an inspired Congress in NMITE’s stunning and sustainable Skylon Campus (featured above) on the outskirts of historic Hereford – surrounded by the Herefordshire countryside.
Tickets include a hands-on Blacksmith forging workshop and Congress dinner. Who should attend?
Engineering academics at ALL levels of their career, from deans and heads of department to postgraduates. We recognise that being able to attend conferences is integral for early career staff to develop their careers, therefore we are happy to provide you with heavily discounted tickets for Congress allowing you to ask questions, discover and share innovative ideas, and gain important advice from your peers and experienced professionals from a variety of engineering-related institutions.
I have a mixed background of engineering, at bachelor’s degree level and several work experience in a corporate service-oriented environment up to management level, now studying MSc Engineering Smart Systems at Manchester Metropolitan University, in a bid to advance my career in engineering/ digital technology industry. I am seeking research/ consulting opportunities in industrial processes in manufacturing, intelligent transportation, smart agriculture, renewable energy and cyber security.
Professor Dave Allan has worked internationally for companies which included Ford Motor Co, Nissan Motors, BTR/Invensys, Garratt/Honeywell and Bentley Motors, and established and managed a design consultancy. As a change agent and industrial trouble-shooter, he has made significant contributions to the effectivity of various organisations in the Agriculture, Food Production, Automotive; Electronics; Local Government and Police & Defence sectors.
Joining Harper Adams University in 2008 Dave was Senior Lecturer in Manufacturing Engineering and Project Management at both undergraduate and postgraduate level; Senior Tutor; Learning Innovation Leader and the Manager of the Agricultural Engineering Innovation Centre. During this time, he was engaged in successful research into vehicle concepts and the application of sustainable technologies in construction and agricultural vehicles. During his time at HAU Dave focussed on the development of the teaching activities, environments and practices which influence the learning process; particularly the motivation and engagement of students.
In 2018 Dave joined the New Model Institute for Engineering & Technology, as one of the Founding Faculty Professors, co-create the first degree programmes and the learning spaces.
I am a Lecturer at the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences, where I lead the curriculum design and delivery of undergraduate mathematics teaching. I am interested in developing student-centred and authentic learning experiences that enable students to use mathematics as a tool for positive social change.
Dr Nina Baker has had a varied career, having become a merchant navy deck officer on leaving school and later taken an engineering design degree in her 30s, from the University of Warwick. She then gained a PhD in concrete durability from the University of Liverpool. She has lived with her family in Glasgow since 1989, working variously as a materials lecturer in further education and as a university research administrator and, until 2017, as an elected city councillor. Now retired from all that, her interest in promoting STEM careers for girls has led her to become an independent researcher, mainly specialising in the history of women in engineering. She is Deacon of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Glasgow for 2022-2023. She has been a Deputy Lieutenant in the Glasgow Lieutenancy since 2017 and was appointed an OBE in the 2023 New Year’s Honours’ list, for services to the history of women in engineering.
Nick Bent became the CEO of upReach, the leading UK social mobility charity, in January 2023. Prior to this role, he was Co-Founder and CEO of The Tutor Trust, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2021 and which is a key delivery partner of the National Tutoring Programme. The Tutor Trust is an official ‘Promising Project’ of the Education Endowment Foundation and a portfolio charity of Impetus.
Nick has been involved with a number of educational and youth work charities for over twenty-five years. He is a Director and Trustee of the academies charity Oasis Community Learning and was previously Chair of Governors at the Oasis Academy MediaCityUK in Salford. During 2017, Nick was a Clore Social Leadership Fellow.
An Associate of the think tank Demos, Nick spent seven years working in Westminster and Whitehall, including four years as a Special Adviser to Rt Hon Dame Tessa Jowell MP, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, during the last Labour Government. He has also served as Director of the think tank Policy Network.
In July 2020, Nick received his first public appointment, as a member of the Advisory Board for the Children's Commissioner for England. He also served as a lay member of the General Assembly of the University of Manchester from 2011 to 2019.
Nick lives in Cheshire in North West England and is a graduate of the universities of Oxford (law) and Harvard (public policy).
Professor Kay Bond is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED). She has extensive experience of working with IMechE and IED, particularly in the area of academic assessment and more recently has been serving on IMechE accreditation panels. Kay has extensive knowledge and experience in development and delivery of an engineering curriculum portfolio area in previous roles as Faculty Director of Academic Quality and Enhancement and Faculty Curriculum Development Manager.
At TEDI-London, Kay is responsible for leading the academic team in delivering a curriculum that empowers a diverse cohort of students, providing them the skills to solve complex contemporary challenges through an interdisciplinary, project-based programme. Kay’s pedagogical interests particularly lie in learning outcomes-based and technology-enhanced education and assessment.
Jennifer Bradford is passionate about enabling engineers to create a more innovative sustainable future using Siemens Industry Software. Jennifer leads the curriculum management organization responsible for the development and maintenance of thousands of hours of innovative learning content for Siemens users and academic partners. Additionally, she sits on the Executive Committee for the Global Engineering Dean's Council (GEDC) and the Industry Advisory Council for ABET.
Jennifer spent her early career as a programmer and quickly realized her real passion was for teaching people to effectively harness the power of technology to drive meaningful, sustainable change. She has worked with various technology, non-profit and academic institutions throughout her career, in both instructional design and executive leadership capacities, always with the goal of empowering people to learn, teach and work in the ways that best support their goals.
Jennifer received her BS in Psychology from the University of Missouri, her MS in Instructional Design and Technology from Fontbonne University and certificates in Advanced Management and Data, Analytics and Interpretation from Washington University’s Olin Business School.
Mike is a Professorial Teaching Fellow at TEDI-London and has a strong track record in project-based learning and has published widely in innovations in engineering education. His technical subject area is in metallurgy and materials science, having worked in the steel industry before entering academia. In a previous role he was the Assistant Dean for Academic Development for the faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering & Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University of which he is now an Emeritus Professor.
