Liam Heaphy

BA (Hons.) Spanish and Philosophy (National University of Ireland, Galway, 2005).

DEA (similar to Masters, first stage of a combined doctoral program) Social Studies of Science and Technology (Universidad de Salamanca, Spain, 2008).

The development and use of climate models for representing and communicating policy-driven scientific research

Supervisors: Albena Yaneva and Simon Guy.

This doctoral research project aims to provide a comprehensive study of the contemporary practice of climate modelling, analysing how the present generation of climate models are built, utilised, and perceived. It will analyse climate models as networks of knowledge generation, providing a mapping of the many connections between actors in the scientific and political communities. These are then linked to particular concerns at the basic level of applied research and connected with the perceptions of different communities of users and stakeholders. It is hoped that this process will identify modes by which modelling output can be better connected with urban mitigation policies at a local and regional level.

Heaphy, L. (2009) “Conocimiento, cultura y la dimensión social” [“Knowledge, culture, and the social dimension”], Revista Laguna (24), 119-138.

Yaneva, A., Dunn, N., Heaphy, L. (2009) “Mapping Architectural Controversies: An Enquiry on the Aesthetics of Matters of Concern”. Joint presentation at the RGS-IBG Conference 2009 (May 29th), Manchester.

Heaphy, L. (2009) “Representing the Tree of Life in the Digital Domain”. Presentation at the Darwin bicentenary conference “La idea de evolución. 150 años después de Darwin” [“The Idea of Evolution. 150 Years after Darwin”](18th June), Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.

Heaphy, L. (2008) “The communication of certainty concerning human-induced climate change”. Presentation at 4S/EASST 2009 (23rd August), Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Professional biography

Before commencing my doctoral studies in the University of Manchester, I participated as a full-time research assistant on the EU-funded project (FP7) “Mapping Controversies on Science for Politics” (MACOSPOL), which ran for one year (to August 2009) in the Manchester Architecture Research Centre and which was led by Albena Yaneva. This project sought to create a platform for analysing controversies in science and technology in Europe, aiming to contribute towards both the spatial analysis of controversies and the ability of the public to participate in them.

I have also collaborated on a project concerning the public perception of the biotechnology sector in Spain together with other researchers from the University of Salamanca, where I had studied previously. Additionally, I have worked in the information technology industry for five years in a number of different roles.

Teaching

Liam assists with the web design and mapping controversies sections of the “Exploring Typologies” course (Albena Yaneva) for third year Architecture students in the second semester, as well as participating in the research skills lecture series for fifth year Architecture students in the first semester.

Funding awards

(2009) Four-year PhD scholarship from the Sustainable Consumption Institute Doctoral Training Centre, University of Manchester.

(2008) Award to attend Euroscience Open Forum Conference in Barcelona (July 2008) from the Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT).

(2003) Philosophy Prize, National University of Ireland, Galway.