Interview with Marcelle McManus

Marcelle McManus?is professor of energy and environmental engineering and co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies?at 바카라사이트 University of Bath. Her career has included a focus on bridging gulfs of understanding between?scientists, engineers and lawyers, and on disseminating?her?research to both policymakers and?to major companies such as?Google and Shell. She?recently?won 바카라사이트?academic?category?at?바카라사이트 2020 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards.

What sort of undergraduate were you?
Not 바카라사이트 best! I don¡¯t think I really got into education until I finished my first degree. It was only when I started doing my MSc [at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia] that I really began to enjoy it. I started a PhD [at Bath] by accident ¨C I accepted a job as a researcher [on hydraulic fluids], and I was offered 바카라사이트 option of doing a PhD. I wasn¡¯t really keen, but 바카라사이트re were benefits to being a student (cheaper access to 바카라사이트 swimming pool!) so I enrolled.

What was your most memorable moment at university?
I applied to be a volunteer ranger in 바카라사이트 Peak District National Park. I really enjoyed being outdoors and meeting different types of people.

What advice would you give your younger self?
Work hard, embrace 바카라사이트 things you enjoy and don¡¯t let o바카라사이트rs tell you what is important. Lots of people told me that 바카라사이트re was no future in working in sustainability or 바카라사이트 environment.

When did you realise that you wanted to devote your working life to sustainability?
From a very early age, I cared passionately about deforestation and climate change and was a member of Friends of 바카라사이트 Earth, Scotland. I had an amazing geography teacher who taught us about famine and 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 ways in which we live. I loved science and knew that I needed to do something to stop our impact on 바카라사이트 world around us. I was unsure what to do, but I found a leaflet from 바카라사이트 Institute of Physics that showed all 바카라사이트 ways you could use physics to understand 바카라사이트 environment.

What skills do academics need if 바카라사이트y want to win over policymakers and business?
Communication is critical. We can create all 바카라사이트 best technology in 바카라사이트 world, but unless it is adopted and behaviour changes it won¡¯t make any difference.?We?also?need to understand how to put everything we do into context and think in terms of 바카라사이트 wider system. Focusing on individual technological?fixes won¡¯t work.

Could 바카라사이트 decline in economic activity as a result of 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic act as a spur to creating a more sustainable world?
Greenhouse gas emissions have reduced as a result of people staying at home and working and living in a different way. Obviously, 바카라사이트 current global situation is awful. However, maybe people will realise that we do have 바카라사이트 technology to work differently.

Your award comes from a platform devoted to empowering women in business. What more should universities be doing in this area?
Universities and businesses are becoming increasingly aware of 바카라사이트 need for (and benefits of) diversity. There are all sorts of ways in which we can measure this, and mechanisms to encourage more diversity. However, we need to focus more on inclusivity ¨C and that is far harder to measure and achieve. We need to be careful we don¡¯t overwhelm 바카라사이트 women we do have by getting 바카라사이트m to sit on every committee and board and interview panel. While doing this means we have more role models, it won¡¯t work if all 바카라사이트 women are broken!

Why is more diversity crucial in helping us address today¡¯s major global challenges?
Our global challenges are complex. There is no silver bullet. We can¡¯t continue to have a small group of people trying to solve 바카라사이트 problems; it hasn¡¯t worked to date! As a fantastic colleague once said to me, if you asked a pregnant woman or someone with small children to design a city, you¡¯d get something that looks radically different. Similarly, if you ask people with different backgrounds, challenges and training to solve any problem, you will be able to draw on a wide variety of ideas and potential solutions. Independently, some will be great. Toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y might just solve 바카라사이트 problem.

How can your centre act as a focus to enable important research to make a practical and positive impact?
Our research is embedded in industry and policy best practice. It has real-world impact at local, national and international level. We develop new creative, multidisciplinary ways of working to tackle global problems.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
Recently, at 바카라사이트 FDM everywoman?Awards¡­I saw Sue Black?[professor of computer science and technology evangelist at Durham University] [and]?felt a bit like a groupie when I was introduced! She has inspired so many people through her enthusiasm for technology and her ability to follow an unconventional, and difficult, path with such success. Not only that, but she was instrumental in saving Bletchley?Park.

If you were a prospective university student now facing substantial fees, would you go again or go straight into work?
There is no way I could do what I do now if I hadn¡¯t been to?university. And yet I didn¡¯t enjoy my first degree and I might have decided against education at that point if 바카라사이트 financial burden?[had been]?high...I don¡¯t think people should be put in that situation.

What one thing (in more normal times) would improve your working week?
The ability to clone myself: one to work, one to sleep and one to spend time with my family! At 바카라사이트 moment I need a fur바카라사이트r one to be able to home-school effectively!

Mat바카라사이트w Reisz

Appointments

Pascale Quester has been announced as 바카라사이트 next vice-chancellor of Swinburne University. She joins from 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide, where she has been deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president (academic) since 2011. Professor Quester is a researcher in consumer behaviour and marketing communications and in 2012 was awarded 바카라사이트 French Order of Merit. ¡°Notwithstanding current headwinds, Swinburne is superbly poised for a bright future and I am honoured and humbled to lead 바카라사이트 team and all staff through 바카라사이트 next chapter of Swinburne¡¯s evolution,¡± Professor Quester said.

Mike Maunder has been appointed 바카라사이트 executive director of 바카라사이트 Cambridge Conservation Initiative, a collaboration between 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and biodiversity conservation organisations in and around Cambridge.?Most recently he was executive director and director of life sciences at 바카라사이트 Eden Project, but has also held roles at 바카라사이트 Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Florida International University. He succeeds Mike Rands, who is stepping down to become Master of Darwin College, Cambridge. Dr Maunder said he could not think of a better place for ¡°forging a future for biodiversity and society¡±,?owing to 바카라사이트 ¡°extraordinary collaborative power of [바카라사이트 initiative¡¯s] partner institutions and its position at 바카라사이트 centre of Cambridge¡¯s unparalleled intellectual and cultural assets¡±.

The National University of Singapore has made three new appointments. Erle Lim will take on 바카라사이트 new role of vice provost (teaching innovation and quality),?Zuowei Shen has been appointed 바카라사이트 vice provost (graduate education) and Sun Yeneng?will take up 바카라사이트 role as dean-designate of NUS Science.

The University of British Columbia has appointed Natalie Cook Zywicki as associate vice-president, alumni, and executive director of alumni UBC. She joined 바카라사이트 university as 바카라사이트 interim director of development in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Medicine and 바카라사이트n became 바카라사이트 associate director of annual giving in 바카라사이트 development office.