Phone number:  +44 (0) 121 204 3520
Email:  sarah.hainsworth@aston.ac.uk

Sarah, who is Deputy Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity and Inclusion committee, is the first female Executive Dean of School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She is keen to build on the School’s reputation for encouraging women into, and advancing their careers in, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). 

Before joining Aston University in 2017, Sarah was at the University of Leicester for almost 20 years, where latterly she was Professor of Materials and Forensic Engineering and also the University’s Head of Engineering.

Sarah was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year 2019 Honours List for her services to Engineering and Forensic Science.

Among Sarah’s many other accolades is the Andrew H. Payne Jr. Special Achievement Award 2015 from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Engineering Sciences Section in recognition of exemplary contributions in advancing forensic engineering sciences. She also received the Mechanical Engineers Tribology Bronze Medal in 1995, the Rosenhain Medal of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining in 2008 and was nominated as one of the Women’s Engineering Society’s “outstanding technical women” in 2009.

Her research interests include forensic engineering and she is a leading forensic science expert on stabbing, dismemberment and knife sharpness, providing reports to police forces across the UK. In 2013 her expertise helped establish the manner of King Richard III’s death through analysing wound marks found on his skeleton after its discovery at Grey Friars in Leicester the previous year.

Her other research interests are in developing 3D non-contact laser vibrometry used in the measurement and analysis of structures and materials. She also works in automotive tribology, undertaking experimental research to understand the performance of materials under a range of conditions. In addition, Sarah is involved in research to understand how high microstructural evolution occurs in materials subjected to high temperatures and high stresses in steam and gas power plant.

Forensic Engineering

  In the area of forensic engineering, my research is into two main areas, forces involved in stabbing and characterising tool marks in injury and dismemberment.

 Knife Crime - The Thrust of the Matter

Stabbing is the most common way of committing murder in the UK and most other countries where guns are prohibited. British Crime Survey data suggested that in 2010-11 a knife was used in around 126,000 violent incidents. However, very little work has been carried out into understanding what happens during a stabbing incident.

Engineering a Safer Drinking Glass

Drinking glasses can be used as improvised weapons in alcohol-related violence. There are several thousand incidences of "glassings" - attacks involving drinking glasses or glass bottles - every year.

Our research is investigating ways in which the design and manufacture of glasses influence the way in which they fracture. By understanding the detailed failure mechanisms we can understand how to improve the safety of glasses and reduce their injury potential.

 Microstructural Evolution

Figure One: An electron backscattered diffraction map of a steel sample after exposure to high temperature and stress. Such maps allow us to monitor changes in grain sizes and orientations and help us understand how microstructure evolves over time.

 

Figure Two: A transmission electron microscope image of particles of diesel soot. An understanding of the structure and size of particles is aiding our understanding of how soot in diesel oil leads to increased engine wear.

I would be interested in supervising PhD study in the following areas:

• Forensic Engineering
• 3D Laser Doppler Vibrometry and Modal Analysis
• Automotive Tribology
• Advanced Coatings
• High Temperature Materials
• Tribology and Materials Characterisation