Present and future research leaders recognised in Parliament
Peter Shadbolt, Dr Piers Barnes and Dr Marianne Ellis, elected top Rising Stars on the evening
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council brought the UK's most inspiring engineers and scientists to Parliament last night at a special reception to celebrate the RISE programme, launched this year with the Royal Academy of Engineering to mark EPSRC's 20-year anniversary.
RISE Leaders and Fellows were joined by the newly awarded Rising Stars, the next generation of engineers and scientists expected to become leading researchers in the future.
As part of the campaign, the RISE Leaders, selected for their engagement, influence and impact in research, each endorsed a Rising Star researcher whomt they considered to be on a stellar path in their research.
The next stage of the year-long RISE campaign will see high profile public figures from the media, government and business paired with a RISE Leader, enabling an exchange of insight into the latest research. By spending time with the RISE Leaders, the RISE Champions will also see how they communicate science and engineering.
Engineering RISE Leaders include Professor Jeremy O'Brien, RAEng Research Chair in Emerging Technologies at the University of Bristol and Professor Rachel Williams, former Royal Academy of Engineering Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool. They are paired respectively with prestigious champions Lord Finkelstein, Executive Editor of The Times, and Sir Mark Walport, Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
Philip Greenish CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:
"Pairing world class science and engineering researchers with eminent figures from the worlds of politics and journalism is an opportunity for cross-fertilisation of ideas that could not be so simply achieved otherwise."
"This is a clear example of how RISE, part of the Engineering for Growth campaign, is bringing engineering to the heart of society"
Leaders, Fellows and Rising Stars were recognised during a reception at the House of Parliament, part of the RISE campaign to celebrate inspirational scientists and engineers in occasion of EPSRC's 20th anniversary.
On the night, a special commendation was also given to the three top Rising Stars by an esteemed panel of judges. The winners of the Rising Stars awards are Dr Marianne Ellis from the University of Bath, Peter Shadbolt from the University of Bristol and Dr Piers Barns of Imperial College London.
The RISE awards celebrate the inspirational scientists and engineers leading innovation in engineering, physics, maths, and computer science. The RISE campaign is being run by The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to celebrate their 20th anniversary, in partnership with Royal Academy of Engineering as part of the Engineering for Growth campaign.
RISE Fellows
Professor Polina Bayvel FREng, UCL
Professor Nigel Brandon OBE FREng, Imperial College London
Professor Richard Catlow FRS, UCL
Professor Dame Athene Donald DBE FRS , University of Cambridge
Professor Peter Edwards FRS, University of Oxford
Professor Robin Grimes FREng, Imperial College London
Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FREng FRS, University of Southampton
Professor Robert MacKay FRS, University of Warwick
Professor Anne Neville FREng FRSE, University of Leeds
Professor David Parker FRS, University of Durham
Sir David Payne CBE FREng FRS, University of Southampton
Professor Sir John Pendry FRS, Imperial College London
Professor Gareth Roberts FRS, University of Warwick
Professor Peter Sadler FRS FRSE, University of Warwick
Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt FREng, University of Southampton
Professor Andrew Sherry FREng, University of Manchester
Professor Maurice Skolnick FRS, University of Sheffield
Professor Lionel Tarassenko CBE FREng, University of Oxford
Professor Richard Williams OBE FREng, University of Birmingham
RISE Leaders, RISE Champions and RISING stars
RISE Leader
RISE Champion
Rising Stars Nominated by RISE Leaders
Professor Jim Al-Khalili
Liam Byrne, MP Shadow Minister BIS
Dr Radu Sporea, University of Surrey
Professor Sadie Creese
James Quinault, Cabinet
Office, Director OCSIA (Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance)
Dr Jason Nurse, University of Oxford
Professor Leroy (Lee) Cronin University of Glasgow
Dave Allen, Head GSK Respiratory Therapy Unit
Dr Oren Scherman, University of Cambridge
Professor Harald Haas
Jonathan Legh-Smith, Head of Partnerships and Strategic Research, BT
Dr Lev Sarkisov, University of Edinburgh
Professor Stephen Haake Sheffield Hallam University
Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the Council of the City and Guilds of London Institute
Dr Jon Wheat, Sheffield Hallam University
Professor Jenny Nelson
Zac Goldsmith, MP
Dr Piers Barnes, Imperial College London
Professor Jeremy O'Brien University of Bristol
Danny Finkelstein, Executive Editor, The Times
Peter Shadbolt, University of Bristol
Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga University of Leicester
Professor John Perkins, BIS CSA
Dr Hernan Rey, University of Leicester
Professor Kevin Shakesheff University of Nottingham
Professor Jeremy Farrar, Director, Wellcome Trust
Dr Marianne Ellis,
Professor Rachel Williams
Sir Mark Walport, Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Dr Paolo Paoletti, University of Liverpool
Profiles of RISE Leaders are available on EPSRC's website:
www.epsrc.ac.uk/rise/Pages/riseleaders.aspx
The judging panel for the Rising Star Awards was Imran Khan, CEO British Science Association, Sarah Main, Director, Campaign for Science and Engineering, Claire Craig, Deputy Head Government Office for Science, Mark Smith, Vice Chancellor, Lancaster University.
Royal Academy of Engineering. As the UK's national academy for engineering, we bring together the most successful and talented engineers for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering.We provide analysis and policy support to promote the UK's role as a great place to do business. We take a lead on engineering education and we invest in the UK's world-class research base to underpin innovation. We work to improve public awareness and understanding of engineering. We are a national academy with a global outlook. We have four strategic challenges: Drive faster and more balanced economic growth; foster better education and skills; lead the profession; promote engineering at the heart of society.
Engineering for Growth is a partnership campaign to demonstrate the contribution of engineering to the UK economy and society. This involves promoting the economic impact and societal benefits delivered by engineering; raising awareness of the issues that explore how engineering could make a bigger contribution; and increasing the profile of EfG partners and supporters' activities that will help create growth in the economy.
EPSRC Press Office for images of rising stars and images of the evening. Telephone. 01793 444 404 or Giorgio De Faveri at The Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. 020 7766 0655; email: Giorgio De Faveri
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