UWE PhD student Pavlina Theodosiou has joined our Royal Academy of Engineering funded project Women Like Me, and is already underway in engaging girls with STEM.
Pavlina has a background in biological sciences and is currently undertaking her PhD at the Bristol Bioenergy Centre in the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, researching Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) which are bio-electrochemical transducers that convert organic matter into electrical energy using bacteria. More specifically. Pavlina is researching how a robotic platform called EvoBot can improve MFCs in order to use them on-board low power robots that can be powered by organic waste (more information about the project can be found here: https://blogit.itu.dk/evoblissproject/).
She is also one of the junior engineers on our new project Women Like Me, which is funded by a Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious grant and launched at UWE on 18th October.
Pavlina decided to take part in Women Like Me because she is passionate about science communication, promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) and engaging girls with STEM activities in order to inspire and enthuse them about STEM careers. As part of the project, junior engineers will be undertaking a minimum of three outreach and public engagement activities with local schools and communities between October 2018 and April 2019. Pavlina began hers almost immediately, helping to run the ClairCity stand at Technotopia which was held at Engine Shed on 20th October.