Speaker biographies
Ms Bridget Nicholls
Bridget has a growing reputation nationally and internationally as a passionate and articulate communicator of the natural world. She is the Founder of Pestival, an International Insect Arts Festival held at Southbank Centre, Regents Park, The Zoological Society of London and Wellcome Collection. She has worked for BBC2, BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, The Discovery Channel and The Ecologist magazine. She has also had her own weekly live hour-long radio show on the world-renowned arts radio station Resonance104.4fm for over 4 years. She has built up a large fan base - interviewing diverse guests (including Bill Oddie, Sir Patrick Bateson and Alistair McGowan) as well as reporting from events such as The Bird Fair, Frieze Art Fair and the Serpentine Gallery. She also writes and performs and was commissioned to write an Opera by Art Angel in 2007. Bridget is the Arts and Ecology expert on the Discovery and Learning Advisory Board of Z.S.L and Arts and Ecology Consultant to Wetlands Link International and a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London.
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Dr Sheila Ochugboju
Dr Sheila Ochugboju is the Senior Communications Officer for the African Technology Policy Network (ATPS) in Nairobi, Kenya. This is a multi-disciplinary network of researchers, practitioners and policy makers that promotes science, technology and innovation (STI) policy research, dialogue for African Development. ATPS works with National Chapters across 23 sub-saharan African countries. She initiated the launch of the African Science Cafe Network in South Africa at the Grahamstown Science Festival - SciFest, with Joy Francis of the Creative Collective, sponsored by the British Council South Africa. The Wellcome Trust is a leading supporter of the African Science Cafe model, as it evolved from the Cafe Scientifique network in the UK and now encompasses sustainable networks across Southern Africa, Uganda, Ghana & Nigeria. She is a TED Fellow - Technology, Entertainment and Design community, which promotes renowned leaders in science and creative industries, through exclusive conferences and webscasts. www.ted.com/fellows. She is a Biochemist, awarded the Daphne Jackson Trust Post Doctoral Research Fellowship at St Hilda’s College, Oxford (1998-2000), where she specialized in Plant Virology at The Centre of Ecology & Hydrology (CEH-Oxford). She later managed international programmes on Health, Development and Leadership across Africa, Europe and the Arab region.
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Mr Neasan O'Neill
Neasan O'Neill has a BA in Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin and an MSc in Science Communication from Dublin City University. He has worked at and organized events at 3 of the British Science Festivals (Dublin, York and Liverpool) as well as assisted on the Science Bus which is based in Dublin City University and aimed at primary school children. Currently based in London he is Dissemination Officer for GridPP, a collaboration of 20 UK universities building a distributed computing system for UK particle physicists as well as being a member of the communication team for the EC-funded project Enabling Grids for EsciencE. Outside work he is the current chair for the central London branch of the British Science Association and is involved in designing the posters and general maintenance of the online presence for the Dublin based Cafe Scientifique group The Alchemist Cafe.
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Mr Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, is an eminent writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development. Established in 1996, Forum for the Future is now the UK’s leading sustainable development charity, with 70 staff and over 100 partner organisations, including some of the world’s leading companies. Jonathon was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission in July 2000. This is the Government's principal source of independent advice across the whole sustainable development agenda. In addition, he has been a member of the Board of the South West Regional Development Agency since December 1999, and is Co-Director of The Prince of Wales's Business and Environment Programme which runs Senior Executives' Seminars in Cambridge, Salzburg, South Africa and the USA. In 2005 he became a Non-Executive Director of Wessex Water, and a Trustee of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. He was formerly Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90); co-chair of the Green Party (1980-83) of which he is still a member; chairman of UNED-UK (1993-96); chairman of Sustainability South West, the South West Round Table for Sustainable Development (1999-2001); a Trustee of WWF UK (1991-2005). His latest books are Capitalism As If The World Matters (Earthscan, revised 2007), Globalism & Regionalism (Black Dog 2008). Jonathon received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.
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Mr Jonathon Rees
Jonathon is a founding director of Proof Communication - a science communication company. Proof helps scientists and science organisations to communicate effectively.
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Mr Jonathan Sanderson
Following a physics degree, Jonathan Sanderson fell into television production, where he spent the next dozen or more years making popular science and engineering programmes. Much of his work was for children's audiences: he produced The Big Bang and How2 for ITV, and The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for five. A self-described 'general-purpose geek', he was involved in several early 'interactive television' efforts, and has been immersed in web media since the last century. His current web project, SciCast, is a NESTA and IoP-backed exploration of science media for and by children. Other recent clients include the British Council, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Science Council, the Science Communication Unit at UWE, and the STFC. His interests include web video at all levels, from mobile phones to 'proper' cameras; the role intellectual property issues play in project dissemination and uptake; social web media as a driver of science engagement; collaboration processes for dispersed working groups; and the future of public service media.
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Professor Dudley Shallcross
Dudley Shallcross is Outreach Director for Bristol ChemLabS, the only HEFCE Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning dedicated to chemistry in the UK. He is chair of atmospheric chemistry, having published over 150 research papers. He is a UK National Teaching Fellow and an expert on transition from school to University and in the area of public engagement of science.
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Mr Anita Shaw
Anita Shaw is Deputy CEO at Techniquest, the science discovery centre in Cardiff. She has a degree and PhD in Biochemistry, a Diploma in Science Communication and 4 years post-doctoral research experience in medical genetics. As Deputy CEO she leads on the development of Techniquest and in particular its all-Wales strategy, developing strategic relationships within Wales, the UK and overseas. She also has responsibility for Techniquest’s fundraising, its research and evaluation.
