Nuffield Student joins Geography team for summer placement

This summer the Geography department is hosting a Nuffield student. Nuffield studentships give sixth form students the chance to work in a university for several weeks in the summer helping with a research project and learning what conducting university research is really like.

Alexandra Asvestapoulou will be working with Dr Joanna Wright and Dr Janet Jackson on the quality and connectedness of cycling facilities in Northampton.

This pilot study will focus on cycle routes to and from the station, town centre and university campuses, and ties in to other research on cycling commuting being carried out in the department this summer. Alex will be mapping these features using new GPS units the department acquired this year, and drawing a map of the facilities and routes using ArcGIS, the industry standard for mapping software.  This is the same software that Northampton students learn to use in Geography and Environmental science sources, which is part of improving their career opportunities and employability skills.

Sustainable transport is a very important part of planning for the new Waterside campus, and for the future as part of carbon reduction strategies, and this research will compile information to help improve cycling facilities in Northampton and the rest of the UK.

Students visit Wicken Fen

A group of students recently visited one of Britain’s oldest nature reserves, as part of their studies.

Dr Janet Jackson and students at Wicken Fen

Undergraduates studying Environmental Science, Wildlife Conservation, Biology and Countryside and Wildlife Management spent the day at Wicken Fen, in Cambridgeshire, which was the first reserve cared for by the National Trust, starting in 1899.
 
Wicken Fen is said to be the birthplace of modern ecology, being home to the Godwin Plots, one of the world’s longest-running scientific experiments.

Photos from the visit can be viewed here

Sharing Futures

Dr. John Horton is one of the partners in an exciting new project – ‘Sharing Futures’ (or, in Portuguese, ‘Partilhandø Futurøs’!) – funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. This project will bring together Brazilian Engineering Scientists and British Human Geographers to share expertise, develop learning/teaching resources and trial innovative research methods.

Dr John Horton welcoming people to the Sharing Futures summer school

An exciting programme of activities is planned for 2015-16. For example, on 24-26^th August, John helped to co-organise a three day summer school at University of Birmingham. The event brought together 25 international researchers interested in interdisciplinary and multigenerational approaches to sustainable urbanism. Delegates enjoyed presentations by leading thinkers and practitioners in this field, and engaged in some really productive and interesting discussions. Skype networking and presentations enabled delegates to engage with cutting edge research ongoing in São Paulo.

Delegates also went on a field trip to see examples of sustainable urban development in Northampton and Milton Keynes. At Upton Meadows, Dr. Janet Jackson gave a fascinating tour along the Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS), while Henk van Aswegen of MK Discovery Centre provided a wealth of information about Milton Keynes’s eco-houses, landscapes, urban extensions, roundabouts and concrete cows!

Dr Janet Jackson explains about sustainable urban drainage systems and biodiversity in Upton

Attendees of the summer school, at the end of the tour of Upton

For more information about the ‘Sharing Futures’ programme, see: http://www.sharing-futures.com/

Director of Planning gives talk about new Waterside Campus

On Tuesday 20^th January 2015 Neil Rowley, Director of Planning at Savills visited the University to talk to third year Geography and Environmental Science students.

Neil Rowley, Dr Janet Jackson, and the students

Savills are the main consultants dealing with the planning application and Neil Rowley’s talk was based around how the planning process operates and how stakeholders are consulted.  Students attending the talk are taking the Sustainable Development: Land Use and Policy module, taught by Dr Janet Jackson.  This third year module covers a range of topics from land degradation, sustainable land use and planning, to Environmental Impact Assessment.  The students are currently working on an assignment related to the planning application for the new University of Northampton Waterside Campus, which is expected to be open in September 2018.  The students took this opportunity to ask Mr Rowley lots of questions related to their assessment.

Two temporary part time paid positions creating Youtube style videos on the use of ArcGIS and ArcMap

After successfully winning funding from the University of Northampton Innovation Fund for a project to enhance teaching and learning in GIS Dr Janet Jackson has announced two paid part time temporary positions (equivalent of 16.5 hours for two weeks.)  Year 3 students who took ENV2036 in year two are required for this project, and will be involved in creating Youtube style videos on the use of ArcGIS and ArcMap.  

The University's employment agency UNITEMP is handling the job application process through their website https://www.unitemps.com/Search/JobDetails/2405.  Although information states that the position should start this week, Janet can be flexible in terms of delivery of the project over the next two months.  Deadline for applications is Friday 19^th September.