Speaker biographies
Dr Ben Craven
Ben Craven has been fascinated by science for as long as he can remember. He studied physics and psychology at university, followed by a PhD in vision science. After working as an academic vision scientist for a number of years, he moved into the world of informal science education, working on the exhibition development team at Glasgow Science Centre. Since 2004 he has been working freelance, working on exhibitions, giving science shows, developing science demonstrations, and teaching in universities. As a sideline he organises mathematically efficient networking events.
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Ms Savita Custead
Savita Custead is the director of the Bristol Natural History Consortium, a collaboration between Avon Wildlife Trust, BBC, Bristol City Council, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Environment Agency, Defra, Natural England, University of Bristol, The University of the West of England, Wildscreen, and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. She directs the Bristol Festival of Nature, the annual Communicate conference, and a range of other environment and biodiversity engagement projects. Current priority is planning for International Year of Biodiversity 2010.
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Mr Duncan Dallas
Duncan Dallas was Head of Science and Features at Yorkshire Television. In 1998 he started the first UK Café Scientifique in Leeds. There are now over 250 Cafés worldwide as the idea of discussing science, technology and medicine in an informal setting has proved popular. Each Café is independent and self-sustaining. The format of the Cafés reflects the local culture and last year Cafés started in Uganda where they are now taking place for adults in the local languages and also for pupils in schools.
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Dr Bella Dicks
Bella Dicks is Reader in Sociology at Cardiff School of Social Sciences, and researches in the areas of qualitative digital methodologies, heritage and regeneration. Her book Culture on Display (OUP 2004) discusses the contemporary uses of culture in towns, cities and countryside for purposes of securing ‘visitability’.
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Dr Justin Dillon
Justin Dillon is a Senior Lecturer in Science and Environmental Education and Head of the Science and Technology Group at King’s College London. After teaching in London schools for 10 years, he joined King’s to work on the National Environmental Database project in 1989. Justin has researched and published widely in both science and environmental education and he currently directs the ‘Border Crossings’ research and development project funded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. He has worked in public engagement and science communication with a range of institutions including the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Royal Society. Justin was elected President of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) in 2007. He is a trustee of the Council for Environmental Education and of the Field Studies Council, Chair of both the London Wildlife Trust and the London Environmental Education Forum and Secretary of Bankside Open Spaces Trust. As well as being an editor of the International Journal of Science Education, he is on the editorial board of Environmental Education Research, the Journal of Environmental Education and many other science and environmental education journals.
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Mrs Athena Dinar
Athena Dinar has worked in the Press, PR & Education team at British Antarctic Survey since 2000. As it’s a small team of six (including two photographers/cameramen) her role covers all elements of the comms mix - media strategy, media relations, public engagement, events and exhibitions and media training. The team also runs a media visits programme, so Athena has visited Antarctica with various media from BBC News to Reuters news agency.
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Mrs Laura Drane
Laura Drane is an arts and cultural consultant, based in Manchester and working across the UK. Over the last ten years, she’s worked on a wide variety of commissions and projects, including feasibility studies, consultation and facilitation, programme development and delivery, and evaluation. Current and previous clients include the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Voluntary Arts Network, Manchester International Festival, Arts Council England, Making Music, DF Concerts, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, and many universities and local authorities. Most of her work is now consultancy based, but she is still involved in some delivery, mainly on festivals, events and online projects. Until very recently, she was the director of Manchester Science Festival.
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Ms Sophie Duncan
Sophie has worked in public engagement for over 15 years. Originally trained as a physicist she started her career at the Science Museum in London. Following this she was a programme manager with Science Year – a government initiative to promote science to teenagers. Sophie then spent 7 years working at the BBC, managing the creation and delivery of national learning campaigns including People’s War and Breathing Places. Whilst she led the Breathing Places project she was responsible for a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging people to Do One Thing to help wildlife, including 15 Breathing Places festivals in cities across the UK and a weekend of SWAT activity in June 2008, transforming 50 unloved places into wildlife gardens. She recently left the BBC to take up a new role as Deputy Director of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement – www.publicengagement.ac.uk. The centre is part of the Beacons for Public Engagement project which aims to enable members of the public to play a more interactive role in the work of higher education institutions. The NCCPE has successfully bid for funding from v, the youth volunteering organisation, to support a national project to stimulate a step change in the quantity, quality and diversity of student volunteers.
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Mr Keith Farley
Keith is a Project Director with over 30 years in the civil engineering industry holding senior positions within Land Securities, Arup and Balfour Beatty. This experience has incorporated major infrastructure schemes including the Ebbsfleet Valley development, Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Jubilee Line tunnels and Stations, Limehouse Link cut and cover tunnel and the M25. Whilst at Land Securities he was responsible for developing the infrastructure for the new town of Ebbsfleet Valley. This involved considerable research into what makes a sustainable development and creates sustainable communities. The results of this research were fed into the masterplan and the emergent designs and practices within the scheme.
