RGU
00110010ALUMNI 00111110 10001000 01100110 MAGAZINE ISSUE TWO 2018 01011110 01110111 11000100 01010100 00011001 01000011 01000010 11111010 01010101 00111010 11011001 00101000 “New digital engagement 10001001 11101010 00010001 11010000 platform10111011 for alumni”00111011 00111110 01111100 10100000 01000000 10001110 11000101 00001010 10011101 10001111 11001000 00110101 00001110 01101101 01011110 10110111 10101101 00110011 11110110 00000000 10111110 01001000 11000000 00000010 00100100 11000001 11001101 01100100 10000011 01110111 10110111 10100010 01100001 10001110 00110101 11001111 10010001 01010010 01000100 RE-CONNECT 11001000 00011011 00110101 00111101 Catch-up on campus news and events 11111110 01011111 11111011 11100011 GRADUATES 00000001 01000011 01000000 00001101 How to get ahead in a new role 00010110 00110111 01011011 11011000 UNEXPECTED 11100100 10000101 00111111 10001101 Learn about digital exposure for the digital age 00100010 00110011 11100111 01100011 11010011 10011111 10001101 11000001 11111111 00111010 11000100 00000101
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IN THIS ISSUE
Re-connect NIBlets Workplace advice
Graduates
Beneficial to alumni Save the date Alumni Council Chair Get socially connected Alumni snapshots Global network Annual Fund
Unexpected Cryptocurrency Digital exposure Did you hear?
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CONTACT US Mail: RGU Alumni Robert Gordon University Garthdee Road Aberdeen, AB10 7QB Email: service@alumni.rgu.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)1224 262285
Some of you will have received and taken part in the recent major alumni survey, which we sent randomly to a number of alumni to get a strong sense of their feelings towards RGU, the expectations and assessment of alumni outreach, and what you would like to hear more about from the university. For those who participated, thank you for providing the feedback – it will be of significant help as we build our alumni engagement programme. I’d also like to welcome those of you contacted during our upcoming phone campaign to learn more about RGU and some of the exciting activities that are coming up on campus. During these calls, we’ll also learn more about how you feel about RGU, and what you expect of us. It is also your chance to support the university’s annual fund, which supports students through scholarships and additional help on campus. Thank you in advance for this support. We know we’ve some work to do to build out our alumni programme. And, we’re committed to building our services to increase your engagement with your alma mater. Recently, we’ve launched RGU Talk, the new podcast featuring interviews with the alumni, staff and students who bring life to the university’s community. We’re in the process of developing a new digital engagement platform for alumni, which we intend to launch in the early fall. And, we’re going to increase our use of digital vehicles to share university and alumni news with you in much easier to access formats. As always, we appreciate your support and commitment to RGU. I invite you to keep checking back with us as we increase our services for alumni.
Mark C. Sollis, Vice-Principal for University Advancement
RE-CONNECT
NIBlets News in brief from the campus Artificial intelligence
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RGU is developing artificial intelligence to help people live healthier lives, manage chronic conditions and live independently at home for longer and showcased the latest research at the DataFest18 Fringe in Inverness. The ‘FIT for Healthy Living’ workshop featured health innovation projects, which included the ‘FIT Home’ and FIT medical devices that offer convenient ways to help manage healthy living.
Including expert opinion, interesting research, societal issues... Social work impact
A unique new study is being proposed by academics to review the impact of RGU’s social work education, as the programme celebrates its 50th year. The university has delivered a range of social work qualifications over the decades and the current School of Applied Social Studies is reaching out to alumni to find out the impact their degree had on their lives and careers.
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Uni dives into the digital world of podcasting
Communications Officer Jonnie Milne has been involved in a number of podcasts, including Curious Tales which reached number one in the iTunes Arts charts.
RGU has given its community a voice with the launch of an official podcast. Hosted by alumnus and Communications Officer Jonnie Milne, RGU Talk is dedicated to sharing stories from across the community of staff, students, alumni and senior management. Jonnie said: “It has been great to sit down with members of the RGU community to share their voices, thoughts and experiences with a wider audience.� The show is available on iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube.
