University Updates
18 December 2009
Winter graduations
New multimedia website showcases winter degree ceremonies
Corporate Communications Services together with staff in the AV Unit have created a website containing a host of features, photos and videos about this week's graduations. These include:
- A film where graduates talk about their graduation day and their experience of studying at Bath.
- Profiles and video interviews with honorary graduates, where they pass on advice to young graduates.
- Photographs.
- Videos of all six awards ceremonies.
- Films of two graduates talking about their studies and hopes for the future: Ben Rushgrove & Alan Radford, the oldest person to ever graduate from Bath.
Computing notices
Please change your BUCS password
Phishing attacks - emails requesting personal information such as usernames, passwords, banking details etc - are more likely to happen over Christmas holidays. This is a reminder to change your password using BUCS Account manager. (This should be done regularly - about every six months - and is part of the University's IT acceptable use policy.)
Moving emails over to new improved servers
Over the next few weeks Computing Services will be systematically moving emails over to new servers.
This will cause no disruption during working hours and will not affect your email in any way. However, if you leave your computer on overnight you may need to restart your email client the morning following the move.
Each department will be informed by email when they are to be moved.
Disruption to SAMIS-related services
Due to a SAMIS version upgrade, many SAMIS-related systems will be unavailable on Monday 21 December. BUCS apologises for any inconvenience.
Research
New technique detects proteins that cause age-related conditions
A team of scientists led by Jean van den Elsen (Biology & Biochemistry) and Tony James (Chemistry) have developed a new technique that could be used to diagnose and develop treatments for age-related conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and cancer.
Playing football in Europe? The nationality of the ref matters
Home teams playing in the Champions League and Europa League will be hoping they don’t get a Greek referee, after research by Peter Dawson (Economics) shows referees from Greece award more yellow cards to the home team than referees from any other country.
Second Knowledge Transfer Project starts
Fetah Benabid (Physics) has received funding from the University’s Knowledge Transfer Account to assist the commercial development of spin-out company, GLOphotonics.
Academic helps art go down a storm
Martin Fullekrug (Electronic & Electrical Engineering) has helped an artist create an exciting new artwork that flickers in response to lightning flashes as they happen around the globe. The project by artist Katie Paterson, called Streetlight Storm, will transform Deal Pier in Kent into a monitoring system for global lightning activity.
RepRap makes ghostly exhibition a reality
An exhibition has just opened in New Zealand, where the objects on display are replicas of artefacts imagined as lost, hidden or misregistered during the Museum of New Zealand's tenure in a different building. The objects have all been recreated through a process of drawing, digital 3D rendering, and finally printing on the RepRap - the Open Source 3D printer invented by a research team led by Adrian Bowyer (Mechanical Engineering).
Staff news
Vote of thanks to PVC Ian Jamieson
The Students' Union has published a vote of thanks to Ian Jamieson who retires next week. Happy retirement Ian!
Commonwealth gold medal winner appointed as new Director of Sport
Former badminton professional and Commonwealth gold medal winner, Stephen Baddeley, has been appointed as the new Director of Sport at the University.
Bath scientists get their kicks
Two members of the University have recently been promoted to Black Belt grades in the Korean martial art of Tae Kwon-Do. Becky Hayward, a Physics PhD student, was awarded a first degree Black Belt, whilst Dr Matthew Lloyd (Pharmacy & Pharmacology) was promoted to fourth degree Black Belt.
Christmas Information
Christmas 2009 opening times
A list of opening times for facilities on campus over the Christmas and New Year period.
Send free Christmas e-cards (login required)
You can send free Christmas e-cards to family and friends. All five images have been selected from the University's inPictures 'snow on campus' gallery.
Have you booked your Christmas lunch yet?
Celebrate the festive season with your colleagues and friends and indulge in one of Hospitality's Christmas lunch menus.
Other news & information
University of Bath to provide new Clinical Psychology programme
The Department of Psychology, in association with the School for Health, has been selected to run a new doctorate programme in Clinical Psychology for the Avon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire region.
Bath students perform drama about State Police in East Germany
Five students of German (European Studies & Modern Languages) recently participated in a drama workshop at St Andrews, Scotland, to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The students worked on two plays and gave a public performance in German at the event 'Twenty Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall – Encounters' on 30 November.
£467 for WaterAid
The Bring & Buy Sale organised by Accommodation & Hospitality Services last week raised £467. Many thanks to all those who donated goods or went along to the sale on the day.
Enterprising display
This year's Global Entrepreneurship Week took place in November 2009.
There is a display on Level 2 in the Library (opposite the issue desk) celebrating the events which took place during the week.
Swap Shop wiki
Save on your departmental budget by asking others for furniture and equipment that they may no longer need.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs
Deaths/funerals
Professor David Gooding - Psychology
A funeral service will take place at St Swithin’s Church, The Paragon, Bath, on Tuesday 22 December at 2.30pm.
