Stephen J. Cowley

Address, Telephone, Fax and Email

Departmental contact points (including public keys); see also my official DAMTP page.
Personal contact points and other information.
facebook and twitter.

University of Cambridge Council

Until 31 December 2014 I am an elected member in class (c) of the Council of the University of Cambridge (I was first elected for four years from 1 January 2007, and was re-elected from 1 January 2011). The University's Council is the principal executive and policy-making body of the University. The University maintains a "Register of Interests" of members of the Council: my entry.
Following on from my membership of the Council, I am a member of a number of University Committees.
Most of the time I agree with decisions of the Council, however occasionally I do not. I disagreed with the repeal of Statute U and was involved in the campaign to defeat the reforms, urging a Non Placet vote. The final voting was as follows:
- Voting on Grace 1 of 17 February 2010: Placet 491 and Non Placet 1119.
- Voting on Grace 2 of 17 February 2010: Placet 625 and Non Placet 988.

Faculty of Mathematics

For 1 January 2011 to 31 Dececmber 2012 I have been elected Chairman of the Faculty Board of Mathematics.

Teaching

Some teaching resources are available online.

Papers and Talks

A few of my papers and talks are available online.

Saving Science

I am a member of the Campaign for Science & Engineering (formerly Save British Science). You too might like to join if you care about the scientific health of the UK (it's £25 p.a. for most, or £10 p.a. for students and the retired).
If you are interested in promoting good science and evidence for the public then I recommend Sense About Science. In particular they have a booklet and web page on Making Sense of Statistics.

The University and College Union (UCU)

For my many sins I am a member of Cambridge UCU (formerly Cambridge AUT). If you work in higher education you ought to think about joining the UCU (even if it is not the most wonderful organisation in the world). This is because it is our national negotiating body for pay (sorry, stipends), pensions, etc., and if "moderates" do not join ...

Quotable Quotes

For those of you who believe I am a fully paid-up member of the awkward squad, Ross Anderson once commented "I know you're uneasy about anything that seems bolshie ..." (and he wasn't being sarcastic, but I suppose that I have never tried to blow-up my College room).

Funding Opportunity

Following on from the lead of the University Library (see here and here), I am tempted to suggest my Senior Lectureship as a naming opportunity. DAMTP already has the Lucasian Chair, the G.I. Taylor Chair and the Stokes Lectureship; by endowing my Your-Name-Here Senior Lectureship, or even my Whatever-You-Want-But-Not-Chelsea-or-BAT Senior Lectureship with a large market supplement of 125% (see here), you may (or, to be honest, may not) help ensure DAMTP's legacy for the benefit of future generations, but you will almost certainly make me happy!

Facebook Group

Some students of mine have created a facebook group: feel free to join (although at present it's rather dormant)!

We Clone the Spy

An anagram of "Stephen Cowley".

Spin, etc.

In his book East and West (recommended, even if I do not necessarily agree with all arguments concerning the market economy), Chris Patten quotes from The Analects of Confucius. The following appeal, and are relevant to ethics/`spin' in politics, academia, ...

2.24: `To worship gods that are not yours, that is toadyism. Not to act when justice commands, that is cowardice.'
4.5: `Riches and rank are what every man craves; yet if the only way to obtain them goes against his principles, he should desist from such a pursuit.'

There is also a longer extract that might be worth reading before writing a research proposal, or RAE submission, or self-assessment for the SR/TQA, or ...

Previous Interests

The Board of Scrutiny: For four years up to 30 September 2005 I was an elected member of the University's Board of Scrutiny. The Board might be described as a toothless watchdog with a loudish bark composed of members who care about the University but who are not (on the whole) part of the "establishment". More formally, the role of the Board of Scrutiny is to examine the way in which the University is run, and to comment on this to the University's governing body, the Regent House. Each year the Board is required to look at several documents (the University's accounts, the Allocations Report, and the Council's Annual Report), and it may then investigate any matters that arise from these documents. In doing so, the Board is empowered to consult any official document (although it sometimes helps to be told where to look), and to make enquiries of any Officer. The Board has no executive power. Instead, it acts as a review body, to look retrospectively at what has happened in the University over the previous year.
The University Nursery: For three years up to 30 September 1999 I was a member of the Parents Nursery Association Committee.
Selwyn College: For eight years up to 30 September 1998 I was a mathematics Fellow of Selwyn College (I was also a Fellow for nine months in 1981). During this period I wrote a short note on wooden spoons (which Selwyn had somewhat a history of).

Steven Charles Cowley

In order to confuse matters there is another Steven Cowley working on fluids [and plasmas] using asymptotic methods! There are a number of distinguishing features:

I am a "Dr", he is a "Prof".
I have a "ph", he has a "v".
I prefer "Stephen", he prefers "Steve".
I am the older mark I version, he is the younger [and improved] mark II version.
I was born in London and work in Cambridge, he was born in Cambridge, used to work in London, but now works near Oxford (he's Director of the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy).

Stephen J. Cowley, DAMTP, University of Cambridge.