Southampton Physics and Astronomy students showcase at SEPnet Expo

Southampton undergraduates were among more than 150 students, academics and employers who gathered at SEPnet’s 7th Annual Students’ Expo at the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Twenty four students from across Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southampton were at the event that celebrated the achievement of 84 students. The students had successfully carried out industry and research summer placements on a diverse range of topics from production engineering of a prototype electric motorcycle, to mapping of UK innovation clusters.

At the Expo Professor Martin Earwicker spoke about his varied and successful career as Vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University, Director of the Science Museum, and the first Chief Executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, while graduates gave inspiring talks about the benefits of their experiences and their current roles.

Former Southampton MPhys student Laura Benn spoke to delegates about how her SEPnet placement at Magnetic Shields, in Kent, led to her gaining industry experience and eventually securing a job with the company as a technical consultant.

Current students also gave one minute presentations and displayed posters about their projects, and three Southampton students were among six students selected by the Institute of Physics as having produced the best posters in the Expo.

The winning Southampton students were:

Ashley Morahan, MPhys Phsyics, who did his placement at Applied Nanodetectors, in Middlesex, for his poster on Printed sensor test and analysis - the internet of things.

David Elcock, MPhys Physics, who undertook his placement at the University of Portsmouth, for his poster on Theoretical prediction of the band gap structure of quantum dots.

Anna Laws, MPhys Physics with Astronomy, who did her placement at the Institution of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth, for her poster on Power spectra of non-circular motions in disk galaxies.

The winners were presented with their prizes by Professor Sir Bill Wakeham, Chair of SEPnet.

Jonathan Flynn, Head of Physics and Astronomy at Southampton, said: “Southampton students have benefitted hugely from the SEPnet Summer Placements. Depending on the placement, our students have an opportunity to experience the world of work beyond university or to get a taste of university-based research.

“Placements range from direct research or application of physics, to areas students may not have initially considered for a physicist. Afterwards we can see the boost in their self-confidence, enthusiasm and motivation. Many come back with the added security of a job offer after graduation.”