Cymrodoriaeth er Anrhydedd wedi’i chyflwyno i’r peiriannydd deunyddiau, Zoe Laughlin

Y Gwir Anrhydeddus Elfyn Llwyd (Ddirprwy Ganghellor, Prifysgol Aberystwyth), Dr Zoe Laughlin, Yr Athro Colin McInnes (Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor - Ymchwil, Cyfnewid Gwybodaeth ac Arloesi, Prifysgol Aberystwyth)

Mae’r dylunydd, gwneuthurwr a pheiriannydd deunyddiau, Dr Zoe Laughlin, sy’n ymchwilio i gelf a gwyddoniaeth ‘pethau’, wedi’i hanrhydeddu’n Gymrawd er Anrhydedd ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth.

Dr Laughlin yw cyd-sylfaenydd a chyfarwyddwr y Sefydliad Creu (The Institute of Making), gofod ymchwil rhyngddisgyblaethol yng Ngholeg Prifysgol Llundain sy'n rhan-weithdy, rhan-labordy, rhan-stiwdio a rhan-theatr ar gyfer materoliaeth.

Enillodd radd BA o Brifysgol Cymru Aberystwyth, MA o Goleg Celf a Dylunio Canol Saint Martin ac enillodd radd PhD mewn Deunyddiau o fewn yr Adran Beirianneg, Coleg y Brenin, Llundain.

Gan weithio ar ryngwyneb gwyddoniaeth, celf, crefft a dylunio deunyddiau, mae ei gwaith yn amrywio o arbrofion ffurfiol gyda mater, i arddangosfeydd a digwyddiadau cyhoeddus perfformiol ar raddfa fawr gyda phartneriaid gan gynnwys Tate Modern, Oriel Hayward, y V&A a Chasgliad Wellcome.

Mae ei gwaith hefyd wedi cael ei arddangos yn Yr Amgueddfa Wyddoniaeth ac wedi'i gynnwys yng nghasgliad hydreiddiol yr Amgueddfa Ddylunio.

Gellir dod o hyd iddi'n aml yn gwneud rhaglenni ar gyfer radio a theledu ar y pwnc deunyddiau a chreu. Mae hi'n cynnal slotiau arddangos gwyddonol rheolaidd ar sioe flaenllaw ITV, This Morning, a hi yw’r arbenigwraig deunyddiau preswyl ar sioe banel bwyd wythnosol BBC Radio 4, The Kitchen Cabinet.

Cyflwynwyd Zoe Laughlin fel Cymrawd er Anrhydedd gan Yr Athro Simon Banham, Pennaeth Adran Astudiaethau Theatr, Ffilm a Theledu ar ddydd Mawrth 12 Gorffennaf 2022.

Mae’r cyflwyniad llawn ar gael isod, yn yr iaith y’i traddodwyd.

Cyflwyno Zoe Laughlin gan Yr Athro Simon Banham:

Dirprwy Ganghellor, Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor, darpar raddedigion, gyfeillion.  Pleser o’r mwyaf yw cyflwyno Zoe Laughlin yn gymrawd Prifysgol Aberystwyth.

Pro Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, prospective graduates, and supporters.  It is an honour and a privilege to present Zoe Laughlin as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Zoe gained her BA with TFTS here in Aberystwyth, an MA from Central Saint Martin's College of Art & Design and obtained a PhD in Materials within the Division of Engineering, King's College London.

Zoe is the co-founder and director of the intriguingly named ‘Institute of Making’ at University College London. Conducting interdisciplinary research as part workshop, part lab, part studio and part theatre for materiality, the institute epitomises a holistic approach and diversity of activity highly apposite to 21^st Century education ideals yet also summons visions of medieval alchemy laboratories with their quest for the Philosopher’s Stone and the elixir of life. Indeed, given the farsightedness of Zoe’s curiosity, vision and output, it would not be surprising if these too were in her sights.

Situated at the interface of the science, art, craft and design of materials, Zoe’s work ranges from formal experiments with matter to large-scale performative public exhibitions and events, with partners such as Tate Modern, the Hayward Gallery, the V&A and the Wellcome Collection. Her work has also been shown at The Science Museum and is included in the permanent collection of The Design Museum.

She can often be found making programmes for both radio and television on the subject of materials and making. You may already know her from her regular science demonstration slots on ITV’s flagship show, This Morning, or her appearances on BBC Radio 4’s weekly food panel show, The Kitchen Cabinet, where she is the resident materials expert.

Even from this brief introduction, it is clear that Zoe has a wonderful thirst for knowledge, pursuing an eclectic series of enquiries that conjoin science and art in original and surprising ways. Underpinned by academic rigour, creative playfulness and the honesty of craft, these provide fundamental and fascinating considerations of the materials that shape the world we inhabit. 

I had the pleasure of teaching Zoe many years ago. What distinguished her then was a curiosity and enthusiasm that took her beyond any set assessment tasks and which often challenged the parameters of those tasks.  For those of you who have been lucky to hear her speak it is clear that this curiosity is undiminished and like the best experiments in art and science, each discovery provokes even more questions.

Zoe has that rare ability to take complex notions and present them in a way that is not only clear and accessible but also highly engaging and compels you to go and look for yourself. She helps us look at the world differently. I can think of no higher accolade.

Dirprwy Ganghellor, mae’n bleser gen i gyflwyno Zoe Laughlin i chi yn Gymrawd.  

Pro Chancellor, it is my absolute pleasure to present Zoe Laughlin to you as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Dr Zoe Laughlin

Anrhydeddau Prifysgol Aberystwyth 2022

Yn rhan o'r seremonïau graddio bydd y Brifysgol hefyd yn cyflwyno deg Cymrodoriaeth er Anrhydedd i unigolion sydd â chysylltiad ag Aberystwyth neu Gymru, ac sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad eithriadol i'w dewis feysydd.  

Mae'r Cymrodyr eleni yn cynnwys ffigurau blaenllaw o'r celfyddydau, darlledu, y gyfraith, amaethyddiaeth, a'r sectorau gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg.

Dyma Gymrodyr er Anrhydedd 2022 (yn y drefn y’u cyflwynir):

• Yr Athro Fonesig Elan Closs Stephens DBE, Comisiynydd Etholiadol Cymru ac yn Gyfarwyddwr Anweithredol ar Fwrdd y BBC, yn ogystal â bod yr aelod dros Gymru ar y Bwrdd hwnnw
• Myrddin ap Dafydd, awdur, cyhoeddwr ac Archdderwydd Cymru
• Yr Anrhydeddus Ustus Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, Barnwr Llys Apêl, Malaysia
• Harry Venning, cartwnydd, darlunydd ac awdur comedi arobryn
• Dr Zoe Laughlin, cyd-sylfaenydd a chyfarwyddwr ‘Institute of Making’
• Rhuanedd Richards, Cyfarwyddwr Cenedlaethol BBC Cymru
• Jonathan Whelan, ymgynghorydd TG, awdur a Chymrawd Cymdeithas Gyfrifiaduron Prydain.
• Tom Jones OBE, amaethwr a chadeirydd Ymddiriedolaeth Elusennol Stadiwm y Mileniwm ar adeg ei sefydlu
• Ei Anrhydedd y Barnwr Nicholas Cooke CF, cyn Uwch Farnwr Cylchdaith yn y Llys Troseddol Canolog, “yr Hen Feili”
• Gwerfyl Pierce Jones, cyn-Gyfarwyddwr a Phrif Weithredwr Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru

Rhannu