faculty of technology newsletter, october 2013

Faculty of Technology

October 2013

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www.port.ac.uk/technology


Newsletter

OCTOBER 2013


Newsletter


October 2013

of 10


Welcome to the Faculty of Technology newsletter We’ve created this publication, because we’re keen to maintain good communications and to keep our colleagues up-to-date with news, important information and items of interest. It’s an experiment; we’re not sure how frequently to publish it or the best format for such a newsletter, so your feedback and suggestions will be gratefully received. If you have any ideas, suggestions or items for inclusion in future issues, please get in touch with our Web Communications Officer, Steve Fisher. Regards, Djamel Ait Boudaoud Dean of the Faculty of Technology

Contents

Welcome 2

Our new website 3

News items 4

33rd Annual Cement and Concrete Science Conference: Review 5

News items 6

ICG education outreach news 7

News items 8

Staff moves 9

Dates for your diary 9

Contact details 10


October 2013

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Our new website By now, you should all be familiar with the new, responsive design that has been applied to the homepage, top-level pages and course pages of the University of Portsmouth website. Research by our Corporate Communications and Web Teams originally sought to improve our course pages – by far the most visited pages on our site – to make them more informative, more appealing and to result in more Open Day visitors, more applications and more conversions. The new elements that have been developed and integrated into the pages, such as student feedback, Tutor’s Views and improved Facilities and Features boxes have been very well received. A huge task in itself, the central Web and Communications Teams are now working with the Web Communications Officers (WCOs) in each faculty to roll out the new design at faculty and department level. This includes everything from research groups to Staff Profile pages. Your Web Communications Officer, Steve Fisher has been working on the new department sites. He will have been, or will be in touch with Technology staff over the coming weeks to check with you the content of your Staff Profile page and any other pages that are important to your area of work. This is a great opportunity to both update and consolidate our primary online presence. Your patience while this work is carried out is greatly appreciated.


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News

RICS President surveys the scene On Wednesday 11 December 2013, Michael Newey, President of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Alumnus of the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying will give a public lecture at the University of Portsmouth. The title of the lecture is “The surveying profession; its role, its future and its significance to the economy and society.” It will consider the role of the property profession both in the UK and worldwide, its future growth and membership, its relationship with higher education and its broader contribution to the growth of the economy and the welfare of society. Admission is free. Book online at http://michaelnewey-esli.eventbrite.co.uk.

SPEC October update The regular Student Placement and Employability Centre (SPEC) email update is available to view online. It features news about visiting tutors, events, placement updates and information about the companies that are currently advertising placement opportunities.

Staff quiz The Faculty of Technology are entering 2 teams into the forthcoming Staff Quiz which is due to take place on Thursday 24 October at the Hub in Dennis Sciama building. The faculty teams are fully subscribed, but to find out about future events, email [email protected].

Programmer’s perfect performance On Saturday 5 October, at the University of Bath, a team of three students representing the School of Computing took part in United Kingdom and Ireland Programming Contest (UKIEPC). It was the first time students from The University Portsmouth had taken part in the contest and they performed well beating teams from Imperial, University College Dublin and University of Bath. The students were Todd Perry, Joshua Vowles and Katie Steele.

Keen coders top taster day On Wednesday 9 October the School of Computing ran a GamesCoder Programming Taster Day for 17 local secondary school pupils as part of its outreach activities. School staff and pupils enjoyed the session and gave very positive feedback.

