Reporter

Celebrating sport

19 July 2012

On 21 June, Sport Imperial held the annual Imperial ARCS (Appreciate, Recognise and Celebrate Sport) event bringing together over 140 guests including students, staff, coaches, officials, volunteers, sponsors and partner organisations, as well as   alumnus Simon Dennis, Great Britain team rower and Olympic gold medallist. The evening closed with the recognition of students Adam Scholefield and Melanie Wilson, have both been selected by Great Britain to represent our nation in the London 2012 Olympics. Adam is the Vice Captain of the Water Polo team and Melanie forms part of the Rowing squad. 

Read an interview with Imperial’s two Olympians.

Tags: Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, London 2012
Posted in Alumni, College, Research, Students, Uncategorized | No Comments »

The Mechanics of the Circulation

24 January 2012

A Second Edition of The Mechanics of the Circulation, written by Emeritus Professors Colin Caro, Bob Schroter, Kim Parker, (all Bioengineering), Emeritus Professor Anthony Seed (NHLI) and Emeritus Professor Tim Pedley, University of Cambridge, has been published, 33 years after it was first printed. Professor Ross Ethier, Head of the Department of Bioengineering, reflects on its importance to the field.

“The first edition of the book (known as CPSS to those “in the know”) was my faithful companion when I became interested in hemodynamics over 20 years ago. It was, and continues to be, the standard reference text for those that seek to understand both physical principles of blood flow and the biology and physiology of the cardiovascular system. It was distinguished by clear writing, a refusal to oversimplify the complexity of the subject (when relevant), and a holistic view of the field.

A measure of the impact of the book is to see how many colleagues at leading universities have a copy on their bookshelf. I have seen it in offices from Japan to Switzerland to America – a large footprint indeed!

The second edition is most welcome. It will introduce an entire new generation to the field, just as the first edition did many years ago.”

Tags: Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering
Posted in Alumni, College, Research, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Racing ace in Imperial pit stop

8 December 2011

The College has a long history of producing graduates who go on to work in Formula 1. Schumacher’s visit was organised by Petronas, who sponsor the Mercedes team and count a number of Imperial alumni amongst their staff.

Chemical Engineering student Tess Goh Fui Phing said: “I really enjoyed some of the insights Michael shared with us – it made me feel closer to the experience he has while out on the track.”

Mechanical Engineering student Christopher Martyr added: “It was a fantastic surprise. I thought it was really great of Michael and Jock to take that time out to speak to us.”

The students quizzed Michael on life inside the pit lane and you can read a selection of these questions below.

Why did you come back?

It was a combination of it being Ross Brawn [Mercedes Team Principal] who asked me to come back, of it being Mercedes and of feeling that at that moment I should go for it.

F1 teams have team mates, but often it’s a case of “team enemies” – how much data do you keep to yourself?

It can be team mates but it doesn’t need to be. And probably your first priority is to beat your colleague though. The data acquisition is open to everybody and is shared. You may have some personal secrets of how you’ve achieved something that you don’t feel you need to share with your colleague. At the end of the day you want to be better than your team mate, but concerning the car development, you are obliged and it’s in your own interest to communicate to the engineers and the team.  The quicker you can develop the car the better it is for the both of us. After that you can try to beat the other guy.

Out of your whole career, who was the best driver you came up against?

I’d have to rate Mika Hakkinen. He was extremely fast. There were many weekends when we seemed to have an edge on him in Friday practice, but come qualifying on Saturday he’d be matching our speed. He and McLaren managed as a team to raise their game and put the car together. The secret is to maximise your potential. The car has the potential to reach 100%, and it’s about how often can you hit this. Mika was very good at this and would often surprise us.

As a driver you really want to win, but is it not sometimes more satisfying to compete and not totally dominate a season?

It can be, yes.  This year I was fighting for fifth position with Lewis Hamilton in Monza, and it was a really nice battle. You can take more pleasure for yourself from that than from winning easily.

What are your views on where driver safety is now, and where it needs to be?

Safety has become a much higher priority since we lost Ayrton Senna. The goal is that no driver loses their life. Are we there yet? We have improved massively, and since that day we haven’t lost a life. But the point is that it’s still a possibility, so there’s constant development going on.  The crash tests the cars have to withstand these days are enormously high. Then it’s also about improving the circuits as well.

How are you preparing yourself for next season?

The offseason is much shorter these days. We had the last race the other weekend and now I’m taking some off time for 2-3 weeks to rest and relax and let the body and joints recover. Then at Christmas I’ll probably restart my fitness regime.

How long are you going to stay?

It depends on various factors. It’s a lot about how we develop as a team and if things go the right way in the future.

— Simon Watts, Communications and Development

Tags: Faculty of Engineering
Posted in Students | 1 Comment »

Editor’s Corner

3 November 2011

Good Cause

Over the last few weeks I’ve been inundated with stories of energetic pursuits that staff and students have been involved with, all in the name of charity. From students who worked in a sake-making factory in Japan over the summer to help the businesses recover from the devastation of the tsunami  to the group of intrepid explorers in the Faculty of Engineering who are taking on a 17-mile fundraising trek in Derbyshire this month.