Collaborating nationally A team of 16 students from RGU’s Gray’s School of Art and North East Scotland College were challenged with creating a new prototype inspired by their design heritage. They teamed up with Naomi Mcintosh, an Aberdeenshire-based jeweller, and V&A Dundee’s Leanne Fischler.
Excelling in creativity
Talented fashion and textile students from Gray’s School of Art have been recognised at the inaugural ‘Professional Development Award Scheme’ launched by a branch of the historical Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen. The awards recognise those who excel in creativity and technological skills.
Showcasing design A renowned UK artist who is taking part in the 2018 Look Again Festival of art and design will showcase her work as part of the prestigious La Biennale di Venezia. Emily Speed’s commission will explore human beings’ transition to adulthood.
New wellbeing coaching MSc RGU is set to launch a new degree in September, the MSc Exercise Health and Wellness Coaching, aimed at changing the public’s perception of exercise. It has been developed to optimise the role of exercise in the battle for improving public health.
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Safety champions
The School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences delivered lessons to school pupils from across Aberdeen City and Shire, teaching them the importance of medicine safety. The programme reinforces the students’ own knowledge and communication skills.
Being transparent RGU’s researchers were in Brussels presenting their findings on how legislation for extractive industries has been implemented in the EU. The legislation in question aims to make information about payments more transparent for citizens.
UDrafter developed
An RGU graduate is using his entrepreneurial talent to help students build employability skills while studying for their degree. Daryll Morrow came up with his business idea, UDrafter, while studying at RGU and has since been working with the RGU Incubator to develop it.
Women in agriculture Dr Jenna Ross embarked on an MBA to turn her passion for science and farming into a business concept. She has now won two prestigious awards, as well as an opportunity to travel the world to gather global data to enhance slug control in the UK.
Talented Athlete Programme
SCHOOL JOINS WITH THE ELITE ABS has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the longestserving global accrediting body for business schools.
In the wake of the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, an innovative programme at RGU SPORT continues to develop the sporting stars of tomorrow. The Talented Athlete Programme supports athletes from across the North east to pursue their sporting dreams by providing them with bespoke training.
Innovation Skills Programme
RGU is launching an Innovation Skills Programme to equip students with essential expertise for the next generation of jobs and industries. Covering a range of innovation related topics and projected skills needs, these short courses are part of RGU’s commitment to future proof graduates.
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CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS RGU has joined forces with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations to launch a Specialist Diploma in Crisis Communications, the only of it’s kind in Scotland.
PROSPECTIVE SCIENTISTS Talented secondary school pupils from across the North gathered at RGU to compete in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Schools’ Analyst competition.
Story by Careers Consultant Helen Scott
Make friends and influence people at work Final year students are in the midst of the exciting process of securing and starting their first graduate role. Anticipation and expectations are high, with most eager to get out, start their careers and make their mark on the world. All work environments are different, with various foibles and cultures that take time to assimilate, but graduates could boost their impact and create an excellent first impression by familiarising themselves with
positive work place behaviours that are almost universally expected. So just what are these mysterious ‘positive behaviours’ and how can you acquire and exhibit them? Certainly there are the old favourites – punctuality and appropriate dress would top this list, but there are other, more subtle behaviours that could help you to impress your manager from the start. A common employer complaint is that new
graduates often fail to arrive at work on time. Whilst being five, ten or even twenty minutes late might seem trivial, it usually annoys a line manager and other members of the team. In short, it’s unprofessional. So buy an accurate watch, set your alarm earlier than usual and make sure you’re at your desk a few minutes before your agreed start time. Another grumble is dress code. A London publisher recently revealed that a new graduate came
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into the office wearing shorts on a hot day. This might be fine at university but it isn’t usually appropriate for a formal work setting. On the first day, err on the side of smart – clean shoes, pressed shirt. You can always dress down when you’ve seen what colleagues are wearing. The trick is to watch, learn and adapt. But on to more complex matters: how to make sure you fit in and become an asset to the team. The key here is the ability to listen. Although the professional knowledge you’ve acquired at university is likely to be more up-to-date than that of your colleagues, who probably left formal education some time ago, they have something that you don’t: experience. Listen, learn and be polite and courteous at all times. Sometimes you’ll have to bite your tongue, but you’ll likely gain more friends and be able to influence people if you show that you’re an active listener and interested in what they’ve got to say. This is not to say you shouldn’t put your own ideas forward, but pick your moment and the way you do it. Better to