Mike has been on Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) teams for Subject Review, Higher Education Review, Quality Review Visits and Quality and Standards Review for a wide range of Universities, further education colleges and alternative providers. He is a Governor at Northern College for Adult Education, Barnsley, and chairs its Curiculum and Quality Committee.
Mike is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and is also an active member and on the Board of the UK Engineering Professors’ Council, being also a member of its Recruitment and Admissions sub-committee.
Mike worked nationally as an Associate Director of the Materials Subject Centre from 2003 to 2012 at the University of Liverpool. Mike is also a National Teaching Fellow and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Rod has led digital transformation at FTSE100 Board level and has worked internationally in schools, colleges, and universities.
He is former President of Pearson's Global Online Learning business, including partnerships with Arizona State University and King’s College London, the operation of over 40 fully online schools. He was also President of Pearson UK, including publishing, assessment, the exam board Edexcel, and BTEC.
He is a Visiting Professor at University College London Institute of Education, a governor of Harlow College, a trustee at Education & Employers Taskforce and Honorary Group Captain in the RAuxAF. Rod is Chair of the Academic Advisory Board of education technology business Kortext.
Steve Bullock is Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol, and chairs the EPC’s Recruitment and Admissions Committee. He leads a large flagship design, build, and test unit which asks students to work in ‘companies’ of up to thirty to develop a 3m-span UAV, developing their professional competencies through authentic learning and assessment.
Steve directed Bristol’s Aerospace undergraduate programmes through COVID, and led the Faculty’s widening participation strategy for six years. Introducing new entry routes for a wider spectrum of prior qualifications, and working towards a flexible foundation year offering, his previous career as a secondary Head of Science has stood him in good stead in setting policy and supporting students in transition to higher education.
Through Bristol Flight Lab he has collaborated across the world on aerial data capture in hostile environments, and has research strands in humanitarian and conservation applications, as well as an interest in mitigation of non-CO2 emissions through climate-optimal routing and formation flight.
He has a range of sidelines in STEM engagement and communication, including creative engineering projects with Aardman, and ‘The Cosmic Shed’ podcast – like and subscribe!
Dr Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist, bestselling author, science and media pundit, sometimes comedian, and experienced psychiatry lecturer. He used to write the Guardian's most popular science blog, which led to the publication of his first book 'The Idiot Brain', which became an international success, resulting in him becoming a full time author in 2018.
Thomas Churchill is Alliance-Wide Quality Manager on the Transpennine Route Upgrade (West Alliance), a multibillion-pound transformative rail project between Leeds and Manchester. His role focuses on the challenges of embedding engineering excellence in the built environment and developing useful approaches to construction quality.
Thomas is committed to creating new models to proactively design for quality, sustainability and constructability, and enhance the role of assurance within the construction industry. Thomas sits as the Deputy Secretary on the Construction Special Interest Group (ConSIG) at the Chartered Quality Institute, where he is also a member of the Competency and Training Working Group.
He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management and is currently studying for a BEng (Hons), both from The Open University. He is due to take a place on the MSc(Eng) in Transport Infrastructure: Design and Construction in September 2023 at The University of Leeds.
Dr Andrew Clark is Director of Programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering, responsible for Enterprise, International and Research activities that promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of society. Before he joined the Academy in 2016, he worked at UCL as Director of Research Planning, supporting UCL’s research funding relationships, research strategy, and development of novel cross-disciplinary research programmes. He spent his early career at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, looking after manufacturing, design and healthcare engineering, as well as teaching philosophy of science at the University of Oxford and the Open University.
James is an expert in public policy and higher education, an experienced practitioner in business and strategy development, and interested in working with organisations who believe their work makes their places better.
He is the former Head of Sustainability, Policy, and Civic Engagement, at the University of Liverpool where he was responsible for their sustainability strategy, advising on issues across higher education, and leading the University’s civic engagement work. Throughout his career he has worked with a range of clients on business development, strategy, and stakeholder engagement.
Previously, James worked at NUS where he oversaw their governance reform, he has published a book on universities and their communities, and holds a Masters of Public Administration where he specialised in the economic resilience of the public sector after Covid, for which he was awarded a Distinction.
James specialises in developing civic projects through stakeholder engagement, policy development, and place-based analyses.
His work has included working with regional authorities on their sustainability and research strategies, engagement with local authorities on their arts and cultural offer, advising higher education bodies on policy issues, and as a writer for a number of publications including Wonkhe where he is their current Associate Editor for Research and Innovation.
Rob has 35 years of engineering experience gained in the defence, microelectronic and consumer product industries at 3 iconic companies; BAE Systems, STMicroelectronics and Dyson respectively.
Early career work pioneered decentralised navigation architectures applied to robotic systems. Latterly, at Dyson, he provided leadership for teams innovating robotic early conceptual research. As Product Technical Lead, he managed the application of those innovations to the 360Heurist, Dyson’s second automated vacuum cleaner on World-wide sale.
His public contributions include chairing advisory boards for EPSRC projects on ground-breaking research. These projects have resulted in successful exploitative and highly innovative companies, including SLAMCore and Opteran Technologies. For the IET he is a committee member of the Academic Accreditation scheme. He is also an active member of the Innovation Advisory Committee for Wales. For the UK government, he has collated and supported ‘calls for information’ for Parliament and House of Lords committees.
In 2017, Rob was awarded a RAEng Visiting Professorship at Imperial College London. He developed this role to engage with 29 national and international universities and supported teaching of over 60 different cohorts and over 2400 students. For the RAEng, Rob has served for over 3 years on the Visiting Professors Management Group. Here he has assisted in selecting over 70 RAEng Visiting Professors. He is a member of the EPC RIKT committee.
Rob is particularly interested in industry-academia interactions, and how university research and advanced technologies (including AI) can help grow and sustain economies and improve wealth and wellbeing of people!
ink has worked with WMG (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group) since 2013 where he has designed and delivered engineering education to degree apprentices, full time students as well as sponsored students. In the most recent years, he has developed and employed the use of educational technology to enhance the student experience for his subjects and modules. Rink was awarded a prize at the "Transforming Education Awards" by the University of Warwick Students Union for Student Communication in 2021.
