Fracture mechanics expert appointed visiting professor

Dr Isabel Hadley, Visiting Professor at the University of BristolTWI

Press release issued: 5 July 2016

An industrial research engineer specialising in the practical application of fracture mechanics to safety-critical engineering structures has been appointed Visiting Professor in Integrity Management at the University of Bristol.

Dr Isabel Hadley, TWI Technology Fellow, will work alongside academic staff at the University's Department of Mechanical Engineering to develop and deliver a master's level course focusing on the integrity management of safety-critical structures. The course will be aimed at advanced undergraduate and master’s students studying degrees in mechanical, civil, nuclear and aerospace engineering.

Dr Hadley said: "After many years of being involved in the delivery of engineering services to industry, I am very conscious of the need for a highly educated workforce to meet the engineering challenges of the future. I am looking forward to working with the team at Bristol, and playing my part by enhancing the students’ understanding of industry's needs and priorities."

As well as bringing valuable insight to TWI's commercial activities, Dr Hadley, a TWI Technology Fellow since 2012, chairs the committee that manages British Standard 7910, the UK’s code of practice for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic structures.

While continuing her role at TWI, over the next three years Isabel will travel frequently to Bristol, which last year was ranked among the top 40 universities in the world in the QS World University rankings. It has a particularly excellent reputation for engineering research, 93 per cent of which was judged in 2014 to be either 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Isabel's visiting professorship has received three years of funding from the Royal Academy of Engineering, as part of an initiative to transfer expert knowledge from industry into higher education. The scheme aims to enhance student learning, increase students' employability and skills, and foster long-term collaboration between industry and academia.

The National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC), based at TWI, also promotes close working between higher education and industry. Students at NSIRC conduct research in an industry environment, helping ensure that their research is directed by industrial need and that they gain commercial experience to enhance their employability. It is hoped that Isabel's Visiting Professorship will open the door to further collaboration between NSIRC and the University of Bristol.

The visiting professorship scheme under which Isabel will join the University of Bristol until mid-2019 was initiated by the late Professor David Smith. Professor Smith held the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair at Bristol until his untimely death in November 2015.

Further information

About TWI
TWI is a world-leading research and technology organisation with a focus on materials, engineering and manufacturing. It supports an international membership across industry sectors including oil and gas, power, aerospace, healthcare and transport. Delivering technical consultancy and R&D, training and business support across the lifecycle of manufacturing, TWI offers a complete service from idea generation, product development and introduction, to decommissioning, recycling and re-use.

About the Royal Academy of Engineering
As the UK's national academy for engineering, we bring together the most successful and talented engineers for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering. We provide analysis and policy support to promote the UK's role as a great place to do business. We take a lead on engineering education and we invest in the UK's world-class research base to underpin innovation. We work to improve public awareness and understanding of engineering. We are a national academy with a global outlook.