Category Archives: SEPnet

07Jul/23

SEPnet/ WRIPA Joint workshop

Diversity, SEPnet, Uncategorized

Creating an inclusive physics curriculum – Thursday 6 July 2023 University of Nottingham

SEPnet and WRIPA hosted a successful meeting to explore how university physics departments can embed EDI across the curriculum and departmental culture to support an inclusive student learning experience and equitable graduate outcomes. Prof Helen Gleeson OBE, opened the workshop outlining personal professional initiatives and the IOP’s projects. Professor Philip Moriarty closed the workshop with a dynamic thought proving update on the benefits and challenges of ChatGPT. The event was attended by over 55 representatives from over 30 UK institutions. 

For more information about the talks follow this link. 

 

Recordings to the talks can be found below

Programme

Chair’s Introduction with Prof Sir William Wakeham and a 2022 event update with Prof Jacob Dunningham

Part 2

Encouraging diversity and facilitating inclusion in physics – a personal and professional perspective, Prof Helen Gleeson OBE, Cavendish Professor of Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leeds

How to aim towards an inclusive curriculum, Piers Wilkinson, Policy and Campaigns Lead, Inclusive Education Team, Diversity and Ability

Part 3

SEPNet neurodiverse summer placement programme – lessons learnt and impact, Claire Hepwood, Director of Employer Liaison South East Physics Network

How scared should we be about ChatGPT, Prof Philip Moriarty, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham

27Apr/23

SEPnet Diversity Workshop – Embedding diversity into the curriculum

conference, Diversity, SEPnet, Uncategorized

Academics, EDI champions and PGRs gathered at SEPnet’s recent annual diversity workshop hosted by Royal Holloway University of London, to share experiences and discuss challenges in embedding diversity into the curriculum. Tinashe Verhaeghe, Equality Charter at Advance HE, explained the five race equality principles that underpin the charter. Researcher Annie Lennox shared results of their study on diversity within Space Science naming conventions maintained by the IAU. Olivia Keenan and Perl John described what is meant by decolonising the curriculum and how we are approaching decolonising across SEPnet. 

Helen Gleeson OBE, Cavendish Professor of Physics, University of Leeds, Institute of Physics advisor to Council for Inclusion and Diversity, provided a personal and professional perspective on encouraging diversity and facilitating inclusion in Physics, her role in providing advice and challenging Council and the IOP more widely on inclusion and diversity issues and details of the new Inclusion Model. Professor Laura Sjoberg, Head of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London provided an insight into Substantive, and Representational Diversity, the importance of offering alternative problem-solving techniques and attention to questions of epistemology that underlie traditional techniques, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity or social economic background.

To find out full details of the event click here.

13Jun/18

SEPnet announces Executive Director to lead its next phase

SEPnet

SEPnet announces Executive Director to lead its next phase

Ten years after SEPnet was launched with HEFCE funding in 2008 to sustain Physics in the South East region, SEPnet is about to enter its third phase funded by its nine member (The Universities of Hertfordshire, Kent, Portsmouth, Southampton, Surrey, Sussex; The Open University; Queen Mary University of London; and Royal Holloway University of London).

The purpose of SEPnet Phase 3, agreed by the members, is to assure the viability of Physics in the South East by continuing to facilitate regional collaborations to address common challenges in areas such as Outreach and Public Engagement, employer engagement, graduate training, and research. Its vision is “Working together to deliver excellence in physics”.

To lead SEPnet into this next phase, we are pleased to announce that Professor Sean Ryan of the University of Hertfordshire has agreed to become Executive Director of the network, effective 1st August 2018. Sean succeeds Dr James West who became Executive Director in February 2010 and who will be retiring on July 31st.

Sean is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Hertfordshire and held the post of Dean of School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics from 2006-2015, during which time he negotiated the University’s membership of SEPnet for the start of Phase II.

James West (left), Sean Ryan (right)

SEPnet would like to thank James West for his leadership of the network for the past eight years and for securing the funding for the next phase, and welcome Sean Ryan as its next leader.

James West: “SEPnet has been an enjoyable challenge and we have shown that collaboration works to secure the future for physics in the region and for our members. I’m pleased that a senior Physics academic of Sean’s standing has been appointed and I’m confident under Sean’s leadership, the next phase can build on the foundations of the past 10 years to bring new opportunities to address the challenges of the future.”