Note that these are the staff confirmed for at least one of the camps this summer.  Not all staff are present at all camps, and staffing for some sessions is still TBC.

Technology Camp is the brainchild of Tom Ward, an Electrical Engineer and currently working part time as Head of Science at Elstree School, Berkshire.  Tom is a member of the team at Technology Camp which include several professionals working in the fields of IT, science and engineering in the UK and the USA.  Tom was a bit of a boff from school days, and was a national winner of both the "Beyond 2000" science competition and the DDIAE computing competition whilst at school in Australia, and more recently has been a Winner of the “Circuit Cellar” Electronic Design Competition in the US.  In short, he is a self-confessed techno-nerd.  In his non-school time, Tom is working on some experimental website projects as well as a few weird and wacky top secret inventions!  When he gets bored he is sometimes known to design websites - some of his recent ones are Elstree School, MargaretGilmore.com, and this one!

Naomi Ward is a microbiologist who works in teaching and research at the University of Wyoming in the USA. Career highlights include looking for bioluminescent bacteria inside sea cucumbers from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia; sampling soils in East Africa to see how grazing by the cattle of Maasai herders affects soils, plants, and wildlife; and using the submersible Alvin submarine (the one that discovered the Titanic!) to collect bacteria that form scummy biofilms on giant tubeworms from hydrothermal vents. Click here to read more about Naomi's work.  Naomi is even published in Nature, so she must be super smart!  The picture shows her sampling some "coral snot" taken from an organism recovered after one of her deep dives - yuk!

Paul Lavin, Technology Camp's Head Rocket Scientist, is a former lawyer and a retired dotcom CEO whose personal mission is to drive home the idea that science is fun... and model rocketry is the biggest hammer he could find to do the job for today's youth. Lavin operates the biggest model rocket shop in Europe (www.modelrockets.co.uk) and is consultant to TV and movie industry for rocketry special effects.  His rocketry exploits have been on the Gadget Show, BBC's Space Race, Mission: Implausible, Hollyoaks (yes! really!), Scrap Heap Challenge and even a recent NHS quit smoking commercial... as well as many other programmes... he even provided effects for a Star Wars movie!

Lavin was a prime mover behind the first Junior Britsh Space Modelling Teams for European and World Championships (his daughters hold UK rocketry competition records).  He provides mentoring and sponsorship for entrants for the current UKayRoc rocketry competition for schools.  He is a certified High Power Rocketry flyer to Level 2 - really big ones - and is a safety officer for National Rocketry Association UK and Tripoli Rocketry UK in the Mid Shires. As a SETPOINT Science and Engineering Ambassador, Lavin conducts school and youth group workshops around the country and works with Sea Scouts and Air Cadets, too.  In 2007 at the World Scout Jamboree celebrating 100 years of scouting, Lavin and 100s of helpers from all over the globe built and launched 1032 rockets all at once!  A new world record! His bumper sticker reads "My other car is a rocket!"

Nicola Ainger will be joining us for the Kitchen Chemistry course.  Nicola’s initial training was in traditional French cooking at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, but in a hugely varied career, she has cooked many different types of food all over the world.  This has included cooking for the McLaren Formula One team, for prestigious catering companies providing food for amazing parties in both London and California, as well more traditional roles as a restaurant Head Chef in London and in South Africa.

Nicola’s passion for science and experimenting often produces some interesting cooking experiences, particularly when cooking with help from her two children, James and Libby.  A recent visit to Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck to try his Michelin-starred brand of Molecular Gastronomy has also provided much inspiration for the Kitchen Chemistry syllabus. 

An acclaimed British fine artist, illustrator & designer, Rob Perry is best known for his lifelike renditions of Motor Racing, Soccer and Cricket stars. From magazine overs to limited edition prints and collectibles, Rob's work with such clients like Saatchi & Saatchi, John Lewis, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz and sporting icons like David Beckham, Michael Schumacher, Frankie Detlori and Alec Stewart spans over eighteen years. His original paintings hang in private collections worldwide, including the home of Nelson Mandela.  Between 1997 and 2006 Rob produced over 360 designs for collectors plates for British, German and Italian football clubs which were published by Danbury Mint.

Other helpers include teachers, university students studying science and engineering and senior school students. Staff are experienced in working with children, technically qualified and CRB checked.  Technology Camp also has strict health and safety procedures and carries comprehensive insurance.