University Updates
30 January 2009
Research
New £27m research centre will develop cleaner, greener fuels
The University is to be part of a £27 million research centre funded by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) that will help develop sustainable fuels from agricultural waste such as straw. The Bath research team will be studying the complete environmental impact of biofuels such as bioethanol made from straw. They will assess the effects of farming, processing and transport of the fuels, combined with a calculation of the efficiency of these fuels in cars.
Dinosaur fossils fit perfectly into the evolutionary tree of life
Matthew Wills (Biology & Biochemistry) together with a colleague from the Natural History Museum has published research that shows the fossil record of dinosaurs matches very well with the current view of evolution of these animals.
A strategy for Biomimetics
Julian Vincent has been invited to speak at a conference entitled 'Nature has all the answers' being held at the Materia Inspiration Centre in the Netherlands next week. He will talk about biomimetics: how functions and mechanisms from nature can solve engineering problems.
Learning & teaching
Department of Education staff say it's a ‘great place to work’
The Department of Education has retained it prestigious Investors in People Award eight years in a row.
FT names Bath fifth best in world for marketing
One in a series of ‘top 10’ mini-rankings entitled ‘In a league of their own’ that the Financial Times publishes, the results are compiled through recommendations made by alumni.
New Mercer Scholarship for language students
Richard Roberts, who graduated in the class of 1997, has established the Mercer Scholarship in Modern Languages & European Studies. Worth £1,000 a year to the recipient, the scholarship is to reward students who do that little bit more. Academic achievement is essential but the award is primarily to encourage students to take full advantage of everything that a Bath education has to offer, to the benefit of themselves, the department and the University community.
Innovations in Learning & Teaching Week 23 - 27 February
The theme of this year’s annual Innovations Week is ‘Feedback to students and engagement with students’. The aim of the event is to support enhancement and development of learning and teaching and to provide opportunities for staff to share good practice.
US relations
Bath graduate pledges $½ million to establish Bath-USA academic exchange
Professor Raymond Schinazi from Emory University in Atlanta, USA, has pledged more than half a million dollars to launch an international exchange programme between the University of Bath and Emory.
Academic appointed to Global Advertising Project Advisory Board
Following an invitation to present at the Future of Advertising Conference at Wharton Business School, Pennsylvania in December, Robert Heath (School of Management) has been honoured by being asked to join the Global Advisory Board of the Future of Advertising Project.
Trip to America
Geof Wood was recently invited to give a seminar 'Clashing values in Bangladesh: NGOs, secularism & the Ummah' at Yale, then attended meetings at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and
Harvard. His visit to the States coincided with the inauguration of President Obama so he stood shoulder to shoulder with 2 million others on the freezing Mall. In the evening, he was invited to attend a ball hosted by a prominent African American family from Chicago who were Obama's early fund raisers.
Awards, bids, nominations
Second call for bids to the CPD Development Fund
Launched in October by the Task & Finish Group, this fund has been established to improve the way we meet the training and development needs of regional and national employers. Proposals should be submitted by Monday 9 March.
'Dragon’s Den' proposals for learning-enhancement practices
Proposals are invited from teaching staff for funding of £2,500. The aim is to advance student learning-enhancement practices in the University in relation to the theme 'feedback to students and engagement with students', with staff and students working together on the project. Submission deadline: Tuesday 3 February.
Dance production wins top award
A dance production, Entity, co-commissioned by the ICIA (Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts) won a prestigious South Bank Show award. The awards were broadcast on ITV1 Wednesday 28 January.
Hon grad nominations sought
The Honorary Degrees Committee is pleased to receive nominations from any member of the University or person associated with it. In particular, it welcomes proposals that reflect the cultural diversity and international character of the University and promotes its commitment to gender equality. Deadline for nominations: Monday 2 February 2009
2009 Green Gown Awards
Now in their fifth year, the awards recognise the exceptional initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK to become more sustainable. Deadline for stage one submissions: Friday 27 February 2009.
Information
Executive Committee
The summary notes of the Executive Committee held in December are now available online.
Professor Frank Wallace dies aged 84
We regret to announce that Professor Emeritus Frank J. Wallace, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning; he had been ill with cancer.
Serious injury to Department of Mechanical Engineering student
The University is sorry to report that William Ramsay, a first year undergraduate from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been admitted to hospital with serious spinal injuries. An investigation into the incident is underway.
Chinese New Year celebrations
Students on campus celebrated Chinese New Year by trying their hand at calligraphy and mahjong on Monday. Staff and students were also given tasty free samples from Fresh Oriental.
Recent reviews highlight challenges facing the HE sector
Two recent reviews by the Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) into finance and pay data, and recruitment and retention, have highlighted a positive picture for employees in the Higher Education sector.
Bath festival discount and advance tickets available to all staff
Tickets for Bath International Music Festival on sale to University staff.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs
In the media
- Roy Jones (School for Health) and the RICE Centre at the RUH will feature in two programmes on television following Sir Terry Pratchett’s progress through his first year with Alzheimer’s disease. 'Terry Pratchett: Living with Alzheimer’s disease' will be shown on BBC2 at 9pm on Wednesdays 4 & 11 February.
- Malcolm Johnson (Centre for Death & Society) will be appearing live on BBC1's The Big Questions this Sunday to discuss the topic of assisted dying.
- The University will feature on the second edition of the new Channel 4 sports programme, 4Sport: Destination 2012 this Sunday (1 February) at 8am.
