Welcome to Ash Willmott who joins our sport and exercise science lecturing team for the next 6 months. As many will know, Ash has been with us for some years now, first as an undergraduate BSc Sport and Exercise Science Student (1st class), then as a PhD student (which he finished, successfully defended and will graduate on the 16th February 2018) and also as a Sport and Exercise Science Support Officer within the Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy Unit (SESCU, 2014-2017). During his time here, he has made a huge difference to so many parts of our environmental extremes provision. He was instrumental in the success of the CAERvest, while we worked with Bodychillz Ltd. and will keep working with them as we continue this relationship.  He has also been involved in supporting a number of other industrial partners while working with SESCU testing their products (all legal!). On the research front allied to thermal physiology, he has been a key member of the team for several years and we are now reaping the rewards following all those hours in the labs, with several papers published recently and few more on the way around the theme of heat acclimation.

Ash is one week into his lecturing post and today I (Neil Maxwell) asked him how it was going. I think ‘calm before the storm’ describes his emotions as he does not start actual ‘front-of-house’ lecturing until Monday 19th February. He said he is, “enjoying it so far, but ask me again on the 9th March when I have done two weeks of full-on lecturing!”. We wish him well and once again, welcome him to the other side (some might say the dark side) of the fence as a member of staff.