One of the displays at A gathering of leaves. The exhibition runs until 25th February 2023.
Last Thursday evening I was delighted to attend the opening of a new exhibition in the ground floor gallery of the University of Edinburgh main library. Continue reading
Yesterday afternoon, Bruce Ryan and I headed over to Inspace to participate in the latest Creative Informatics showcase event organised by Vikki Jones and Caitlin McDonald. Members of eight project teams gave short presentations on their research, most of which have been funded in the last couple of years through small research grants. Continue reading
After two unsuccessful attempts to postpone the third of our RSE-funded RIVAL network events, Dr Bruce Ryan and I have admitted defeat. With the support of the RIVAL project board members, we have decided to keep Thursday 19th November 2020 as the date for RIVAL event 3 and run it as a virtual meeting that afternoon. Continue reading
Katherine Stephen
Congratulations to our Centre for Social Informatics colleague Katherine Stephen, who has recently learnt that her poster submission to Tacit Engagement in the Digital Age at the University of Cambridge next month has been accepted.
The purpose of the conference is to explore conceptions of tacit knowledge at a time when everyday life is increasingly augmented by artificial intelligence (AI). Katherine will present the research that she is currently undertaking for her Masters dissertation Metacognitive experiences of using AI in the workplace. (Katherine is completing her Masters degree at the University of Edinburgh as the first component of her 1+3 ESRC/SDS-funded PhD studentship on meta-skills maturity for future workplaces prior to joining us full-time in October to embark on her doctoral studies at Napier.) Continue reading
This afternoon I’m speaking at the Edge conference in Edinburgh about a new project, as summarised in the slide below.
We started work on Research Impact and Value and LIS (RIVAL) on 1st February 2019. The Royal Society of Edinburgh has awarded us a grant to create a collaborative network of Scotland-based library and information science (LIS) researchers and library and information professionals interested in maximising the value of LIS research. This work builds on the pilot RIVAL event that we hosted at Edinburgh Napier University on 11th July last year. Continue reading
Yesterday afternoon I visited the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) – of which I am a Fellow – to attend its 2017 Annual Statutory Meeting. Immediately afterwards the RSE opened its doors to members of the public who had booked places to hear a Presidential Address delivered by RSE President Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell. Continue reading
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) brings together distinguished individuals from the arts, business, science and technology and academia worlds to advance learning and knowledge in Scottish public life. The breadth of the Fellowship – which includes over 1600 individuals from the UK and abroad – enables the RSE to provide a wide range of leadership and expertise.
Each year the RSE undertakes a rigorous five-stage nomination and election process to appoint around 60 new Fellows. I was delighted to learn last week that I am one of those elected in 2017. Also elected in 2017 are Val McDermid, James Naughtie, Professor Iain Stewart and Kirsty Wark. HRH The Duke of Cambridge also joins the cohort as a Royal Honorary Fellow. Continue reading
FameLab
is a science communication competition in which scientists, mathematicians and engineers have three minutes to convey a scientific concept of their choice. The next international grand final takes place at the Cheltenham Science Festival in June 2017.
Yesterday Heriot-Watt University hosted the Edinburgh FameLab heat to select four presenters to put forward to the Scottish final at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 7th January 2017. I was delighted to be invited to serve on the judging panel this afternoon alongside four fellow judges: Continue reading
Today is Ada Lovelace Day, a worldwide celebration of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. Across Edinburgh there are a number of events to mark the day.
Edinburgh Napier University is hosting a public lecture this evening at its Craiglockhart Campus. The speaker is Professor Caroline Wilkinson, Director of the Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University. Caroline will discuss her varied career and how it has combined science with a number of disciplines including art, forensics, computing and anatomy. She will also make the case for women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM). This event is chaired by Dr Sandra Cairncross, Assistant Principal at Edinburgh Napier University and Chair of Equate Scotland. I will be giving the vote of thanks and chairing the Q&A session following Caroline’s talk. Continue reading
The stage at the Usher Hall
I had the honour this week of delivering the laureation address at the Edinburgh Napier University graduation ceremony on Tuesday 5th July. The laureate was Professor Lesley Yellowlees. Lesley is Vice Principal and Head of the College of Science and Engineering, and Professor of Inorganic ElectroChemistry, at the University of Edinburgh. She has been awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of her major contribution to Chemistry, and her pioneering work to promote the careers of women in science.
The University Chancellor Dr David Eustace conferred Lesley’s award at the Usher Hall at the start of the graduation ceremony for students from the School of Life, Sport and Social Science, and the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Care on Tuesday afternoon. Continue reading
Hazel Hall 