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Ben Craven has been fascinated by science for as long as he can remember. He studied physics and psychology at university, followed by a PhD in vision science. After working as an academic vision scientist for a number of years, he moved into the world of informal science education, working on the exhibition development team at Glasgow Science Centre. Since 2004 he has been working freelance, working on exhibitions, giving science shows, developing science demonstrations, and teaching in universities. As a sideline he organises mathematically efficient networking events.
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Ms Savita Custead
Savita Custead is the director of the Bristol Natural History Consortium, a collaboration between Avon Wildlife Trust, BBC, Bristol City Council, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Environment Agency, Defra, Natural England, University of Bristol, The University of the West of England, Wildscreen, and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. She directs the Bristol Festival of Nature, the annual Communicate conference, and a range of other environment and biodiversity engagement projects. Current priority is planning for International Year of Biodiversity 2010.
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Mr Duncan Dallas
Duncan Dallas was Head of Science and Features at Yorkshire Television. In 1998 he started the first UK Café Scientifique in Leeds. There are now over 250 Cafés worldwide as the idea of discussing science, technology and medicine in an informal setting has proved popular. Each Café is independent and self-sustaining. The format of the Cafés reflects the local culture and last year Cafés started in Uganda where they are now taking place for adults in the local languages and also for pupils in schools.
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Dr Bella Dicks
Bella Dicks is Reader in Sociology at Cardiff School of Social Sciences, and researches in the areas of qualitative digital methodologies, heritage and regeneration. Her book Culture on Display (OUP 2004) discusses the contemporary uses of culture in towns, cities and countryside for purposes of securing ‘visitability’.
Return to speaker page
Dr Justin Dillon
Justin Dillon is a Senior Lecturer in Science and Environmental Education and Head of the Science and Technology Group at King’s College London. After teaching in London schools for 10 years, he joined King’s to work on the National Environmental Database project in 1989. Justin has researched and published widely in both science and environmental education and he currently directs the ‘Border Crossings’ research and development project funded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. He has worked in public engagement and science communication with a range of institutions including the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Royal Society. Justin was elected President of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) in 2007. He is a trustee of the Council for Environmental Education and of the Field Studies Council, Chair of both the London Wildlife Trust and the London Environmental Education Forum and Secretary of Bankside Open Spaces Trust. As well as being an editor of the International Journal of Science Education, he is on the editorial board of Environmental Education Research, the Journal of Environmental Education and many other science and environmental education journals.
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Mrs Athena Dinar
Athena Dinar has worked in the Press, PR & Education team at British Antarctic Survey since 2000. As it’s a small team of six (including two photographers/cameramen) her role covers all elements of the comms mix - media strategy, media relations, public engagement, events and exhibitions and media training. The team also runs a media visits programme, so Athena has visited Antarctica with various media from BBC News to Reuters news agency.
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Mrs Laura Drane
Laura Drane is an arts and cultural consultant, based in Manchester and working across the UK. Over the last ten years, she’s worked on a wide variety of commissions and projects, including feasibility studies, consultation and facilitation, programme development and delivery, and evaluation. Current and previous clients include the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Voluntary Arts Network, Manchester International Festival, Arts Council England, Making Music, DF Concerts, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, and many universities and local authorities. Most of her work is now consultancy based, but she is still involved in some delivery, mainly on festivals, events and online projects. Until very recently, she was the director of Manchester Science Festival.
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Ms Sophie Duncan
Sophie has worked in public engagement for over 15 years. Originally trained as a physicist she started her career at the Science Museum in London. Following this she was a programme manager with Science Year – a government initiative to promote science to teenagers. Sophie then spent 7 years working at the BBC, managing the creation and delivery of national learning campaigns including People’s War and Breathing Places. Whilst she led the Breathing Places project she was responsible for a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging people to Do One Thing to help wildlife, including 15 Breathing Places festivals in cities across the UK and a weekend of SWAT activity in June 2008, transforming 50 unloved places into wildlife gardens. She recently left the BBC to take up a new role as Deputy Director of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement – www.publicengagement.ac.uk. The centre is part of the Beacons for Public Engagement project which aims to enable members of the public to play a more interactive role in the work of higher education institutions. The NCCPE has successfully bid for funding from v, the youth volunteering organisation, to support a national project to stimulate a step change in the quantity, quality and diversity of student volunteers.
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Mr Keith Farley
Keith is a Project Director with over 30 years in the civil engineering industry holding senior positions within Land Securities, Arup and Balfour Beatty. This experience has incorporated major infrastructure schemes including the Ebbsfleet Valley development, Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Jubilee Line tunnels and Stations, Limehouse Link cut and cover tunnel and the M25. Whilst at Land Securities he was responsible for developing the infrastructure for the new town of Ebbsfleet Valley. This involved considerable research into what makes a sustainable development and creates sustainable communities. The results of this research were fed into the masterplan and the emergent designs and practices within the scheme.
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