Profile
Dr Sam Hughes
External Engagement
Outreach
I take part in a variety of Outreach programmes to help promote geoscience and mining engineering to schools and colleges, and widen participation within them. The main purpose of these activities is to fuel interest in geology and mining, as well as promote what we do at CSM. I take part in the following activities:
- Exeter Scholars - run geology field excursions, laboratory classes and surveying practicals for sixth form students in the South West
- Smallpeice Trust
- Geology talks to local schools - providing introductory geology talks to local primary and secondary schools (e.g. St Ives Junior School)
The Geological Society - South West Regional Group
Since November 2014, I have been a committee member of The Geological Society of London South West Regional Group (SWRG). My role on the committee is primarily to represent CSM / University of Exeter. The role includes:
- Promoting CSM activities through the Group
- Advertising SWRG events within CSM
- Organising SWRG events in Cornwall
- Networking with other local universities and businesses
I attend bi-monthly committee meetings in Devon and the SWRG has at least one event every month. I have been involved with several events:
- Early Career Geoscientist Evening (alternating host between CSM and Plymouth University)
- Schools Competition
- Annual General Meeting (held every November)
The Ussher Society
Since January 2015, I have been a committee member of The Ussher Society. Named after the geologist W.A.E Ussher, the Society promotes research into all aspects of the geology and geomorphology of South-West England, primarily through its annual conference and journal. My primary role on the committee is also as CSM / University of Exeter representative. However, my other roles include:
- Organisation of the annual conference (held in January at various locations around the South-West)
- Organise the distribution of the Ussher Society's annual journal - Geoscience in South-West England
Marine Learning Alliance
The Marine Learning Alliance (MLA) are based in Plymouth, and provide marine industry and maritime education and training. This is primarily carried out through distance e-learning and associated residential courses. The courses are predominantly taken by industry professionals.
I was brought "on board" to help teach and demonstrate on their Advanced Practical Techniques in Hydrography residential course, that is based at the Fugro Academy Training Centre at Turnchapel. My role is to help deliver a practical-focused introduction to land surveying, with emphasis on using techniques (levelling, total station, GNSS) to establish control onboard vessels and installing tide gauges. The aim of the residential field course is to produce a sea bed survey of Plymouth Sound using a variety of hydrographic survey techniques (side scan sonar, single beam and multibeam echo sounders).