Professor Raymond (Ray) Hills passed away peacefully in his sleep on the 17th May 2023 following a short illness. He was a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers.
WCSIM Web Editor
Beloe Fellowship
The Company is pleased to announce the award of this year’s Beloe Fellowship to Dr Gema Vera Gonzalez, currently a postdoctoral researcher at Imperial College London. She is working in the area of bioinstrumentation, and has developed a technique which enables the simultaneous selection and monitoring of up to four selected cells in the brain – a multi-patch-clamp technique – which will help to provide further insight into brain functioning. She has automated this difficult and tedious process, increasing too the rate of successful monitoring interventions, and the Beloe Fellowship will help her to continue to work on this automation process, as well as the wider dissemination of this novel work. The interview panel was impressed by Gema’s enthusiasm, scientific rigour and drive, and trust that she will have the opportunity to discuss her work in person with Apprentices, Freemen and Liverymen at future events at Glazier’s Hall and elsewhere.
When will nuclear fusion keep the lights on?
This year’s Master’s SIMposium, Economically Competitive Fusion Energy, aimed to find out when nuclear fusion will generate electricity power at a price people can afford. Held at the Hall on 3 April, the event attracted a full audience to hear presentations from senior figures from the fusion industry, from the City’s financial sector, and from researchers tackling the difficult technical challenges that still remain. Oral presentations in the morning were followed by posters in the afternoon.
Academy of Healthcare Science webinar
The Academy of Healthcare Science hosted a webinar recently on ‘Aerosol Spread of Disease and its Prevention’.It is now available to view on the Academy’s website:
Congratulations Roxanne Pollard
The Company extends its best wishes to Freeman Roxanne who is currently on maternity leave after having her daughter Evelyn. She is ably assisted by son Albert who is 3.5 years.
Roxanne is a senior design engineer with Renishaw, designing the latest metal 3d printing machines. She manages a team of engineers and also promote STEM work and women in engineering through speaking to young students about what engineering is all about.
Following The Walbrook River – A SIM History Walk
On Saturday 11 March, twenty SIM members joined Past Master Martyn Wheatley, and his wife Valerie, for an informative and fascinating London History walk, Following the Walbrook River.
Read More “Following The Walbrook River – A SIM History Walk”
Patrick Graham Lowe Obituary
The Company is saddened to hear of the death of Liveryman Patrick Graham Lowe, who passed away aged 90 following a short illness.
Patrick was a well-known, active member of the charitable community and served the ECA both locally and nationally as President. He was extremely well-respected amongst his peers and helped develop and restore many of Oxford’s and the country’s most prestigious buildings.
Following completion of an engineering science degree at Brasenose college Oxford, Patrick joined the University Air squadron prior to serving in the Royal Air Force before returning home to run the family business in 1958.
Throughout his career he was a mentor to a vast number employed within both Lowe and Oliver and throughout the Oxfordshire electrical community, nurturing and passing down the high standards and values he so passionately believed in.
Patrick will be greatly missed by those who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him and our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and friends.
This information comes from the ECA web site
WCSIM Group to All-Party Parliamentary Engineering Group in House of Lords
On Wednesday 22 February, Liveryman Ian Gilbert, Freeman Edward Talboys and Apprentices Noa Barcons Daniels and Oliver Bridge were hosted by Professor The Lord Mair CBE at the All-Party Parliamentary Engineering Group (APPEG) discussion and lunch in the House of Lords. The discussion for this event was around ‘Skyscrapers’, where there were short presentations from Professor Hanif Kara OBE and Marta Galinanes-Garcia, both from AKT II, and Natasha Bellamy from Laing O’Rourke.
Read More “WCSIM Group to All-Party Parliamentary Engineering Group in House of Lords”
Support for the next generation at City, University of London
City, which received its royal charter in 1966 and became a part of the University of London five decades later, has always been held in high and proprietorial regard by the City of London, with the position of Rector reserved to the serving Lord Mayor. So it was that, on 16 January, fifteen Worshipful Company Masters from the City, including myself, made our way to the Barbican to witness the installation of the Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor Alderman Nicholas Lyons as Rector of “our” University.
Read More “Support for the next generation at City, University of London”
WCSIM Webinar – Rebecca Canning – Window on galaxy formation
Copy of the recording can be found here
Passcode: KqMcs?R0