suggest something gently rather than try and bulldoze others with a strident ‘it’s my way or the high way’ attitude. Ask questions. Lots of them. You were hired because you’re the right person for the job, but no-one is likely to expect you to know the ins and outs of the business from day one. Don’t pretend that you know what you’re doing if you feel out of your depth. Choose a moment, sit down with an approachable colleague and ask them to clarify and explain if you don’t understand something. On the whole, they’ll be happy to help and share their expertise. And finally, after the initial high of getting a job and the excitement of starting something new, comes the realisation that you’re the newbie. You don’t know everything and you may have lots to learn. It’s normal to feel this way so try and stick with it. Gradually, you will adapt and you’ll find that you start to feel more comfortable, then your confidence will grow. Before you know it, you’ll be a fully functioning, effective member of the team.
As an RGU graduate you can access careers support with a professional careers consultant, both in person, by telephone and email for up to two years after graduation.
You will adapt and you’ll start to feel more comfortable 10
GRADUATES
Focus on the benefits Supporting you with programmes
You can find out more about upcoming opportunities to network on the next page and on RGU’s website. We look forward to seeing you at events on campus or in your area.
Alumni programmes provide an environment where friendships and links are forged that span the globe and bring communities together. If you’re looking to boost your career, then alumni activities offer the opportunity to meet people from your very own background and create a professional network. You could meet a mentor, find a new business partner or just help you build an agenda of useful contacts. Whether online or regionally, there are many different types of events which offer something for everyone, no matter where you are in the world. They provide social and professional networking opportunities and facilitate ongoing connections with the university, its staff and students. Alumni programmes can help you with life-long career management and provide learning opportunities to support you on your professional journey. You can sharpen your critical career-related skills, explore various industries and gain knowledge about current and future employment developments. Educational events also offer a great opportunity to explore new areas and develop your knowledge of different topics and trends. By participating you show a commitment to your university and your alumni community, strengthening important bonds. They are a great social opportunity too, allowing you to reconnect and share experiences with your fellow alumni.
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Save the date MAY Alumni networking evenings in Beijing & Shanghai
Connected transport systems
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29 to 31
19:00 22:00
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17:30 19:30
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16 to 24
10:00 Start
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JUN Professorial Lecture: Towards An Ecology of Birth
Gray’s Degree Show
London alumni networking evening
Scottish alumni networking evenings (Edinburgh & Glasgow)
AUG Supernatural in Contemporary Society Conference
SEP Urbanism @ Borders
Head to RGU’s website for further details about upcoming programmes
Alan Dick Your Alumni Council Chair The Alumni Council is a group of individuals who focus on building and supporting the extensive alumni network of Robert Gordon University. Simmons & Co International Vice President Alan Dick is Chair of that Alumni Council. The council was created and organised in order to
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help alumni build lifelong relationships with the university. It represents the university’s alumni and supports the university in strategic and alumni related matters. Alan said: “It’s something that we’re really trying to get full value for the alumni themselves, but also to help
people recognise that they can give something back to the current students through things like mentoring and various one to one type support that is invaluable. “We find that, when people do have that involvement, they actually gain something for themselves — both at a personal level and quite often for their companies and organizations also.” Alan has more than 15 years of experience in the oil services sector and is an alumnus himself. He’s graduated twice from RGU: first, with a Bachelor of Engineering degree and then with a Master of Business Administration. “I studied my MBA part time,” said Alan. “I was working full time; I had a lot of family commitments, new children along the way, so it was very challenging.” “As a school leaver in the mid-80s — when unemployment was ridiculously high — getting a job was super important. At the time, as it still is today, RGU had one of the best reputations for graduate placements. That was one of
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“Motivation to do something completely different”
my big reasons for coming to Aberdeen to study there.” One of Alan’s passions is endurance racing, and he’s even ran the Marathon des Sables: a six-day long 251km ultramarathon, which is said to be the toughest footrace on earth. Alan adds: “I just felt the motivation to do something
completely different. I had read about a race in the Sahara that just seemed to be the toughest and I thought — you know — why not? With, probably, a fair amount of naivety as to what I should be doing, what I needed to do, what I was capable of doing, I signed up. “Now I find, having done one or two other events
of this sort of magnitude, I really appreciate the sense of achievement at the end. I’m never going to win any of these races — I don’t really care about that — but it’s ‘the crossing the finishing line’ and that it took a lot of effort. I recognize in me that that’s something — something to be quite proud of.”
