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Aston University bioenergy expert appointed to Department for Transport Science Advisory Council
Professor Thornley is director of the Energy and Bioproducts Institute at Aston University and the national Supergen Bioenergy Hub She is an international leader in assessing the sustainability of energy systems The Science Advisory Council provides independent, strategic advice and challenge to the Department for Transport. Bioenergy expert and director of the Energy and Bioproducts Institute at Aston University, Professor Patricia Thornley, has been appointed to the science advisory council of the Department for Transport (DfT). Professor Thornley is an international leader in assessing the sustainability of energy systems. Her work contributes to the understanding of how to best use low-carbon technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. Her work is particularly influential in advising government on energy policy and supporting engineering deployment of low-carbon energy solutions in the UK and worldwide. The Science Advisory Council is a council of external experts who provide independent, strategic advice and challenge to the DfT on science and technology – speaking directly to decision-makers on some of the most important issues of the day that are relevant to the department’s policy and operations. Speaking on her appointment, Professor Thornley said: “I am delighted to take up this role and further develop the links between Aston University and the Department for Transport. "We already engage closely with departments across Whitehall to ensure policy is sustainable and fit for purpose in a net zero world. I’m excited to work with such esteemed colleagues on the DfT Science Advisory Council and to deepen the important relationship between policy and research.” The council examines how science and innovation can support policy in specific areas, working with officials to frame the policy issue and consulting additional subject-specific experts to bring new thinking and evidence into DfT. As a member of the Science Advisory Council Professor Thornley will support the Chief Scientific Adviser in ensuring departmental activity is informed by the best external expertise and evidence, advising and challenging the nature and quality of the DfT’s use of science and technology and identifying relevant emerging issues and trends. Professor Thornley has been recruited alongside four other new members and a new Chair, joining six continuing members. Department for Transport Chief Scientific Adviser, Sarah Sharples, said: “I’m pleased to welcome the new members appointed to the Science Advisory Council. They bring significant additional expertise in key areas that will support DfT’s effective use of science and engineering. "I look forward to working with them.” Professor Thornley’s appointment is for a four-year term ending in 2025.
Research offers larger implications for health care environments Some of the most dangerous contaminants aren’t visible to the naked eye, but Georgia Southern University researchers are working to protect construction workers from this invisible danger. In the construction world, chronic exposure to crystalline silica, which is present in dust particles created from drilling, grinding and sawing on job sites, can lead to serious medical issues and preventable fatalities. Atin Adhikari, Ph.D, associate professor in Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, has been awarded a $28,400 grant from Poma 22, LLC, to test new air curtain technology that could protect construction workers from hazardous fine dust particles. As the principal investigator (PI), Adhikari will work with co-PIs Aniruddha Mitra, Ph.D, professor of mechanical engineering, and Saman Hedjazi, Ph.D, assistant professor of civil engineering and construction management, from Georgia Southern’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing. “This research is important and innovative because we will test a revolutionary technology against fine dust exposure in construction sites that integrates a filtered air duct system into a hard hat, creating an air curtain or armor,” said Adhikari. “If we get a promising result, then this technology can be applied against other types of particles including bioparticles present in healthcare work environments.” Graduate research assistant Victoria Clower, who is earning a Master of Public Health in environmental health sciences, values her involvement in life-changing research. “This study of new technology on dust exposure control in construction sites will be very valuable with the quantifiable results showing the effectiveness of the air curtain technology,” she said. “As someone who is interested in occupational health, I am excited to work on a study that may provide an opportunity for other innovations for workplace safety to improve.” The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational and Safety Health Administration estimates roughly 2.3 million people in the U.S. are exposed to silica at work. Workers at risk can develop lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease. In addition, approximately 500 preventable silica-related deaths occur each year. As an environmental public health researcher, Adhikari has published numerous peer-reviewed studies on air quality and filtration. This project will focus on testing a newly developed respiratory protection technology, the Z Flow Pro helmet, which provides a downward draft through the front of the helmet, creating an air curtain in front of the worker’s face. Previous research has found that the air curtain is strong enough to deflect larger, visible particles. Adhikari and his team will conduct comprehensive field testing of this new technology to determine if it is also effective protection against fine particles, providing valuable information and justification on the readiness level of this product to protect construction workers. If you’re a journalist looking to cover this new testing that Georgia Southern is a major part of – then let us help. Atin Adhikari is available to answer your questions - simply reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Good COP or bad COP? | The Aston Angle
