Profile
Bryan Williams
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About Me:
I am a mathematician; I live in Preston with my partner while I’m based at Lancaster University and we like to spend as many weekends at our main home in North Wales as we can.
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My pronouns are:
He/Him
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My Work:
I am a lecturer at Lancaster University, where I drive cutting-edge research in AI and teach university students.
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My Typical Day:
My day involves lots of different things and it changes each day. After my morning coffee, I get to work at 8am, where I answer messages, work on my own research and prepare for the day. Then I meet with researchers, project students and collaborators or I give lectures or tutorials, or I work on my own projects. I am usually writing a research and/ or grant application to get more funding to support the research of my group. I usually go home at 7pm.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
With £500, I would fund research visits for primary school students to visit the university to learn more about STEM education and what they can do with a science career.
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Education:
I started at Woodhouse Park Primary School in Manchester and moved to Gorton Mount Junior School in 1995, when I was 10. Then I got a full scholarship to attend William Hulme’s Grammar School. I attended the University of Liverpool for my undergraduate degree (2004-07), master’s degree (2007-08) and after taking a break to work for a company, my PhD (2010-2014)
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Qualifications:
I got 9 GCSEs 20 years ago in 2002, then 4 A Levels in French, Maths, Further Maths and Psychology in 2004. In 2007, I got a BSc in Pure Mathematics, then an MSc in Mathematical Sciences in 2008 and a PhD in Mathematics in 2015. I am currently studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, which I will finish soon in 2023.
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Work History:
My first real job was as a Management Information Systems administrator with a training company in Liverpool, which helped people to achieve vocational qualifications. Then I became the IT Manager for the same company. After my PhD, I was a researcher at Universitat des Saarlandes in Germany and at the University of Liverpool.
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Current Job:
I have been a lecturer at Lancaster University since 2019. I lead my research group in computer vision and teach university students about artificial intelligence and data science.
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Employer:
I work for Lancaster University in the North-West of England. We have a very nice countryside campus with great views of the Forest of Bowland. My building is at the south of the campus, with a roof terrace that has great views and you can see for miles.
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My Interview
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My favourite CHRISTMAS LECTURES memory is:
Getting to see Sue; I hadn't seen her since August when she moved to Oxford; and the large hand model was fantastic.
How is your work linked to the CHRISTMAS LECTURES
A branch of my work is developing artificial intelligence to identify individuals via anatomical clues. We are currently running a project to establish the significance of anatomical detail in the hand for identification.
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Academic, Mathematician, Researcher
What did you want to be after you left school?
I wanted to be an interpreter
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Occasionally, for "forgetting" my PE kit
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
I'd be an interpreter and learn as many languages as I could
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Adele
What's your favourite food?
Char siu chow mein
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
i) for my family to be happy and healthy; ii) to have more time in the day; to be able to eat anything without gaining weight
Tell us a joke.
What's the best thing about Switzerland? I don't know but the flag is a big plus.
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