In this episode Catherine Mondoa interviews sculptor and mixed media artist Phoebe Collings-James, and Alex Austin, PhD student at Imperial College’s CDT Advanced Materials Characterisation programme. We discuss their definitions of and forays into the world of ceramics.

Materials People brings together materials practitioners across art, science, design, and engineering to converse about shared material interests, discuss their varied paths, and showcase parallels in between.

Links
Phoebe Collings-James - https://www.phoebecollingsjames.com/ https://www.instagram.com/phoebethegorgon/?hl=en

Alex Austin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-austin-360147102/

Contact us at 
podcast@iom3.org or visit www.iom3.org

Music:
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates… Clay and Ceramics, a conversation with Materials People

Historically, some industrial activities have elicited strong views from the public. Finding the balance between interest and accessibility without bias can be a challenge. Understandably, many companies are nervous of lighting the touchpaper of public opinion and over time this reticence about sharing the details of industrial processes can lead to a lack of public understanding about how things are made. 

 

There are thousands of people doing jobs that aren't well known, digging up rocks at unprecedented scales all over the world. An increasingly complex supply chain with countless processes convert natural resources into something useful. With critical minerals ever more in the headlines, it is critical that the public understand what it takes to produce the goods and services that support their modern lifestyles, as well as the multitude of roles and wealth of expertise that are the backbone of the industries. Good communication can ignite the interest of the next generation, who are going to be needed as part of the growing workforce in these sectors. 

Joining Alex Brinded to discuss how this can best be achieved are: 

Ed Conway HonFIMMM – author of the book Material World and Economics Editor at Sky News 

Catherine Lalut - author of the children’s book series, The Mine that Fell Asleep, Project Manager at Fortescue - Mine Planning; Founder & President of Women in Mining & Engineering Western Australia, and CEO & Co-founder of the Australia-Latin America Mining & Energy Alliance. 

Sharon-Elizabeth Strugnell FIMMM – author of an activity book about mining and minerals for primary schoolchildren, and Technical Director and Group Leader of Mine Waste for WSP in the UK as well as a STEM ambassador.

IOM3 Investigates...Unearthing Stories: Authors discuss the mining and materials supply chain

A discussion of current affairs, news and forthcoming events with a glance at careers in defence with the Student & Early Career (SEC) Group of IOM3. From BAE systems come Dr Euan Grey and Antonia Fan. Dr Ilija Rasovic from Birmingham University completes the line up with IOM3 host, Jamie Graham.

Links: 
The Student & Early Career (SEC) Group represents the views of student and early career members of IOM3. www.iom3.org/group/student-early-career-group.html
SEC Hub: www.iom3.org/resources/student-…ly-career-hub.html
Defence strategy response: www.iom3.org/resource/iom3-resp…trategy-plans.html
Future Materials, Minerals & Mining events: www.iom3.org/events-awards/fm3.html
Materials, Minerals & Mining for People, Places, Planet (M3P3): www.iom3.org/events-awards/m3p3.html

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...SECG #1

Rewinding to our first episode of IOM3 Investigates, our CEO Dr Colin Church CEnv FIMMM speaks to Professor Margaret Bates FIMMM, who was at the time Executive Director at On Pack Recycling Label (OPRL).This re-edited episode touches on recycling habits, greenwashing, and finding the right balance in packaging manufacture.

Originally published in June 2020, you can listen to the original episode in its entirety in our back catalogue: on.soundcloud.com/cE08fMdM8ONYvkK0IR

If you have any questions contact us at podcast@iom3.org.

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...Rewind: The Environment. Part 1 - Sustainable Packaging

Rewind to 2020. In this re-edited episode first published in 2020, Colin Church is joined by Adam Read (External Affairs Director at Suez Recycling and Recovery UK) and Linda Barron (Co-founder of Barron Gould, and founding partner of MaDE) as we discuss 'Design for End of Life' - the importance of better product design choices to enable a more sustainable and circular economy.