Four Aston University experts reflect on COP26 and what it means for transport, community and global action on decarbonisation, support for small businesses and China’s coal consumption. COP26 was the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference held in Glasgow from 31 October to 13 November 2021. The participating 197 countries agreed a new deal, known as the Glasgow Climate Pact, aimed at staving off dangerous climate change. But will it be enough? Dr Lucy Rackcliff explains why replacing petrol and diesel vehicles with electric ones alone is not radical enough. The overwhelming message coming from COP26 transport day seemed to be that moving to zero emission-vehicles would solve the well-documented issues created by petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles. As noted at the conference itself, transport is responsible for 10% of global emissions, and emissions from transport continue to increase. The WHO estimates that transport-related air pollution affects the health of tens of thousands of people every year in the WHO European Region alone. However, on-street pollution is not the only effect we should seek to address. Transport is responsible (directly or indirectly) for a wider range of environmental issues, and a wider range of health impacts. Moving to electric vehicles will not address impacts such as loss of land for other activities, use of finite resources in the manufacturing process, the need to dispose of obsolete materials such as used tyres, and the health effects of sedentary lifestyles, facilitated by car-use. In urban areas in particular, re-thinking policy to focus on walking, cycling and public transport-use could free up land for other activities. Car parks could become actual parks, in turn encouraging more active lifestyles, creating space for people and plants, and leading to a range of wider societal benefits. Assuming that replacing petrol and diesel vehicles with electric ones will solve all our problems is a strategy which lacks ambition, and thus denies us the benefits that more radical thinking could deliver. Dr Lucy Rackcliff, Senior Teaching Fellow, Engineering Systems & Supply Chain Management, Aston Logistics and Systems Institute, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. "Assuming that replacing petrol and diesel vehicles with electric ones will solve all our problems is a strategy which lacks ambition." Professor Patricia Thornley reflects on the role that Aston University and EBRI can play in empowering community action and informing global action with research. COP26 energy day was a fabulous experience. I have never before seen so many people in one place with one ambition: to support and accelerate decarbonisation of the UK’s energy systems. We ran a “fishbowl”, which allows people with different perspectives on a topic (experts and non-experts) to participate in dialogue around a common interest. Our researchers, local government representatives, industrialists and students shared their thoughts on what our future energy mix should look like, how it should be delivered and who needs to act. Without doubt the consensus was that many different technologies have a role to play and there is an urgent need to accelerate implementation. There were reflections on the importance of governance at different levels and an interesting discussion around the relative merits of centralized solutions and devolved actions. The reality is that of course we need both and that made me think about what Aston University and EBRI can do. Of course we should implement centrally with initiatives like the impressively low carbon Students’ Union building, but we also need to raise awareness among our students. Our film showing with the Students’ Union a week later helped with that I hope, and many more of our courses are incorporating sustainability elements which is fantastic. But what we haven’t quite achieved yet is an empowered, proactive voice that would lead to wider community action. There are pockets of excellence but a lot still to be done. My second week at COP26 was very different with police presence outside a building where I had three meetings with industrialists on the controversial topics of forestry and land-use. It was sad to be working with key players to improve sustainability and increase carbon reductions through UK bioenergy while listening to drumbeats outside from objecting protestors. There is a real lack of understanding around forest management and global land use and we need to work harder to improve that. It is a huge challenge, but one that EBRI will work hard to address. Professor Patricia Thornley, Director of EBRI, Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI), College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. "There is a real lack of understanding around forest management and global land use and we need to work harder to improve that." Professor Presanta Dey explores whether Government pledges on climate change will translate to practical support for small businesses Following the COP26 climate change summit, the UK Government led the way in making a series of pledges and policy commitments to combat climate change. The question is: how will this translate to practical support for SMEs? Large corporations often take centre stage at COP, which is welcomed, but if we are to see real change, everyone needs to be involved. COP26 provided a refreshing voice for UK small businesses which featured panel discussions on the ‘SME Climate Hub’, highlighting net zero opportunities and challenges for SMEs. The momentum of COP26 has already inspired over 2,000 UK small businesses to sign up to the UN's Race to Zero campaign, which is designed to accelerate the adoption of credible net-zero targets. A long journey ahead still awaits us, however campaigns like these will hopefully start a ripple effect inspiring the remaining six million UK SMEs to take climate action. Small businesses have been crying out for more assistance from the government in the form of ‘green’ grants and financial support to enable them to make the necessary long-term changes. The timely announcement of HSBC’s £500m Green SME Fund at COP26 marks a promising first step towards making it easier for SMEs to fund their green ambitions. In summary, COP26 provided some comfort to UK SMEs seeking a higher level of commitment from government, financial services and businesses. This moment must act as a catalyst for policy makers to continue removing the barriers that are holding small businesses back. Professor Presanta Dey, Professor of Operations & Information Management, College of Business and Social Sciences. Professor Jun Du explains what China’s deal means for the rest of the world following its own energy crisis earlier this year… Despite the many disappointments expressed around the COP26 outcomes, important progess has been made for the world economy moving towards carbon neutrality. Among the noticeable achievements China and the US, which together emit 43% of the total CO2 in the air, have agreed to boost climate co-operation