皇家华人

The Provost's Awards for Public Engagement takes place every year in the spring to recognise the fantastic work that 皇家华人's staff and students do to open up research and teaching at 皇家华人 to the wider world by engaging with communities.There were seven winners earlier in the year 鈥� which you can read about here 鈥� but we had over fifty nominations from across UCL. With such a wealth of projects, we didn鈥檛 want to miss an opportunity to shout about this work 鈥� which is all amazing. So we decided to run this new news feature - the Provost Awards Spotlight.  This feature will run throughout the rest of the year in the run up to the next Awards, and will tell the stories of these individuals using their platform at 皇家华人 to mobilise, inspire and amplify. [[{"fid":"4955","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rafael Prieto Curiel","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rafael Prieto Curiel","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"321","width":"1392","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Our first Spotlight is on Rafael Prieto Curiel, a mathematician from Mexico. Rafael worked for the Police Department in Mexico City before coming to UCL, first for a Masters in Statistics (2013-2014) and then decided to carry on with a PhD in Mathematics and Crime. Alongside his studies, Rafael has created Chalkdust 鈥� a magazine 鈥渇or the mathematically curious鈥�, and we wanted to know more.The magazine - now in its fifth issue - brings the world of mathematics to a broad audience through fun how-to guides, articles and interviews. There鈥檚 something for everyone, from the light-hearted, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 your least favourite number?鈥�, to the delicious-sounding, 鈥楥roissant equation鈥� to 鈥楲inear Algebra鈥� with diagrams鈥� and all sorts in-between.[[{"fid":"4943","view_mode":"xl","fields":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Hot and Not","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EKeep%26nbsp%3Bup%20with%20all%20the%20latest%20maths%20trends.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"xl","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Hot and Not","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"Keep up with all the latest maths trends.","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"%3Cp%3E%3Cem%3EKeep%26nbsp%3Bup%20with%20all%20the%20latest%20maths%20trends.%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"251","width":"1512","class":"media-element file-xl"}}]]It鈥檚 also pretty surreal. One of our favourite regular features is that of 19th century mathematician Johann Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet, who makes an unlikely return as Chalkdust agony aunt in the ever-popular Dear Dirichlet column. He鈥檚 helped readers with their feelings on free-market capitalism and awkward social interactions, and is mildly obsessed with badgers. Who knew?[[{"fid":"4915","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dear Dirichlet","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Dear Dirichlet","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"300","width":"670","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]We asked Rafael why he started the project and why it continues to be important,鈥淚t matters because of the impact it has. We sometimes work with the authors (particularly the younger ones) to create an article with them. We鈥檝e published A-Level students who wouldn鈥檛 easily be able to publish an article in a maths journal or magazine.鈥滸iving students their first experience of being published is a great way to both build confidence and to engage with the next generation of maths whizzes. It鈥檚 also acted as a pull for prospective new students to UCL. One Chalkdust contributor told Rafael, he wasn鈥檛 sure whether or not to accept the place he was offered for his PhD but then saw the magazine, 鈥淚 realised 皇家华人ould be a great place to study when I learnt about Chalkdust, a magazine produced by students here鈥�. Chalkdust demonstrates a fantastic way to share ideas outside of lectures and a way to get new students excited about their subject. But it鈥檚 not just 皇家华人 bods getting in on the action鈥�.[[{"fid":"4907","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Maths graphic","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Maths graphic","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"355","width":"792","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Chalkdust works through submissions, and receiving them is one of the most exciting parts of the process for Rafael, 鈥淧eople from different parts of the world have sent us articles that could be published by us and that is precisely one of our aims: to create a space for everyone to share maths鈥�. This formula seems to be working - since its start, Chalkdust has published the work of 70 different authors, generating over 260 articles, produced by 40 undergraduate and postgraduate students, who have circulated 15,000 copies, and distributed to over 25 UK universities![[{"fid":"4959","view_mode":"large","fields":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Chalkdust covers","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"large","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Chalkdust covers","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][title]":"","field_caption_heading[und][0][url]":"","field_caption[und][0][value]":"","field_caption[und][0][format]":"limited_html","field_float_left_right[und]":"none","field_file_image_decorative[und]":"0"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"278","width":"1008","class":"media-element file-large"}}]]Despite this momentum, Rafael has had concerns for the project. He told us, 鈥淐halkdust  is  an  ongoing  project,  so  there  were  two  challenging  parts: beginnings and  endings. In  order  for  our  project  to  survive,  we  strongly  depend  on  recruiting  new members  of  the  team,  since  we  are  all  students  and  we  will  all  finish  our degree at a certain point.鈥�. This highlights a common problem in volunteer projects, how do the original members ensure the project lives on, even after their departure? Rafael remains optimistic however, and has been investing time in the next generation to equip them with the skills and encouragement to flourish. He hopes this will protect the project鈥檚 future, 鈥淔or the past six months, I have passed my experience and knowledge about directing a maths magazine to the new generation of Chalkdust members. Once I finish my PhD in the next months, I will carry on doing research and hopefully, I will also be a keen reader of the new issues of Chalkdust produced by the new generations鈥�  - We hope so too!If you would like to read Chalkdust鈥檚 articles, or contribute to the next issue, Rafael wants to hear from you 鈥� so visit the website and see how you can get involved www.chalkdustmagazine.com.

