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Royal Holloway, University of London welcomed almost 2,000 visitors to its
annual Science Open Day to celebrate the College's extensive research and
outreach programmes.
Hosted by staff and students from all departments within the Faculty of
Science, visitors of all ages enjoyed free talks, workshops and hands-on
sessions based on the theme “Working for a Green Future”.
Eight different academic departments organised programmes of activities,
allowing visitors the opportunity to explore the latest developments in science
across the campus.
Dr Darren Baskill captivated the audience with his keynote speech on 'Xtreme
Astronomy' where he explained where x-rays come from. The second keynote speech
was from broadcaster, writer, and academic Dr John Emsley, who showed how
science can help us feed a population of nine billion people. The final talk of
the day was from popular speaker Dr Roger Key, former education officer for
Natural England, on hunting for bugs in Antarctica.
With its Green theme this year, the College hosed a wide range of displays
and activities from local and national organisations with the aim of working
together to improve the local environment through encouraging higher levels of
recycling and composting, and supporting schools and colleges wishing to launch
communal gardens and wildlife areas.
Dean of Science, Professor Philip Beesley said, "I am delighted that the day
was such a huge success and attracted some 2,000 visitors. The feedback from
those that attended was extremely positive and we are delighted to have
demonstrated the excitement, fun and relevance of science to so many visitors
across all age ranges."
Dr Emm Barnes, Science Outreach Officer, who co-ordinated the event said, “It
was fantastic to see so many new faces at this year's Science Open Day, despite
the heavy rain. Some visitors travelled a long way. This year we launched our
own mini "university challenge" for school teams from year 9, and the tense
final resulted in Court Moor School from Fleet winning the £150
prize.”
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