Advance: autumn 2011 by Newcastle University Alumni

ADVANCE The Benefits of Giving: Our Donor Report

ISSUE 7 09 2011

Foreword

The future isn’t written yet... A Very Big Thank You! hree years ago the Government launched a Matched Funding Scheme to raise the profile of the importance of benefactions to Universities by pledging £1.00 for every £3.00 raised, up to a maximum amount grouped into three tiers.

Newcastle University decided to aim for the top tier which allowed the opportunity to raise an additional £2.75 million in funds to further support the projects highlighted within this report and many others across the three University Faculties. The three-year scheme ended on 31 July 2011 and it is with huge pride that we are able to report that, thanks to the support of all our benefactors, we have reached the target thereby securing all the possible funding available. Going forward we shall continue to offer opportunities for our graduates and friends to support areas of interest within the University and continue to build on our relationships, as there is still much to achieve, encouraging our brightest young people to attend University, enhancing the student experience and equipping our students for future employability. Together we are turning these aspirations into reality and from Newcastle University and the Development and Alumni Relations Team to all our benefactors and supporters we want to say a very big THANK YOU.

Jane Clubley Director of Development

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Contents 1

Foreword

Welcome

Help us to… educate for life

Help us to... provide our students with a first-class experience

Welcome

...help us to write it Dear Donors and Friends, he past year has been a tumultuous one for Higher Education. Policy changes have been made – and, indeed, are still being made – which will set Higher Education in the UK, and particularly in England, on an entirely different path. That path, as expressed by the responsible government Minister, is one of marketisation and consumerism.

Help us to... encourage talent

13 Help us to... fund enterprise and stimulate innovation 15 Help us to... improve the health of society 19 Help us to... create a sustainable environment 21 Help us to… enrich people’s lives through culture and the arts 23 Annual Fund 26 2011 Achievements – Our inspirational people 28 Help us to... make an impact 29 Giving made easy

Acknowledgements Contributors: Charlotte Ball, Professor Chris Brink, Anne Burton, Jane Clubley, Richard Dale, Suzanne Davies, Katie Harland, Karen Hendrix (editor), Becky Hill, Leigh Ingle, James Johnston Designed by GDA, Northumberland Printed by Statex Colour Print Newcastle upon Tyne Illustrative material has been provided by: David Bell, John Donoghue, Andrew Taylor, Alexander Wilson Cover photo: John Donoghue

From September 2012, state funding for university teaching is to be drastically reduced (by about 80%), and student fees are to be drastically increased. To make up for the cuts, many universities, including Newcastle, have set their fees at the maximum allowed figure of £9,000 per annum. Students will pay the university, the state will lend them the money to do so, and students will then repay their loans once they have graduated and earn above a certain threshold. In addition, the longstanding central allocation of a fixed number of student places per university will over time be abolished, and universities will have to compete for students. In this new environment we have reaffirmed our vision of Newcastle as a world-class civic university, providing our students with an education for life, committed to the marriage of excellence and relevance, and consciously pursuing both quality and equality. We are convinced that a Newcastle degree will prepare our students for life and the world around them, and will stand them in good stead in their lives and careers. We are determined to provide them with the best possible student experience, good facilities, and an excellent teaching and learning environment. Naturally we are concerned about the cost of education to our students, and we are setting in place a wide range of activities to give good information, raise aspirations, create opportunities, and make available bursaries, scholarships and fee waivers, particularly for students from underprivileged backgrounds. May I reiterate our appreciation, on behalf of staff and students, for the good work and great impact of our donors and friends. Given the circumstances, there is an opportunity now, even more than in the past, to help shape the future of many of our students. Thank you for your contribution, and we look forward to our continued interaction with you. Professor Chris Brink Vice-Chancellor ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Members of the Newcastle University rowing team working hard on the water.

Help us to... educate for life

Generous donations for boat club centenary Newcastle University Boat Club is currently celebrating its centenary by building up the support of its alumni to pay for new equipment. hen the Boat Club was set up as Armstrong College in 1911, it soon became arguably the best rowing college at Durham University, a tradition that was carried on later by King’s College. Angelo Savarino, the current coach of the Boat Club, has been researching its history in his spare time, and says, ‘King’s was extremely successful, representing the University in races such as the Head of the River in London in the 50s and 60s. A common element during the years has been the strong bond between the members.’

To celebrate the centenary, Newcastle University Boat Club is seeking donations from alumni and friends to help pay for equipment that will ensure the Club continues to achieve success. This equipment, explains Angelo, is essential to ‘keep the Club competitive with other universities across the country, Europe and the world’.

The Boat Club has enjoyed great success over the past 100 years, with several of its former members going on to be Olympic rowers. This success has helped Newcastle University to become fourth in the UK in the most recent BUCS regatta, and has ensured that we continue to attract top-class athletes and retain our place as a top-class university not only for academic experience, but also in providing an education for life. Angelo confirms that ‘the club has been successful in the past six years, winning the university championship, pennants at the Head of the River, men’s and women’s Henley, and the European and world universities championships’.

To find out more about the Boat Club campaign, contact Katie Harland in the Development Office on 0191 222 5400

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... educate for life

Pioneering summer school launches tudents who resisted the urge to kick back and relax in the first days of their holidays have benefitted from a ground-breaking scientific summer school which has helped them get ahead in their studies.

A donation from MSD, the global healthcare firm, through their ‘International Neighbor of Choice’ programme, has enabled the University’s Institute of Genetic Medicine and partners at Newcastle Science City to host one of the country’s first bioinformatics summer schools. This activity formed part of a comprehensive education programme working with local A-level students who are currently studying maths, physics

and biology. The overall aim was to highlight the exciting and varied research careers in the field of life sciences and especially in bioinformatics. The University has identified that many school leavers moving into full-time higher education lack the necessary maths skills to progress into these fields. Martin Inskip, Senior Director of Operations at MSD Cramlington, said, ‘We are very pleased to have supported this excellent initiative in collaboration with our partners. It is key that we continue to encourage and give students the capability to progress in a science-based degree and career. The local commitment to truly make Newcastle a ‘Science City’ is exceptional.’

