Electronics Weekly
Warwick University
It means she has now joined Warwick University’s newly established Industry Advisory Board within the Engineering Department.
The Northampton-based company specialises in the design and manufacturing of customised digital cameras for a range of scientific. She co-founded it almost 30 years ago as a spin-out of the space research centre at Leicester University. Initially focusing on CCD detectors, it has since established itself in the space sector. For example, involvement with the WindCube mission, UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research), and ESA’s Space PFO Monitor.
She also had longstanding ties to the Warwick University Satellite (WUSAT) group. This team – of fourteen students and two academics from the School of Engineering – designs, builds, tests, launches and operates low-cost nano-satellites for space missions.
SCAM highlighted the appointment:
“This appointment recognizes her expertise and XCAM’s contributions to the field, reinforcing our commitment to academic collaboration. We are also in discussions with Warwick University about potentially integrating XCAM’s imaging technology into their WUSAT4 project – an exciting development that could further strengthen our presence in space research.”
Karen Holland is also a judge on the Electronics Weekly Women Leaders In Electronics Awards, and supports the Electronics Weekly BrightSparks programme, too.
Achievements
After Graduating from the University of Birmingham, she worked at Plessey as a Principal Development Engineer developing fibre optic transceiver technology for military and commercial application.
Later, after her involvement with the Observational Astronomy group at Leicester University, her research culminated in the Royal Astronomical Society publication of a paper announcing the first discovery of colliding open star clusters.
Karen Holland then became the first woman to win a Royal Society Industry Fellowship in the field of Astronomy and Particle Physics, to conduct research in the Theoretical Astrophysics group at Leicester University. She continued until the growth of XCAM made her focus on growing the business full-time.
See also: Video – UK excellence in the Space industry – XCAM, specialist digital imaging
