Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Brown of Cambridge
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Official portrait, 2023
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 30 October 2015 Life peerage |
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| Vice-Chancellor of Aston University | |
| In office 2006–2016 |
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| Preceded by | Michael T. Wright |
| Succeeded by | Alec Cameron |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Julia Elizabeth King
11 July 1954 Paddington, London, England |
| Political party | Crossbench |
| Spouse |
Colin William Brown
(m. 1984) |
| Residence | Cambridge |
| Education | Godolphin and Latymer School |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (BA, PhD) |
| Known for | King Review of low-carbon cars |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | Fracture mechanisms in embrittled alloy steels (1979) |
| Doctoral students | James Marrow David Knowles |
Julia Elizabeth King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge (born 11 July 1954) is a very important British engineer. She is a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament. In the House of Lords, she works as a "crossbencher," meaning she doesn't belong to a specific political party. She leads the Select Committee on Science and Technology, helping to guide decisions about science and new inventions.
Baroness Brown is also the head of the Carbon Trust, an organisation that helps businesses reduce their carbon footprint. She also chairs the Henry Royce Institute, which focuses on advanced materials research. Before these roles, she was the Vice-Chancellor (like the principal) of Aston University from 2006 to 2016.
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Her Early Life and Education
Julia King was born in London on 11 July 1954. She went to Godolphin and Latymer Girls' School. Later, she studied at the University of Cambridge. She earned her first degree in Natural Sciences in 1975. After that, she continued her studies and got a PhD in fracture mechanics in 1978. This field studies how materials break.
Her Amazing Career
After finishing her PhD, Julia King worked as a research fellow at Cambridge for two years. She then became a lecturer at the University of Nottingham from 1980 to 1987. In 1987, she became the first Royal Academy of Engineering senior research fellow. She returned to Cambridge and held various research and teaching jobs until 1994.
In 1994, she joined Rolls-Royce, a famous engineering company. There, she held many important jobs. These included leading the materials department and being an engineering director for their marine (sea) business. In 2002, she became the chief executive of the Institute of Physics.
From 2004 to 2006, she was the principal of the Engineering Faculty at Imperial College London. After that, she became the Vice-Chancellor of Aston University. She worked there until 2016, helping the university grow and succeed. She also became the chair of STEM Learning Ltd in 2016. This organisation helps young people learn about science, technology, engineering, and maths.
Working with the Government and Climate Change
Baroness Brown has worked closely with the UK Government on many important issues. She helps with decisions about education and new technologies. She is a member of the Committee on Climate Change, which advises the government on how to tackle climate change. She also served on the Airports Commission.
She is the UK's Low Carbon Business Ambassador. This means she helps promote businesses that are working to reduce carbon emissions. She has also advised the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office on science and security matters.
Helping with Low-Carbon Cars
In 2007, she was asked by Gordon Brown, who was in charge of the country's money at the time, to lead a special project. This project was called the King Review. Its goal was to find out how vehicle and fuel technologies could help reduce carbon emissions from cars and trucks over the next 25 years. She published her findings and recommendations in 2008.
Baroness Brown has written over 160 papers about how materials break and about new developments in aerospace and marine engines. She has received many awards for her important work in engineering and science.
Awards and Special Recognitions
In 1997, Julia King was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng). This is a very high honour for engineers. In 1999, she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to materials engineering.
She has also received honorary degrees from several universities. These include Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Manchester. In 2012, she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). This was for her amazing contributions to higher education and technology. In 2023, she was a guest on a popular BBC Radio 4 science programme called The Life Scientific.
About Her Life
Julia King is married to Colin William Brown. He is also involved in engineering, as the Chief Executive Officer at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