Martin Inskip with students from the summer school.

Help us to... provide our students with a first-class experience

Donor brings Nobel Laureate to Newcastle he annual Wynne-Jones series of chemistry lectures welcomed yet another prestigious speaker in 2010 when Professor Robert H. Grubbs, winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, visited from California Institute of Technology and attracted a record turn-out.

The series has been funded by Kristin Wynne-Jones, daughter of the late Lord Wynne-Jones of Abergele, who wished to commemorate her father’s great contribution to teaching and management at Newcastle. Lord Wynne-Jones was a distinguished Professor of Physical Chemistry at Newcastle from 1948 to 1956 and went on to become one of the first Pro-Vice Chancellors of the University. Kristin, a chemistry graduate from Oxford and Columbia Universities, was until recently a chemistry

teacher herself in New York, and has been particularly successful in attracting some of the most eminent chemists in the world to lecture at Newcastle. The fifth lecture will be given this October by Professor Richard N Zare of Stanford University. In recognition of Kristin’s support and in memory of Lord Wynne-Jones, the School of Chemistry will this autumn name a newly refurbished physical chemistry undergraduate laboratory, the Wynne-Jones laboratory. This facility will provide bench space for approximately 70 students and will complete the transformation of the School’s teaching laboratories, which have in the last five years undergone complete modernisation at a cost of approximately £2 million.

Nobel Laureate Professor Grubbs with chemistry students, Marta Drozdowska, Alexander Jackson, Laura Davies and James Holcroft.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... provide our students with a first-class experience

Law School welcomes alumni donations In what has been a very successful year for the Law School, a number of alumni have made generous donations to scholarships and facilities. he Law School recently held a celebratory reception to mark the opening of a new extension to its Windsor Terrace building. This opening, which was conducted by Lord Woolf of Barnes, came towards the end of a very successful year for the School. In September, the Sunday Times Good University Guide rated Newcastle University Law School third in the country, behind only Oxford and Cambridge. The School was then able to create a new 230-seat lecture theatre in the extension, which was the venue for an inaugural lecture by Lord Hope, former Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and further lectures by top Law professionals including Sir Mark Waller, former Vice President of the civil division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and an alumnus of the School.

Alumni of the Law School were quick to help the School build upon these great successes, and have pledged generous sums to support the construction of a new Mooting Room and a scholarships fund to support Law students. Andrew Carnegie, a major donor to the scholarships fund and partner at Clifford Chance LLP, said, ‘I have done well on account of my education and want other ambitious people to have the same opportunity as I did, regardless of background. In the States there is more of a culture of giving – with a tighter public purse more of us need to think about doing our bit here.’ The donations made by alumni of the Law School

Professor Chris Rodgers, Head of the Law School and Lord Woolf of Barnes.

have helped ensure that the School will continue to offer an excellent experience to students and build upon recent successes in the future. Professor Chris Rodgers, Head of School, says, ‘the Law School has been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of Law School graduates during this campaign. It is testament to the enduring fondness our alumni feel towards the School, and their generosity will enable us to establish a scholarship fund to benefit students in the future and to fulfil many other projects that will add value to our teaching and learning in years to come.’

For more information on this story, please contact Katie Harland in the Development Office on 0191 222 5400

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... educate for life

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... encourage talent

Musician to musician Sting generously gave up some time during his busy world tour to spend an hour talking musician to musician with Newcastle University music students.

rtist and honorary graduate Sting gave a seminar to students on the Popular and Contemporary Music Degree in October 2010. The morning spent with second- and third-year students followed a concert the night before at The Sage Gateshead.

Sting travelled north of the river to share some of his experience of being a working musician. A little nervous at being in the company of a star, the students soon warmed up and by the time the session ended the group had bonded and all were clearly inspired. Sting also got to meet winners of the Scholarship for Working Musicians, which he, his wife Trudie and friend Bobby Sager support. Scholarship recipients Jeremy Bradfield and Craig Pollard had the chance to speak to Sting informally, along with a few undergraduate

students. All of them were delighted, if a little overwhelmed, by the opportunity to talk musician to musician with the multi-awarding-winning star. The scholarship, worth 75% of current full-time fees and maintenance for UK students, will enable one student to pursue the MMus in Creative Musical Practice each year until 2013/14. The recipient of this year’s award, Craig Pollard, makes experimental pop music influenced by the punk ethic and aspects of cultural theory. He says, ‘the award has made a big difference for me in that I don’t think I could have afforded to do the course without it. I am humbled and grateful to be given the opportunity to study at this level because it has played a huge part in my development as an artist.’

Sting with popular and contemporary music students. Scholarship for Working Musicians scholars, Jeremy Bradfield and Craig Pollard.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... encourage talent

Family scholarship helps support the future of languages in higher education Two graduates of Newcastle University have set up a generous scholarship for a student in the School of Modern Languages. illiam and Catherine Allen met while studying at Newcastle University, and both graduated from the School of Modern Languages in 1995. They got married shortly after graduation, and William went into banking while Catherine embarked on a career in advertising before leaving to raise a family. They now have four children, aged four, seven, 11 and 13.