Prior to his academic career, Rink had a long & diverse industry background where he held product development & manufacturing project positions in the fields of textiles, composites, pharmaceuticals, steel & even the finance sector. Rink is registered as a Chartered Engineer & is Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals (IOM3). Rink joined the Engineering Professors Council (EPC), as a member of the Engineering Education, Employability and Skills (EEES) committee in 2018.
Having worked at Cornell University and Cambridge's world-famous Cavendish Laboratory, Prof Donald is one of the leading physicists, specialising in 'soft matter' – a field that spans the gap between Physics and Biology. She was appointed a Dame in 2010 and is an outspoken commentator of the need for more women in science.
Professor Dame Athene Donald was awarded both her BA (Natural Sciences, Theoretical Physics) and PhD (in Physics) by the University of Cambridge, studying at Girton College. She then spent 4 years as a postdoctoral research associate in the USA at Cornell University in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, before returning to Cambridge where she has been ever since.
Initially holding an SRC fellowship in the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, she returned to the Cavendish Laboratory as one of the first generation of Royal Society University Research Fellows. Thereafter she was appointed a Lecturer in 1985, a Reader in 1995 and a Professor in 1998. A year later she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Her research field can best be described as soft matter and biological physics, including polymers, biopolymers and, most recently, cellular biophysics. From 1983-2014 she was a fellow of Robinson College.
She has been awarded a long list of prizes including: CV Boys Prize, Mott Medal and Faraday Medal (all from the Institute of Physics); the Bakerian Lecturer of the Royal Society in 2006; L’Oreal/UNESCO For Women in Science Laureate for Europe; and multiple honorary doctorates.
At The Times Higher Education Awards 2019, Athene received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her ‘indefatigable and pioneering’ efforts to push gender equality to the top of the science policy agenda, a topic that comes up frequently in her regular blogs and tweets.
She has also given evidence to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, for its ongoing inquiry into people and skills in UK Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the Commons Science and Technology Committee on diversity in STEM.
Dame Athene is married to Matthew Donald, a mathematician; they have two adult children, James and Margaret and two grandchildren.
Ian is first in his family to benefit from higher education. He has developed a passion for outstanding and wide access education that supports the ability of an individual to transform lives, both their own and their community. No compromise on quality, nor on outcomes.
As Provost for Coventry University Group, Ian is Chief Academic Officer and drives the highest standards of academic excellence across all provision. Coventry University Group includes Coventry University, Coventry University London Campus Ltd, Coventry University College Ltd, Coventry University Online Ltd and 17 other entities. Coventry University is developing an enviable reputation for the quality of its research, focussed on impactful answers to some of the most difficult interdisciplinary problems. Coventry has an long standing record for links to industry and for its enterprise and innovation agenda. All of this is conducted in a profoundly global sense; teaching, research and knowledge transfer.
Ian is proud to be described as a disruptor in UK Higher Education and led the development of Coventry University College in 2011. This lower cost, flexible model of higher education was specifically designed to support near open access to higher education specifically for more mature learners. More recently in 2017 he led the creation of Coventry University Online and the partnership with FutureLearn. Developing great online learning degree courses as well as micro-credentials turned out to be very useful as education moved into remote teaching in early 2020. The next challenge is how online and on-campus blend to suit each individual circumstance. Ian works extensively with EdTech organisations and has chaired the publication of a number of green papers exploring ideas for the next few years.
In 2016 Ian was voted “Inspiring Leader of the Year” at the UK Guardian Higher Education Awards.
Ian is very engaged in his local communities through schools, justice and charity.
As Chief Academic Officer in the UK's first fully independent greenfield HE provider in 40 years, I have a rewarding and busy time leading the academic, quality assurance, student experience and registry teams. My approach to higher education leadership draws on a career that has spanned production engineering, research, commercial leadership in engineering, and approaching 15 years as an academic. I love working with students now as much as I did when I was a postdoc, and am as passionate about the future of engineering as I was when I was an apprentice. Come and say Hello.
A Mechanical Engineer by training, Dr Ruth Graham specialised in aeronautical fatigue, working with BAE SYSTEMS for a number of years. In 2002 she moved to Imperial College London and later became Director of the EnVision project, which sought to transform the undergraduate education across the universtity’s Faculty of Engineering.
Ruth has worked as an independent consultant since 2008. Her work is focused on fostering change in higher education across the world, helping to improve teaching and learning worldwide. Ruth’s recent projects have included:
•a global initiative to improve the reward and recognition of teaching in higher education that is now supporting reform to academic career pathways at over 50 universities worldwide (www.advancingteaching.com);
•a global study on the lessons learnt from the current period of ‘emergency teaching’ resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and how this might impact the trajectory of engineering education in the future (www.ceeda.org);
•a cross-institutional and multi-year survey to capture and track the culture and status of teaching amongst faculty, in which 21 universities from 10 countries are participating (www.teachingcultures.com).
Further details can be found on Ruth’s website – www.rhgraham.org – which provides an outline of recent projects as well as copies of her published reports.
Sarah Jayne Hitt, Ph.D. SFHEA specialises in the integration of the arts, humanities and social sciences within engineering education, especially focussing on ethics and communication.
She has served as project manager for the EPC’s Ethics and Sustainability Toolkit initiatives, is Transferable Skills Lead for the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology at NMITE and is Visiting Professor in the School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University.
She has led national and international workshops on interdisciplinary learning and teaching and worked with academic and industry partners on various engineering education initiatives. She has recent publications in the International Journal of Engineering Education and The Journal of Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education.
Catherine did her first degree in Mathematics at Warwick University then went on to the University of Liverpool to do a PhD in the mathematics of robotics before going into an academic career. She has worked at a number of UK universities and is currently Academic Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing at Coventry University. Externally she is a Vice President of the London Mathematical Society and a member of the EPC Board. Her interests are in engineering and mathematics education in HE. She also has a keen interest in equality, diversity and inclusion in STEM disciplines.
