Outreach

Outreach and Public Engagement activities

I am very involved in science communication, outreach and public engagement. I have created workshops, lead group talks in cafés and pubs, visited schools and sixth forms. Throughout my PhD I had the opportunity to make my own reusable content and objects for public engagement, as well as be an important part of the Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials (CPPM) exhibition stand centered around cheap, easily buildable spectroscopes. I am very experienced at communicating research and scientific concepts to the general public for many different levels of interest and understanding. Since beginning my PhD, I have committed over 100 hours of outreach per year. Some highlights of my outreach include working with science museums such as 'We are the Curious' in Bristol and the Science museum in London, working at a weekend long Avon Scout Jamboree and the prestigious week long Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition. 

Photo: William Wadsworth

Upcoming Events

The RSSE is one of the largest UK science exhibitions and is a chance for the public to discover cutting-edge research and innovation. Taking place from 2 – 7 July 2024 there will be lots of exhibits where guests can expect an interactive experience open to everyone with a curious mind. This is a free event and no ticket is required, but please register your interest on Eventbrite. My current research project, U-care, will be exhibiting our research on UV in stand called #UVorNotUV.


Highlights

Physics/Art Skill Swap Shop

In May 2019 I ran a skills based workshop. It was an experimental and collaborative event between Physic researchers and artists to share knowledge, skills and work. Read more here.

Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

Under the leadership of William Wadsworth, the postdocs and students of CPPM organised and built a stand for RSSSE about hollow core fibres titled 'The 100m bubbles.' I built durable preforms, made video snippets about fibre fabrication and prepared DIY spectroscopes. In 2024, we will be going again with U-care!

Bath Taps into Science (2010-2019)

Bath Taps into Science is a science festival that takes place every year during British Science Week. It is open to schools and families. I volunteered every year, and during my PhD helped to develop William Wadsworth's DIY spectroscope activity.

Resources

Please email me if you are interested in any of these resources.

Picture drawn from one of my talks by Rae Goddard.

Videos

A Community Journey To 3D Print PPE |The SOTSEF Chats

The SOTSEF Chats' is a short series of live 1-2-1 interviews with local researchers and artists with stories of particular interest, where the audience can directly contribute to the conversation by asking questions to the speakers.

In this event, join Dr Silvia Lanati, Public Engagement with Research unit at the University of Southampton, in a conversation with Dr Kerrianne Harrington, post-doctoral researcher in optical fibres at the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics (University of Southampton), to discuss when and how she decided to start printing 3D face shields for NHS staff in the Southampton-based MakerSpace 'So Make It'.

Optical fibre fabrication movie

Harry Wood and I show you how to we made one of the multi-core optical fibres for Proteus.

Directed by: Jim Stone

Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2016 video

A video explaining the 100 m bubble and our the research behind our stand, presented by the researchers themselves.

Directed by: Stephanos Yerolatsitis

Publications (blog posts, articles, case studies)