In 2008, William and Catherine decided to give something back to the University. For them, Newcastle is ‘a special city as it is where we met’. They remember ‘the warmth of the people (in stark contrast to the chill North Easterly wind), the vibrancy of the city and the high standards of the School of Modern Languages.’ The Allen Family Scholarship is unusual because it offers one student support with fees for each of the four years of the degree programme. The recipient of the first scholarship, Laura Bell, is studying French and Spanish, the same degree studied by Catherine Allen. Laura says, ‘I can only describe my surprise and excitement upon finding out that the panel had chosen me. In my first year I really enjoyed learning more about the history of France since the Revolution, about the culture of both Spain and France and in

general improving my language skills whilst making lots of new friends.’ William and Catherine feel that ‘it is important to give something back when you have had success in your life’. They see education as ‘a really special gift that not only lasts a lifetime but can actually change that person’s life and prospects and also the lives of their children’. This year marks the centenary of the School of Modern Languages at Newcastle University. This has been marked by several celebratory conferences and events, including a conference on ‘Transmissions’ opened by Kate Adie in March 2011. The School would like to get more alumni involved in 2011/12 and build a network of Modern Languages alumni who recognise the value of the study of languages. If you are a Modern Languages graduate and would like to take the opportunity to get in touch with the School and with your fellow graduates, please contact Katie Harland, Development Manager at Katie.Harland@ncl.ac.uk or 0191 222 5400

I am continuing to enjoy my course and am heavily into writing my dissertation; I’m producing a critical discourse analysis on how the government attempts to make people turn to entrepreneurship through text and talk, which will end in a narrative analysis of how entrepreneurs and business owners talk about themselves, how they explain what they do to make a living. Aviva has offered me a graduate job; I start four days after handing my dissertation in! I’m really looking forward to it. Ben Lester, Business School Innovation and Enterprise Scholar

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... encourage talent

Women’s Club Award to an aspiring student his year’s Women’s Club Award was presented to Claire Whitworth at an afternoon lunch given in her honour. Each year the Women’s Club provides a prize of £1,000 to a deserving female graduate who has shown excellence and tenacity throughout her undergraduate career at the University. Claire, who was nominated by Dr C I Baldwin, Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, plans to continue her studies at Newcastle in the next academic year when she embarks on another Master’s degree, an MRes in Medical and Molecular Biosciences. Following that, she plans a three-year PhD in Dr Timothy Cheek’s lab studying calcium signalling mechanisms as drivers of neuronal stem cell differentiation.

Claire says, ‘This is a fantastic award that has brought recognition of my achievements and efforts over the last four years at University. It has given me a boost in confidence and further increased my aspirations to continue to work hard in my future studies.’ In addition to her academic achievements, Claire has been an active member of our Board of Studies and Staff–Student Committee as a student representative.

Claire Whitworth with Mrs Tobea Brink.

To learn more about the Women’s Club, visit: www.societies.ncl.ac.uk/nuwc/web

There is a big difference between dreams and their fulfilment. The Peter and Norah PhD studentship in Economics gave me this chance of the lifetime and ‘opened the gateway’ to studying at doctorate level at a British institution; bringing me so much closer to the potential realisation of my dreams. Especially in times such as now, on the eve of a fragile global economic recovery with the funding to education being cut, the generosity of benefactors makes a tremendous difference to the lives of young people wanting to realise their own potential. Ilona Elżbieta Serwicka, Peter and Norah Lomas PhD Scholar, 2010

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... encourage talent

Law graduate gives back to North East students A recent graduate of Newcastle University Law School has set up an annual prize for students in the School who have come through the PARTNERS supported entry programme. ichael Duffell, a 2008 graduate now working for Credit Suisse in London, decided to set up the prize of £200 per year to help students from less privileged backgrounds to pay for books and other study essentials. The prize will be awarded to a student from the North East who has come through the PARTNERS Programme.

The PARTNERS Programme, now in its 13th year, aims to support and encourage students who have the potential to succeed at Newcastle by showing young people what university is really like and allowing them to make informed decisions about higher education. The scheme is currently available to young people living in areas of the North East where relatively few young people go on to university, and to looked-after children nationwide. For Michael himself, who is from Seaham in County Durham, PARTNERS made university a less daunting prospect. He says, ‘the scheme gave me the opportunity to grow as a person and test myself academically in preparation for my degree. I would not be where I am now

without the experience and confidence given to me by PARTNERS.’ While at university, Michael found it difficult to pay for books and other essential materials, so he decided to set up the Michael Duffell Prize to help other students in the same position. He says, ‘I hope that this modest amount will help students in the same position as me, and donating to the scheme has given me the chance to repay some of my debt to Newcastle. I paid for my tuition, but my time at university was about so much more than tuition.’ Michael still feels a partnership with the University and an affinity with those who came through PARTNERS with him, and says that this ‘has lasted beyond the three years I spent in Newcastle’. Michael’s story shows the difference the PARTNERS Programme makes to the lives of young people in the North East, and also highlights the need to support students from less privileged backgrounds once they enrol at Newcastle University. Gifts like his make a huge difference to the learning experience of our students, and provide a source of inspiration for those who are working hard to guarantee themselves a bright future.

I am very grateful that this scholarship will allow me to purchase essential text books for my course that I would otherwise be unable to afford, meaning my academic progress will have no obstacles. It will also mean that if I have a minor financial crisis and find I need to buy unexpected resources for my course, I will be able to do so. Fiona Usher, Pybus Scholar, 2010

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... encourage talent

Medicals Institute donates funds to University he University has benefitted from a gift from the Medicals Institute, a trust set up in memory of Dr James Wilkie Smith of Ryton in 1921.

Dr Wilkie Smith died in 1914, aged 29, after a short illness. His father, also called James, was a prominent figure in the medical community and was keen for his son’s name to live on, so he set up The James Wilkie Smith Memorial Institute in 1921 along with several other doctors in the North East. The Institute was originally housed in 7 Windsor Terrace, Jesmond, and presented an opportunity for students and graduates of the Medical School to come together and socialise. It later relocated to Eslington Terrace in Jesmond, where it remained until 1997, at which point the present trustees decided to invest the resulting funds and discontinue the Institute. A key objective of the Medicals Institute was the perpetuation of the name of Dr James Wilkie Smith Jr, who was an enthusiastic young GP and a popular

figure in the community where he practised. The funds, which have now been transferred to Newcastle University, will support this aim by facilitating the naming of scholarships and rooms to be determined in the near future. Dr Mel McQuillin, a graduate of Newcastle University and a trustee of the Institute, says, ‘the points of the original trust talked about a place for the social and professional intercourse of medical and dental practitioners, and, as such, the trustees are satisfied that we are fulfilling the wishes of the original trust deed drawn up by J Wilkie Smith Senior in giving the money to the University.’ Jane Clubley, Director of Development, says, ‘I am delighted that the trustees of the Medicals Institute have decided to give their remaining funds to Newcastle University. It is a wonderful gesture, and we are glad to be able to help the name of James Wilkie Smith to endure within the North East.’

