Leading Lights
Leading Lights is an inspiring new exhibition of portraits by award-winning photographer Richard Cannon. It showcases 19 STEM Ambassadors from all over the UK who are using science, technology, engineering and maths to push the boundaries of what is possible and to make the world a better and more exciting place to live.
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Kola Liadi Mudashiru is a research associate in the clean use of fossil fuels at Newcastle University. He is breaking new ground in the development of revolutionary techniques to produce energy from coal in a way that is ‘carbon neutral’. This includes developing innovative ways to store waste carbon dioxide produced in underground cavities.
There is global interest in his work, and Kola predicts that these new techniques have the potential to create around 5,000 new jobs in the UK alone. Kola is passionate about communicating science to young people, “I want to help raise the ambitions, hopes and aspirations of the next generation of scientists.”
Kola is pictured at a landfill drilling site of Coal Bed Methane at Rochdale near Manchester – this state-of-the-art equipment can drill to a depth of 500 metres.
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Sean Tapodi studied Chemistry with Management Studies before doing a Masters degree in Analytic Sciences. Sean is in charge of ensuring that all the samples taken and analysis done on materials produced and discarded by the Sellafield site, conform to the strict regulations involved with nuclear reprocessing and decommissioning.
“You can imagine how serious the consequences would be if we didn’t do our job properly”, says Sean. “Everything that Sellafield produces, from the fuel we sell to the waste we dispose of, has to meet very strict specifications.”
Sean has been a STEM Ambassador for five years. He says: “I want young people to be as interested in science as I was at their age. It’s great to see the students’ faces light up when they see something go bang or start fizzing as if from nothing! Science is fascinating and we need them to realise that at a young age.”
Sean is pictured on the Sellafield site with an Accelerated Gas-Cooled Reactor.
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Samme Brough works in the energy industry as a geoscientist for Ikon Science, world-leaders in the field of ‘rock physics.’ Never before has the sourcing of energy supplies been so important.
Samme’s degree in Environmental Earth Sciences led to her current job as an exploration geologist. She builds accurate computer generated models of the earth’s many sub-surfaces, and this gives energy companies the information they need to find oil and gas supplies effectively, both in terms of time, money and the environment.
Samme says of working as a STEM Ambassador: “It’s fantastic! You literally see the young people switch on when they understand that what they are learning is the real thing.”
Samme is pictured at a disused quarry in Hertfordshire – understanding how to drill effectively through rock is vital to the future of the energy industry.
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Shanom Ali is about to finish a groundbreaking thesis on microbiology, investigating the possible risks to human beings of processing recyclable waste. Shanom’s work is vital in making sure we can continue, as a country, to recycle safely and has attracted international interest.
Shanom works at UCL Hospital for Tropical Diseases where he is running a screening project for the deadly MRSA bacteria, and developing better ways to detect its presence and so save lives. He has been a scientific consultant on Channel 4’s ‘How Clean is Your House?’ series.
Shanom says: “I am interested in microbiology because identifying bacteria is a highly technical process and a real mental challenge – I like the nitty gritty. As a STEM Ambassador I enjoy inspiring students about the work I do.”
Shanom is pictured at a materials reclamation facility in Northamptonshire, where paper, card, plastic and cans are sorted for recycling. The facility is capable of processing around 20,000 tonnes (the equivalent of one 374 double decker buses).
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Luke Fowler is a mechanical engineer whose career was kick-started aged 16 by a four-year apprenticeship at a niche engineering firm called Allen Gears in Pershore, Worcestershire, which makes giant industrial gear boxes for everything from oil, gas and power generation to marine propulsion in ships.
Allen Gears allowed Luke to go on to study for a four-year Masters in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Birmingham. Luke now works in research and development, designing and testing gearboxes that typically measure two metres high and cost anything up to half a million pounds. Luke’s latest project has been designing a tidal turbine gearbox – a highly challenging and technical brief which has tested his knowledge to the full.
Luke is a STEM Ambassador at a local school, where he mentors students working on technology projects.
Luke is pictured inside a two-metre diameter epicyclic gearbox casing, destined for a hydro power station in Retiro, Brazil.
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Kola Liadu Mudashiru
Research Associate, Newcastle University
Sean Tapodi
Quality Manager, Sellafield Sites
Samme Brough
Geoscientist, Ikon Science
Shanom Ali
UCL Hospital for Tropical Diseases
Luke Fowler
Mechanical Engineer, Allen Gears
