SEPTEMBER NEWS 2010

Dr Huma Lateef was invited to join the ‘International Scientific Review Committee’

Dr Huma Lateef was invited to join the ‘International Scientific Review Committee' for the ‘International Conference on Environmental Management & Technologies', Amman, Jordan, as of March 2010.

 
Dr Joanna Clarke is invited to speak at the IUCN peatland conference on climate change and peatland sustainability on 28-29 September see website for further details: http://iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/conference2010 

Professor Stephen Smith hosted a visit on the 13 and 14 September by Professor Margaret Deighton from the Biotechnology and Environmental Biology Group of the School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne. Professor Smith and Deighton are collaborating on a Smart Water Fund project to investigate the microbiological risks associated with recycling urban wastewater biosolids to farmland in the state of Victoria, Australia. Professor Smith will also be contributing to teaching of the Master of Biotechnology degree course at RMIT (http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=MC111) and will present an intensive elective module on Environmental Microbiology to students in January 2011. 

Prof Cedo Maksimovic attended the meeting of the Management Board of the ERCE (European Regional Centre for Ecohydriology held in Zakopane - Poland on 11th September. On this occasion he delivered two invited lectures:

• "Greening" the energy management in urban water system" on 10th September 2010 in the 3rd European Regional Workshop of the InterAcademy Pannel (IAP) Water Programme, organized by the Polish Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), and the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei.
•  "BLUE-GREEN corridors in integrated urban catchment planning and management and real time pluvial flood prediction and emergency management" in the Advanced Study Course "Ecohydrology & Biotechnology for Sustainable Integrated Water Resources Management in HELP Basins" on 13th September 2010 organized by UNESCO - ERCE. 

Dr Costas Velis has chaired a session on mechanical-biological treatment (MBT) in the international conference for organic waste management ORBIT 2010 ‘Organic Resources in the Carbon Economy', attended by leading academics and practitioners. Costas's main expertise is in production and quality assurance of solid recovered fuels (SRF) through MBT plants. His presentation on the potential of biodrying MBT plants to generate an SRF of suitable quality "Biodried MSW - how much upgrade is needed to produce a suitable quality SRF ?" attracted significant interest from SRF produces and end-users.

Dr Geoff Fowler was recently re-elected as the Honorary Secretary and a Trustee of the Society of Chemical Industry. The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a unique international forum where science meets business on independent, impartial ground. The Society offers a chance to share information between sectors as diverse as food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, environmental science and safety. Originally established in 1881, SCI is a registered charity with individual Members in over 70 countries. Its international headquarters are in London, UK. Ever since its foundation, SCI's principal objective has been to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit, through events and publications.