Engineering gets new public advocate
Posted on 13 June 2005
Professor David Howard has won a Senior Media Fellowship, worth £120,000 over three years from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. It will enable him to spend 30 per cent of his time on promoting engineering and technology to the public.
David has hit the headlines with his work on voice, music and acoustics. In 2004, his research showed that people cannot tell the difference between the singing of cathedral choirgirls and choirboys. In 2003 he came up with a league table of the tunefulness of Premiership football crowds.
Creating solutions to problems using science and technology is what engineering is all about, and this Fellowship gives me the time to tell this story, and to encourage youngsters to take up an engineering career
David Howard
David also wrote the 2004 Faraday lecture, which toured Britain, showing over two million teenagers how music is constructed in recording studios.
His work is also in demand in forensic acoustics, for example, in analysing sound from railway incidents, aircraft black box recorders, the Jive Bunny LP, and even in the famous 'coughs' from Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.
Commenting on his appointment, David Howard said: "Creating solutions to problems using science and technology is what engineering is all about, and this Fellowship gives me the time to tell this story, and to encourage youngsters to take up an engineering career. The UK needs engineers and engineering needs creative people; it's great fun!"
Professor John O'Reilly, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council said: "We are committed to fostering engagement between the research community and the public to stimulate greater appreciation of the issues and opportunities that arise from research.
"New developments in engineering, the physical sciences and mathematics have far reaching impacts on society. By engaging the public's interest in research, healthy debate about its role in society can be stimulated and future generations of researchers can be inspired.
"It is noticeable that few 'explainers' of engineering or the physical sciences appear regularly in the media."
Notes to editors:
- David Howard is a Professor in the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of York. He leads the media engineering research group, whose work focuses on television image processing, making computer and video games more realistic, specialised audio production equipment, and voice production. Visit the group at http://www.elec.york.ac.uk/ME/
- The EPSRC actively fund research and training in engineering and the physical sciences, investing around £500 million a year in a broad range of subjects - from mathematics to materials science, and from information technology to structural engineering. EPSRC also promotes public engagement in science, engineering and technology.
- The professional body for electronic engineers is the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). Professor Howard is a Vice President and Trustee of the IEE, which exists to raise awareness of engineering amongst the public. David Howard will be working with the IEE whilst he is a Senior Media Fellow.