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Tags: Faculty of Engineering, rector's scholarship fund, Student clubs and societies
Posted in College | No Comments »

New deputy principals appointed

17 October 2011

The Faculties of Natural Sciences and Engineering have announced new senior appointments.

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Tags: Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Shock Physics, Plasma Physics
Posted in College | No Comments »

Concrete structures expert recognised by leading institution

20 July 2011

Professor Nick Buenfeld (Civil and Environmental Engineering) has become a new Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering – he is among 59 new Fellows from around the world to be recognised this month.

Professor Buenfeld, who will take over from Professor David Nethercot as Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in September 2011, was recognised by the Academy for his research and consultancy work with industry on concrete structures, including bridges, tunnels, drydocks, offshore structures and major public buildings, focused on making them more sustainable, reliable, safe and durable.

Speaking about his award Professor Buenfeld said: “I feel very fortunate to be elected a new Fellow by an institution that plays such a vital role in advancing engineering in the UK and abroad. I am indebted to the excellent students and research assistants I have worked with over the years, who have helped to make this honour possible. This recognition is a pat on the back for my technical contributions in the fields of concrete technology and structural engineering. It also comes at a time when I am about to take on a new challenge, where my focus will move away from my own research to fostering excellence in the Department, building on the good work already done to provide an environment where students and staff can excel.”

Professor Jeff Magee, Principal of the Faculty of Engineering, adds: “Nick’s research ensures that these infrastructures, which we rely on so heavily, will be safe and last for years to come. I am delighted to hear that he has been made a new Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. It is an honour that is well deserved.”

— Colin Smith, Communications and Development

Tags: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Royal
Posted in College, Research | No Comments »

Building up experience

22 June 2011

Civil Engineering students donned hard hats and high-vis jackets last week, for Imperial’s Constructionarium 2011.

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Tags: Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Posted in College, Students | No Comments »

Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering

19 April 2011

Professor Nick Buenfeld, Professor of Concrete Structures, has accepted appointment as Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering with effect from 1 September 2011 for a period of five years. Professor Buenfeld will succeed Professor David Nethercot on his retirement. Professor Buenfeld joined the College in 1981 as a Research Assistant in the Department and, during this period, also gained his PhD. Following his SERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, he was appointed as lecturer in 1987, promoted to Reader in Concrete Structures in 1998 and then to professor in 2000.

Tags: Department of Civil and Enviornmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Posted in College, Research | No Comments »

Engineering world rankings

19 April 2011

The College was ranked fifth in the world for civil and structural engineering by the 2011 QS World University Rankings for Engineering and Technology. Imperial was also ranked seventh in the world for mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering; eighth for chemical engineering; ninth for electrical and electronic engineering and 15th for computer science and information systems. The QS rankings listed the top 50 highest scoring institutions in the world in each discipline.

Tags: Aeronautics, Chemical Engineering, Department of Computing, Faculty of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, QS rankings
Posted in College, Research | No Comments »

From candy floss to rock

7 April 2011

The earliest rocks in our Solar System were more like candy floss than the hard rock that we know today, according to research published in the journal Nature Geoscience on 27 March.

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Tags: Earth Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Posted in Research | No Comments »

One of the most inspirational women in the world

31 March 2011

A leading Imperial College London scientist was named by The Guardian newspaper as one of the top 100 women in the world for 2011.

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Tags: Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Materials, News
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Meet the Reader: Peter Pesl, Research Assistant (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

30 March 2011

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Tags: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Meet the Reader
Posted in Your Voice | No Comments »

Consultancy matters

30 March 2011

Professor David Nethercot, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is an active Imperial consultant. Professor Nethercot consults on the structural framework of commercial buildings, often acting as an expert witness in high profile trials where the design of a structure has been brought into question. He speaks to Reporter about the benefits of consultancy to industry and academia.

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Tags: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Inside Story
Posted in Your Voice | No Comments »

Student callers pitch in for fundraising

29 March 2011

Over the last eight weeks a team of 55 student callers has been involved in the College’s bi-annual telephone fundraising campaign. Working evenings and weekends to contact alumni across the world, the students have spoken to over 10,000 alumni, gaining pledges of more than £300,000. The money raised will help to ensure that the most academically able are able to study at the College, regardless of their financial circumstances. Niharika Midha, a Master’s student (Bioengineering), reports on her experience of being a student caller for the campaign:

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Tags: Alumni, Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Students
Posted in Alumni, Students, Your Voice | No Comments »

From the Asian elephant to the roadrunner

29 March 2011

The structures inside animals’ thigh bones that enable them to support huge loads, whilst being relatively lightweight, were revealed in research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B on 9 March. The researchers say their work could lead to the development of new materials based on thigh bone geometry.

(more…)

Tags: Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering
Posted in Research | No Comments »