A medical student hones her practical skills.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Simon Barker receives his Entrepreneurship award from Ana BotĂn, Chief Executive of Santander UK.

Help us to... fund enterprise and stimulate innovation

Santander Awards Staff and students from across the University celebrate 2010/11’s Santander awards.

n 19 May, students who benefitted from the second year of the partnership between Newcastle University and Santander attended a reception in their honour. Director of Santander Universities UK, Luis Juste came to Newcastle for the event, and was joined by Institutional Relationship Director John Hedges and staff from the Santander branch on campus. Professor Charles Harvey, Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, gave an introductory speech, and the Vice Chancellor was there to talk to students and staff.

Santander Universities have so far supported 36 students and 18 members of staff since 2009. Their awards include student scholarships, visiting fellowships, and international bursaries to facilitate travel between the countries included in their network. At the event, winners of the Community Engagement awards, which recognise students’ voluntary work in the community, and Business Incubation awards, which reward promising business plans, were presented with their prizes. Community Engagement winners included Brush Up, a group of students who visit schools to teach children about the importance of oral hygiene, and IT on the Move, a team who teach elderly people basic computer skills. Business Incubation winners were Teasy Does It, a company specialising in exotic teas run by Katherine Sheinman, and Radfan Heatwave, a sustainable energy company run by Simon Barker and Roland

Luis Juste presents Brush Up’s award to Claire Stubbs.

Glancy. The Radfan Heatwave, which could make central heating systems more efficient, went on to win outstanding entrepreneurial business idea and a £20,000 prize at the first ever Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards. The Awards were presented by Ana Botín, Chief Executive of Santander UK, during a ceremony held at the Spanish Embassy in London last July. Simon said, ‘We were up against over 150 other business ideas. I had to pitch to a panel of seven business people, who later announced we had won. It’s really exciting and the money means we can move the business ahead far more quickly than we otherwise would have been able to do.’

If you would like more information about corporate giving, please contact the Development Office on 0191 222 7250

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... improve the health of society

Mrs Elisabeth Pestell.

Ageing and health scholarship pledge A generous donor and friend of Newcastle University has made a gift to support an intercalated scholarship in Ageing and Health.

lisabeth Pestell was born and brought up in Newcastle. Her father, grandfather and great grandfather were all officers of the Natural History Society of Northumbria until the death of Elisabeth’s father, Tony Dickinson, in September 2002. When Elisabeth’s father died he left her a legacy, some of which Elisabeth wanted to donate to Newcastle University. She made a generous donation to the Great North Museum, which she says, ‘has been very close to my heart since I was a little girl’, and set up a scholarship for students on the MA in Museum Studies within the School of Arts and Cultures. She says, ‘this money was generated in Newcastle and it’s good to see it going back to its roots!’ Elisabeth’s interest in the Medical School began when she pledged to leave a generous sum to dementia research in her will. Elisabeth’s mother suffered from Parkinson’s dementia and her husband Gordon is now struggling with vascular dementia. She wanted to support dementia research through the University, because ‘the younger generation are our future’.

Elisabeth’s most recent donation to the University has enabled us to set up the Elisabeth Pestell Intercalated Scholarship in Ageing and Health. This scholarship has been awarded to Edward Tam, a fourth year medical student, who will spend a year examining the changes that occur in the brains of patients who have survived a stroke, and comparing these changes with a variety of different forms of dementia. Elisabeth set up the scholarship after reading about the University’s work on age-related disease in the media. She gets a great personal satisfaction from setting up scholarships like this, because ‘it has always given me great joy to see what can be achieved with a bit of extra money, and, especially, support for young people who are prepared to work and strive to make something of themselves given a little extra encouragement’.

For more information on leaving a legacy to Newcastle University or making a gift to support medical research, contact James Johnston at James.Johnston@ncl.ac.uk or 0191 222 6072

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... improve the health of society

Artist’s impression of the Centre for Translational Neuroscience.

Wellcome success Newcastle’s ambition to provide effective treatment for depression and enable patients to regain movement after stroke. ome to one of the largest research groups of its kind in the UK, the Institute of Neuroscience recently attracted £4.87 million from the Wellcome Trust to initiate the creation of a Centre for Translational Neuroscience. Work in the new centre will advance treatments for a variety of diseases affecting the brain including stroke, cerebral palsy and bipolar disorder.

The aim of Newcastle neuroscientists is to build the knowledge and expertise which will lead to us being able to offer unique personalised treatments to patients. The key to cutting-edge research around

brain disorders is in the ability to use 21st-century technology and the new facilities will house state-ofthe-art, specialised scanning equipment to assist in the effective mapping of brain responses in movement disorders such as stroke, cerebral palsy and cognitive and mood disorders such as depression, bipolar disease and Schizophrenia. To complete this new pioneering addition to Newcastle’s world-renowned Institute of Neuroscience we need further funding of £1.25 million. For information on how you can help, please contact Jane Clubley on 0191 222 3980.

Year of 1953 Award D

r Geoffrey Marsh MBE presented the sixth award of £500 from funds donated collectively from year of 1953 medical graduates. Now in its sixth year, the award was given to Chris Moss who studied on the accelerated four-year MB BS programme. Chris, from a medical family, moved into medicine after studying engineering. Recently returned from his elective in South America, he is currently working in Teesside and will graduate this

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

year. He was nominated by peers in his year group for his unwavering ability to bring medical students together from base units across the region. Chris says ‘I’m very grateful to the Year of ’53 for supporting such an award which recognises nonacademic contributions. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed training here in Newcastle and I’m honoured to have been nominated. It came as a huge surprise to me.’

