Quantum Devices conferences in September

You are invited to attend two one-day meetings that are taking place in Lancaster on September 11th and 12th. The meetings cover experimental and theoretical approaches to quantum information processing in silicon and recent work on superconducting quantum devices.

Registration for both meetings is open until the start of September. Please register at the conference websites below:

Silicon Quantum Information Processing 2017. http://siqip2017.iopconfs.org/home

Superconducting Quantum Devices. www.iopconferences.org/iop/1104/home

Jonathan Prance

Location of current safety forms.

A recommendation from the recent safety audit of the Department was to ensure everybody knows where the current blank safety forms are located. They are found on the University safety web pages at http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/depts/safety/index.html . These can be found by looking under safety in any of the University A-Z indexes. All safety form templates can be found here, usually at the end of the individual guidance i.e.  risk assessment, COSHH etc. The link on the Physics web site will be updated to reflect this.

Shonah Ion

News from Facilities

Water Hygiene Testing in Physics Building will take place week commencing Monday 4th September 2017 from 9am daily.
Two Lancaster University engineers will require access to kitchens and shared bathrooms to test hot water temperatures.  The engineers will not test every kitchen/bathroom just a sample from different locations within the building.  This brief survey will take approximately five minutes, and is to ensure that the hot water is maintained at the correct temperature to prevent any instances of legionella. There will be no shutdown of service.
If you have any queries regarding the timing of the work please contact Facilities Helpdesk as soon as possible, facilities.helpdesk@lancaster.ac.uk 01524 593333

Shonah Ion

Safety Inductions

There is no safety induction in September due to holidays.. The next will be part of the PG orientation day on 6th October, with normal service of inductions on the first working Thursday of the month, being resumed in November at 2:30pm on Thursday 2nd in A27 Physics.

Shonah Ion

Making Professor 2017 – Lancaster’s flagship staff development event – Monday 11th September

Lancaster University is delighted to announce an expanded conference format for Making Professor 2017, aimed at giving staff the very best chance of getting to the top in their careers.
The theme for the 2017 event is: “How to identify your pathway to chair”

This event is primarily designed for those with an interest in academic promotion to professor as a personal short-term or longer-term aim.  It is also open to those who provide support (either as HoD/manager or professional services) for academic colleagues.
This year’s internal and external keynote speakers and other contributors will provide first-hand insights into the role of a chair, top-tips for planning your career development, and ways of facing up to the challenges as you make your way to the top.  There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions through the day.
There will also be practical workshops focused on research, teaching and balanced pathways to promotion, with key questions for you to explore, and with expert input from a variety of perspectives.  
See more here.
To register your interest, please email: oed@lancaster.ac.uk

Isobel Hook

2nd & 22nd September Open Day HELP Physics recruit

I have been working on plans for the Open Days and like always the admissions team needs your support. Following the success of the July Open Days we would like to replicate this on Saturday 2nd September and Friday 22nd September 9-3:30. This is the first year we can show off our new building and facilities and having the atrium full of demos and staff at the stand worked a treat, we had lots of positive feedback regarding how many academics we had and how lovely and helpful they all were.

Physics Welcome desk – STAFF NEEDED!
This year we are located in the Learning Zone and will be chatting to potential applicants and guests and guide them in the direction of the physics building for demos, tours and the talk in Faraday – it could be tricky with the spine works!

Physics Building – DEMOS NEEDED!
I plan to fill the atrium with interesting demo’s or items for people to look at and more importantly engage in. Do you have anything that would be suitable (we need a risk assessment for it). If you can think of anything please talk to me, if it needs someone with it I hope to have enough ambassador to share the work load.  

Tours – LAB ACCESS!
These will be run by our ambassadors however if you happen to be working in a lab and would be willing to take over as the ambassador comes in this would be fantastic there is nothing as enthralling as listening to a passionate academic talk about their subject area! Or maybe you hadn’t planned to but don’t mind working in a lab to talk to guests occasionally?

I desperately need volunteers to help support these important days that ultimately fuel our applications. We need to show we going above and beyond so any help or ideas are very much welcome.

I will be working both days from 8:30 – 4:30 however I am only asking you for a couple of hours here or there – as much or as little as you can give. In previous years I have been able to get you a lunch voucher and I hope this will happen again. Also I do give Jim details of who works for the work load allocation so it is recognised.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask and if you are happy to help please email me with dates and times available.

Helen McAlley

Emergency Lighting Testing

Emergency Lighting Testing in Physics Building will take place week commencing Monday 28th August 2017 from 9am daily.
Every month there is a quick test to ensure all Emergency Lighting fittings are operational.  This involves a quick visual test.  In residences, this applies to corridors and kitchens.  There are longer, more involved tests at 6 month and 12 month intervals. 

Shonah Ion

Physics Away Day – Thursday 5th October 2017

The next Physics Away Day will take place on Thursday 5th October at Green Lane Conference Centre, (Lancaster House Hotel). An agenda is not yet available.
Attendance is mandatory for academic staff and all other staff are welcome to attend if they wish. Please confirm your attendance to me with any dietary requirements by Weds 27 September at the latest.

Grainne Wilkinson