Phil is responsible for qualifications that sit within the creative subjects such as Art & Design, History of Art, Design & Technology, Music Technology and Music, but also Business and Economics. His role focuses on providing support to teachers of Pearsons’ qualification suite, but also on the strategy and education leadership for the future of qualifications in these subjects. He is currently working with the Department for Education and a consortium of organisations to envision a new future for design and engineering education for UK secondary schools.
Prior to joining Pearson, Phil spent 14 years championing the very best for Design & Technology and Engineering education as a D&T teacher, subject lead, assistant head, and education consultant, working at schools in both the independent and state sector across South London, Kent and Surrey.
Between 2012 and 2016 he founded and led a company called Teach Design, which provided free at the point of demand training and support to design, technology and engineering teachers with an ethos of “For teachers, by teachers”, which led to a national accreditation for social innovation through the London Schools Excellence Fund programme.
Haritha is a PhD student at the Future Infrastructure and Built Environment (FIBE2) CDT at the University of Cambridge. Haritha's project is focused on the digitization of industrial facilities, and it is conducted in partnership with AVEVA and BP, and supervised by Dr Ioannis Brilakis. This project aims to facilitate the automated creation of digital twins of industrial assets using point cloud scans, to assist industrial facility owners in managing operations of complex facilities.
Dr Annabel Kiernan is Pro Vice-Chancellor - Academic at Staffordshire University where her focus is delivering on the University’s strategic priorities, specifically around next generation education and experience. Dr Kiernan joined Staffordshire University in May 2021. She previously worked at Nottingham Trent University as Deputy Dean for the School of Social Sciences, leading their Education portfolio.
She is committed to improving access and inclusion in education, innovative teaching, and the student experience. Dr Kiernan is helping to raise the profile of Staffordshire University nationally through workstreams with the Purpose Coalition, Million Plus, Universities UK, ResPublica and the Department for Education.
Dr Kiernan is an advocate of microcredentials – small bite sized units of learning which differ is size, complexity and duration from traditional qualifications – and their ability to play a key part in addressing current and future skills gaps.
In keeping with the University’s own work to develop the portfolio of the future, Dr Kiernan is leading the University’s development of microcredentials in collaboration with Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and SMEs.
As part of Dr Kiernan’s remit to refresh the University’s academic strategy, she is helping to position Staffordshire Centre of Learning and Pedagogic Practice (SCoLPP) as a sector influencing pedagogic research and evaluation group.
She is also leading the development of the University’s shift towards hyper-personalised learning using AI functionality and represents the University in the Student Support Re-design project led by HE Student Support Champion, the Student Support Network and Advance HE.
She has also led Staffordshire University’s submission for the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023. Dr Kiernan, who has a PhD in policy making theory from the University of Warwick, has extensive experience of the Higher Education and has worked as Head of Education for the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she was also the Director of the Centre for the Study of Football and its Communities. She has also held posts at Sheffield Hallam University and at the University of the West of Scotland, where she was Jean Monnet Chair of European Integration and Public Policy.
Professor Carl Lygo is the Vice Chancellor of Arden University, Chairman of the University of Europe based in Germany, an advisory board member of the Higher Education Policy Institute and a Professional Conduct Panel member of the Teaching Regulation Agency in England.
Carl practised as a Barrister and was included in The Lawyer magazine’s Hot 100 Lawyers. He was the founding CEO and Vice Chancellor of BPP University where he spent 21 years, creating the UK’s first for-profit University. He was CEO of BPP Holdings plc a FTSE 350 listed company. He has served as a Board member of HEFCE, the Judicial Studies Board, the General Chiropractic Council, UCFB, Doncaster Rovers Belles and was a founding board member of the new regulator for Higher Education in England, the Office for Students (OfS). Carl also was the founding chairman of a new multi academy trust dedicated to providing for disadvantaged pupils in Folkestone, Kent. Carl holds the Gold Award from the Association of Colleges, a companion of honour of the Chartered Management Institute and was awarded a life time achievement award from Education Investor.
John E. Mitchell is Professor of Communications Systems Engineering in the UCL Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and Co-director of the UCL Centre for Engineering Education. Between 2012 and 2016 he was on secondment to the UCL Engineering Sciences Faculty office, where he led the introduction of the Integrated Engineering Programme, a major revision of the curriculum across the engineering faculty. In 2018 he was part of the team was awarded the HEA Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE). He has published widely on curriculum development, active learning and issues of diversity within engineering education. From 2015 to 2022 he was Vice-Dean Education of the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences. Professor Mitchell is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Vice-President of the Engineering Professors’ Council, Member at Large of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Education Society and was until recently a Member of the Board of Directors of the European Society for Engineering Education. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Education.
Sue is an Educational Developer, which means she works across all disciplines as a 'critical friend in the academy'. Her background is in language teaching and information systems engineering which led to a PhD in Educational Technology. One of her formative roles in higher education was working with academics at the Engineering Subject Centre & CELT to develop pedagogic research. This involved persuading them that qualitative approaches had value, weren't just anecdotal, and could sit nicely alongside the quantitative data they loved! Sue enjoys those culture clash conversations that challenge us all to think.
Rajay Naik is Chief Executive Officer of Skilled Education which designs, markets and delivers online courses and degrees for partners including the University of Cambridge, LSE and British Government. He is also Chairman of the Commission on Lifelong Learning, Partner of Networked People, board member of Nexford University and governor of the Ditchley Foundation. Rajay was formerly Global CCO of Study Group and prior to that Founder and CEO for four years at Keypath Education. For five years he was Director of The Open University where he was a key architect of the FutureLearn MOOC platform. Previously he was a member of the cross-party Higher Education Review chaired by Lord Browne, board member of Coventry City Football Club and Chairman of the Big Lottery Fund which invests over £1.5bn per year.
James joined NMITE in April 2020 as Chief Operating Officer, however, in September 2022 he was asked by the Board of Trustees to step up into the role of President & Chief Executive.