Medical students enjoying time in the lab.

Help us to... improve the health of society

Newcastle leads the way in arthritis research he Faculty of Medical Sciences welcomed representatives from Arthritis Research UK at the unveiling of new plaque recognising Newcastle as a Centre for Excellence by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR). This year the charity celebrates its 75th anniversary and has chosen to mark the ÂŁ6.5 million funding which it has granted to the University and acknowledge the outstanding contribution that Newcastle makes to research in this field.

Thanks to the funding from Arthritis Research UK, the Musculoskeletal Research Team has emerged as a national leader in the development of novel, experimental therapies for rheumatoid arthritis;

developed successful translational research and genome screening for osteoarthritis; led studies in the development of the disease in children and teenagers and pioneered haematologic stem cell transplantation for scleroderma and other conditions. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;These achievements provide a wonderful endorsement of the hard work performed by numerous individuals over the past 15 years, as well as to the integration of the teams in the laboratory and in the clinic. It is a tough challenge to achieve international recognition in medical science but we deserve to be where we are,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said John Isaacs, Professor of Clinical Rheumatology whose team is based at the Wilson Horne Immunotherapy Centre.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... improve the health of society

1834 Fund for the Medical School leven students commence this autumn’s semester with scholarships from the 1834 Fund. Thanks to the generous donations from 312 medical and dental alumni, charitable trusts and companies, the 1834 Fund has raised over £175,000, including matched funding, enabling the award of the first scholarships supporting intercalated study. This study route provides a great opportunity for medical and dental students to diversify their experience and knowledge by focusing on either a specialised area of medical research, public health issues or developments in medical education. The experience can provide an important career step and by supporting the 1834 Fund, donors have ensured we can, for the first time, offer funded opportunities which make an additional year of study a realistic option. Bright students are often deterred from taking up this route through fear of acquiring additional debt by embarking on an extra year of study.

Inaugural Scholars This year’s scholars are working on diseases such as Type II diabetes, bipolar disorder, oral cancer, dementia, mitochondrial neurodegenerative disease, as well as public health and curriculum development in clinical education. They are: Lorna Caulfield Alice Chapman Hayley Coleman Matthew Davidson Catherine Evans Henry Magill

Renna Mahsoub Dhanushka Palihawadana Daniel Puntis Edward Tam Christopher Yeoman

With thanks to: J H Burn Charity Trust; Coutts Charitable Trust; Dickinson Dees Charitable Trust; Eastham Family; W A Handley Charitable Trust; Professor E T Hedley-Whyte and Professor J Hedley-Whyte; Helena Biosciences; Elisabeth Pestell; Rothschild Foundation; Year of 1945 (MB BS); Year of 1959 (MB BS); Year of 1969 (MB BS) and medical and dental alumni.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011 ADVANCE 7

Scholar Profiles Renna Mahsoub: ‘The 1834 Fund scholarship has given me the chance to undertake this fantastic opportunity of studying an MRes before graduation. The extra expense of an additional year at university was a serious concern for me’. Renna plans to identify a particular oral cancer gene which will lead to early detection of oral cancer, one of the top 10 most diagnosed cancers in the UK that has seen no significant improvement in survival rates in the past five years. Henry Magill: Type II diabetes affects more than 220 million people worldwide and is predicted to double by 2030. Henry will be taking a year out from his medical degree to develop a project which looks at how increased physical activity affects cardiac complications in this disease. He joins experts at the University’s MoveLab led by Dr Mike Trenell, a pioneering research group investigating the biological mechanisms involved in physical activity and exercise and how they can alleviate chronic disease.

The 1834 Fund continues to raise funding for future scholarships and you will be able to read more about the progress of the 1834 Scholars on the Giving website.

For more information about the 1834 Fund, please visit www.ncl.ac.uk/1834

18 18

Help us to... create a sustainable environment

Santander supports the Business School, enhancing work on sustainability ewcastle University Business School has secured financial support from Santander to enhance its leading work on sustainability. To mark the investment the School launched the inaugural Business of Sustainability Week to increase understanding of what sustainability means for businesses, their employees, suppliers and customers. The Business of Sustainability Week forms a key element in a series of activities taking place throughout 2011 to celebrate Newcastle University’s world-leading work on sustainability.

The week commenced with an event on sustainable design, and included an MBA challenge contested by students from five leading northern Business Schools, the Procter & Gamble Business of Sustainability Lecture and a panel debate with leading regional business figures Sir Ian Wrigglesworth and Paul Walker. The event attracted more than 400 attendees including students and staff from the Business School, graduates from across the University, and representatives from businesses across the region and beyond.

Professor Ian Clarke, Director of Newcastle University Business School, says, ‘We are delighted that Santander Universities share our commitment to increase the understanding of sustainability as a longterm business imperative. We applaud Santander’s vision in investing in higher education to promote the development and prosperity of society. This investment is further evidence of the outstanding commitment from Santander to universities from which Newcastle University benefits in so many ways.’ The three-year, £90,000 investment from Santander, through its Santander Universities Global Division, will also fund the Santander PhD studentship in Responsible and Sustainable Enterprise within the Accountability, Governance, Ethics and Sustainability Research Group at Newcastle University Business School. This will further enhance the School’s expertise in social and environmental accounting and contribute to the generation of new knowledge in this significant area. Luis Juste, Director of Santander Universities UK, says, ‘We are delighted to be supporting this year’s Business of Sustainability Week. This initiative highlights the importance of a key issue in today’s business world: how to combine progress and economic growth with an intelligent use of our resources to protect the welfare of future generations. Newcastle University has always been an example to other UK institutions setting the standards in education and research and this Business of Sustainability Week is a clear example of that spirit. We are proud to have Newcastle University as a member of the Santander Universities network.’

