Due to unforseen circumstances, Professor Dawn Bonfield is no longer able to present this lecture, as initially advertised. We instead are delighted to announce that Claire Lucas, Professor of Engineering Teaching and Learning here at King’s College London will be giving this talk. Professor Lucas takes a leading role in our Department of Engineering, having previously worked at Warwick University and Jaguar Land Rover.

Calling all STEM students from GCSE to A Level to university! Welcome to the first of our new series of Annual Engineering for Schools Lectures. Join us here at King's to learn more about what Engineering is, and what your future in engineering could be like. Delivering the 2024 Lecture is Professor Claire Lucas.

Our world is at a point of crisis, with human activity causing catastrophic damage to the environment and deepening societal issues. Join Professor Claire Lucas to explore how engineering can help and why we need you, as a future engineer, to help make the world a better place for everyone.

This event is aimed at those aged 16+, but younger students are welcome to attend. Bring a group of students, or come with your friends and family. 

Schedule

15:15 - Event opens; registration, refreshments and activities

16:15 - Theatre doors open

16:30-16:40 - Theatre event starts; welcome and housekeeping

16:40-17:00 - Research talk; King's PhD student

17:00-18:00 - Professor Claire Lucas talk and Q&A

18:00 - Event finishes

Changing the world with engineering - talk by Professor Claire Lucas

Talk description
Since the beginning of civilization, humans have shaped the environment to make our lives better, from the first simple settlements to the mighty pyramids of Ancient Egypt. This kicked into overdrive in the industrial revolution, with humans truly become the dominant species on the planet, mining ever deeper, cutting down vast ancient forests and pumping emissions into the environment. As a result, over the last 100 years, human activity has caused massive damage to natural ecosystems, at the same time expanding societal issues and injustices worldwide.

Engineering might have caused many of these problems, but it can also be a force for good, to help both the planet and the people on it. In this lecture, Claire will explore the work she has done to create a new vision for engineering. By using creativity and imagination together with environmentally and socially sustainable values she is helping to reshape engineering as a force to save the world. She’ll show how engineers hold the keys to the technologies which can help tackle the UN Sustainable Development Goals – 17 global targets to improve the world for everyone by 2030. Mostly importantly, she’ll show how you, as an engineer of the future, could have an amazingly rewarding job helping to tackle the most important issues our world has ever faced.

About the speaker
Claire Lucas is a Professor of Engineering Teaching and Learning here at King’s College London. She leads Engineering Education research and implementation. Previously, Claire was Director of Studies for General, Biomedical and Systems Engineering at Warwick University using her industrial experience as a mathematical modelling specialist at Jaguar Land Rover where she carried out and managed capability improvement projects and multi-physics modelling including physiological modelling of drivers and passengers.

In 2019 Claire was awarded the Women’s Engineering Society Prize and the IET’s Young Women Engineer of the Year ceremony and in 2020 Claire as named one of the top 50 women in Engineering for her work in Engineering Education.

Please note, this event was orginally advertised as featuring Professor Dawn Bonfield , who unfortunately is no longer able to attend due to unforseen circumstances.

About the Annual Engineering for Schools Lecture
Every year, we invite one of our most exciting and inspirational academics to deliver a talk here at King's for local schools. The aim of this event is to highlight to young people what engineering is, and the amazing opportunities a career in engineering might bring them. 

Important information

This event is aimed at those aged 16+. Younger attendees are welcome, but please note that attendees under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. For school groups, tickets are limited to 20 students per booking, to ensure a larger number of schools can attend. If you are aged 14–18 and booking for yourself, please check with a parent or guardian before booking your place.

Registration for this event will take place in reception in the main Strand Building entrance. This is on the Strand, the opposite side of St Mary Le Strand Church from Bush House. Refreshments will be served in the Engineering Quad Labs and the Lecture will take place in the Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre.

This event is organised by the Department of Engineering at King’s College London, together with the Faculty Outreach Team. If you have any questions or would like any further details, please email nmes-outreach@kcl.ac.uk.

For in-person events we operate a policy of overbooking, to help manage on the day drop-out rates. Please ensure you arrive in good time to avoid disappointment on the day.

Accessibility
This talk will take place in the Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, on the ground floor of the King's Building. The theatre is fully wheelchair accessible, with designated spaces for wheelchair users. There are accessible bathrooms on this floor. The refreshments are being served in the Engineering Quad Labs, on the -1 level of this building.

Wheelchair access is via lift.The nearest step-free underground station is Blackfriars, but a number of bus routes stop a short distance from the Strand Campus.

Photography and privacy notice
The event you will be attending will have photography and/or videography. If you do not wish to appear in any recordings or photographs, please approach our registration team on the day of the event or email nmes-outreach@kcl.ac.uk beforehand. Photographs and recordings taken may feature in our publications or on the King’s website and social media channels. All personal data will be processed in accordance with King’s privacy policy available here.

We collect and process your personal information to help us manage and run the event. In accordance with the King’s College London Data Retention Schedule, we will keep your information until the completion of the event. To find out more about how the university deals with your personal information, including your rights, please see the university’s core privacy notice. Your personal information will be transferred to the United States via Eventbrite. Please read this article where you can find out more on how Eventbrite protects your data.