Our Team

Dr Perry is the founder of the Space Science Engineering/Environmental Foundation (SSE²F). The SSE²F is a registered UK charity. It supports the Environmental Design Challenge (EDC) for 15-18 year-old students, Eco Meet, the junior challenge for 9-14 year olds, the  UK, EU Middle East and Africa Space Design Competitions for 15-18 year-old students and the junior Galactic Challenge for 9-14 year-old students. He is a director of the Global Space Design Challenge and Pro Ed et al, which support the charities. He has held the US and Canada National Science Foundation Fellowship at University of Oxford and has received a Royal Society Fellowship at Imperial College London where he remains as academic staff. He has a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington, and is a certified NASA Astrobiologist.  His current focus is on education. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and is the author of six novels under RS Perry. He is a script writer and is a member of the Writers Guild of America West. He has visited many of the Earth’s extreme habitats, including diving in ‘Alvin’ to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. He has also sailed across the Atlantic in a small sailboat from Gibraltor to Antgua.

Marcus du Sautoy is the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. Formerly a Fellow of All Souls College and Wadham College, he is now a Fellow of New College. He was previously President of the Mathematical Association, an EPSRC Senior Media Fellow and a Royal Society University Research Fellow. His academic work concerns mainly group theory and number theory. In October 2008, he was appointed to the Simonyi Professorship for the Public Understanding of Science, succeeding the inaugural holder Richard Dawkins.

Trisha holds a Master of Science degree in Physics from Imperial College London. In 2017, she was recognised as the Female Undergraduate of the Year. She has two years’ experience in the asset management industry and currently works as a SpaceTech Investment Analyst at Seraphim Space, a space-focused venture capital fund which looks to invest in promising space startups of the future. Since 2016, Trisha has been on the Organising Board and a judge at the UK Space Design Competition, prior to which she competed in the competition herself and was elected to the team representing the UK at the International Space Settlement Design Competition. She is also the Co-Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Space Science and Engineering Foundation.

Helen Oliver is a Research Associate in the Networks and Operating Systems Group at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory. She has been volunteering as a Judge and Technical Expert with the UKSDC since 2011, when she was working in the Design Engineering Group at Imperial College London. She has been a Judge at the International Finals at both NASA Johnson and NASA Kennedy. She is the original developer of designVUE, a concept mapping software application for capturing design rationale, which was subsequently used in a project at NASA Ames to analyse a case study of system failure. Her current research interests include the Internet of Things, personal data stores, privacy by design and wearable technology.

Sir Christian Sweeting is the Chairman of Palace Investments and is engaged in a number of charitable endeavours, including serving as a trustee of the Shalom Centre for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation. He is also a trustee of the Vatican City State Endowment dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Vatican, its grounds and the art treasures of the Vatican museums. Christian is delighted to continue his support of the SSE²F and believes that the UK, EU Space Design Competition and the Galactic Challenge are extraordinarily valuable for everyone taking part, providing a tremendous opportunity, stimulus and experience which are essential in the formation of outstanding young people.

Alison Ahearn is the SSE²F programme developer and chair of the SSE²F advisory board. She  remains as a Principal Teaching Fellow at Imperial College London, teaching undergraduates and postgraduates civil engineering law and management. At College level, she works with the Educational Development Unit on teacher-development and on the formalising of systems for recognising the learning achieved by students outside the classroom. Alison joined UKSDC for its first London final and brings boardroom experience from her 10 years as Chair of the Zebra Housing Association (student accommodation).  Alison has a particular interest in industry-academic partnerships and verisimilitude in project-based learning.

Sam has recently joined the GSDC after spending 25 years providing world-class customer service in the air with British Airways. Now that her wings have been clipped, she is looking forward to organising and running the GSDC programmes with the rest of the team. Sam is calm and efficient and, as our Programme Coordinator, she will enjoy using the super organised side of her personality to ensure that all our events run smoothly. On her days off, she can be found hanging out at the beach, paddleboarding or officiating a basketball game.

Bethan has 12 years of experience in customer relations, working most recently for HSBC bank. She has also worked within adult and pediatric health care settings and has spent time abroad caring for children with special needs. Bethan is also an avid cook and has enjoyed employment as a chef and has even catered for re-enactment events in the past.

Her focus is on developing worldwide Environmental Design Challenges (EDC) for 15-18 year olds and Eco Meets (Eco Meet) for 9-14 year olds.

When Bethan is not working she likes to spend her free time with her family, taking her young son on trips out to national parks, sea-life centres and the zoo.