despite many disagreements. This includes China’s pledge to more actively control and cut methane emissions during the next decade - even when the country did not sign up to the global methane pledge made in Glasgow. Reaching net zero will be an unprecedented challenge for all countries. China will need to do the heaviest lifting among all. The country’s energy crisis earlier this year has shown just how hard it will be to reach net zero. The exceptionally early and cold winter this year will demand even more coal, so China’s willingness and resolve for climate commitments are good news to all. While lots of attention was turned to the absence of China’s president, Xi Jinping, from the COP26 climate summit, what is less appreciated is the fact that China is serious about decarbonisation. Few countries invest as much as China in that area, nor grow as fast in finding alternative energy to coal and in green industries like electric cars. China has set specific plans in its 14th national five-year plan for economic and social development to reach peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. COP26 could be an additional driver for “an era of accountability” for China. Professor Jun Du, Professor of Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship, Centre Director, Centre for Business Prosperity, Aston Business School levy.
Georgia Southern University has established a new research and outreach center, the Institute for Water and Health, to investigate the complex interactions between water and human activities, and protect and restore public health in a changing environment. As part of the University’s focus on public impact research, the center will foster collaboration among scientists, government agencies, industry, nonprofit organizations and communities. Coastal Georgia is the perfect location for such an institute to conduct interdisciplinary research because it lies at the intersection of many social, economic and ecological issues. The center supports the region through research, workforce training for students, and actively involving communities in water resource management decision-making process, said Asli Aslan, Ph.D., associate professor in Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences. Now also director of the Institute for Water and Health, Aslan is a water microbiologist, and her research program bridges ecosystem and human health. She has ongoing funded projects on tracking sources of water pollution and assessing health risks associated with exposure to chemical and microbial contaminants. She works with local communities and nonprofit organizations to encourage water stewardship behaviors. Aslan has served in various federal and state agencies and organizations as an adviser, reviewer, scientific committee member and affiliated faculty. She is also the founder and currently the co-chair of the Water and Health Committee of the American Public Health Association. “We want to create a nationally recognized institution that provides meaningful solutions for community needs,” said Aslan. “Our immediate plan is to develop a coalition with all stakeholders in the region to address issues related to increased water demand, impact of sea-level rise on water resources, and potential emerging contaminants in our urban and rural water infrastructure. We are in the process of establishing a community advisory group consisting of scientists from academic institutions, representatives from local and state governments, community leaders, non-profit organizations and businesses to identify and prioritize community needs in water research and education.” For example, she said, although one in every six households in Georgia has a private well, few residents realize any water testing, treatment or well maintenance is the sole responsibility of the property owner as per the Safe Drinking Water Act. Aslan said the Institute for Water and Health will work with the homeowners to help them recognize potential risks and provide solutions that will keep families safe in the long term. “We also look at sources of contaminants using state-of-the-art-methods. And if you know where the pollution is coming from precisely, it’s easier to go fix that problem once and for all, which has a direct impact on the decision-making process to protect water resources.” she said. These new techniques allow researchers with the institute to provide test results within a few hours, which helps end-users to be informed the same day instead of days where most water testing methods currently take about 48 hours. The implications of these methods are broad, as they can be used to identify pathogens in storm water or in household drinking water pipes; assess how new sustainable water treatment technologies efficiently remove contaminants, or provide same-day results for recreational beach monitoring. “We can do all this fancy research in the lab, but it will be very important for us to go out into the community and talk to people, ask them what their immediate needs – our goal is to involve communities from the very beginning of our research so that we co-develop meaningful solutions that will improve the quality of their everyday lives,” Aslan said. “Our group at Georgia Southern consists of established researchers from multiple disciplines such as environmental education, public health, social and behavioral sciences, environmental and computational engineering, coastal ecology, and we are growing everyday”. Carl L. Reiber, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, said the center will pull together faculty from across the University, many of whom have already established themselves as water experts within their own discipline. He expects the center to take a very visible role for the University and is renovating space in Savannah near the Armstrong campus to house the center and its labs. “The Institute for Water and Health will bring to southeast Georgia an awareness of the importance of water quality, water management and how tightly these areas are aligned with our health,” Reiber said. “The public impact of this institute is immeasurable and will ultimately increase the quality of life in our community.” If you're a journalist looking to know more about this topic or are looking to cover - then let us help. Asli Aslan, Ph.D., is a water microbiologist, and her research program bridges ecosystem and human health. She has ongoing funded projects on microbial source tracking, health risk assessment of water resources, and the ecology of pathogens in the aquatic environment. She is available to speak with reporters – simply click her icon now to arrange an interview today.