Computing at Schools Portsmouth Hub launch The School of Computing will host the inaugural meeting of the Computing at Schools Portsmouth Hub on Wednesday 23 October. Teachers from local secondary and junior schools have been invited to attend to discuss how best to support the new computing curriculum in schools. To date 45 teachers have indicated they will be attending. The Portsmouth hub is co-led by Simon Marsden of Springfield School and Robert Topp of the School of Computing at the University of Portsmouth.

http://michaelnewey-esli.eventbrite.co.uk/

http://michaelnewey-esli.eventbrite.co.uk/

http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/home/?u=5a06b3f0848bd4c70b3abfbe7&id=e8c9b4f3e5

mailto:[email protected]


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Cementing relations The School of Civil Engineering and Surveying hosted the 33rd Cement and Concrete Science Conference on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 September 2013. The conference was organised by Dr Stephanie Barnett and is the annual symposium of the Cementitious Materials Group of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). This was the first time the event has been held in Portsmouth. Delegates from the UK and Europe and as far afield as the USA and China attended the event and enjoyed a full programme of recent research developments in cement and concrete. The main themes of the conference were alternative binders, sustainability and durability issues, waste immobilisation and cement microstructure. The conference included the Mellor Memorial lecture which was given by Bob Viles, Emeritus Chief Technologist at Fosroc International, who spoke about industrial applications of alternative cements. As well as the technical sessions, the conference dinner, held in the spectacular setting of HMS Warrior, was another highlight of the programme. In his summary of the event, Professor Mark Tyrer, Chair of the Cementitious Materials Group, wrote “Even by the standards set by previous meetings of the IOM3 Cementitious Materials Group, the 33rd CCS was an enormous success.”


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Cosmologists with 2020 vision The Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) at the University of Portsmouth is celebrating winning new funding from Hefce and a range of other sources to help its continued collaboration in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) until the year 2020. The survey is operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium, which uses a dedicated telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico to study the evolution and distribution of galaxies.The survey recently produced the largest-ever 3D map of the Universe, featuring 356,477 new massive galaxies and 73,297 new distant black holes. Professor Bob Nichol, of ICG, said: “We are proud to continue our long association with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which has become one of the best astronomical surveys of the sky today. Portsmouth became a member in 2006 and this latest investment will allow our researchers to engage in world-class research until 2020.” ICG is the UK’s only full member of the project.

Awards and Appointments Staff from the School of Engineering who have recently been awarded professional fellowships include Dr Sarinova Simandjuntak, Dr Andrea Bucchi, Mr Jonathan Rowe-Davison and Mr James MacMullen who have become Fellows of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA); Mr Manish Malik, who has become a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA); and Mr Rallis Papademetriou who became a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Visiting Professor at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) Professor Matthew (September 2013 – September 2014) has been awarded a Leverhulme Visiting Professorship.

Leading in low carbon construction In October, Dr Jiye Chen of the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying visited China as part of an EU funded trip to share research expertise with Chinese businesses. He advised on the manufacture of composite materials and building components for developing a low carbon construction industry in China. The aim was to speed up green industries by reducing energy usage and CO2 emission, reducing the death rate in earthquake zones and contributing to a low carbon building material market. Dr Chen said that through collaboration with Chinese institutes and industries, he hopes to bring research contracts into university and increase its global impact.

Fuelled for thought Petroleum Engineering students are being given the chance to enhance their practical knowledge and skills through training courses and oilfield visits organized by Course Leader, Dr Prashant Jadhawar and Senior Lecturer, Dr John Pucknell. Mr Temitope Ajetunmobi of Kappa Engineering delivered the training course on well testing (Saphire), production analysis (Topaze) and full field production history matching (Rubis) in early October. A group of experts led by Jose Antonio Arias from Schlumberger Limited (who have donated 50 software licences) will train students in the use of ECLIPSE, PETREL and TECHLOG software. Students will also visit Kimmeridge Bay reservoir, Wytch Farm Oilfield and Singleton Oilfield in order to improve their basic geological knowledge and gain first-hand experience of drilling and production processes.


