Two PhD students from the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory (TDHVL) within the Electrical and Power Engineering EPE research group have won two of the three awards for best presentations at the 2018 International Conference on Dielectrics ICD in Budapest, Hungary.

Istebreq Saeedis’s research paper ‘On The Design of The Structure of Epoxy Resin Networks’ reported a novel method for designing the molecular structure of epoxy resin systems. This study proposes a method to control the properties of epoxy resin system to produce materials with increased breakdown strength. This approach is of potentially very important because it may allow materials to be designed with controlled properties to suit particular applications.

Allison Shaw’s keynote presentation was entitled ‘The dielectric effect of xylene on an organoclay-containing composite’ which presented the results of an avenue of work she started exploring after realising that the effects of any solvent remaining in the sample due to incomplete drying from the nanocomposite synthesis was poorly understood. In the past, the effects of the solvent may have been wrongly attributed to the presence of the nanofiller and this work also uncovered an interesting synergistic effect between the solvent and the nanofiller in terms of the dielectric properties of the nanocomposite.

Other staff and students from the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory presenting their work at the conference included a the keynote talk presented by Dr. Ian Hosier on ‘Polymer Blend Systems for HVDC Cable Applications’ and Xinyu Wang delivered a paper on the ‘Effect of Surface Functionalization on the Dielectric Properties of Polypropylene Aluminium Nitride Nanocomposites’. Furthermore, Professor Paul Lewin and Dr. Thomas Andritsch both from the University of Southampton were actively involved in the organization of the conference itself.

This year’s annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Women in Engineering (WIE) International Leadership Summit (ILS) is to be held in Southampton, the first time the event has been hosted in the UK. Taking place from 13 to 15 August, 2018, the Summit is open to everyone from all over the world, and aims to empower women to choose their own career path and facilitate the recruitment and retention of women in technical disciplines. It is dedicated to promoting women and diversity in Engineering, Science and Technology and inspiring girls around the world to achieve rewarding careers in engineering.

The Summit kicks off with a Careers Fair on 13 August, providing an excellent opportunity for attendees to gain insight into recruitment and progression routes with companies such as ARM, Hire STEM Women, Jaguar, Land Rover and Siemens. The Fair will showcase the different ways to secure work experience or training contacts through presentations, panel discussions and speed networking events featuring some of the top companies that have recruited female engineers and scientists in the last few years.

Further highlights include: • A three-course Gala Dinner and networking opportunity with representatives of companies in a more informal setting at Southampton Harbour Hotel. • Leadership track talks and workshops will help attendees become effective leaders through activities, tips and inspiring success stories by some of today’s leading women. • Technical track talks and workshop will give the latest technological developments and introduce leaders in respective fields.

• The Lunches and Dinners (already included in registration cost) offer another opportunity to network with attendees from academia and industry. • The Panel Session in Winchester Guildhall on 15 August will give insight into how to build a more inclusive work culture by supporting diversity as a whole.

Prestigious keynote speakers include Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, Global Chair of IEEE Women-in-Engineering; Victoria Sargeant, Head of Commodity Management at Siemens; and Alicia Andres, Concession Transformation Director at Arriva Rail London. They will be joined by two members of the University’s Optoelectronics Research Centre: PhD student, Angeles Camacho Rosales, who was recently named in Forbes Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Mexico; and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr Katrina Morgan, Chair of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WiSET).

The organising committee is made up of PhD and Master students from across the University including the Electronics and Computer Science, Optoelectronics Research Centre, Engineering Sciences and Southampton Business School.

“I would like to invite all of you to register for our summit to celebrate Women and Diversity. We feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to host IEEE's Women-in-Engineering International Leadership Summit in Southampton. In this summit we hear from senior female leaders about their approaches to engage with the wider community and how they achieved their goals by overcoming challenges. My committee and I have received tremendous amount of support from within the University, especially from Professor Paul Lewin who has supported our initiative every step of the way. I cannot wait to see you all in August and be part of the experience we have designed for you.â€? – Aneesha Sethi, Chair of IEEE WIE ILS Southampton 2018 and PhD student in Cyber Physical Research Group, ECS

For more details of what is included in the registration fee visit the website. Details about the full programme are available

Related Links

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Women in Engineering (WIE) International Leadership Summit (ILS)
• IEEE WIE ILS Summit programme

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