Prior to joining NMITE, James worked for the University of Surrey in a range of roles involving the leadership of teams responsible for most non-academic aspects of the University’s activities including Estates, IT, Commercial Services, Community relations, Fundraising and Institutional Governance. In his final year at Surrey, he led an organizational change team to reshape the University to prepare it to meet the challenges facing the Higher Education sector in the coming months.
In addition to his role at Surrey, James has worked with other Higher Education institutions as an advisor on organizational change and as a trustee of their Students’ Unions. This combined his HE and governance experience with his desire to work closely with students to improve the universities they attended.
James specializes in organizational development and business change having worked with a number of organisations on restructuring projects. He is also a data compliance specialist so spent considerable time working on projects across the HE sector to prepare universities for the changes resulting from the introduction of the GDPR regulations in 2018.
Prior to joining the University sector, James worked in High Street retailing splitting his time between working in operations for companies such as WH Smith Limited and running his own businesses.
He has a degree in Chemistry from the Open University and an MBA.
Professor Phil Newton is a neuroscientist from the Swansea University Medical School. His research focuses in evidence-based approaches to learning, teaching and assessment in Higher Education, with a particular focus on Academic Integrity. He is scared of ChatGPT, and doesn't mind who knows it.
Jesse Norman was appointed Minister of State in the Department for Transport on 26 October 2022.
He was previously Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office from 7 September 2022 to 26 October 2022. Before that, he was Financial Secretary to the Treasury from 2019 to 2021, where he managed the COVID-19 furlough scheme and set up the UK Infrastructure Bank.
Jesse has been the MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire since 2010.
Jesse was previously Paymaster General, and held ministerial roles in the Department for Transport, and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. As a backbencher, he was a member of the Treasury Select Committee 2010 to 2015, and Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in 2016 to 2017. Jesse was made a Privy Councillor in 2019.
Before entering politics Jesse was a Director at Barclays. He also researched and taught philosophy at University College London, and ran a charitable project in Communist Eastern Europe.
Jesse is the author of numerous books and pamphlets, including ‘Compassionate Conservatism’, ‘Edmund Burke: Politician, Philosopher, Prophet’ and ‘Adam Smith: What He Thought, and Why It Matters’, which won a Parliamentary Book Award in 2018. Jesse was Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year and The House Backbencher of the Year in 2012.
Jesse has degrees in Classics (Oxford University: MA) and philosophy (University College London: MPhil, PhD). He has held various academic research fellowships, and was elected as a Two-year Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford in 2022. Jesse is an enthusiastic cyclist, hill-walker and amateur jazz musician.
Dr Anne Nortcliffe is the Founding Head of School of Engineering, Technology and Design, Under Anne’s leadership and stewardship the new facilities at Canterbury Christ Church University have been designed and deliver an equal, diverse and inclusive learning experience through CDIO framework curriculum approach developed by MIT. The CDIO approach adopted by the school is unique in that the projects are typically sourced from local and national industry. The School inclusive approach is to develop inclusive engineering education, research and innovation capability that provides inclusive industry ready graduate talent pipeline for regional and national economic growth. Anne has been recognized nationally, in 2022 the Winner of Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering Awards for her Contribution to Gender Diversity and 2021 Winner of Engineering Talent Awards Executive Leader of the Year for leading on equality diversity and inclusion in engineering. Anne is an experienced and internationally published researcher and developer of engineering education, passionately working with colleagues and students in researching and developing good practice engineering and computing education.
Stuart is a senior consultant in education for Advance HE where he is leading the review and update of the Student Success Framework series. Stuart has worked in Academia since 2003, joining the Higher Education Academy in 2016 (merged in to Advance HE during 2018). Stuart supports a range of institutions, discipline communities and individual academic and professional services staff through a variety of member benefits, direct events, and consultancy interventions. His work also includes international and regional initiatives regarding employability where he has worked in the Middle East and in a number of African countries. Stuart’s role is diverse and transitions across the core thematic areas of student success, where he takes a keen role in supporting sector-wide learning and teaching policy.
Quanser is the global standard in engineering lab equipment for teaching and research, specializing in Controls, Robotics, and Mechatronics.
Quanser partners with universities around the world to develop engineering platforms that accelerate research and transform educational experiences.
Neil Raynor is an experienced professional with a strong background in the field of education. With a career spanning over two decades, Neil has dedicated his expertise to vocational courses and apprenticeships within the education sector.
Neil's journey began by focusing on vocational courses at levels 2 and 3. He quickly gained valuable experience managing NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) and apprenticeship programs within Further Education (FE) institutions. His passion for education and commitment to providing quality learning opportunities led him to a managerial role at Manchester College, where he was the Divisional Manager of the Computing Higher Education department.
During his tenure at Manchester College, Neil managed foundation degrees and honours degrees in programming and networking. Additionally, he took charge of adult education programs, offering level 2 and 3 courses. During this time, Neil immersed himself in the intricate and regulated world of apprenticeships, gaining invaluable knowledge and expertise.
Seeking new challenges, Neil transitioned to a different organisation where he was crucial in establishing and running higher apprenticeships, specifically for the Lloyds Banking Group.
Neil then ventured into Higher Education Institutions, and over the past five years, he has worked for three different HEIs, showcasing his versatility and adaptability. Neil has excelled both in the professional services and academic aspects of degree apprenticeships.
With his wealth of experience and comprehensive understanding of apprenticeship programs, Neil Raynor continues to make a positive impact in higher apprenticeships at the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick, where he currently works as an Assistant Professor - Teaching Focused (Apprenticeships).
Lily is a Head of Faculty for Engineering, Automotive and Motorsport at Wiltshire College and University Centre, and has over 8 years experience of teaching both Further and Higher Education.
As Head of Faculty, Lily has responsibility for the faculty curriculum and provision for pre-16 learners up to apprentices and Higher Education, which has recently involved the change and implementation of curriculum from BTEC to T-levels. The Engineering and Manufacturing T-levels are delivered across two campuses in the county, with four specialisms being taught from the various options.
