TWP: Science Museum

Luke's Tourist With a Purpose write up:

On July 11, 2011, I went to the Science museum to see the Medical Exhibit on the top floor. When I arrived at the museum, I was naturally drawn towards the biotechnology section of the exhibit. I was very impressed how many items were on display. 

Everything from early spread-plating techniques and old vaccine syringes to one of the first chromatography columns and complex electron scanning microscopes. I knew that biotech research and applications have been around since Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA in 1953 and the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928. What I didn't know was how quickly the biotech industry grew or how the design of certain machines like syringes and chromatography columns evolved and improved over time.

The main reason I wanted to visit this exhibit is because I would like to have a career in the biotech industry, specifically the upstream (fermentation) process. I have taken many classes on bioreactor fermentation as well as a few microbial bioseparation courses. I did expect to see a bioreactor on display in the exhibit somewhere, but unfortunately there wasn't one. Although I was disappointed with the absence of a bioreactor, seeing one of the earliest chromatography columns helped me realize exactly how far we have come with biotechnology.

I highly recommend this exhibit to any one who is interested in biotechnology or who's major is influenced by biotechnology.

Site Visit to KEANE's London Office

We had our first site visit this afternoon so we met in the lobby and walked to the Gloucester Road tube station together. When changing trains at Notting  Hill Gate tube station, one of the students did not make it on to the train. She was too far away to get to the train before the doors shut and the rest of us were too far into the train to get out before the doors shut. We waited at our final stop and her train arrived just a few moments later.

We went to KEANE located at the Royal Exchange in the City of London . We met with Ian Miller, the executive VP, and Julie Downing, the VP of HR for Europe.  They graciously shared their time and expertise with the students.

Page and Emily took the lead today and they asked 9 questions from the Professional Writing Committee's Communication in the Workplace report.

Communication in the Workplace Questions:

1. Are oral and written communication a part of your performance appraisal?
2. What percentage of your work week do you spend writing (planning, drafting, revising)?
3. What percentage of your time is spent working with others to plan and write documents?
4. What percentage of your writing time is spent composing the following: Email, Chat, IM, Text, blogs, wikis, short internal documents, short external document, long/formal documents? Other?
5. What type of documents do you write?
6. What percentage of your time communicating on the job is with people from other countries?
7. How did you learn to do the writing you have to do in your work – on the job, workplace training, college course, etc.?
8. In what ways has technology changed the way you communicate at work, especially over the past five years?
9. Please describe any examples of the consequences of effective or ineffective writing within your organization.

Page and Emily added some context to each question and Ian Miller answered each one and provided examples from his experience at Keane and EDS and offered helpful career advice.  Julie Downing discussed the importance of following codes of ethics and how international communication can be complicated due to regulations and laws.

It was a successful site visit. Mr. Miller was engaging and even funny at times. It was a worthwhile experience for the students and for me!

TWP: Hampton Court Palace

Each week, the students select 3 activites or locations that are related to their academic and personal interests.  We call these activities "TOURIST WITH A PURPOSE" or TWP for short.

Below is Laura's TWP write up of Hampton Court Palace



On Monday, July 11th, I went to Hampton Court palace; this is where Henry VIII lived. Henry was king of England from 1509 until 1547, and he is the most well known and controversial king that England has ever had. 

The experience was amazing from beginning to end. As soon as I set a foot past the gate I could see a royal guard all dressed up like he had been taken out of the XVI century. A little after, I got to bow down to his majesty King Henry himself, as well as his wife (one of them) Queen Katherine Parr. My favorite part of meeting them was that they were true representations of how royals and servants would behave, and expect others to behave, and they never, ever broke character.

Plays and reenactments were taking place all over the palace. It was mind-blowing to sit there and think about all the royals and politicians that have stayed at the palace, and all the world-changing events that took place in those very rooms I was walking through. I kept thinking, If I stood here and turned back time maybe I could hear King Henry saying that if the pope didn't grant him his divorce from Queen Katherine of Aragon, he would declare himself as the head of the church of England and get an annulment by other means; this little thought went on to become the reformation of the church that would change the world forever.

Hampton Court Palace was also a true learning experience. The Tudor court numbered around 1,000 individuals who lived at the palace; such a large household demanded a great deal of organization and planning. Many systems were developed to have all areas and personnel of the palace work well together, as one big well-oiled machine.

The kitchen, for example, was divided into areas where a specific type of food would be made. Rooms to store and prepare fish, pies, meats, soups, and so on, each having its own section, but all inside the kitchen. Once the food was prepared, it was placed on top of a half-wall, kind of like the ones in restaurants now-a-days, and then a bell (an actual bell-shaped metal bell) was rang to let other servants know the food needed to be picked up and taken upstairs through a short-cut stairway intended for service only. The kitchen system is a clear example of techniques applied to improve quality and quantity while minimizing time; it was also a great representation of an early assembly line, storage systems, project management, planning and applications of statistics to figure out how much food to make based on previous data. A true living factory.

It was such an unforgettable place, and to me, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

God save the King! 

Theatre: Pygmalion at the Garrick

We enjoyed an evening of Theatre together. We saw Pygmalion at the Garrick Theatre with Rupert Everett http://garrick-theatre.co.uk/current-show.htm .
Despite some minor technical difficulties--including the curtain breaking before the second act, it was a fun and interesting show.

In front of our apartments after the show

Excursions

Everyone is working hard to complete their reading and writing assignments for each class (including me!). Summer school is much more intense than a regular fall or spring semester. However, we are finding ample time to explore London and go on some excursions.

The students enjoyed a tour of Bath and Stonehenge arranged through AIFS.  There were not enough tickets for me to join them, so I went to Dover and Canterbury.  One of the students joined me and my family at Hampton Court Palace to immerse ourselves in all things Tudor.

The London Eye at night

Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace

Stonehenge

Bath

End of First Week of Classes

We have finished our first week of classes! Our last student arrived and the other students have helped her get acclimated. The students turned in their first assignments this morning and I really should be grading rather than updating the blog...

Next week, this blog will include entries from the students and their impressions of London and how it relates to their engineering studies.

After many days of sunshine and "warm" weather (upper 70s), we are experiencing cooler weather (high 50s-low 60s) and rain. The sun made an appearance this afternoon and we see some blue skies, but it has been a damp day.

First Day of Class and Science Museum Tour

Our first day of class in the Asa Briggs building went very well. Everyone was on time--even the few who got lost (briefly) on their way to class.  The classroom is on the street level and right next to a cafe. The sidewalks on this little road are almost non-existent.

Asa Briggs Hall--our classroom is
the farthest window on the ground floor.

After a break for lunch, we went the the Science Museum. Mike, a Blue Badge tour guide, showed us around the museum (see http://www.blue-badge-guides.com/ ) .  He pointed out important British engineering accomplishments (and some German and American as well). I did not force the students to pose for a group picture and I am sure they were relieved.

Steam Engine at Science Museum