- John Troyer (CDAS) discussed a BBC drama 'A short stay in Switzerland' about assisted suicide on BBC Radio Bristol.
- Paul Stallard (School for Health) appeared on BBC Radio Nottingham, BBC Radio Wiltshire, BBC Radio Bristol and Originals Radio talking about the national positive thinking pilot trial starting this term.
- Sion Lutley (Alumni Office) talked to GWR FM about the new Schinazi International Exchange Programme.
- Brian Schofield (Security) was interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol about the Secured Environments Award.
- Tony Walter (CDAS) discussed the increase in funerals that have to be paid for by the state because no relatives come forward on BBC Radio Bristol.
- Yukteshwar Kumar (ESML) had an opinion article entitled 'Crouching Dragon' published in The Hindustan Times, one of the main Indian newspapers about the relationship between China, Pakistan and America.
- ICIA was featured in this week's Venue magazine in an article called 'Pride of place - Bristol and Bath's 20 most inspiring things'.
What's on next week
More details about events below
Monday 2
13:15 PM BICS seminar
13:15 PM USA Summercamp presentation
Tuesday 3
13:15 PM CNM seminar
18:15 PM Developing your business plan - the numbers
Wednesday 4
12:30 PM How to use online social networking to develop your business
13:15 PM Biomechanical approaches for improving jumping performance
16:15 PM Causes & consequences of the credit crisis
Thursday 5
11:00 AM Vacation Work & Volunteering Fair
12:15 PM Thinking about business
12:15 PM Apply for research and fellowship funding (for postdoctoral HSS students)
13:00 PM Gwen Raverat - A neo-pagan Darwin
13:30 PM Completing your PhD
17:15 PM Film: Return to Palestine
18:15 PM Legal considerations
19:30 PM Supercontinent: Ten billion years of life on our planet
Arts
ICIA new season - Booking now open!
Concerts and Performances
- Tom Sapsford Regina ICIA Arts Theatre | Saturday 31 January, 7.30pm
A compelling portrait of Elizabeth 1 by Tom Sapsford, acclaimed performer and award-winning choreographer. Fusing dance, drama and projection, Regina explores the many facets of this famous figure. - Singularities: Attab Haddad Oud | Music Room, University Hall | Thursday 5 February, 8pm
Attab Haddad brings a new approach to the age-old traditions of the Oud, an Arabic instrument that precedes the lute. He infuses elements of flamenco, Middle Eastern classical, jazz, classical and experimental music to create spell-binding rhythms. - Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Strictly for Charity | ICIA Arts Theatre | Saturday 7 February, 7.30pm
A fundraising dance show with performances from members of various University societies. - Hauser I made you a submarine | ICIA Arts Theatre | Saturday 14 February, 7.30pm
A surreal, multi-layered performance that takes its starting point from a smuggler’s plot to rescue Napoleon from the prison island of St Helena. A poetic reflection on ambition and failure, action and immobility, life and death.
Films
- The Draughtsman’s Contract (15) | Lecture Theatre 3WN 2.1 | Wednesday 11 February, 7.30pm
Set in a seemingly idyllic 17th century Wiltshire, an ambitious draughtsman is commissioned by the wife of an aristocrat to produce twelve drawings of her husband's estate. Extravagant costumes, a twisting plot, elegantly barbed dialogue and a mesmerising score by Michael Nyman.(Directed by Peter Greenaway, UK 1982, 108 mins)
Talks
- Lone Twin & David Williams in Conversation ICIA Art Space 2, 3WN 2.1 | Thursday 12 February, 7pm-8pm
Lone Twin are one of the UK’s leading performance companies, committed to creating entertaining and hopeful work to appeal to a wide audience. They meet here with writer, performance maker and collaborator David Williams (Dartington College of Arts, Devon) to discuss their work's relationship to plotting, space and place prior to their Speeches Public Project in Bath.
Exhibitions
- Swindon College Lines of Enquiry 5 ICIA Art Space 2 | Thursday 15 January - Friday 20 March, 10am-5pm
The fifth in a series showing work by graduates of the BA Fine Art Drawing at Swindon College’s School of Art & Design. - Uriel Orlow In This Great Time ICIA Art Space 1 | Until Friday 13 February, 10am-5pm
Uriel Orlow’s new multi-media installation uses video, photography, drawing and text to investigate where history, place and memory intersect and resonate in the present. - University of Bath & Photosoc Student Photography Exhibition ICIA Art Space 3, University Hall Foyer | Until Friday 20 March, 10am-5pm
This lively exhibition showcases selected works from this year’s University of Bath Student Photography Competition which is linked to ICIA’s 2008 theme of arts, spatialisation and memory.
Sport
Inoue to study at the University of Bath
Kosei Inoue, one of the most successful and most celebrated judo players of all-time, has commenced a two-year stay in the UK, during which time he will study English at the University.
Mariana just misses place in Swedish final
Coach Education & Sports Development student Mariana Agathangelou just missed out on a place in the mixed doubles final at the Swedish International badminton tournament in Stockholm.
Victory at Eastleigh puts Team Bath FC fifth
Team Bath FC climbed to fifth place in Blue Square South with an impressive 3-1 win at Eastleigh.
Team Bath netballers dominate on England squad
Team Bath netballers will make up half of the England squad to take on Jamaica next month, England Netball has announced.