Since its inception in 1998, the DFET has provided funding for a number of young people to further their education and training.

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Johnny Evans

 

2006-2010: PhD on 'Symplectic Topology of some Stein and Rational Surfaces' at the University of Cambridge, supported by the Faulkes Studentship in Geometry

 

Jonny is now a lecturer at UCL having completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the mathematics department of ETH Zürich. His research interests centre on topological problems in symplectic geometry.  

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Vanessa Stroud

 

2006-2010: PhD on 'The binary fraction of high mass stars' at the Open University, funded by the DFET

 

During her PhD, Vanessa assisted with the educational side of the Faulkes Telescope Project, giving teacher training courses.

 

Fraser Lewis

 

2006-2012 :PhD on 'Temporal Fluctuations in Accretion Around X-ray Binaries at the Open University, funded by the DFET.

 

Fraser has been working with the Faulkes Telescope Project since December 2004. He has involved several schools in his research, who have assisted by collecting data with the Faulkes Telescopes. (See Royal Astronomical Society press release: http://www.ras.org.uk/news-and-press/217-news2011/1946-school-students-help-astronomers-study-mysterious-x-ray-source )

 

Sophie Bartlett

 

2015-2019: PhD on "An evaluation of secondary school students' learning experiences with astronomy-based physics outreach activities" at Cardiff University, funded by DFET.

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Sophie is developing educational resources to support the use of the Faulkes Telescope in schools; in particular, for the Gaia Alerts programme.

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Ruth Pearson

 

2006: Funding from the DFET enabled Ruth to attend a summer research programme at the SETI Institute, California, USA.

 

Katie Woollard

 

2006/7: Yachtmaster training, Sydney, Australia, sponsored by the DFET.

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Claire Surman

 

1999-2000: Postgraduate Certificate in Performance, Royal College of Music, funded by a scholarship from the DFET

 

Claire is now an acclaimed soprano and has sung worldwide, including in Europe, South America, the Far East, Australasia and even Antarctica. She made her Glyndebourne Festival Opera debut in 2006.