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Faces of the Surrey SATRO science festival



Jon Tickle - officially opening the Science Festival on 24th June 2010

Jon Tickle first came to the public’s attention as one of the most popular (and more outlandish!) housemates on Channel 4’s Big Brother 4 in 2003.  Jon has a physics degree and his obvious love of inventions and anything to do with science meant that he was the natural choice to co-present Sky One’s “Brainiac: Science Abuse”.  Brainiac’s aim is to make science fun and accessible for all children, from nine to ninety.  If it’s possible to demonstrate a scientific principle by blowing something up, Brainiac will have done so - bigger and more spectacularly than anyone else!

 Jon likes to remind people that he doesn’t just get cold, wet and injured in the name of science; he also has a full time day job.  He is a senior manager at Centrica Plc and currently works as a Data Architect for British Gas Business.  If you don’t know what that means, Jon will be more than happy to explain it at some length!  Suffice to say, it involves data, I.T. systems and it’s tremendously geeky – just the way that Jon likes it
David Hogg - SATRO ambassador

David worked with Surrey SATRO as a student and now works with them as a STEM Ambassador with schools. He exhibited at the Festival last year and will be back by popular demand again this year with his own invention - a radio-controlled helicopter incorporating a 50ft telescopic mast that offers low- altitude, aerial-photography.  Guaranteed to 'wow' you - but mind your head!

David initially got involved with SATRO whilst studying for his A-levels.  As part of the SATRO events he exhibited two items – a Charles Rennie-inspired cube lamp at the Royal Aeronautical Society and a solar powered autonomous gutter-cleaning robot.  This allowed David to gain exposure for his work and also gave him the opportunity to network with other students.

He then went to university to study Electronic and Electrical Engineering (gaining a 1st class honours degree). Surrey SATRO helped to arrange sponsorship to fund his university costs and he was also able to work with Thales for 10 weeks (over the summer holidays). Thales not only offered financial support at university but employment with them during his summer holidays which gave him a taste of working life and gave him invaluable industrial experience to put on his CV.

Through Surrey SATRO David is now developing his people skills by getting involved with pupils of all ages – by supervising school children with technical/team-building challenges and representing Thales at careers fairs.  He says,  “Getting out in the community and making children more aware of what it is like to be an engineer in the working world is essential as many of today's school pupils are tending to opt for less technically-demanding subjects at GCSE, A-Level and beyond. This trend can possibly be reversed if they are exposed to the exciting opportunities and prospects of working in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths from an early age.”  He adds, “The courses/events run by the Surrey SATRO and are aimed at doing just that, and for the children to be able to work with past-pupils who are now in the engineering profession is sure to make a positive impression on them and their future career decisions.“