In a busy week for everyone at MERI, the annual Research Symposium has proved a huge success. The event gave students and academics an opportunity to come together and celebrate the output of cutting edge industry research which has been delivered in the past 12 months. The event also focused on future opportunities of innovation within the manufacturing and engineering industry.

Over 100 delegates attended the two-day event, including industrial collaborators, MERI staff and MERI research students, with key speakers and guest lecturers featuring throughout. Professor Alan Smith hailed the event as an opportunity to celebrate the research MERI is currently engaging with: 'This year the MERI Research Symposium is a joint venture between MERI and the Engineering and Maths department. It is an excellent opportunity for both staff and students who are either active researchers or who are interested in engaging in research, to meet with colleagues across the college, raise awareness of current and future projects and help thin the membrane between research and teaching'.

We were also able to introduce two new members of our college senior staff: the assistant Dean for Research and Innovation, Professor Wayne Cranton and the new Head of Department for Engineering and Mathematics, Professor Jill Stewart. Wayne's presentation provided an overview of his work on plastic electronics, and flexible displays and the challenges of and solutions to, producing optimised transparent electrodes and light emitting layers on low-temperature substrates.

Jill gave us an insight into her work on the use of an integrated mathematical model to explain the encroachment of shrubs into formerly pure grass lands in a desert ecosystem.

The event was sponsored by three of our industrial partners: Air products, Group Rhodes and PMS Die Casting. As part of the Symposium, PhD competitions were held for students who gave presentations during the event. Prize winners for student talks and research poster presentations included

PhD Student Talk – 1st Prize

Elizabeth Payne-Johnson
Supervisor: H Jones
Title: Study of iridium ruthenium oxide structures for improved catalysis for electrolytic hydrogen generation

PhD Student Talk – 2nd prize

Trinh Pham
Supervisor: F Clegg
Title: Enhancing the Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Clay-Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Nanocomposites

Best PhD Poster

Anees Abdul Aziz
Supervisor: A Feteira
Title: CaMnO3 – Based Thermoelectric Ceramics for Energy Harvesting

Best UG Poster

Nathan Russell
Supervisor: I Staniforth
Title: The Design of a Speed Increasing Manual Screwdriver to be used in Spinal Fusion surgery

You can learn more about future research opportunities and further MERI events by contacting us.