The new Newcastle University Business School Building, home of the Centre for Sustainable Enterprise.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... create a sustainable environment

Agrics support research studentship raduates from the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development have long been regarded as one of the most supportive alumni groups within the University. They proved that their reputation was deserved this year by collectively donating almost £50,000 for a PhD Studentship in the School.

The appeal was set up because it is becoming increasingly hard to find funding for PhDs. ‘We are trying to give the researchers and innovators of the future their first step on the career ladder by helping them through the early years until they achieve their doctorate and are able to undertake commissioned research. We’re very grateful to all our graduates who have contributed to this appeal,’ says Head of School Dr Alan Younger. The appeal was spearheaded by one of the School’s most well-known alumni – John Jeffrey, or the Great White Shark as he is known to rugby aficionados. John, who played for the Department in his first year at Newcastle and for the University in his final two years, won 40 caps for Scotland and played in two World Cups and two British Lions tours. He came

from a farming family near Kelso in the Scottish Borders and, after graduating in 1981, John returned to the family farm and now combines farming with chairmanship of the Moredun Institute which carries out research into animal health and welfare. John says, ‘This campaign is important because research is what the University is judged on – it’s critical that we continue to do agricultural research, especially in the current climate of cutbacks. Thousands of farmers all over the world have benefitted from the work that has been done here, and we must keep Newcastle’s name up there where it should be.’ The campaign has now secured two studentships, with ASDA Stores, based in Leeds, deciding to fund one themselves, through the support of Emma Fox (1989 Agricultural Economics & Food Marketing), formerly Head of Fresh at ASDA and recently promoted to Vice President (Marketing) at Walmart, the parent company, in Canada. The ASDA student will be investigating potential improvements in fruit quality by changing conditions of transport and storage.

Boost for marine research he Wolfson Foundation has made a grant of £100,000 towards scientific equipment for the new research vessel in the School of Marine Science and Technology. As reported in last year’s Advance, the new vessel is a replacement for the 30-year-old Bernicia. It will be used for vital research into the health of the marine environment and the effects of climate change, as well as for undergraduate teaching and outreach work with schools.

State-of-the-art equipment is

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

required, including an underwater robot, a sonar system and acoustic profiler to build up pictures of the seabed, and Big Eye binoculars which can be used to track marine mammals far ahead of the vessel. A performance monitoring system will evaluate the different features of the innovative catamaran. The new vessel was built by local firm Alnmaritec in Northumberland and was due to be launched this summer with a public naming ceremony in the autumn.

Help us to... enrich people’s lives through culture and the arts

The Great North Museum Library very special place can be found on the second floor of the Great North Museum. Here, visitors can find the Great North Museum Library, which unites three rare library collections that are unrivalled in their uniqueness and academic relevance.

The Library and Archives of the Natural History Society of Northumbria, the Library of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne and Newcastle University’s Cowen Library make up this special collections library. With more than 21,000 books and over 1,000 journal titles, along with extensive papers and offprints, the Library is a unique resource for natural history, local history, ancient history and archaeology. A wide range of materials from introductory books to more specialist research monographs and journals along with rare books dating back to the mid-16th century can be found in the Library. Bringing together the collections has made them more visible and accessible to the academic community, society members, museum visitors and wider

audiences. Staff from the Robinson Library have been cataloguing and classifying the collections. The Society of Antiquaries and Cowen Library collections can now be found on the University’s publically accessible library catalogue and over the next year, the Natural History Society of Northumbria collection will be added. The cataloguing and classification of the library collections has been made possible with the generous support of the Marc Fitch Fund. Combining the three libraries has created an important new resource that is open to the public and free to use, with rare items available to view by appointment. The collections are managed and cared for by the Great North Museum librarian Nicky Clarke. Information about the Great North Museum Library collections can be found on Newcastle University’s Library catalogue: sparky.ncl.ac.uk/F Visitors are always welcomed to the Library facilities at the Great North Museum.

These books are here for everyone. These unique collections include a range of natural history, local history and archaeology books. There are wonderful illustrations, local directories, chapbooks (story books), watercolours and archives… there is such a variety. For the first time these priceless collections have been made accessible to all our visitors. Nicky Clarke

For further details and opening times, please contact the Library on 0191 222 3555 or e-mail gnmlibrary@twmuseums.org.uk

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... enrich people’s lives through culture and the arts

New window for Cockle Park Tower any agriculture graduates have very fond memories of Cockle Park Tower, used as a student hostel at the University farm until the 1970s. Popularly known as a pele tower, the building is in fact a mediaeval hunting lodge – the only one of its kind in the north and an important historical survival, but in a very poor and dangerous condition.

Aided by a grant from English Heritage, the University decided upon a full restoration of the exterior of the Tower, which is Grade I listed and on the Buildings at Risk register, and work began in March this year. The Country Houses Foundation (CHF), a charitable trust based in Warwickshire, has agreed to fund a replacement oriel window, a replica of one taken from Cockle Park and placed in nearby Bothal Castle in the 19th century, when both properties were owned by the Dukes of Portland.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Five CHF Trustees visited Cockle Park and were very excited by the Tower in spite of its current sorry state – one describing it as a ‘fantastic building’. The project will be completed by December 2010 and access made available to visitors by appointment – with interpretation provided by students on the University’s Heritage Management MA courses. Former University Chancellor Lord Ridley, whose family owned land adjacent to Cockle Park, has kindly made a donation to the access and interpretation work. It is hoped, when funding allows, to restore the interior of the Tower so that it can be used for small businesses and meeting rooms.

For more information, please contact Anne Burton in the Development Office on 0191 222 8804

Annual Fund

£321,00 donated this year!

his year’s Annual Fund has once again been a tremendous success, with alumni, staff and friends of the University donating over £321,000. These much-needed funds are vital in attracting top students to the University, and providing the best possible experience for all of our students. Thank you to all our loyal Annual Fund donors for your continued support.

Charlotte Ball, Annual Fund Officer.

