Teaching
Here is a record of the teaching and project supervision I’ve done, as much for myself as anyone else!
Postgraduate
Programmes
I co-founded the MSc Machine Learning in Science programme at the University of Nottingham, and continue to assist with its administration.
Lecture courses
Scientific Programming with Python
I have taught variations of this course in most years from 2011/12 to 2022/23, originally for PhD students in the School of Physics at Nottingham, then as part of the Midlands Physics Alliance (and hence to PhD students at Nottingham, Birmingham, Warwick, and occasionally Leicester, Loughborough and Keele). It has also been attended by undergrad project students, postdocs and occasionally professors!
From 2019/20 to 2022/23 the module was also delivered to Masters students on our MSc Machine Learning in Science programme and PhD students via MPAGS. The teaching materials, including slides and videos, are available here. In 2023/24, I passed the course on to Dr Mike Smith, who has substantially redeveloped the teaching and assessent. The latest course materials can be found here.
Undergraduate
I am Examinations Officer for the School of Physics and Astronomy (since 2022/23).
I was co-leader of First Year from 2018/19 to 2022/23, with primary responsibilities for engagement and assessement.
Lecture courses
- Quantitative Physics
- First-year core module, lecturer 2015/16 – 2022/23, convenor 2016/17 – 2022/23
- Research Techniques in Astronomy
- Fourth-year module, lecturer 2013/14 – 2018/19
- Structure of Galaxies
- Second-year module, lecturer 2012/13
- Extreme Astrophysics
- Third-year module, shadow 2012/13 – present
Third year projects
I supervise various projects, often using the School’s observatory. I also managed the maintenance and development of this facility, and coordinated the training of general users, from 2011 to 2020.
- 2021/22
- Galaxy morphology versus environment — Lucy Clews & Thomas Braben
- The effect of pair interactions on galaxy morphology — Adam Lilley & Thomas Hadfield
- 2020/21
- Galaxy morphology versus environment — Patrycja Siwek & Zoe Thompson
- The effect of pair interactions on galaxy morphology — Subin Saji & Andrew Longden
- Understanding the wavelength-dependence of galaxy structure — Zayed Alkatheeri & Alexander Berman
- 2019/20
- Eclipsing binary stars — Conor Lyon & Eve Gardiner
- Distances to stellar clusters — Beza Taye & Elizabeth Havercroft
- Observing minor planets — Rahul Makwana & Benjamin Wegh
- 2018/19
- Observing minor planets — Sorcha Craven Heffernan & Samuel Smith
- Distances to stellar clusters —Daniel Sheasby
- 2017/18
- Eclipsing binary stars — Harry Lyon & Joe McLoughlin
- Distances to stellar clusters — Matthew Canham & Dan Hamill
- 2016/17
- Eclipsing binary stars — Harry Foscoe & Thomas Hopkinson
- Observing minor planets — Joshua Crane & Romain Vandemeulebrouck
- 2015/16
- Eclipsing binary stars — Amélie Tamone & Alfred Holton-Stoppani
- Distances to stellar clusters — Kieran Smith & Christopher Le Quesne
- 2014/15
- Observing Minor Planets — Emily Stapleton & Ashley Chrimes
- Measuring distances to stellar clusters — Harry Green & Jack Mosley
- 2013/14
- Observing Minor Planets — Charutha Krishnan & Pierandrea Guarnieri
- Measuring distances to stellar clusters — Gareth Hardman & Chris Corbett
- 2012/13
- Observing Exoplanet Transits — Avais Kiani & Alim Mustafa
- Observing Minor Planets — James Lavender & Ross Hart
- 2011/12
- Gathering photons from stars to determine how distant they are — James Cottell & Joe Devine
Fourth year projects
- 2022/23
- Advanced Modelling of Galaxy Structure — Aden Suter, George Hine & Shivani Patel
- 2021/22
- Deblending galaxy images using neural networks — Max Neal, Tim Alefounder, Sebbie Sonola-Jones & Subin Saji
- 2020/21
- Redshifting galaxies with neural networks — Larissa Palethorpe, Elizabeth Havercroft & Aiden Rolfe
- 2019/20
- Physically realistic neural networks and machine learning — Aaron Lamb & Jake Shaw
- 2018/19
- Physically realistic neural networks and machine learning — Alexander Coles & Leam Howe
- Performance of advanced object detection algorithms on astronomical images — Dominic Askew & Jack Rowbotham
- 2017/18
- Hierarchical Bayesian modelling of galaxy scaling relations — Callum Martin-Moore & Ryan Chatha
- 2016/17
- Galaxy kinematics versus Galaxy Zoo morphology — Luke Matthews & Luc Magwood
- Spiral arms and the localisation of star-formation — Joel Miller
- 2015/16
- Spiral arms and the localisation of star-formation — Nishith Chennakeshava & Harry Green
- 2014/15
- The effect of dust on measurements of galaxy structure — Michael Hillier, Myles Selvey & Luke Todhunter
- 2012/13
- Disk galaxies versus environment — Joshua Greenslade & Alastair Machin
- 2010/11
- Spiral galaxies versus environment — Christopher Rosslowe & Robert Mackay