University Updates
8 February 2008
News
Sections of A36 to close for 12 weeks from April
The University has been informed of two sets of roadworks to take place from 31 March. The first will close the road junction from Winsley to Brassknocker Hill for three weeks. The second will close the viaduct section of the A36 for 12 weeks.
Staff & student transport survey 2008
The University will launch a new transport survey for staff and students in February. It aims to elicit views on a range of transportation issues and to collect information on travel behaviour and transport use.
Lecturer awarded £10,000 teaching prize from the Royal Academy of Engineering
Gary Lock has been awarded a prize for excellence in teaching by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
‘T-ray’ breakthrough signals next generation of security sensors
A new generation of sensors for detecting explosives and poisons could be developed following new research involving the Department of Physics into a type of radiation known as T-rays.
Staff from Social & Policy Sciences visit Iceland to advise on health and welfare issues
Tess Ridge, Jane Millar and Linda Bauld (Social & Policy Sciences) visited Iceland last week to lead seminars, and give lectures and plenary talks on child-centred research methods and stop smoking services in the UK.
Bath academics write award-winning paper
Robert Heath and Paul Feldwick (School of Management) have co-authored a prize-winning paper, 50 years using the wrong model of advertising, which challenges the traditional information processing model of advertising. They claim it has become firmly entrenched because it satisfies a desire for simplicity and transparency amongst advertising practitioners and consumers. They recommend that a new philosophical approach, based on critical realism, is needed in order to fully appreciate the power advertising has to change behaviour.
Bath Science Café: How the genome project reveals our evolutionary past
Local people will be able to find out how cataloguing the DNA blueprint of humans is revealing the evolution of human traits, such as higher cognition and language use, at the next Bath Science Café on Monday 11 February, presented by Steve Dorus (Biology & Biochemistry).
New programme of free public lectures for Swindon
Local people will be able learn about King Arthur, winning penalty shoot-outs and how to become an astronaut as part of the public lecture series at the University of Bath in Swindon.
Information
Innovations in Learning & Teaching Week - 14-21 February
The full programme for this year’s Innovations in Learning & Teaching event is now online. The aim of this annual event is to support enhancement and development of learning and teaching by offering staff opportunities to disseminate and share their practice. The programme of events and activities includes poster displays, discussion events (on Friday 15, Monday 18 & Tuesday 19 February) and a chance to participate online through a blog.
February is Celebrate Diversity Month
The University is celebrating diversity during February with many different events planned throughout the month - seminars, a book club, a comedy night and live music. Next Wednesday's seminar will be given by Eric Anderson, who will question whether or not heterosexism and heterosexist practices should not (as part of a political project) be labelled homophobic instead.
Winter colour on campus
Why not take a stroll round campus and spot some of the colourful plants that Peter Brown (Landscape Manager in the Department of Estates) has identified as bringing colour to 'the bleak mid-winter'.
Why not join UBSA?
UBSA is open to all University staff and postgraduate students and costs just £5 per year. A new food menu has recently been introduced with prices starting at £1.50. The committee welcomes comments on the new menu.
Funding opportunities
New grants, fellowships, travel bursaries and studentship opportunities for 2008 have been published today.
Bill & Melinda Gates launch $100m fast-track grants initiative
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have launched Grand Challenges Explorations, a new five-year $100 million fast-track grants initiative. This will support hundreds of early-stage research projects pursuing creative concepts for new global health solutions, including vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and other technologies for health problems disproportionately affecting poor countries.
Do you use e-books? You could win £200 Amazon vouchers
The University is taking part in a national survey which aims to find out about your experience of using e-books. It should not take more than 10 minutes to complete and you can opt to enter a prize draw for £200 Amazon vouchers. The deadline for responses is Friday 15 February.
February Half Term Playscheme
Book places now on the Playscheme which runs Monday 18-Friday 22 February.
A plan of activities and application forms can be found on the nursery website.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs
Nominations
Clerical staff rep wanted to serve on Equalities & Diversity Committee
Nominations are requested for the vacancy of a clerical staff representative to serve on the Equalities & Diversity Committee until 31 July 2009. Deadline: Thursday 28 February.
University of Bath teaching awards
Nominations are now open for the 2008 University of Bath teaching awards, which encourage and recognise significant contributions by staff to the academic lives of students. Nominations are welcome from both staff and students. The deadline for nominations is Friday 7 March. There are three awards which focus on different aspects of teaching.
Chancellor's Prize – your chance to nominate a final year student
The nominated student should have demonstrated academic excellence, together with a contribution to the life, academic reputation and general work of the University.
In the media
- Hanna Diamond (ESML) spoke on BBC Radio Bristol as part of a programme celebrating the fact that women got the vote 90 years ago.
- Ken Bray (School for Health) gave an interview to the Manchester Evening News following Cristiano Ronaldo's spectacular free kick for Manchester United.