On Rethink What’s Possible, a podcast by Milwaukee School of Engineering, MSOE students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners share their inventions, research, industry trends, projects, experiences and how they’re rethinking what's possible. Artificial intelligence. Machine learning. High performance computing. Super computers. These terms have been around for quite a while now, but only in recent years the research has been put into practice and there are no signs of it slowing down. Episode Three, 'Humanizing Machine Learning,' Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming prominent in more and more industries each day, including health care. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming prominent in more and more industries each day, including health care. Join Dr. Sheila Ross and Dr. John Bukowy, AI faculty experts from Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and student Ethan Hindes as they discuss the advancements of AI in “Humanizing Machine Learning,” part of the MSOE podcast, “Rethink What’s Possible.” They talk about its impact on their research with the Medical College of Wisconsin to identify and assess the severity of damage to blood vessels in kidneys. Hindes also discusses how he found his way to major in computer science. The podcast is available for download and well worth listening to. And, if you are a journalist interested in learning more or arranging an interview with Dr. Ross or Bukowy – simply click on either expert's icon now to arrange an interview today.
On Rethink What’s Possible, a podcast by Milwaukee School of Engineering, MSOE students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners share their inventions, research, industry trends, projects, experiences and how they’re rethinking what's possible. Episode Two, “Erasing the Stigma of Mental Health,” features industry experts Dr. Carol Sabel, MSOE School of Nursing chairperson, and Sue McKenzie Dicks, vice president of healthy culture at Rogers Behavioral Health. The pair discusses the importance of mental health with recent MSOE graduate Jake Egan, who shares his own personal mental health journey and how he dealt with juggling an intense academic workload and a variety of internships. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental health condition isn’t always easy, but identifying a problem early can help lead to the best outcome. The U.S. has the highest rates of mental health disease (27%) as compared to any other industrialized country. One in five adults suffer from some sort of mental health illness and 3.3 million children ages 6-17 receive treatment or counseling for emotional or behavioral issues. The stigma surrounding mental health care is beginning to subside, and more individuals are seeking care. By 2025, the demand for mental health services is expected to outpace supply by 10,000—and in the U.S. 60% of psychiatrists are 55 or older. Our nation is facing a shortage of mental health care providers. In a move to address the shortage of mental health care providers in the United States, Dr. Carol Sabel and the MSOE School of Nursing partnered with Rogers Behavioral Health to offer a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program (PMHNP). This innovative new program, coupled with educating nurses at the bachelor’s and advanced practice levels in the area of mental health, is increasing the pipeline of qualified mental health professionals. The podcast is available for download and well worth listening to. And, if you are a journalist interested in learning more or arranging an interview with Dr. Carol Sabel – simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
On Rethink What’s Possible, a podcast by Milwaukee School of Engineering, MSOE students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners share their inventions, research, industry trends, projects, experiences and how they’re rethinking what's possible. Episode Four, 'Rooted in STEM,' features Seandra Mitchell, vice president of student affairs and campus inclusion, and Liz Taylor, director of STEM, as they dive into the importance of diversity in STEM and MSOE’s efforts to offer STEM experiences to shape a more equitable future. According to the National Science Foundation, 111,402 bachelor’s degrees in engineering were conferred nationwide in 2018, the most recent data available. Of those degrees, roughly 64% were white, roughly 12% were Hispanic or Latino, roughly 12% were Asian or Pacific Islander, roughly 4% were Black or African American, and the rest listed themselves as something else. In 2021, MSOE celebrated the opening of the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE. The new center is the premier STEM destination in Milwaukee for K-12 students and home to MSOE’s STEM outreach efforts. The purpose is to provide an accessible, dedicated space for students from all walks of life to explore, create and define their future in STEM. The podcast is available for download and well worth listening to. And, if you are a journalist interested in learning more or arranging an interview with MSOE's Director of STEM outreach, Liz Taylor – simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
Aston University pollution expert praises Clean Air Zone roll out plans across UK