Your donations have supported: 145 full undergraduate bursaries 11 1834 scholarships for medical undergraduates to take a year’s intercalated study 16 extracurricular projects through the ncl+ Foundation 1 scholarship for a student from the US New books and facilities and improved special collections for the library

For more information on the Annual Funds and ways to give to the University, please contact Charlotte Ball in the Development Office on 0191 222 5721

Loyal Annual Fund donor nnual Fund donor Norman Paul continued his support of Newcastle University students to the end by requesting that donations in lieu of flowers at his funeral should be given to the University for student bursaries.

Norman (1935–2010) graduated in 1955 with a BA in Politics and Anthropology and went on to a successful career in marketing, culminating in eight years at the US Commercial Service, based at the US Embassy in London. Latterly, he became a freelance lecturer in marketing, still working until shortly before his death. He was a regular attendee of the annual Politics Lecture in London and followed developments in Newcastle closely. His friend and fellow graduate Brian Beeley (BA 1956 Geography and Anthropology)

recalls, ‘Norman’s continuing links with the Politics department and with the University were important to him throughout his adult life. It was no surprise to me that he chose to suggest the Annual Fund for donations because he was always very appreciative of the fact that he himself had been able to have a university education.’ Brian and Norman’s memories of University life included membership of the University Officer Training Corps. ‘We made many memorable trips out to the Otterburn Moors in Northumberland to fire our 25 pound shells at empty buildings, while avoiding the sheep!’ Norman Paul was brought up in New York, just outside Whitley Bay, and used to travel each day to the University from his home. He settled in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire with his wife, Vera, and children Julian and Caroline.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Annual Fund

It’s just so good to talk! Becky Hill writes about her rewarding experience as a student caller. s one of the student callers for Newcastle University’s Annual Fund, I may have already spoken to many of you. So firstly, I would like to thank you for taking the time to talk to us, often sharing personal memories of your time at University. I can speak for the whole team in saying that that aspect of the job is so interesting and really enjoyable; we love to hear about your different memories of Newcastle University. More importantly, thank you for your kind gifts towards the Fund. As a student and an employee on campus, I can see the difference donations make. Alumni support and the generous donations you have made are invaluable assets to the University, and make me proud to be both a student of the University and a donor myself.

Although I didn’t receive one of the bursaries that the Annual Fund helps to generate, I have many friends who have really benefitted from your help. Being a student at a top university is often very stressful, especially when it comes to final-year assessment, and financial worries on top of this can be unbearable. The bursaries generated by alumni donations are priceless in helping students achieve their highest potential. As a student of English Literature I have taken advantage of the other great things your gifts

have created, particularly the library. All literature students get through plenty of books in the duration of their three-year degree, and the Annual Fund has helped to further improve the facilities offered by our library. In particular, the addition of 200 books to the short-term loan section, rarities found in the special collections and increased assortment of e-books. The Annual Fund enriches so many areas of the University. Students benefit from the Fund through contributions to student well-being, assisting extracurricular projects in the ncl+ foundation, the Medical School’s 1834 Fund and the Sports Outreach Volunteer Programme. All aspects of the Fund, though varying in content, work towards enhancing a student’s experience of this brilliant university and in turn the University itself. At the phonathon team, we all feel very passionately about the fundraising we undertake: as students raising money for future students, it is a very worthwhile experience. I first became a student caller as I am passionate about further education being something equally available to everyone. But little could I know how rewarding and enjoyable it would be, in speaking to enthusiastic and varied alumni. Thank you all once again for your support, it really does make a difference.

A few of this year’s Student Phonathon Team.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Annual Fund

Picture perfect success Students Jessica Fell and Sarah McShane thank donors. n behalf of the Newcastle International Development Society, we would like to thank donors to the Annual Fund for their support of the ncl+ Foundation. Our grant allowed us to organise a hugely successful conference which brought together over 300 delegates to debate our theme ‘Inequality: Challenging an Assumed Reality’.

Thanks to the Annual Fund, we were able to complement the conference with an excellent photo exhibition. Internationally renowned photographer

Markus Perkins kindly let us exhibit his series of photos on the Dalit people group in India, fitting in perfectly with our theme of inequality. The exhibition was stunning and engaged many students who had no previous experience of development issues. This in turn raised the profile of the event and boosted ticket sales, securing financial sustainability for future events. It was a wonderful opportunity to develop coordination, marketing and communication skills as well as engaging in such a worthwhile discussion.

Dental students Brush Up! rush Up is a team of Newcastle dental students whose aim is to educate school-age children about the importance of correct dental care and a healthy diet. We visit schools and after-school clubs, including brownies, guides and scouts. The children are receptive in this environment and we try to make it fun and entertaining whilst getting our important message across. The actively involved dental students have benefitted greatly from the project as it has allowed them to improve their communication skills by interacting with children

of all ages outside of the dental setting. This helps to remove the stereotype associated with the white coat professions. The support from the Annual Fund has allowed us to visit more children, to make our events more entertaining, to buy more props and consequently improve the dental health of the children. On behalf of these children and of course Brush Up, thank you to all who donated to the Annual Fund!

Members of the Dental School’s Brush-Up team.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

2011 Achievements – Our inspirational people

Sustainability expertise recognised rofessor Paul Younger, Director of the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS), was invited to speak at the Global Sustainability Forum in Amazonas, Brazil, this spring. He joined an elite group of guest speakers including former US President Bill Clinton, the former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the founder of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson.

The Global Sustainability Forum is one of a number of conferences being held across the globe in the run up to Rio +20 (Earth Summit 2012). World leaders will gather to discuss sustainable development, reviewing current practice and implementation and assessing future challenges around sustainability. The Rio +20 meeting of Heads of State next year will be the 20th anniversary of the first-ever Earth Summit and will be a landmark event demonstrating the world’s progress in terms of sustainable solutions. Professor Younger made headline news across the country this year when he and his team successfully sank a borehole into land on the Science Central site opposite St James’ Park in the pursuit of geothermal energy. NIReS also holds a leading position on the Scientific Committee of the Planet Earth Institute set up in December 2010 in the Netherlands as the follow-on initiative of the UN ‘International Year of Planet Earth’, particularly addressing outreach activities related to Earth Sciences.

