Lancaster University’s Faculty of Science and Technology’s annual Celebration of Science event was once again a huge success, welcoming a fantastic keynote speaker, expert panellists and student competitors, all of whom helped to make the day memorable.

The day began with a welcome from Interim Executive Dean Professor Phil Barker, who introduced this year’s keynote speaker, Dr Lucy Rogers MBE. A Lancaster School of Engineering alumna and former judge on the BBC television programme “Robot Wars”, Dr Rogers’s talk explored her experiences of inventing and making, as well as reflecting upon her journey as a science communicator.

The event involved more than 60 postgraduate research students across all seven departments and schools in the Faculty, primarily through Poster and Speed Talk Competitions.

With more than 50 posters to peruse in George Fox Foyer, there was plenty for the audience to see and vote for as their favourite. Additionally, 14 students from across the Faculty also took part in the Speed Talk Competition, which gave them only three minutes each to explain their research. Despite fierce competition across both events, the winners of each element were selected as follows:

Poster Competition:

· Winner – Holly Barnett, Psychology

· Runners-up – Dan Naylor, Physics and Jewel Relampagos, Physics

Speed Talk Competition:

· Winner – Biney Effie Rebecca, Lancaster Environment Centre

· Runners-up – Haoxuan Qu, School of Computing and Communications, and Melzie Ghendrih, Physics

At the end of the event, the Dean’s Award winners were also announced. The Dean’s Awards are an annual celebration of PhD students deemed to have excelled in their year of study for a variety of reasons, such as the rigour of their research or their enthusiasm for public engagement. The winners of this year’s Dean’s Awards (and recipients of the Dean’s Award prizes) were:

· 1^st Year PhD student Callum Bell, Physics

· 2^nd Year PhD student Ella Mann-Andrews, Physics

· 3^rd Year PhD student Sofia Midauar Gondim Rocha, Lancaster Environment Centre

All prizes were presented by Professor Debbie Costain, Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies, and Professor Phil Barker.

In addition to the student-focused elements of the day, many members of staff were also involved in the delivery of sessions over the course of Celebration of Science. Ten staff members across all departments were experts and chairs on the two panels “Innovating Planetary Repair” and “Future Technologies”, sharing information and discussing audience questions about these vital topics.

Every department also offered an interactive display over lunch to showcase some of the amazing research they are undertaking, from a VR experience of sound within the womb and 3D printed lithophanes designed to help the visually impaired experience art, to a photography exhibition of limestone pavements and a talking social robot. The final session of the event invited five research-only members of staff to speak about where their research might lead in 20 years’ time. This fascinating leap into the future gave the audience plenty to think about.

Dr Lucy Rogers MBE, keynote speaker said: “It was a real pleasure to return to Lancaster and be part of the Celebration of Science. What struck me most was the interdisciplinary collaborations across the University. It’s exactly that kind of cross-pollination that leads to new ideas and unexpected breakthroughs, and was a delight to see.”

Interim Executive Dean, Professor Phil Barker added: “Celebration of Science is always a window onto the wonderful interdisciplinary science and technology we have in the Faculty. This year took that to a new level through creating a supportive, but critical, framework for discussion of difficult topics. We heard many different voices and thoughtful insights into some challenging, impactful and inspirational new research.”