Lily is also a PhD student at the University of the West of England, is an external examiner for WJEC and is a Governor at WCUC.
My name is Andrew Redfearn, Academic Customer Success Engineer at MathWorks. I’ve worked at MathWorks for five years, where most of this time was spent teaching our commercial customers how to use our software effectively (MATLAB and Simulink). I am now part of the academic team responsible for supporting academic customers in UK, Ireland, and the Nordics. I enable educators who use our software to teach students new concepts and skills in engineering and science.
As well as his role with the EPC, Johnny Rich is well known across the higher education sector as a high-profile commentator on policy issues as well as the chief executive of student advice and outreach organisation Push, as a consultant working in education and careers, and as an author.
Before joining the EPC, Johnny has already worked on many issues of concern to our members. Over the past 25 years, he led Push’s research – such as on drop-out rates and student debt – which has had direct impacts on policy.
Johnny’s thought leadership, such as his papers for a graduate levy and a national access fund (2018) and on employability (2015) for the Higher Education Policy Institute, have been influential throughout the sector. Policy issues are also a significant part of his consultancy work, along with communications. His clients have included the European Commission, HEFCE, U-Multirank, as well as many universities, recruiters and charities.
He’s a regular speaker at conferences, awards and in schools. In 2013, his novel A Human Script was published.
My name is Ahmed Faraidoon Sidiq, I am passionate and dedicated engineer who holds a Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering that I obtained back in Iraq and a Master's degree in Oil and Gas Management, with distinction, from Teesside University. During my academic journey, I've gained an immense amount of knowledge regarding the petroleum industry and related fields, which sparked my interest in environmental sustainability and carbon sequestration.
As part of my thesis work, I researched and worked on the concept of enhance weathering, which involves the use of natural minerals to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in solid form. Through my research, I've gained extensive knowledge about the process of carbon sequestration and how it can help mitigate the impacts of climate change. I also developed a deep understanding of the importance of preserving our planet for future generations and making it a better place to live in.
My work on enhance weathering and carbon sequestration has not only expanded my knowledge in the field, but also inspired me to take action towards creating a more sustainable and resilient future. I am passionate about applying my knowledge and skills to contribute to environmental conservation efforts and drive positive change in my community.
Through my academic achievements and dedication to environmental sustainability, I have demonstrated my commitment to excellence and my passion for making a difference. I am a motivated and innovative thinker who is poised to make significant contributions in the fields of energy and sustainability
Vivienne Stern took up the role of UUK Chief Executive in September 2022. She was previously the Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) which represents UK universities around the world and works to enable them to flourish internationally.
Vivienne has over 20 years’ experience of working in higher education policy and politics at national and international level. Prior to her role in UUKi, Vivienne was Head of Political Affairs at Universities UK, and led the sector’s response to several major pieces of legislation relating to universities. Before that she worked for the Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee, and as policy specialist working on topics including quality, student experience, innovation and university-business links.
Vivienne is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, where she studied English Literature.
Vicki Stott was appointed Chief Executive of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in November 2021, after joining the Agency in 2019 as Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive. Vicki is the first woman to be appointed Chief Executive at QAA, and holds extensive experience in the higher education sector, including previous roles at St Hugh’s College Oxford, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Warwick. Vicki is also a Board Member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), as well as an International Advisory Board Member of TKTA, The Education Quality Insurance Agency of Azerbaijan
Mike is currently President of the Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC) as well as Head of the School of Engineering at Arden University. He is an experienced senior university leader and engineering academic – gained across institutions ranging from Russell Group to modern and challenger universities. He has played a leading role in the New Approaches to Engineering Higher Education programme and has led on a high profile policy paper for successful engineering degree apprenticeships. More broadly, his achievements include attaining global top 25 status and a top three position in the UK in research (University of Manchester), as well as creating and revitalising curricula. He has received awards for his teaching and research and played a leading role in attaining New Degree Awarding Powers at an innovative new higher education institution wholly focused on engineering education (TEDI-London). Mike has also led on establishing strategic collaborative partnerships with industry, as well as establishing a UK-wide academic chemical engineering community.
Professor Lisa Taylor, PhD, MSc BSc (hons), NTF, SFHEA
Professor of Employability and Learning Innovation, and Associate Dean for Employability for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, at the University of East Anglia, UK.
Lisa is passionate about employability and learning innovations, has written three books, and publishes and presents widely. Lisa was awarded an Advance HE National Teaching Fellowship for her sustained and impactful work within employability in 2021. Lisa created the multi award-winning Peer Enhanced e-Placement (PEEP) – a work-based learning placement model delivered entirely online which has now been adopted widely across professions within the higher education sector.
When the opportunity to join the Royal Academy of Engineering came in 2021 to head up education and skills policy, Juliet leapt to the challenge. She exited her role in UK government as Head of Youth Skills Policy at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, where she worked across government and with the National Cyber Security Centre to develop policy and programmes to help reduce a critical gap in the current and future market for cyber security skills.
At the Royal Academy of Engineering, she’s working with multiple teams and wider stakeholders to re-define engineering skills for the 21st century, part of which includes a project to transform how we educate and train our undergraduate engineers across UK universities so that they graduate well equipped to design, build and manufacture a net positive world.
With over 30 years’ experience of driving policy change, strategy, business development and programme delivery for science and engineering organisations, she’s motivated by innovation and transformation - and above all by driving impact for societal benefit. She’s led projects to develop a new vision for science and maths education for the Royal Society, undertaken research and programme development to stimulate public engagement by UK researchers, promoted engineering for global construction company, Balfour Beatty, and as part of a senior team at the Engineering Council, transformed the engineering profession and its structures in 2002, creating sister organisation, Engineering UK. She is also vice-chair of the governing board of a 4-primary school network in London and a trustee of the charitable foundation, the IBMUK Trust.