Professor Paul Younger.

Top honours eading figures from Newcastle University were recognised this summer in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Peter Stone, Professor of Heritage studies, received an OBE for services to heritage education. Mary Coyle, Business School Advisory Board member and former Member of Court was awarded an MBE for her services to community leadership. Visiting Professor, Tony Wadsworth received a CBE for services to the British music industry. Also honoured was School of Fine Arts alumnus Bryan Ferry, of Roxy Music fame, who received an MBE for services to the British music industry.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Newcastle University engineering students absorbed in their work.

2011 Achievements – Our inspirational people

Newcastle University ranked in top 12 for research power ewcastle University has been invited to join a leading group of institutions following its recent success at securing research funding for science and engineering.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has ranked Newcastle among its top 12 most strongly funded universities after it scooped £57.2 million in the last three years.

Research grant successes include the £12 million Digital Economy Hub led by Professor Paul Watson, the Sustainable Urban Environment Award led by Professor Margaret Bell and Dr Russell Davenport’s Challenging Engineering award. EPSRC funds research and postgraduate training in engineering and the physical sciences at universities and other organisations throughout the UK.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Help us to... make an impact

Newcastle University is a very special place and this has been a truly memorable year e reached tenth position in the 2011 National Student Survey “league table” and were fifth in the country for graduate employability. Our worldleading research made national headlines throughout the year. Campus development continues apace with the Business School, the Students’ Union refurbishment and our campus in Malaysia completed and we ended the year in a sound financial position.

But there are huge challenges ahead. Government funding in 2011/12 will be 12% down in cash (20% in real terms) from 2009/10 and September 2012 sees the start of a radically new structure of teaching funding for English Universities. We have also lost the valued financial support of our Regional Development Agency.

So we enter a new era of market-led higher education, which is both scary and full of opportunity. We have a strong vision of where we want to be in the next five to 10 years. We will invest in areas where we feel we can make a real difference, capitalising on our academic strengths and addressing the major challenges of our society such as an ageing population and a reducing supply of easily extractable carbon. Your support, through donations and legacies, to help us address these huge societal challenges as well as the invaluable support you continue give to our less advantaged students, has huge value and the University sends you its grateful thanks. Richard Dale Director of Finance

Gift income received in 2010–11, breakdown by source (excluding pledges)

11%

Ɂ Charitable Trusts 44%

31%

£1,439,095

Ɂ Corporate

£455,051

Ɂ Individuals

£997,614

Ɂ Legacies

£355,390

Total

£3,247,150

14%

Of the total cash income received by the University through donations (09 –10), £2.5 million will attract matched funding from the government – this means a further £846,399 will be used to directly benefit a range of important projects. Thank you for your support. ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Giving made easy

Steps to Giving to Newcastle Newcastle University is an exempt charity, which means that it can claim gift aid on donations. The University can also receive gifts in kind and of shares, if this is your preferred method of giving. Leaving a gift in your will is a great way to continue supporting the University in the future. Legacies often enable people to give more to the University than they would be able to do in their lifetime, making a much bigger impact. For more information on leaving a legacy, or to let us know if you have already provided for Newcastle University in your will, please contact James Johnston on 0191 222 6072. The Annual Fund is a way for you to support the University from as little as £5 per month. If you would like to establish a scholarship at the University you can either make a single one-off donation or a smaller annual donation over several years. It is now possible to make a gift to Newcastle University online at: www.ncl.ac.uk/giving/ways It is possible to give through your company, which is often more tax effective for them. For all the information on the projects you can currently support at Newcastle University, please visit our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/giving

Remember… Through the University’s charitable status, we are able to increase the value of UK taxpayers’ gifts by 25% through the Gift Aid Scheme.

ADVANCE 7 09 2011

Giving made easy

We couldn’t do it without you… PERSONAL DETAILS

GIFT AID DECLARATION

Name

(applicable to UK residents only)

Address

I am a UK taxpayer and want Newcastle University to treat this donation, and all donations made from 6 April 2000 until I notify you otherwise, as Gift Aid Donations.*

Postcode

Signature

E-mail

Date * You must pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims on your donations in the appropriate tax year (currently 25p for each £1 you give). Please notify us if your circumstances change. You can cancel your gift aid declaration at any time by notifying us.

Telephone Is this a joint gift?

Yes

If Yes with whom? Please dedicate my gift to Student Support

1 / STANDING ORDER

2 / SINGLE GIFTS

I wish to make a regular gift of £

Name

I will make this gift every For a period of

Month

Quarter

Year

Address

years, commencing on:

Date

Postcode

Bank/B. Society

Alumni Ref No

Address

I would like to give £

to the Annual Fund

I enclose a cheque/CAF voucher made payable to ‘Newcastle University’ or by

VISA

MASTERCARD

MAESTRO

Account Holder

DELTA

AMEX

JCB

CHARITY CARD

Card Number Account Number Sort Code

Expiry Date

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society Please pay from the above account to Barclays Bank Plc of Percy Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4QL for the credit of ‘Newcastle University Annual Fund’. Account Number: 80512516. Sort Code: 20-59-42

Start (Maestro)

Issue (Maestro)

Security code (last three digits on back)

Please post to: Development and Alumni Relations Office, Newcastle University, FREEPOST NEA4761, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU

Our work is helping to find a cure for diseaseâ&#x20AC;Ś Your pledge can make all the difference An increasing number of people are recognising our transformational work by remembering us in their will. As the University enjoys charitable status, you will be able to take advantage of inheritance tax breaks simply by pledging a share of your estate. It has never been easier to support the University: our students and research teams. Help us to write the futureâ&#x20AC;Ś If you would like to know more about how you can leave a gift to the University, or to let us know if you have already provided for Newcastle University in your will, please contact James Johnston on 0191 222 6072

ADVANCE 6 08 2010