Newsmail #31, 2022-07-01
Dear all,
It’s 10am here, I have wrapped up an intensive week at Stanford and one week in Minneapolis dedicated to diversity in engineering education. Even though I know that Sweden is ahead in many aspects, at least in gender equality, I believe we still have a lot to learn from others. For me, passing by the place where George Floyd was murdered in 2020 made more impact than I thought it would. To see how people’s opportunities in life vary depending on where you are born, which color you have, is more apparent than ever. In the studies I looked into regarding admission numbers, retention statistics etc at various universities, there are small initiatives to change, but not enough.
At KTH, we have now signed with a building contractor to modify the combustion labs. During the summer and early fall, the contractor will remove the floors in the test cells, tear down one wall between two cells, and make new floors that enables us to use both stories of the lab for new purposes. As you saw by Antons email, the water cutting jet has already been sent for renovation and will be put in the old combustion lab cells upon return. The lab formerly called the spray-lab will also be modified with two walls removed during the summer so that labs from 4th floor can relocate after the summer. So, the changes of the closure of the combustion lab is now more apparent. A more sad effect of this closure is that our Hanna Bernemyr left us as of yesterday. While all other members have been relocated to other units, Hanna leaves KTH to search for new opportunities elsewhere. It’s a very negative sign of us as an organization, and a direct failure for me as leader, to not having been able to accommodate Hanna into this change. I anyhow wish Hanna all the best of luck in finding a new research community.
In case you haven’t left for summer vacation already, I hope that you will do so, and that you all can and will enjoy some well-deserved rest.
Best,
Martin