• Dr Stephen Worrall believes Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone is encouraging fewer drivers into city centre • The pollution expert said statistics show motorists are ‘changing their behaviour’ • He praised other cities for following suit but says changes need to come more quickly. A leading expert in air pollution from Aston University has examined available data on how many vehicles have paid to enter Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and has said people’s behaviours are changing Atmospheric chemist, Dr Stephen Worrall, praised the introduction of Birmingham’s CAZ which launched on 1 June, saying it was an important step in tackling air pollution in the city and would have a considerable impact on people’s health. Whilst the full impact of the CAZ on pollution levels won’t become clear until 2022, Dr Worrall said since the “Go Live Date” the traffic data revealed that the number of non-compliant vehicles being driven in the zone was decreasing markedly. “In the first two weeks of June before charging was introduced, the daily number of non-compliant vehicles being driven within the CAZ was at an average of 18,787. “After charging was introduced, this dropped significantly to 11,850 for the remainder of June and this number has continued to fall, with the last reported daily average of 10,800 for August. “This isn’t just your average motorist with a car either, as the data shows similar trends for other categories of vehicles with the biggest improvement observed in light goods vehicles (LGVs). Over 75% of these vehicles were complying with the CAZ in August versus just 63% in June. This is a significant and sustained reduction which clearly demonstrates that people are modifying their behaviours,” he said. Dr Worrall added that the data was also able to hint at the manner in which people were modifying their behaviour, with a possible increase in public transport use, car sharing or a reduction in overall number of journeys. “Some people are upgrading their vehicles to newer, less polluting models as there has been a small rise of about 2,500 in the number of complaint vehicles entering the CAZ on a daily basis. However, this number is dwarfed by the approximately 8,500 reduction in the daily number of non-complaint vehicles. The upshot of this is that the total number of vehicles entering the CAZ every day has dropped by roughly 6,000 (around 6%). 6,000 fewer of the most polluting vehicles in our city centre is a real positive and a step in the right direction to improving our air quality and health,” he said. Air pollution particularly affects the most vulnerable in society, including children, and older people, and those with heart and lung conditions. The annual health cost to society of the impacts of particulate matter alone in the UK is estimated to be around £16 billion*. Levels of NO2 in Birmingham frequently exceed 45 to50 micrograms per cubic meter, mainly caused by road traffic emissions, with certain hotspots exhibiting even greater values such as the measuring site at St Chads Queensway where the last reported yearly average for the city centre was as high as 74 micrograms per cubic meter. The primary aim of the CAZ is to reduce the levels of NO2 to 40 micrograms per cubic meter. Dr Worrall said that although CAZs weren’t directly designed to address greenhouse gas emissions, if as suggested they result in less people using their vehicles for journey, then this would have an impact on emissions. “Whilst the CAZ target is to reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels, the knock-on effect of this reduction in car use will mean a reduction in pollution in general, including greenhouse gases such as CO2. This is really important and suggests that other cities need to be acting now rather than later. Bath has implemented a similar but less stringent system, London recently extended its ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) area and Portsmouth’s CAZ will be coming live shortly too, but other cities who have plans in the pipeline should really bring them forward as a matter of urgency,” he said. Dr Worrall added that with current COP26 discussions bringing pollution to the forefront, it was important to continue with awareness. “These policies are all small pieces in the puzzle for reducing emissions from transport and getting people to make wiser choices about the vehicles they own and buy, and as COP26 is making very clear we need to be doing all of these things now to save our planet” he said. Dr Worrall has great experience in the subject, having spent a portion of his post-doctoral research in Beijing where he took live air pollution measurements, monitored problematic levels and discussed with international colleagues’ ways to address these issues. Read more about the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Aston University, here: https://www.aston.ac.uk/eps ENDS * Defra (2017) Air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide in the UK
Aston University makes experts available through COP26