- The Bath Chronicle covered a collaboration between BIME and the local Leonard Cheshire disability charity's Greenhill House centre to develop sensory garden equipment for their residents.
Training & development opportunities
- Introduction to course design - 13 February
- Time management - A quick tour - 13 February
- Training for the occasional trainer - 29 February
- Appraisal briefing for appraisees - 20 February
What's on next week
Monday 11
13:15 PM BICS Seminar
13:15 PM Don Foster MP - student advice surgery
18:15 PM Messiah open rehearsal - all welcome
19:30 PM Nymphaeae - The lure & uses of waterlillies since ancient times
19:30 PM Bath Science Cafe: Adaptation in the descent of humans
20:00 PM Live World Music & DJ - Celebrating Diversity
Tuesday 12
12:15 PM Mid week Eucharist
12:45 PM Oxfam Lunch
13:10 PM Lunchtime concert at the Holburne
13:15 PM Micro-structured catalysts and reactors for process intensification
13:15 PM CNM Seminar
13:15 PM New Year money blues?
16:30 PM Hydrogen storage: Small (and light) is beautiful* apologies to E F Schumacher
18:45 PM Three faiths forum: Reading the scriptures
Wednesday 13
12:30 PM Omar Khayyam
13:15 PM Psychology Department seminar
14:00 PM Fantastic plastic
14:15 PM Lessons from some recent UN Conferences
14:15 PM The homophobic gap - Celebrating diversity seminar
14:15 PM Lessons from some recent UN conferences
17:15 PM From Worcester women to yummy mummies - Is New Labour a feminist government?
17:30 PM Winning the Penalty Shoot-out
19:30 PM The two tunnels project, Bath
Thursday 14
12:30 PM UBSA Casanova's quiz
Friday 15
11:15 AM Science Communication Seminar: Religion & science
Exhibitions
Photography Exhibition | ICIA Art Space 1, until 16 February
A showcase of selected works from this year’s
University of Bath Photography Competition.
Lines of Enquiry 4 | ICIA Art Space 2, until 4 April
A showcase of work by graduates of BA Fine Art Drawing School of Art & Design, Swindon College, investigating drawing and its role in contemporary art.
Seventy Years of Penguin Design | Holburne Museum, until 24 March
This fascinating exhibition from the Penguin archives examines the history of the Penguin book cover, tracing its design from the iconic triple-banded and colour-coded early covers to the multifarious covers of today. Free entrance to University staff.
Arts
Workshops
Making large scale work Studio 2, ICIA Arts Complex | Saturday 16, Sunday 17 February & Saturday 1 March, 10am-4pm
A chance to explore ceramic hand-building techniques and produce pieces for the garden and for interiors.
Concerts & performances
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I Am The Mighty Jungulator Elements | Saturday 9 February, 8.30pm
Glistening electronic textures, rich soundscapes and live visuals are synced, created and mixed into a complete live performance. - Carol Brown dances Dancing Aloud ICIA Arts Theatre | Saturday 16 February, 7.30pm
Internationally regarded choreographer Carol Brown moves through memories, re-drawing a map of choreographies from Philadelphia to Finland, and from Cork to Calcutta. -
Joanna MacGregor University Hall | Saturday 23 February, 7.30pm
Internationally renowned classical, jazz and contemporary pianist, Joanna MacGregor is one of the world’s most wide-ranging and innovative musicians. Renowned for defying categorisation, she links classical masterpieces with 20th century cultural icons. - Artists’ Talk: Rachel Lichtenstein BRLSI | Saturday 23 February, 2.30-4.00pm
Author and visual artist Rachel Lichtenstein discusses her latest book On Brick Lane, a journey through the history of East London's most famous street, capturing living memories of the street prior to the rapid changes that are now taking place.
Sport
Record numbers to compete at UK School Games
Record numbers of young athletes will compete at this year’s UK School Games, which is being jointly staged in Bath and Bristol this summer.
The University of Bath will host four of the nine sports on the programme at the third annual UK School Games – athletics, fencing, table tennis and volleyball.
Hockey promotion push suffers setback
TeamBath Buccaneers’ promotion push suffered a setback as they went down 3-2 to Old Loughtonians when Slazenger England Hockey Division One resumed after the festive break last weekend.
TeamBath netballers edged out in nail-biting encounter
TeamBath’s netballers lost Monday's nail-biting Co-operative Superleague encounter by just two goals. Team Northumbria ran out 44-46 winners over the reigning Superleague champions – but they were made to battle for the full-hour for the points before clinching victory in the dying moments of the game.
Silver medal takes Bircher step closer to Beijing
University of Bath swimmer Alan Bircher took the silver medal in the 10k open water swim at the South African Open Water Championships in Cape Town.