Scotland’s Young Academy welcomes three new members from Dundee
Published On Tue 1 Jul 2014 by Grant Hill
The University of Dundee is strongly represented in the new intake of members to the RSE Young Academy of Scotland (YAS).
Dr Annie Tindley, a Senior Lecturer in History, and Dr Maria Ana Cataluna, Senior Lecturer in Physics and RAEng/EPSRC Research Fellow, currently work at the University while Dr Mhairi Towler, CEO & Director of Vivomotion, founded her company while working towards her PhD at Dundee.
The three are among 43 new members of YAS. They make up the third intake of the organisation and join the existing membership of 113 in realising the central YAS mission of addressing the most challenging issues facing society in Scotland and beyond.
Neil McLennan, YAS co-chair, said, “What stood out most within the applications was the drive and enthusiasm for contributing to the public good. The applicants have clearly recognised the opportunities that come with YAS membership, not least for being part of an organisation looking to benefit society. I am hugely excited to welcome new members from such diverse and varied backgrounds that will bring their knowledge and expertise to assist in widening YAS’s impact.”
Dr Tindley is an expert in the history of the Scottish Highlands and has worked closely with scientists in the past to study the ethnography of these areas to see how they fit with existing historical perspectives. She has also worked on a number of collaborative projects with scientists, water engineers, practising doctors and design specialists, looking at areas as diverse as the impact of river morphology on social history and the history of healthcare provision in the Highlands.
Dr Cataluna has researched ultrafast laser physics and technology since her time as an undergraduate, and her work has resulted in over 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. She has played a leading role in the management and research of FAST-DOT - a four-year European Project with the aim of developing new ultrafast quantum-dot lasers for biomedical applications.
Dr Towler was named as the first winner of the Principal's Prize for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at the University in recognition of her success with Vivomotion. The science animation production company creates high quality 2D and 3D animations to help scientists to explain what they do to other scientists, students, the public and investors.
Over 100 high quality applications were received and rigorously reviewed by a combination of Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Fellows and current YAS members. Made up of 20 women and 23 men, with an average age of 37, this new cohort will bring a range of new and diverse skills from across Scotland to the YAS membership.
As well as representing a range of sciences from particle physics to volcanology, this new cohort includes academics from fields as varied as Greek history and global public health. The candidates have also been selected based upon evidence of their interdisciplinary work as well as their commitment to contributing to the public good.
Professor Alan Alexander, General Secretary of the RSE, added, “The YAS brings together the finest young minds and talents in Scotland and the hardest thing about the selection process is having fewer places than the competition merits.
“The range of interests is extraordinary, as is the commitment of YAS members to the public good of Scotland. On behalf of the RSE, I congratulate the new members on their appointment and I look forward to working with them and to admiring their progress.”
Established by the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2011, the work of the Young Academy of Scotland is carried out by 10 working groups. The new members will have the opportunity to join one or more of these groups. Guided by primary interest areas of Knowledge, Employment, Young People and Health & Wellbeing, these groups have already made some notable achievements.
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