People: EMEC; University of Nottingham
East Midlands Environmental Consultancy (EMEC) has welcomed a pair of new hires.
Senior ecologist Vicky Philpott joins EMEC from Natural England, where she worked as wildlife lead advisor. In her new role she will undertake and lead habitat and species surveys, manage projects and oversee the consultancy’s team of ecologists.
One such ecologist will be fellow new recruit Laura McClelland, who will carry out species surveys and biodiversity impact assessments while helping clients to deliver biodiversity net gain.
Philpott said: “EMEC’s affiliation with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust certainly appealed and I’m very excited to get involved with the wide variety of projects that EMEC is currently working on.”
McClelland added: “During my interview I got a really good feeling about the company and was delighted to be offered the role, especially because all the profits EMEC make will be directly re-invested in conservation via NWT. This was a huge attraction for me.”
A research group at the University of Nottingham has hired a creative in residence to bring the worlds of engineering and art together for the first time in the university’s history.
Jo Fairfax extracts technological principles and weaves them into his projects, bringing a human touch to the technological world.
His appointment is part of a collaboration between the Power Electronics and Machines Centre (PEMC) Research Group and Lakeside Arts, which aims to cultivate an environment that will inspire creativity and aid professional development in engineers.
Jo Fairfax delivering a workshop at the Power Electronics and Machines Centre
Professor Pat Wheeler, head of the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Research Group, said: “Having a certain level of creativity can be crucial to the advancement of our research projects, but it’s sometimes something that can unfortunately be lacking. As someone who’s always been interested in the arts, I felt enlisting an artist’s skills would provide us with the perfect opportunity to inspire innovation in the group by bringing art into an engineering context.
“We want to focus on sustainability and the inspiration of our technology and applications, so Jo was the perfect fit for us due to the nature of his work. After the official opening of the brand-new PEMC building earlier this year, now is the perfect time to do something different and I can’t wait to see what the finished result will look like.”
Fairfax said: “This is such an amazing opportunity to work with some amazing and vibrant minds who are researching the edges of electronic power at the PEMC. I anticipate being inspired by the staff and their exciting work. I will bring an openness, creativity and enthusiasm to our meetings and hope that we embark on an unprecedented journey of discovery for all of us. I love combining elements from traditionally separated realms and hope that there is an opportunity to mix things up within the PEMC and collectively produce something special.”
He added: “I’ve always enjoyed blending art, science, technology and engineering, so this residency is like drinking nectar for my head, heart and soul. I think that both industries are perfect companions, with potentially surprising parallels between them such as the creative and analytical processes required to culminate in beautiful and resonating conclusions.”