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Local schools get visits from space Dr Claudia Maraston and Dr Daniel Thomas at the Institute for Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) have launched a new educational outreach activity for local primary schools. The programme called "A Visit from Space" will bring scientists into the classroom, making it easier for schools to access the resources and expertise of the ICG. A full morning of space-related activities for Key Stage 2 children (years 3-6) begins with a lecture on astronomy, followed by interactive activities using inflatable planets, a thermal camera and the Galaxy Zoo project. Starting in October 2013, "A Visit from Space" will be available to schools in Portsmouth and the local area.

Cake Sale On Friday 25 October, staff in the Computing and Maths (CAM) Office will hold a cake sale to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. Visit Lion Gate Building, from 9.30am (until they’re all gone).


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Movember Shaun Marriner, Senior Faculty Administrator has set-up a Movember team and is looking for ‘Mo Bros’ and ‘Mo Sistas’.

The goal of Movember is to "change the face of men's health." The annual, month-long event encourages the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other male cancer and associated charities. Sign-up, sponsor us or show us your support at http://uk.movember.com/team/1021705.

We’re moving On Thursday 7 November, the Faculty of Technology Office will relocate from the ground floor of Portland Building to Hippodrome House (above Sainsbury’s) on Guildhall Walk. Essential renovation works to Portland Building will follow the permanent relocation of the School of Architecture to the Eldon Building on Winston Churchill Avenue, and the temporary relocation of the School of Civil Engineering and Surveying to St Georges Building, opposite Portsmouth Grammar School later this year. Faculty staff including the Dean and Associate Deans, the Faculty Finance Office, Technology Student Recruitment Centre (TSRC) and Faculty Support staff email and telephone contact details will remain the same. Our temporary address will be Floor 3, Hippodrome House, Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth PO1 2RY.

Moodle drop-in sessions for staff Our Technology Faculty Online Course Developers, based in the Department for Curriculum Quality Enhancement (DCQE) at St Andrew’s Court, have organised a programme of drop-in sessions for members of staff to ask questions or find out more about the functions and features of Moodle. Sessions take place in the DCQE IT Training Room, Unit 5, St Andrew’s Court from 4pm to 5pm on Wednesdays 23 and 30 October, 6 and 20 November, and 4 December. For more details, email [email protected] or telephone extension 2934.

http://uk.movember.com/team/1021705



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Staff moves

• Helen Walker, Faculty Administrator and Secretary to Associate Dean (Academic), Tineke Fitch and Associate Dean (Students), Barbara Haward, started Monday 14 October 2013.

• Lucy Cotton, Secretarial Assistant for Learning at Work and Student Placement and

Employability Centre (SPEC) starts Tuesday 29 October 2013.

• Dr Nick Savage moved from the School of Engineering to become the Head of the School of Computing in September 2013. Former Head of School, Annette Wilso moves to become Principle Lecturer.

• Martin Colvill moved from the School of Engineering to become Faculty Technical

Resource Manager in August 2013.

Dates for your diary

• University Open Day, Saturday 2 November 2013, fifth and final University Open Day of 2013

• Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair, Wednesday 6 November 2013

• Should I do a Masters? Seminar, Friday 29 November 2013

• University closure, Monday 23 December 2013 – Wednesday 1 January, Christmas

and New Year break

• Department Open Days (Computing, Engineering), Wednesday 5 February 2014

• Department Open Days (Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Civil Engineering and Surveying), Saturday 15 February 2014

• Department Open Days (Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Civil Engineering

and Surveying), Wednesday 19 February 2014

This newsletter is published by the Faculty of Technology at the University of Portsmouth, which comprises The School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, The School of Computing,

The School of Engineering, The Learning at Work Department, The Department of Mathematics, and the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation.

Its content is intended for an internal audience of academic, technical and support staff who

work in Technology and in the departments that make-up our faculty.

To submit news items, diary dates or other information to be considered for future issues, please email [email protected].



October 2013

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Faculty Office (0.16)

Portland Building

Portland Street

Portsmouth, UK

PO1 3AH

+44 (0) 23 9284 2011

[email protected]



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faculty of technology newsletter, october 2013

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