Here in the Forensic Science Department at Staffordshire University we are involved in many activities aimed at continually evolving our programmes of study to give our students the opportunity to develop their skills both personally and professionally. This Newsletter is designed to keep staff, students and interested parties up to date with recent activities that have taken place either here at Staffordshire University or elsewhere.

Annual Presentations by Britain's Top Younger Scientists, Engineers and Technologists at the House of Commons (March 13th 2006)

Two Staffordshire University researchers recently spent the day at Westminister presenting their research at the House of Commons.

As part of UK National Science Week 2006, Dr Brian Iddon MP (Member of the Commons' Select Committee for Science and Technology) invited young researchers to submit abstracts for poster presentations on their research. In its eighth year, the event is a novel initiative where Britain's younger researchers present posters at Westminster on leading-edge science, engineering, medicine and technology research and compete for prestigious national awards and prizes.

On March 13th 2006, Neysa Archer, a final year BSc(Hons) Forensic Science student and Sarah Fieldhouse, a PhD Student from the Department of Forensic Science, travelled to the Houses of Parliament to present their work. Dr John Wheeler, Faculty Director for Recruitment in the Faculty of Sciences, and Sarah's PhD Supervisor said, "This event allows Staffordshire University to show the wider research community that we are proactive in research within the field of Forensic Science at both postgraduate and undergraduate level."

"It also provides us with an excellent opportunity to develop our network of contacts within academia and with policy-makers at the heart of government. These events have so far been very popular not only with Britain's young researchers but also with MP's, Peers and other visitors. They take real research and younger researchers to Parliament and help engender better dialogue between MP's, early-stage researchers and the UK's research communities."

 

Inaugural Midlands Regional Forensic Science Student Conference
(April 4th 2006)

Staffordshire University was very proud to be chosen to host the first ever 'Forensic Science Student-Centred Conference'. Universities in the Midlands area offering forensic courses worked together to encourage their final year undergraduate students to present the results of their independent projects either orally or as posters to their peers and academics.

The Conference was held on April 4th 2006 and was a great success with over 50 representatives from many local Universities, including Staffordshire University, University of Derby, University College Chester and the University of Wolverhampton, taking part. A variety of oral and poster presentations were displayed throughout the day, encompassing research in many different aspects of Forensic Science, ranging from entomologically based projects to the detection of date-rape drugs in various drinks.

 

The standard of all the presentations was exceptionally high and we would like to thank all students who took part in the Conference. Thanks also to Suzzanne McColl from Liverpool John Moores University, who judged all of the poster and oral presentations, and to Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Publishers, who kindly donated prizes for the winners.

Joint winners for the Poster Presentations were:-

Andrew Birkin from the University of Derby

Edward Goucher from Staffordshire Univeristy.

The winner of the Oral Presentations was:-

Christopher Rogers from the University of Wolverhampton.