The University’s website is highlighting its experts, projects and research, latest news and podcasts around sustainability On 4 November the University’s Supergen Hub will co-host a ‘fishbowl’ conversation to develop and interrogate visions for a net zero energy future Aston Originals has produced three shows around finance, energy and transport ahead of the summit. Aston University has launched its COP26 campaign to highlight the work being done by its academics and researchers to support the United Nation’s biggest climate change targets. The University’s website will highlight its experts, projects and research, latest news and podcasts around sustainability and climate change. The COP26 summit will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty that came into force in 1994. More than 190 world leaders will meet in Glasgow, between 31 October and 12 November, to discuss ways of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius this century. High profile attendees are expected to include Greta Thunberg, Pope Francis and Sir David Attenborough. Representatives from Aston University will also be taking part at the global summit. On 4 November during ‘Energy Day’, the six UK Research and Innovation Supergen Hubs, one of which involves academics from Aston University, are hosting a ‘fishbowl’ conversation with the public, to develop and interrogate visions for a net zero energy future. It will be participant-driven, enabling multiple perspectives to be aired and offering an opportunity for a variety of participants to engage, and will be live-streamed for those who cannot attend in-person (tickets available for the live-stream here). Also during Energy Day at COP26, the Aston University Supergen Bioenergy Hub will be hosting a ‘Build your own biorefinery’ game on the COP26 Universities Network exhibition stand within the Green Zone. Members of the public will be invited to create their own biorefinery (where multiple products are created from one feedstock to extract maximum value), demonstrating the many routes to producing bioenergy and bioproducts and the co-benefits that can be achieved through different choices. The campaign will also look at the huge carbon footprint of asthma inhalers and a new project which aims to redesign the canisters, so they are more environmentally friendly. The University’s new digital content brand, Aston Originals, has produced three videos showcasing its experts under the topics of finance, energy and transport. Professor Simon Green, pro-vice chancellor research at Aston University, said: "COP26 highlights how big a challenge the climate crisis is for everyone around the world. “I am proud of the work being done at Aston University to combat the problems facing the planet – from the researchers in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences carrying out world-leading research into new and innovative ways of converting biomass into sources of sustainable energy to experts in the College of Business and Social Sciences who are helping small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) cut their carbon footprint.”
Aston University Professor Patricia Thornley elected Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering
• Professor Patricia Thornley joins a total of 69 leading engineers from around the world to the Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering • Each individual recognised for their outstanding and continuing contributions to their profession • Patricia Thornley is the Director of the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University Professor Patricia Thornley from Aston University has joined the Royal Academy of Engineering as a Fellow. The Director of the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute, which is based at the University, joins a total of 69 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology to the Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering this week. The group consists of 60 Fellows, four International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows, with each individual having made exceptional contributions to their sectors in their own way, as innovation leaders, inspiring role models, or through remarkable achievements in business or academia. This year’s new Fellows are the first to reflect the Academy’s Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative announced in July 2020, to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2026. This initiative will see the Academy strive for increased representation from women, disabled and LGBTQ+ engineers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, non-traditional education pathways and emerging industries, and those who have achieved excellence at an earlier career stage than normal. These new Fellows will be admitted to the Academy, which comprises nearly 1,700 distinguished engineers, at its AGM on 22 September. In joining the Fellowship, they will add their capabilities to the Academy’s mission to create a sustainable society and an inclusive economy for all. Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “Our Fellows represent the best of the best in the engineering world, and we welcome these 69 excellent and talented professionals to our community of businesspeople, entrepreneurs, innovators and academics. “This year’s new Fellows are the most diverse group elected in the history of our institution. The engineering profession has long suffered from a diversity shortfall and the Academy is committed to changing that, including by ensuring that our own Fellowship community is as inclusive as it can be. It is well established that diverse organisations tend to be more agile and more innovative, and as the UK’s National Academy for engineering and technology, we have a responsibility to reflect the society we serve in addressing the shared challenges of our future.” Professor Thornley added: “It is such an honour to be admitted to the Academy and be able to represent Aston University, EBRI and females within engineering, and I look forward to working with the Royal Academy of Engineering in the future.”