Ashwin Sridhar

Experience

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  Robotics Education & Competition Foundation

  Sept 2019 - Mar 2023

  Student Advisory Board Member (EU/UK Rep)

  Worked with CEO, senior management of the REC Foundation and eight student members across the globe to improve STEM outreach programmes (e.g. VEX Robotics).2019- 2023:•Advocated for and helped the transition of design notebooks into a digital format in response to the pandemic•Influenced rubrics and criteria for judging and awards to increase fairness and improve industry alignment•Provided feedback and generated ideas related to new virtual competition models•Supported the development of new referee and judge training supported via personal experiences•Suggested new ideas to support novel/rookie team development through existing alumni networks•Recommended re-designed educational content platform and provided corresponding SEO suggestions - influencing the recently created RECF library.•Promoted existing "girl-powered" schemes and proposed new approaches to improve participation from underrepresented communities. Show less

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  Lancaster University

  Jul 2021 - Aug 2021

  Math Research Summer Placement

  Took part in multiple math projects exploring undergraduate level concepts alongside current students and academics at the University of Lancaster. Our project on Grid Rigidity came first and won the gold award in an academic poster competition held by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) and the University. The research projects we undertook are outlined below:Week 1 - Grid rigidityWeek 2 - Fractals and randomnessWeek 3 - Counting symmetriesWeek 4 - Regular 4-dimensional polytopes Show less

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  KETS Quantum Security

  Aug 2021 - Aug 2021

  KETS Quantum Work Experience Placement

  Quantum cryptography, photonics and entrepreneurship: the work experience programme with KETS covered it all. From quantum key distribution to integrated photonics, the week delved deeper into new quantum technologies. The week included a range of different speakers, discussing their own industry insights- from ethics product design to quantum research. Throughout the week we applied our knowledge to present our ideas for a quantum tech business to the KETS Quantum Security team. The project I worked on explored commercial applications of quantum entanglement. We looked at securely sending data between different nodes, using methods such as Shamir’s secret sharing to minimise data loss. Show less

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  Arkwright Engineering Scholarships and Alumni

  Oct 2021 - Aug 2023

  Arkwright Engineering Scholar - Sponsored by AG Manly Trust

  •Awarded Arkwright Engineering Scholarship for future leadership potential in engineering. Sponsored by AG Manly Trust.•Royal Air Force Summer Camp: Participated in week-long camp with 15 Arkwright scholars across the nation. Developed leadership and engineering skills alongside RAF personnel. Learnt about helicopter and flight control design at RAF Odiham.•Livery Company: Presented recommendations related to government policy and planned obsolescence to leading industrial professionals and policymakers.•Light Microscopy Connect Day: Took part in workshops related to the use of microscopy in engineering and applied sciences. Created own microscope project using 3D printed parts and lenses.•Cambridge Chemical Engineering Connect Day: Took part in workshops and networking from Cambridge academics and students. Show less

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  Department for Culture, Media and Sport

  Sept 2022 - Mar 2023

  Member of Youth Policy Development Group

  Worked with young people (16-25) across the UK to provide policy recommendations directly to Government ministers and departments. We underwent policy-based training from ShoutOut UK and present findings at government roundtables. 2022:•Department for Education (DfE): Acted as the chair for the roundtable related to improving careers education across the school.•Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS): Provided policy recommendations related to loot boxes with the Technical Working Group on Loot Boxes in video games.•Volunteering, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE): Advised on improving current policy to target cold spots in youth volunteering2023:•Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA): Worked on creating recommendations to target current barriers for young people to access protected landscapes. Show less

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  NCS - National Citizen Service Trust

  Apr 2023 - now

  Member of Youth Advisory Board