Faculty of Advanced Technology News

The Professional Academy Open Day

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:53:03 +0100

15th June 2012 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Postgraduate Centre A-Block Treforest Campus

The University of Glamorgan’s Professional Academy provides work based learning solutions for private sector employers and workers in the European convergence area of Wales.

Our open day will allow you to find out about our innovative teaching methods, flexible learning opportunities, funded training and support mechanisms as well as meeting the team and lecturers

We offer funded training opportunities in a variety of areas including Health & Safety, Quality, Project Management and construction.

Come along and find out how the Professional Academy can lead you to an improved career.

For more information or to book a place please contact Ben Minton on 01443 654488 or email bgminton@glam.ac.uk

Sounds like success

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:47:38 +0100

Phil Hughes, lecturer in Lighting and Live Event Technology, was named the Best Lecturer (Taught) in Advanced Technology in this year’s Student Led Teaching Awards. The scheme, nicknamed the “Golden Apples”, was set up to recognise teaching staff that inspire their students and who go above and beyond to support students in their studies. Phil won the prize after being nominated by students for his engaging teaching style, passion for the subject and dedication to supporting his students.

His assignments were described as “challenging, as well as fun, making them easier to concentrate on” and he arranges guest lectures and industry visits to ensure that students have access to the very latest technology, preparing them for roles in industry.

Phil said “I’m delighted to have received this award; I love teaching and it’s great that the students can tell that. I love being able to show students shortcuts to the kind of things that have taken me a long time to understand or be able to do. I’m very proud of the courses we run. They are excellent, and the industry really respects the quality of graduates we produce. We as a teaching team set students up for a career at a higher level in industry.”

Dr Ralf Patz, Principal Lecturer in Electronics, won the prize for Advanced Technology’s Best Lecturer (Research) and Professor Ifiok Otung, Professor in Satellite Communications, won the University and the Faculty prize for Best Lecturer (International).

Maths en masse

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:13:21 +0100

Over the past academic year some four thousand students from across Wales and the South West have attended maths outreach events at the University of Glamorgan, with over a hundred schools participating over the last two years.

The programme of events includes pop quizzes, revision conferences, masterclasses and an annual lecture, sponsored by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. Developed by Dr Mark Hones, Senior Lecturer and Outreach Co-ordinator, the events are designed to show school students that mathematics can be fun, interesting and useful. At the Annual Lecture Professor Alan Davies from the University of Hertfordshire spoke about the science of superheroes and Dr James Grime from Cambridge University discussed cryptography while demonstrating one of the few remaining Enigma machines.

Undergraduates play an active part in the events as student ambassadors, which gives prospective students the chance to ask about studying mathematics at university. With a number of students studying at an undergraduate level interested in pursuing careers in teaching mathematics, this also gives current students the opportunity to be inspired by the range of engaging techniques lecturers can use to make mathematics interesting to a diverse audience.

Attendees of the events also benefit from access to an app, designed by Dr Jones, which contains information and live worksheets, complementing the events.

Glamorgan is the top-rated university in Wales for mathematics, and boasts a 100% rate of students in employment or further study within six months of graduation.

Triple accreditation for Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering programmes

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:16:29 +0100

The portfolio of mechanical engineering courses at the Faculty of Advanced Technology includes no fewer than eight fully-accredited degree courses, which are now accredited by three professional bodies: the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and Energy Institute (EI).

The Foundation Degree, BSc, BEng, MEng and MSc in Mechanical Engineering are all accredited by the IMEcheE, whereas the BEng, MEng & MSc Aeronautical Engineering are now accredited by both IMechE and RAeS, and the MSc Energy Systems Engineering is accredited by both the IMechE and the EI.

Welcoming the accreditations, Professor Steve Wilcox, Head of the Engineering Department, said: “We are committed to developing degree programmes which are designed to meet the requirements of industry. The excellence of our degree programmes, both in the teaching and the facilities, is demonstrated by this triple recognition from professional institutions.”

Facilities at the Faculty of Advanced Technology include workshops and laboratories containing state-of-the-art equipment, and a dedicated £1.5m Aerospace Centre, the only one of its kind at a Welsh university. The centre houses a BAE Jetstream 31 Twin Turboprop aircraft in an energy-efficient aircraft hangar, a Merlin MP521 flight simulator, a fully equipped wind-tunnel and a gas-turbine engine.

Lights on the catwalk

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:50:53 +0100

Lighting design students from the Faculty of Advanced Technology lit up the National Museum in Cardiff for a fashion showcase. The three-day exhibition, which began with a invitation-awards ceremony on Friday 11th May, highlights the innovative and futuristic talent of final year students at the University’s Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries.

Students had the opportunity to work creatively to a brief in order to best light the exhibits and the runway show to promote the clothes to maximum effect, within the prestigious surrounds of the museum. The acoustics of the space meant that the students needed to use advanced techniques to play music during the catwalk component, and to host a separate sound system for the band playing during the interval.

Marie Model, Assistant Lighting Designer and Operator and 3rd year lighting Design and Technology student, said “Working on the fashion show in such a prestigious venue as the National Museum was a privilege and a fantastic opportunity to put the creative and technical skills I’ve learned over the last three years to practice.

“It was great to gain more experience in seeing a project unfold from the initial stages to realisation. Every project comes with its own challenges and lessons to learn. Seeing all the teams working together to delivering a successful lighting scheme within this environment and the time restraints of the event was a very good experience.”

Philip Hughes, Live Sound Lecturer, said “The sound team worked very hard to prepare the technical system under pressure. Except for a few mistakes at the start, the systems worked well throughout.”