Joyce Friend - Finance Office, Students' Union
A funeral service will take place at Haycombe Crematorium on Monday 21 December at 3pm; because space is limited, only family and very close friends are invited to attend. All Joyce’s University friends are invited to a reception from 4pm in the Claverton Rooms following the service.
Deadlines & nominations
SET for Britain: Poster competition for early-career researchers
The overall aim of SET for BRITAIN is to encourage, support and promote Britain's early-stage and early-career research scientists, engineers and technologists. Deadline: 21 December.
Get involved: Staff vacancies on two University committees
Nominations are invited for four vacancies for staff representatives to serve on two committees from 1 January 2010 until 31 July 2012: a) Equalities & Diversity Committee b) Health & Safety Committee. Deadline: 8 January
Third call for bids to CPD Development Fund
The fund supports two types of applications: i) Large grants (up to a maximum of £10k) to develop new provision in a collaborative partnership with employers. ii) Smaller grants (worth around £500) to explore potential collaborations with employers. Projects should be demand-led, and should either address an individual employer’s training and development requirements, or more generally, respond to the needs of a particular sector. Deadline: 15 January.
Nominations for David Parkin Professorship
Submissions are being taken for the David Parkin Professorship. The deadline for Heads of Departments to put forward one nomination to their Dean/Head of School is 22 January.
Do you know someone worthy of an honorary degree?
Staff and students are being encouraged to nominate people for honorary degrees. The University is accepting new nominations for consideration by the Honorary Degrees Committee from any member of the University or person associated with it. Deadline: 19 February
Times Higher to change their rankings methodology - have your say
Times Higher has signed an agreement with Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading research data specialist, to provide all the data for their annual World University Rankings from 2010 and beyond. You can tell them what you think about the change.
In the media
- Martin Füllekrug (Electronic & Electrical Engineering) was mentioned in articles in The Times and BBC online about his work with artist Katie Paterson to create an art installation on Deal Pier in Kent that flickers every time a lightning strike happens anywhere across the world.
- Ken Bray (Mechanical Engineering) was interviewed by the Daily Mail about his research on how to deliver the perfect free kick.
- Ben Rushgrove (Sports Performance) and Alan Radford (Education) appeared on ITV Westcountry Tonight when they graduated on Wednesday. There was also an in-depth interview with Ben in Inside World Parasport.
- Tony Walter (Centre for Death & Society) featured in a discussion on the British way of grieving on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
- Peter Dawson (Economics) was interviewed by BBC Radio Five Live, BBC Radio Scotland, Talk Sport Radio and was featured in the Sun for his research into how football referees give out different numbers of penalties depending on their nationality.
- Philippe Blondel (Physics) talked to BBC Radio Bristol about the climate change conference in Copenhagen and his experience of seeing the evidence of climate change first hand.
- James Bilzon (School for Health) spoke to BBC Radio Somerset about why some people feel the cold more than others.
- Panos Kostakos (ESML) was quoted in an article in Global Post about terrorism in Greece.
Training & development
- Teaching activities to enhance student learning - 5 Jan
- Mathworks seminar - 13 Jan
- Writing for publication workshop - fully booked - 14 Jan
- ILM Level 2 team leading award - Jan-Feb
- Grant Applications workshop (run by Research Design Service - South West) - 18 Mar
- Introduction to Project Management (Manchester) - 29 Apr /17 June
- CMS training courses
- Staff Development programme | PDF to print
- e-Learning staff development programme
- Monthly learning & teaching paper lunches
Sport
TeamBath netballers keep busy on and off courtTeamBath went down 34-57 to England in an entertaining friendly netball fixture on campus on Tuesday. The contest was the first of a series of games this season between England and the Co-operative Superleague franchises to give the national team more competitive match play. Off court, our netballers helped out at the Mayor of Bath’s Christmas Party for local children with special needs. The players volunteered to help out at the party, which took place at Bath’s historic Guildhall.
Scollo aces national tennis coaching award
Bath alumnus Barry Scollo (BA Coach Education & Sports Development 2004) was named winner of the British Tennis AEGON Coach of the Year Award. Scollo, the 29-year-old Director of Tennis at the TeamBath Tennis Academy, received the coveted award at a ceremony at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.
Ivor wins award for Outstanding Contribution to Sport
University football coach Ivor Powell received one of the top awards at the BBC West Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony, which was held at the Sports Training Village. Ivor, who is now 93 and has worked as a coach at the University for more than 30 years, was named winner of the prestigious BBC West Outstanding Contribution to Sport award.
Buccs Hockey Ladies win right to play in Indoor National League
TeamBath Buccaneers Ladies won the West Indoor tournament last weekend to qualify to play in the Women’s Indoor England Hockey League for the first time. It means Buccs are one of just a handful of clubs to have men’s and ladies’ teams playing in both the England Hockey League outdoor and indoor leagues.