Karen Usher, DL had a very successful career as an entrepreneur in Washington, D.C. where she still maintains a Human Resources outsourcing business. Semi-retiring to the UK in 2004, she recently completed her 10-year role as Founding Director for NMITE, Herefordshire’s new engineering HEI. She has served as a Founder of Dorstone’s Front Room, a governor for the Hereford Cathedral School, a governor for Peterchurch Primary School and other community and educational efforts. A keen gardener, she is spending increasing time focusing on how to support the uptake of sustainability efforts within domestic settings. Karen continues to serve as an Ambassador for NMITE and a Trustee of the Spectris Foundation which supports STEM education internationally.
I am a Product Design Engineering student with an interest in sustainability, inclusive design and quality. After graduation I will be working in Strathclyde Students'Union as Vice President Education helping to improve the educational experience.
This year’s award has received an unprecedented number of submissions, to view the 12 longlisted finalist posters and their 100 word summaries please click on the icons below:
Longlisted posters
Kadiri Adebowale Abioye
This project involves identification, testing, and providing proof of concept of a non-fossil coal that can be used to power trains used in the heritage rail sector. This project also tends to investigate the use of an alternative fuel made from non-fossil coal that could be beneficial for other heavy duty sector such as the steel industry. This project will maintain the long-standing legacy of the UK Heritage rail sector thus boosting the tourism industry. Also. this project aligns with decarbonizing initiatives for all sectors of the economy meeting the net zero target by 2050 nationally and globally.
Humaira Ahmad
The cement industry is accountable for 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, the reliable properties of cement and its relatively low cost, make this material extremely difficult to replace. An alternative is to look at sustainable aggregates which would lower the content ratio of cement used to make concrete and masonry blocks. IBAA (Incinerator Bottom Ash Aggregate) is a sustainable and recycled material derived from the incineration of non-recyclable domestic waste, that can be mixed with limestone to produce an aggregate, reducing the demand for natural resources. The aim is to develop a concrete mix design for masonry blocks that uses IBAA to reduce embodied carbon, which will be researched as part of my final year project. The objectives include, to produce several mix design samples with different IBAA content by following requirements set by the British Standard in BS EN 12390. To evaluate the most appropriate IBAA replacement ratio which results in the greatest mechanical and durability characteristics. To provide an applicable concrete mix design for cubes which can then be implemented in the manufacturing of masonry blocks.
Devjyoti Badal Das
The quest for human development has driven engineering advancements, tremendously shaping human society, economy and environment. However, these advancements negatively impact humanity, signifying the requirement of integrating both ethics and sustainability in engineering to make innovation a reality on a societal level and within organizations. To achieve this, it’s necessary to put humans at the centre of every engineering project for the common good of today and tomorrow. Further, tapping into ‘Collective Intelligence’ helps sustainability meet ethics by providing information flow from both the real and digital world to gauge current sustainability and predict what choices generate greater future sustainability.
Thomas Churchill The British railway network has over 20,000 miles of track, the vast majority of which uses ballast. Once ballast becomes saturated with contaminants such as diesel, it can no longer adequately drain, and would require maintenance and replacement. Track ballast can have a large carbon footprint through quarrying and transport, and presents human risk through operative exposure to railway. This poster presents a novel approach to lengthening the life of track ballast, and lowering contamination levels, through the prescribed addition of bioremediation agents and biosurfactants in ballast preparations prior to installation on track.
Hayden Clapham
Homelessness people lack access to basic needs and amenities. The cost-of-living crisis is driving up levels of homelessness. “Homeless Project Scotland” is a charity which works to eradicate poverty and inequality across Scotland. A team of undergraduate students, who became volunteers at the charity 18 months ago, are helping the charity to develop an app which will fulfil fundamental rights to those most in need. To do this, the app asks the public for the location of a homeless person they are concerned for. This project combines the power of software engineering with social enterprise to make the world a better place.
Rowan Cunningham “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw. Today, the act of play is bound to the elderly in their younger years, tying humanity to a lonely future in old age, which promotes Alzheimer’s, depression and other illnesses. This project aims to end the epidemic of isolation by bridging the ages with intergenerational play. Devices made from locally sourced, sustainable materials, will entertain young and old alike in community outdoor spaces; offering young people role models and improving the lives of older people in society.
Haritha Jayasinghe
Digital twins provide significant value for maintenance, retrofitting, enhancing operational safety and prevents failures with significant environmental impacts. However, digital twin creation is currently a labour and time-intensive process involving manual annotation of laser scans, incurring high costs. Such costs negate the perceived value of the digital twin. Thus, the need arises for a comprehensive methodology to facilitate the automated creation of comprehensive BIM models from scans, and to fuse other forms of data into these models to create geometric digital twins, with minimal manual intervention. This poster focuses on a methodology of automating the industrial facility digital twinning process.
Maisie Keogh
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability combined globally. With the financial costs of rehabilitation increasing and currently one physiotherapist for every 1,136 people in the UK, new and innovative methods of stroke rehabilitation are needed. A fusion of active tracking clusters and inertial measurement units provide a more complete model of biomechanical motion of the lower limbs. This method has been show effective when compared to the gold standard. When used in a rehabilitation gym environment it allows for real-time visual feedback of movement directly to the stroke survivor, thus reducing the reliance on physiotherapist presence.
Jade McMorland
Offshore wind is booming! We are seeing an increase in the number of sites, an increase in turbine capacity and an increase in the distance to shore and water depths we can now exploit. However, this now introduces a new set of challenges, especially in maintaining these expensive assets. Distance to shore and water depth decreases our accessibility to site. In addition, the increase in installed capacity is expected to result in an increase in curtailment. This work rebrands curtailment as an “opportunity” to perform maintenance to keep the turbines turning when market conditions are more profitable.
Francis Okeke
The quest for sustainable buildings has gained traction due to escalating negative environmental impacts of conventional building types made of concrete. With the global target of energy saving and decarbonizing the building sector, there is need to find alternative supplementary cementing materials (SCM) as whole or partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement. This systematic review evaluates experimental studies focused on agro-waste (corncob) applications in concrete production. The study result concludes that SCM contributes to the resolution of landfill problem, reduction in building material cost, provides a satisfactory solution to environmental issues of CO2 emission, waste management and enhance indoor microclimate.
