Speaker: Zuzanna Podwinska (University of Salford)
Wed 2nd October 12:00 – 13:00 UK time. This seminar will be held in person in Peel 120 and you can join us online via Microsoft Teams.
Abstract:
Fireworks are a popular feature of celebrations in the UK and are commonly set off during Bonfire Night, New Years Eve, Diwali and other holidays. While many people find them enjoyable, they are a significant source of noise which is known to have a detrimental effect on the well-being of animals, particularly dogs who are kept as domestic pets. This talk will give an overview of two studies which were carried out by the ARC for the Dogs Trust, investigating acoustic properties of fireworks noise in relation to negative behavioural responses in dogs. These investigations include potential impact of regular as well as so-called “low-noise” fireworks.
Biography:
Zuzanna Podwinska is a researcher in audio and sound perception. In 2012, she obtained an MSc degree in Acoustics from Aalborg University in Denmark. Between 2013 and 2015 she worked for the Samsung R&D Institute in Warsaw, Poland, developing signal processing algorithms for speech quality enhancement. In 2020, she completed her PhD at the University of Salford, studying spatial aspects of auditory salience through listening experiments and perceptual models. Since 2020, she has been working at the Acoustics Research Centre at the University of Salford as an Industry Collaboration Fellow, working on a combination of academic and commercial research projects.