Members of the public, students and zoologists joined researchers from University College London (UCL) and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) for a one-off event giving a unique insight into the evolution of cat anatomy and movement.Wild Cats Uncovered was a partnership event between UCL’s Grant Museum of Zoology and the RVC at the RVC’s Camden campus. During the event leading experts in feline anatomy performed a post mortem on a cheetah before a live audience.[[{"fid":"1367","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_float_left_right[und]":"none"},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"867","width":"3467","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]Known as ‘Team Cat’ and headed by Professors Anjali Goswami from University College London’s Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment and John Hutchinson from the Royal Veterinary College, researchers have brought together their expertise in evolution and biomechanics to better understand the evolution of form and movement within the cat family.For most animal groups, as they get bigger their posture changes: their legs tend to straighten and become stiffer to support their weight. But not cats. Despite ranging in size from 1kg to over 300kg, living members of the cat family are strikingly similar in their posture and how they stand or move. For scientists from Team Cat, the idea of the ‘crouching tiger’ is an evolutionary mystery they set out to investigate over the course of the project.The post-mortem on the cheetah, which had died of natural causes, revealed insights about the individual animal, and the cat family. In terms of the individual cheetah’s pathology, abnormalities in the gallbladder, spleen, liver and lungs and overall weight were consistent with the cheetah having died of a disease such as cancer.Regarding the post mortem, Professor Hutchinson said: “We shared a unique opportunity to celebrate the amazing form, function and evolution of cats in general, and the spectacular beauty of the cheetah specimen’s anatomy as well as its life and some clues about the sad story of its demise. We were flooded with challenging, insightful questions from the very enthusiastic audience and it was a joy to hear how much people attending appreciated the event. It was a very important event for us, considering our commitment to engaging the public with scientific research.”In terms of the cat family, Team Cat has used a variety of techniques over the last three years to understand their anatomy; from tempting tigers to cross 3D scales that measures the force produced as they walk, to dissections of wild cats that died of natural causes in zoos and parks, to even CT scanning and measuring the remains of fossil cats to capture their shape in 3D. Using these techniques, the scientists involved have been piecing together the developmental, ecological and biomechanical influences that have shaped the evolution of the cat musculoskeletal system.Professor Goswami said: “In evolutionary biology, we spend a lot of time trying to identify grand unifying processes or patterns that are repeated across different groups or different periods in Earth history, but the exceptions to these rules can sometimes tell us even more about how the current diversity of life evolved and why organisms look and behave the way they do. It shouldn’t come as any surprise to a cat lover that cats are one of the weird groups that break the rules, and we are looking at this from numerous angles, from development to biomechanics, and using a wide range of analytical techniques to understand how they get away with it.” Professor Hutchinson commented: “We brought together a dream team of researchers with expertise across the fields of anatomy, development, mechanics, evolution and palaeontology to tackle big questions about big and small cats. It has been an exciting three-year study that is putting together some big puzzle pieces about the evolution of cats and their form, function and behaviour. This event showed and celebrates our latest findings". The “Walking the Cat Back” project is funded by the Leverhulme Trust.