Programme Speakers
Alison Starr
Alison Starr is the Technical Manager for Strategic Partnerships of the Aviation Systems solution of GE's Aviation business, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). GE is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated systems and product solutions for aircraft. The business has a unique range of specialisations to create affordable, integrated systems in electrical power, avionics, actuation and landing gear, aerostructures, propellers and customer services.
Alison Starr is based on their site at Bishops Cleeve in Cheltenham, where she co-ordinates GE's activities with external partners including universities and funding bodies. She is also Technical Manager in charge of Advanced Crew Station Design and Human Factors.
On graduating from university she worked on human factors research and design aspects of systems for aviation and defence systems; initially for Westland Helicopters as an Ergonomist, in their Advanced Technology Department, researching future flight deck technologies for civil and military flight decks.
Since moving to GE (formally Smiths Aerospace) she has continued research into the human factors, systems design and issues of new and emerging technologies. This work has covered application domains ranging from civil transport flight decks, military and helicopters cockpits, to defence land vehicles and solider systems. She has published extensively in the area of human factors interface design, including work on automatic speech recognition, warning systems and new concepts of crew support systems.
In recent years she has lead the formation of GE's university long term research relationship with UK universities on Metallics & Composites and Power & Actuation, which are EPSRC part funded Strategic partnerships. Alison is also a Non-Executive Director of the West of England Aerospace Forum. Alison is now working the South West Regional Development Agency, chairing their Aerospace Training South West projects working with UK aerospace companies to establish and drive the delivery of skills needs for the future.