The original episode can be listened to in our back catalogue: https://soundcloud.com/user-125394284-894269056/iom3-investigates-the-environment-part-1-sustainable-packaging

Further information
- www.suez.com/en
- made.partners/partners/barron-gould/
- made.partners/
- puttingwastetogooduse.co.uk/

Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamRead74
Contact Linda via LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/linda-barron

If you have any questions contact us at podcast@iom3.org or visit www.iom3.org

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates Rewind...The Environment, Part 2: Design for End of Life

Exploring the issues and opportunities behind bringing scientific innovation out of academia and into the public realm.

Sarah Morgan invites a dialogue between David Giltner, Professor Charlotte Deane and Gareth Cave.

Future Materials, Minerals & Mining events: www.iom3.org/events-awards/fm3.html
Materials, Minerals & Mining for People, Places, Planet (M3P3): www.iom3.org/events-awards/m3p3.html

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...Translating research into action

In this episode, Jamie Graham speaks with Tyler Harvey-Cowlishaw, Founder of the Science Apprenticeship Forum, and Catherine Perry, Professional Registration Specialist at the Royal Society of Chemistry, about the evolving landscape of science apprenticeships and professional development.

Tyler shares her journey through apprenticeships, how they fit into family life, and how this led to founding the Science Apprenticeship Forum, a free-to-join network for science apprentices across the UK. The Forum provides a supportive community, peer connections, and a platform to influence national policy and apprenticeship development. It also hosts the National Science Apprenticeship Conference, now in its third successful year. 

Catherine discusses professional registration pathways for science technicians and apprentices, and how the Royal Society of Chemistry supports career development through recognition and standards.

Connect with Tyler: LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tyler-harvey-cowlishaw-rsci-127752164

Follow the Forum: Science Apprenticeship Forum on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/science-apprenticeship-forum

Connect with Catherine on Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/catherine--perry

Get more information about Professional Registration at RSC and 
Apprenticeships mapped to RSciTech and RSci standards: registers@rsc.org

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...Pathways for Science Technicians

Recorded live in July 2024
In this special panel episode, Christine Blackmore (BSc MSc CEnv CSci FIMMM) and Colin Church (FIMMM CEnv) are joined by four leading voices in the mining sector to explore the critical challenges and opportunities shaping the industry over the next ten years.

With a live audience, the panel brings together diverse perspectives from across the sector:


The Mining Major Perspective
Duncan Wanblad CEng FIMMM
Group Chief Executive, Anglo American


The Diversity & Inclusion Perspective
Barbara Dischinger
Director, International Women in Mining


The Sustainability Perspective
Rohitesh Dhawan
President & CEO, ICMM


The Investment Perspective
Tanya Chikanza
Senior Adviser, TB Cardew

The episode includes a Q&A session with the audience. Please note: audience questions were not captured on the recording. To provide context, the questions have been transcribed and included below.

00:51 Is it just the UK that is struggling with mining and education, or is it everywhere?
00:54 I learned my skills during the first 10 years of my work at Rio Tinto. People aren’t learning in a course of learning very little and most of what you learn is on the job. Is this a potential solution to some of the companies that cut staff and really if they want the next generation of experienced people you need to fill the capability early on?
00:57 Exeter University have just announced the re-opening of the Camborne School of Mines Undergraduate Mining Degree, but they only have two applicants. In the 80s, every major mining company offered scholarships. How can we get more young people into mining?
00:58 I had personal conversations with people that have been on the precipice of leaving the industry. Sometimes you hear on LinkedIn various people or women talking about why they have gone out of the industry because they felt disrespected, but some people stick it for various reasons. I am curious if you have any data or if there are any stories as to how we can better share how people make those decisions at that point where they feel they have to either give up and get out, or they are going to make a got at it. 
1:00 You talk about food security being important, so how come you’re slowing down the investment in Woodsmith?
1:01 I worked for the Coal Authority so we manage the legacies of mining in the UK. 30 years after we have been established, we got a new big problem. Lots of saline water bubbling up down the spine of the country, yet, when we come to mine closure, we monitor for 5 years and we take the bond away. How can we really be seen as credible and trustworthy when we’re not stepping up to our responsibilities long term for the legacies of mining? 
1:04 You mention the word ‘technology’ in your review about the importance of it. We (IOM3 Mining Technology Group) are trying to push this in 2025 with a conference. Which technologies in particular do you think will be at the forefront and who’s going to pay for it?
1:09 Here we have a human resource issue with people and ability to do things. What happens if you could potentiate that by 10 or 100-fold with things like AI. Is that something not just the mining industry, but all other industries around the globe, that could be utilised to make people more productive and therefore happier?
1:12 Does the Doom Loop have an end date? Given the improvements with finance, people, mining companies, technology, re the supply rather hopefully maintain not increase. Is there a particular year you are all worried about?  
1:15 Where materials are going to come from to make a phone or batteries for cars. Some entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk, have already approached mining companies to provide him with the minerals and perhaps if they decide to start their own company, many people would like to work for a company such as Apple. 



Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...Future Mining

Ed Conway HonFIMMM, Economics Editor at Sky News and author of Material World, delivered his keynote presentation recorded live at M3P3 in November 2025. His book explores the six raw materials  - sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium - that underpin modern life, from the concrete in our cities to the batteries powering the green transition.

Ed takes us on a journey behind the scenes of global supply chains, revealing how these materials shape geopolitics, technology, and sustainability. He shares stories from his travels to mines, deserts, and processing plants, and explains why our digital world is still deeply physical.

Connect with Ed:
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ed-conway-466b172a

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...Ed Conway at M3P3: Material World

Recorded as a webinar in September 2025

Artificial Intelligence is widely promoted as transformative, but how much of this promise holds true for geotechnical engineering?

In this webinar recording, Dr Angus Maxwell and Dr Rich Laver from Maxwell GeoSystems Ltd  explore where AI is already delivering practical benefits in ground engineering, where expectations may be overstated, and how reliable current applications really are. What is meant by AI in an engineering context? Where could or should it be applied? Drawing on information from across the geotechnical community, the speakers discuss how perceptions of AI vary between owners, consultants and contractors, and where different groups see genuine value. Angus and Rich also share insights from their current research, including the use of large language models to improve interaction with complex engineering systems, and machine learning approaches that draw on decades of geotechnical data to improve forecasting, decision‑making and ground risk management.

Speakers
Dr Angus Maxwell
Founder and CEO, Maxwell GeoSystems Ltd

Dr Rich Laver
Senior Technical Manager and AI Team Lead, Maxwell GeoSystems Ltd

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...AI in Ground Engineering

Chartership plays a central role in upholding professional standards, but what does it mean in practice today - and what stops people from pursuing it? In this discussion, our Director of Membership & Professional Standards Paul Skerry (CEng FICE FCInstCES FIMMM) talks to Sarah West (Head of Engagement & Policy, Science Council), Phil Underwood (CMktr, Engagement Manager, Society for the Environment), and Lucy Byrne (Professional Standards Manager, Engineering Council). They explore the real barriers individuals face on the path to professional registration, from misconceptions about qualifications and career routes to a lack of confidence, inconsistent support, and the complexities of working across multiple organisations.

The conversation also looks at how mentors can better support candidates, how institutions can open clearer pathways for those without traditional academic backgrounds, and where messaging should focus: personal benefits, professional values, or public responsibility. Against the backdrop of public failures such as Horizon and Grenfell, the speakers reflect on the relevance of codes of conduct, whistleblowing, HRB requirements and the growing emphasis on accountability. They also consider how chartership aligns with modern industrial strategy, why employers benefit from registered professionals, and how to broaden participation so that chartership is truly accessible to all.

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

IOM3 Investigates...Mythbusting Chartership

Welcome to IOM3 Investigates, the podcast series of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining - the global network for the materials cycle. 🌐

In each episode, we'll be joined by industry experts to take a deeper look into issues of relevance to professionals working in materials, minerals and mining sectors.

IOM3 Investigates… Clay and Ceramics, a conversation with Materials People

IOM3 Investigates

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