UCLan students win parliamentary approval at national research poster event

9 March 2018

Poster exhibition highlights outstanding undergraduate research

Students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have been commended for their work at a national undergraduate research event held in the prestigious surroundings of Westminster Palace of Westminster.

Mike Woods, who graduated from MSci Archaeology with a First last year, scooped the event’s runner-up prize while Naomi Fallon, a current student studying on the BSc Nutrition and Exercise Science, was also commended for her work.

Mike, whose project was entitled: ‘Watermeetings Hillfort and the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership’, focused on using geophysical surveys to investigate the possible existence of a Late Prehistoric fortified hilltop enclosure called Watermeetings.

Commenting on the experience, he said: “Coming runner-up in a national event like this was a surprise considering the high quality of all the other students’ research. It’s been a real boost to my confidence.

“Posters in Parliament is an excellent way to highlight your research with specialists across many fields and to learn about the brilliant scientific investigations being carried out by other students across the country.”

"Posters in Parliament is an excellent way to highlight your research with specialists across many fields and to learn about the brilliant scientific investigations being carried out by other students across the country."

UCLan’s Seren Griffiths, Lecturer in Archaeology and Mike’s co-PhD supervisor commented: “It’s great to see Mike get an award at such an important and prestigious showcase for student talent. It stands him in really good stead for his PhD, which will be a really exciting landscape project feeding into my research at Bryn Celli Ddu.”

Naomi focused her research on the different factors that influenced well-being. Entitled: ‘What affects student well-being?’, the project has underlined the UCLan student’s intention to pursue a career in research. She added:  “It was a great experience to be able to share and talk about my research with MPs, senior staff and students from other universities. On top of that it was a really fun day.”

Posters in Parliament provides an opportunity for over 40 students representing universities from across the UK to exhibit their research. The exhibition is inspired by the US Posters on the Hill event in which the best students are sent by their universities to present their work to the House of Representatives and the Senate. This gives the opportunity for legislators and policy makers to see first-hand some of the innovative research taking place around the country.