On Tuesday 29 May The Guardian published the ‘QS top 50 universities under 50’ table for 2012. The rankings are based on the same criteria as for the QS World University Rankings 2011/2012 – size, subject range and research intensity – but with the fourth aspect, age, restricted to those less than 50 years old. We were ranked as 12th in the world.

Today (Thursday 31 May) the Times Higher Education published its ‘100 under 50’ table. This table was compiled using the same criteria as their World University Rankings but with the weighting for academic reputation reduced to recognise the fact that older universities have deeper and more established alumni networks. We were ranked 37th in the THE table.

Phil Baty, the editor of Times Higher Education rankings, said: “The ‘100 Under 50’ is not about the old institutions that dominate the traditional rankings: it is about a new breed of global universities – those that have managed to join the world’s top table in just decades rather than centuries, and others showing great promise for the future.

“The new ranking gives us a glimpse of the future, hinting at who the future Harvard and Cambridge universities may be.”

Read the Bath Chronicle coverage.

The award of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Order of Academic Palms) is an Order of Chivalry founded by Napoleon, and now recommended to the Prime Minister by the Minister of Education.

Dr Wharton is an expert on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activism in Britain and France. He has also published widely on French propaganda during the Occupation.

Along with his research interests, Dr Wharton is Honorary Secretary of the Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France (ASMCF), and Co-Convenor of the French Civilisation and Culture Group at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution.

The University will host the annual conference of the ASMCF in September on the theme of Republican Values, which Dr Wharton is organising.

Dr Wharton, who is based in the University’s Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies, said: “This award is a very pleasant surprise, and I’m pleased that the impact of the work I do has such recognition by my peers and in a wider context.”

Professor Roger Eatwell, Dean of Humanities & Social Sciences, said: “Steve’s enthusiasm and breadth of knowledge about France have been an inspiration to generations of Bath students. His research on the Vichy government’s propaganda has broken new ground in a controversial period in French history. He is eminently worthy of this award.”

Dr David Clarke, Acting Head of Department, added: “It is very fitting that Steve should have been awarded this honour for promoting French culture. Alongside his research expertise, he is committed to encouraging an understanding of France, its culture and its history beyond the University. Public engagement is a key role for universities in society and Steve makes an excellent contribution to this.”

He also has an interest in nutrition and has pursued several lines of inquiry examining the effect of multivitamins on various risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, including homocysteine and c-reactive protein, as well as the integration of omega-3 into foods.

Before moving to Bath in April, Professor Earnest was based at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he was the Director of the Exercise Biology Laboratory within the Division of Preventive Medicine.

He said: “In my last role I worked within a research group that examined a variety of intervention outcomes spanning from genomics to clinical applications in order to prevent and reduce obesity, diabetes and other clinically relevant makers related to disease processes.

“In general, our group focused on the effect of exercise within different populations. We studied postmenopausal women at risk for cardiovascular disease, individuals presenting with elevated inflammatory markers, such as c-reactive protein, patients with Type 2 diabetes, as well cancer survivors, the clinically depressed, and aging groups, both frail and healthy, over 75 years of age. 

“Our primary interests involved looking at recommended policy statement guidelines regarding aerobic exercise and how they influenced our endpoints of interest.  We also took a great interest in exploring newer interventions such as resistance training and interval training.

“Here at Bath I am going to be researching the metabolic syndrome which is an early warning of Type 2 diabetes. This is an important area of research because intervening at an early stage is better than trying to reverse the onset of diabetes.”

Professor Earnest said that existing government guidelines for recommended levels of exercise have not really evolved for some time despite the accumulation of newer findings surrounding various exercise modalities and health. Among these are resistance and interval training, which often, in accompaniment to traditional aerobic exercise, provide better clinical results.

“My initial research goals ally nicely with work performed here at Bath by Dr Niels Vollarrd and Dr Dylan Thompson. However, the clinical benefits of any exercise or nutritional based intervention are also tied to the behavioural aspects of solidifying the changes we want people to make. In fact, I would say that is still the Holy Grail of exercise and health research. Therefore, working closely with those within the Department of Health focused on the behavioural aspects of positive lifestyle choices will be paramount in affecting favourable health change throughout the world.  

