'Science Outreach Activities' include any opportunity to communicate what we do as university scientists to the non-scientific community and general public. These typically involve school visits, and open days. I am very keen to take part in these activities; I enjoy teaching, and it is both stimulating and rewarding to talk to non-specialists. Sometimes you get asked things that really make you think!
An invitation...
If you would like to arrange an Outreach Activity, please do get in contact. Either I will be able to organise something myself, or put you in touch with an appropriate person within the university. Typical activities are school visits to the university, or having research scientists come into schools or amateur organisations to give a talk/demonstration.
Previous Activities
Bristol Doors Open Day (2010) is when many of Bristol’s significant contemporary and historic buildings open their doors to the general public. The Department of Earth Sciences hosted an exhibition including: how gas drives volcanic eruptions and details of the birth of a new ocean in east Africa.
Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition (2010): To celebrate 350 years since the founding of the Royal Society, a large exhibition was held at the South Bank Centre in London. The Bristol Volcanology group presented an exhibit demonstrating how sound waves can be used to monitor volcanoes and learn what happens during volcanic explosions.
Discover (2010): The Mall Shopping Centre, Broadmead, Bristol, hosted a 3-day science exhibition by the University of Bristol. It was attended by numerous local school groups as well as a mix of shoppers and people who came specifically for the exhibition. I designed and ran a popular exhibit on volcanoes and earthquakes, giving the public a chance to quiz scientists on the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and on the dangers of a super-volcanic eruption.
Dorset Natural History and Archeology Society (2009): In the GeoParks series of lectures in Dorchester, I gave a lecture on the Minoan eruption of Santorini Super-Volcano in the Aegean. The impact of one of the largest eruptions in historical time was truly global in its extent!
Open University Geological Society Lecture (2009): A day of invited lecturers was organised at Birmingham University for students and alumni. I contributed a lecture on volcanic degassing and some latest research.
West of England Geologists' Association Lecture (2007): I gave a lecture outlining some of my recent research to the local amateur geological association.
Researchers in Residence (2006): I spent a week in a secondary school (Pate's Grammar School, Cheltenham) to help in science lessons, and give the kids an idea of what a research scientist might do. The idea is to enthuse people with science from a young age. I have also attended several local schools to give presentations on volcanoes, geology, and science in general. It's amazing how much some 10 year olds know!
Scientists, Engineers & Technologists for Britain (2006): I was awarded a place to present an aspect of my research to politicians and government officials at the Houses of Parliament, London.
Schools Science Competition (2006): Teams of students from local schools gathered at University of the West of England (Bristol) to present science projects in a conference forum. I went as an invited scientist to ask questions and help to judge the posters.
Various Schools / Alumni Visits: Schools and alumni often visit the Earth Sciences Department. A regular highlight is a visit around the fluid dynamics laboratory, where I have demonstrated a range of experiments, from erupting soda volcanoes to flowing density currents representing pyroclastic flows.