Professor Themis Prodromakis is a leading researcher in electron devices and nanofabrication techniques with a focus on bio-inspired devices. He leads a twenty-strong interdisciplinary team at the University of Southampton and is Director of the Lloyds Register Foundation International Consortium for Nanotechnology, a global initiative for building a safer world with nanotechnologies.

This month, Themis’ work features in both Nature Nanotechnology and the New Scientist.

Introducing the nanoworld

Earlier this year researchers in Themis’ team, supported by the Lloyds Register Foundation, organised an international outreach event with the aim of bringing the nanoscale world and its importance to primary school students. They turned an Athenian hotel room into a cleanroom where 150 8-15yr-olds were introduced to nanotechnology.

Read more about the nanotechnology outreach activities in Nature Nanotechnology.

Brain box: Multitasking chips that can match the human mind

An article in New Scientist explores a radical new computing paradigm in which hardware simultaneously stores and processes information – not unlike networks of neurons in the brain. The article features Themis’ work considering whether memristors could lead to machines that can learn entirely on their own.

Read the full article in New Scientist (publication paywall applies).

The first cohort of electrical and electronic engineering students from the University of Southampton Malaysia Campus (USMC) joined July’s graduation celebrations in a milestone occasion for the international programme.

Over 200 students from the University’s Department of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) marked the completion of their degrees at a summer graduation ceremony at Highfield Campus on Tuesday 25th July.

Among the graduates were 10 students from USMC who had started their four-year integrated Masters programme in 2013. The Malaysia Campus offers a unique international engineering experience where students spend the first two years of their degree studying at USMC, followed by the final two years at the UK Campus.

Professor John McBride, CEO of USMC, says: "I feel very proud to see our first group of MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering students graduate. It is a fantastic achievement and another milestone occasion for USMC."

A number of the graduates have benefited from Lloyd’s Register Foundation scholarships, which are awarded to top performing students from the Malaysia Campus.

A total of 233 students graduated from ECS this summer, with 192 completing undergraduate studies, 40 concluding postgraduate research posts and one finishing a postgraduate taught programme.

Professor Paul Lewin, Head of Electronics and Computer Science, says: "The staff of ECS take great pride in the achievements of all of our electrical and electronic engineering and computer science graduates; we know how much time and effort our students put into their studies and graduation is a great opportunity for us to celebrate their success as well as thank everyone who has helped and supported them."