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Bridget has a growing reputation nationally and internationally as a passionate and articulate communicator of the natural world. She is the Founder of Pestival, an International Insect Arts Festival held at Southbank Centre, Regents Park, The Zoological Society of London and Wellcome Collection. She has worked for BBC2, BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4, The Discovery Channel and The Ecologist magazine. She has also had her own weekly live hour-long radio show on the world-renowned arts radio station Resonance104.4fm for over 4 years. She has built up a large fan base - interviewing diverse guests (including Bill Oddie, Sir Patrick Bateson and Alistair McGowan) as well as reporting from events such as The Bird Fair, Frieze Art Fair and the Serpentine Gallery. She also writes and performs and was commissioned to write an Opera by Art Angel in 2007. Bridget is the Arts and Ecology expert on the Discovery and Learning Advisory Board of Z.S.L and Arts and Ecology Consultant to Wetlands Link International and a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London.
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Dr Sheila Ochugboju
Dr Sheila Ochugboju is the Senior Communications Officer for the African Technology Policy Network (ATPS) in Nairobi, Kenya. This is a multi-disciplinary network of researchers, practitioners and policy makers that promotes science, technology and innovation (STI) policy research, dialogue for African Development. ATPS works with National Chapters across 23 sub-saharan African countries. She initiated the launch of the African Science Cafe Network in South Africa at the Grahamstown Science Festival - SciFest, with Joy Francis of the Creative Collective, sponsored by the British Council South Africa. The Wellcome Trust is a leading supporter of the African Science Cafe model, as it evolved from the Cafe Scientifique network in the UK and now encompasses sustainable networks across Southern Africa, Uganda, Ghana & Nigeria. She is a TED Fellow - Technology, Entertainment and Design community, which promotes renowned leaders in science and creative industries, through exclusive conferences and webscasts. www.ted.com/fellows. She is a Biochemist, awarded the Daphne Jackson Trust Post Doctoral Research Fellowship at St Hilda’s College, Oxford (1998-2000), where she specialized in Plant Virology at The Centre of Ecology & Hydrology (CEH-Oxford). She later managed international programmes on Health, Development and Leadership across Africa, Europe and the Arab region.
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Mr Neasan O'Neill
Neasan O'Neill has a BA in Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin and an MSc in Science Communication from Dublin City University. He has worked at and organized events at 3 of the British Science Festivals (Dublin, York and Liverpool) as well as assisted on the Science Bus which is based in Dublin City University and aimed at primary school children. Currently based in London he is Dissemination Officer for GridPP, a collaboration of 20 UK universities building a distributed computing system for UK particle physicists as well as being a member of the communication team for the EC-funded project Enabling Grids for EsciencE. Outside work he is the current chair for the central London branch of the British Science Association and is involved in designing the posters and general maintenance of the online presence for the Dublin based Cafe Scientifique group The Alchemist Cafe.
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Mr Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, is an eminent writer, broadcaster and commentator on sustainable development. Established in 1996, Forum for the Future is now the UK’s leading sustainable development charity, with 70 staff and over 100 partner organisations, including some of the world’s leading companies. Jonathon was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission in July 2000. This is the Government's principal source of independent advice across the whole sustainable development agenda. In addition, he has been a member of the Board of the South West Regional Development Agency since December 1999, and is Co-Director of The Prince of Wales's Business and Environment Programme which runs Senior Executives' Seminars in Cambridge, Salzburg, South Africa and the USA. In 2005 he became a Non-Executive Director of Wessex Water, and a Trustee of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. He was formerly Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90); co-chair of the Green Party (1980-83) of which he is still a member; chairman of UNED-UK (1993-96); chairman of Sustainability South West, the South West Round Table for Sustainable Development (1999-2001); a Trustee of WWF UK (1991-2005). His latest books are Capitalism As If The World Matters (Earthscan, revised 2007), Globalism & Regionalism (Black Dog 2008). Jonathon received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.
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Mr Jonathon Rees
Jonathon is a founding director of Proof Communication - a science communication company. Proof helps scientists and science organisations to communicate effectively.
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Mr Jonathan Sanderson
Following a physics degree, Jonathan Sanderson fell into television production, where he spent the next dozen or more years making popular science and engineering programmes. Much of his work was for children's audiences: he produced The Big Bang and How2 for ITV, and The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for five. A self-described 'general-purpose geek', he was involved in several early 'interactive television' efforts, and has been immersed in web media since the last century. His current web project, SciCast, is a NESTA and IoP-backed exploration of science media for and by children. Other recent clients include the British Council, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Science Council, the Science Communication Unit at UWE, and the STFC. His interests include web video at all levels, from mobile phones to 'proper' cameras; the role intellectual property issues play in project dissemination and uptake; social web media as a driver of science engagement; collaboration processes for dispersed working groups; and the future of public service media.
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Professor Dudley Shallcross
Dudley Shallcross is Outreach Director for Bristol ChemLabS, the only HEFCE Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning dedicated to chemistry in the UK. He is chair of atmospheric chemistry, having published over 150 research papers. He is a UK National Teaching Fellow and an expert on transition from school to University and in the area of public engagement of science.
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Mr Anita Shaw
Anita Shaw is Deputy CEO at Techniquest, the science discovery centre in Cardiff. She has a degree and PhD in Biochemistry, a Diploma in Science Communication and 4 years post-doctoral research experience in medical genetics. As Deputy CEO she leads on the development of Techniquest and in particular its all-Wales strategy, developing strategic relationships within Wales, the UK and overseas. She also has responsibility for Techniquest’s fundraising, its research and evaluation.
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