“Coming to Bath has given me a unique opportunity as the UK agenda has a lot of similarities to that of the US so I can bring my expertise and experience. I was attracted to the University of Bath because of its reputation and the work that’s been done here. It seemed a good fit for my interests.”

In his spare time, Professor Earnest has performed a number of research studies on cyclists competing in the three week Grand Tours of Cycling: The Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España in an effort to describe the physiologic characteristics of the riders, as well as the exertional demands of one of the world’s most demanding sports.

“We can learn a lot from both sides of the performance spectrum. Whether highly fit or presenting with some pattern of erosion within physiologic systems provides an excellent opportunity for bridging the gap between health and disease,” he said.

The team of 26 students has been working around the clock to finalise the build of the vehicle which they hope will take them through to a winning position at this year’s international IMechE Formula Student race at Silverstone in July.

The team consists of mechanical, automotive and electrical engineering students studying masters degrees at the University.

The aim of the Formula Student competition is to design and build a single seat Formula style race and to compete in static and dynamic events against other universities from around the world.

Students are given the opportunity to put the engineering skills they have developed through their studies into practice, with many Formula racing teams using the competition to headhunt future talent for the industry. 

Team manager, Will Snyder, said: “The past few weeks have seen many of the final vehicle parts arrive and take shape. Having a working car for the launch on Wednesday was an ambitious target and the team has been working very hard to achieve it.”

The competition takes place over two-years, with the students designing their car in the first year, and building it in the second. Bath students have a strong track record at Formula Student, consistently placing in the top positions.

Following the launch event Team Bath Racing plan to carry out five weeks of testing at RAF Colerne, just outside Bath, to fine-tune the vehicle.

Team business manager Charlie Duncan has experienced the power of Formula Student recently – on the back of his involvement in the competition he has secured a job with Aston Martin. He said: “I was told by the company that my role in Formula Student was a deciding factor in my getting the job. It was my main reason for choosing to study at Bath so I am really pleased to have achieved this – it is my dream career and Aston Martin is a fantastic company to start it with.”

Driving the car this year is Bath student 23 year old Fred Martin-Dye. Fred, from Blackheath in Surrey, is far from new to the sport having been selected earlier in the year to race for Enigma in the main class of the British Formula Ford in a brand new EcoBoost car. Fred was also a prolific race winner in karting from 2000 – 2006 before putting his racing career on hold to study. 

Team Bath Racing is inviting those wishing to see the new car in action on Wednesday to the University’s amphitheatre by the campus lake for a 3pm launch event. More information about the team is available from their website.

The students are part of an annual cohort of young people from across the UK which volunteers through the International Development Through Excellence & Leadership in Sport (IDEALS) project run by UK Sport and The Wallace Group Universities.

Sports Coaching student Ibrahim Abou El Fadl, and Emily Nicholls, who is studying Coach Education & Sports Development, will be among the first group of students who will go to Zambia on Sunday (3 June).

L-R Thomas Browne, Steph Gubas, Jordan Kenny, Emily Nicholls, Megan Kelland (Bath Spa student) and Ibrahim Abou El Fadl

Thomas Browne, also studying Coach Education & Sports Development, and Biology student Steph Gubas, will join a second cohort of students going on the six-week placement in August.

While out there they will be working with local schools coaching children in sports and also raising awareness of HIV.

The group is currently raising the £5,500 it needs to fund the trip which it has done through events such as cake sales, a five-a-side fusal games and UV table tennis.

Emily said: “A lot of Coach Education & Sports Development students have been out to Zambia as part of the IDEALS project and all had a great experience and many are still involved. I wanted to take part to offer the skills I have and also to do something to improve the lives of the children.”

Ibrahim added: “One of the main aims of the project is to raise awareness of HIV and teach the young people skills that they can apply to their life to looking after their health. It will be great to coach the children of Zambia, and to leave a lasting impact of sport for many years to come.”

Sport & Social Science student Jordan Kenny has already taken part in the project and will be returning to Zambia this year as a Team Leader, helping to coordinate more than 60 students from the UK.

Jordan, who will be in Zambia for four months said he loved every minute of the volunteering he did last year.

He said: “There are a lot of challenges involved in going to Zambia, one of which was the language difference, but when you are there you learn as you go along. Another is overcoming the stereotypes of Africa as when I got there I found that it wasn’t as I expected.”