MPs learn about engineering at Southampton
Young engineers from the University of Southampton have showcased their research at Parliament to a range of politicians and a panel of expert judges, as part of SET for Britain.
Bioengineering Research Fellow Dr Alex Dickinson presented his work on ceramic hip replacements, which involves the application of materials science in the medical world. He studied at Southampton for his undergraduate degree, and then completed his PhD alongside a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Finsbury Orthopaedics Ltd.
"It was good to meet people and explain what we are doing," he says. "Although we didn't win any of the prizes this year, it was excellent experience for all the team at Southampton."
Alex enjoys taking part in outreach activities at the University, communicating the excitement of science and engineering to schoolchildren and other external audiences.
Also presenting at SET was Doctoral Prize Researcher Dr Nick Alderman; his research on light harvesting for low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells involves both engineering and chemistry. Among his visitors was city MP John Denman who studied Chemistry at Southampton.
"SET for Britain is an excellent opportunity to present my research to a wide audience, and I felt very privileged to be able to attend such a prestigious event. It was also a great chance to engage with other young career researchers and gain a wider insight into the cutting-edge research achieved within the UK."
Aeronautics and Astronautics PhD student Michele Stramacchia also took part in the event with another four University of Southampton postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers from different disciplines.
Andrew Miller MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, says "These early career scientists are the architects of our future and SET for Britain is politicians' best opportunity to meet them and understand their work."
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee runs the event in collaboration with the Institute of Physics, The Physiological Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society of Biology and the Society of Chemical Industry, with financial support from BP, Airbus/EADS, INEOS, AgChemAccess, Essar, the Institute of Biomedical Science, GAMBICA and WMG.