Ahmed Sidiq
Due to massive emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) from different sources, issues like climate change and global worming received considerable amount of attention in last few decades. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies is one of the techniques that used to reduce the amount of GHG in atmosphere. In this study, enhanced weathering has been used as CDR technology to sequestrate carbon dioxide. Life cycle assessment used to determine the environmental impact of implementing Scott Bros company’s product which is fine waste clay (filter cake). filter cake assumed to be spread in Northeast England agricultural lands and by 2050, it estimated to sequestrate 1,629,846.83 tones of net CO2.
Charlie Wilson
With increased focus on sustainability and more methods being developed to achieve it, how do we find the best solutions for our designs? There are many factors to consider when designing for sustainability and new solutions being developed all the time. This tool aims to guide designers through the process of picking solutions while giving them information on a wide range of sustainable design practices. Looking at the life cycle, business case and end-of-life, this tool aims to increase the sustainability of designs while cutting down on research time.
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The 2023 Congress theme is New Models, embodied in the fabric of our host, NMITE, who welcome us to their outstanding new sustainable Skylon campus in Hereford from 12th to 14th June.
*Programme subject to change.
The cement industry is accountable for 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, the reliable properties of cement and its relatively low cost, make this material extremely difficult to replace. An alternative is to look at sustainable aggregates which would lower the content ratio of cement used to make concrete and masonry blocks. IBAA (Incinerator Bottom Ash Aggregate) is a sustainable and recycled material derived from the incineration of non-recyclable domestic waste, that can be mixed with limestone to produce an aggregate, reducing the demand for natural resources. The aim is to develop a concrete mix design for masonry blocks that uses IBAA to reduce embodied carbon, which will be researched as part of my final year project. The objectives include, to produce several mix design samples with different IBAA content by following requirements set by the British Standard in BS EN 12390. To evaluate the most appropriate IBAA replacement ratio which results in the greatest mechanical and durability characteristics. To provide an applicable concrete mix design for cubes which can then be implemented in the manufacturing of masonry blocks.
The quest for human development has driven engineering advancements, tremendously shaping human society, economy and environment. However, these advancements negatively impact humanity, signifying the requirement of integrating both ethics and sustainability in engineering to make innovation a reality on a societal level and within organizations. To achieve this, it’s necessary to put humans at the centre of every engineering project for the common good of today and tomorrow. Further, tapping into ‘Collective Intelligence’ helps sustainability meet ethics by providing information flow from both the real and digital world to gauge current sustainability and predict what choices generate greater future sustainability.
The British railway network has over 20,000 miles of track, the vast majority of which uses ballast. Once ballast becomes saturated with contaminants such as diesel, it can no longer adequately drain, and would require maintenance and replacement. Track ballast can have a large carbon footprint through quarrying and transport, and presents human risk through operative exposure to railway. This poster presents a novel approach to lengthening the life of track ballast, and lowering contamination levels, through the prescribed addition of bioremediation agents and biosurfactants in ballast preparations prior to installation on track.
Homelessness people lack access to basic needs and amenities. The cost-of-living crisis is driving up levels of homelessness. “Homeless Project Scotland” is a charity which works to eradicate poverty and inequality across Scotland. A team of undergraduate students, who became volunteers at the charity 18 months ago, are helping the charity to develop an app which will fulfil fundamental rights to those most in need. To do this, the app asks the public for the location of a homeless person they are concerned for. This project combines the power of software engineering with social enterprise to make the world a better place.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw. Today, the act of play is bound to the elderly in their younger years, tying humanity to a lonely future in old age, which promotes Alzheimer’s, depression and other illnesses. This project aims to end the epidemic of isolation by bridging the ages with intergenerational play. Devices made from locally sourced, sustainable materials, will entertain young and old alike in community outdoor spaces; offering young people role models and improving the lives of older people in society.
Digital twins provide significant value for maintenance, retrofitting, enhancing operational safety and prevents failures with significant environmental impacts. However, digital twin creation is currently a labour and time-intensive process involving manual annotation of laser scans, incurring high costs. Such costs negate the perceived value of the digital twin. Thus, the need arises for a comprehensive methodology to facilitate the automated creation of comprehensive BIM models from scans, and to fuse other forms of data into these models to create geometric digital twins, with minimal manual intervention. This poster focuses on a methodology of automating the industrial facility digital twinning process.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability combined globally. With the financial costs of rehabilitation increasing and currently one physiotherapist for every 1,136 people in the UK, new and innovative methods of stroke rehabilitation are needed. A fusion of active tracking clusters and inertial measurement units provide a more complete model of biomechanical motion of the lower limbs. This method has been show effective when compared to the gold standard. When used in a rehabilitation gym environment it allows for real-time visual feedback of movement directly to the stroke survivor, thus reducing the reliance on physiotherapist presence.
Offshore wind is booming! We are seeing an increase in the number of sites, an increase in turbine capacity and an increase in the distance to shore and water depths we can now exploit. However, this now introduces a new set of challenges, especially in maintaining these expensive assets. Distance to shore and water depth decreases our accessibility to site. In addition, the increase in installed capacity is expected to result in an increase in curtailment. This work rebrands curtailment as an “opportunity” to perform maintenance to keep the turbines turning when market conditions are more profitable.
The quest for sustainable buildings has gained traction due to escalating negative environmental impacts of conventional building types made of concrete. With the global target of energy saving and decarbonizing the building sector, there is need to find alternative supplementary cementing materials (SCM) as whole or partial replacement of ordinary Portland cement. This systematic review evaluates experimental studies focused on agro-waste (corncob) applications in concrete production. The study result concludes that SCM contributes to the resolution of landfill problem, reduction in building material cost, provides a satisfactory solution to environmental issues of CO2 emission, waste management and enhance indoor microclimate.