Get socially connected Socialising with your fellow graduates has never been easier. Connect with RGU’s alumni social media channels and join the conversation. You can stay connected with alumni professionally on LinkedIn, socially on Facebook and keep up to date using Twitter. RGU also plans to launch a digital engagement platform exclusively for the university and its alumni.
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The Journalism degree more than prepared me for work in the media industry.
Olympic alumna Alumna Hannah Miley won a silver the 400m swimming medley at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast of Australia. #TeamScotland took 44 medals at the games, with Hannah’s medal bringing the total silver count to 13. With nine gold and 22 bronze added to the tally, Scottish athletes bested their previous overseas medal record of 29 at the Melbourne 2006 games.
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Find us on Facebook with RGU Alumni
Follow us on Twitter @AlumniRGU
Search LinkedIn for Robert Gordon Alumni
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Congratulations to our alumni shortlisted in the @ElevatorAwards finals. It’s great to see some of our recent entrepreneurship event speakers being recognised. #ElevatorAwards
“Fantastic to see Gray’s School of Art alumnus Ade Adesina featured in The Sunday Times yesterday, and that he’s showcasing his work at Eton College.”
“The MATE Scotland ROV Challenge is returning to RGU to encourage young people into the subsea and maritime sector. Do you remember your #ROVMATE challenge? Did it work? #FlashbackFriday”
A team of young engineers from Grove Academy in Dundee has triumphed in an annual competition at RGU and will now travel to Seattle to take place in the international final. The team were taking part in the Scottish MATE ROV competition, co-ordinated and hosted by RGU, which saw nine school teams from around the country put underwater robots, which they had designed and built, through a series of tests for a place in the international final. The specific tasks for the 2018 challenge included: locating the wreckage of a vintage airplane and returning its engine to the surface; installing or recovering a seismometer; and installing a tidal turbine.
Alumni snapshots Saurabh Kaushal: ROV alumnus RGU’s first foray into the MATE ROV competition was back in June of 2007, when Mechanical Engineering Student Saurabh Kaushal entered as part of a ten-strong team named Vethos. Now a Subsea Asset Engineer for Total, Saurabh reflects on the competition and talks about his mentoring experiences.
It was the first year we started it. We got a team together and went across to Canada to compete. We won the Best Team Spirit award – something really noteworthy. Through that experience, I got some really useful contacts within the industry. Before we even finished the ROV competition in Canada, two of my teammates were employed by one of our sponsors in Aberdeen. The sponsor also encouraged me to apply for a scholarship, which I was finally successful with. It helped a lot. In my current role, I look after the integrity of Company’s West of Shetland subsea infrastructure, which includes a network of eight subsea wells, several pipeline structures and manifolds and about 900km of flow lines through which everything is being produced. When I started my career as an engineer, throughout the first three to four years, I had three mentors who immensely influenced where I got to today. It was really helpful to have someone advise me on practical things, like how to interact with colleagues and even how to write professional reports. When you start your career, you’re pretty much a blank slate—you don’t know what
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to expect in future. As you network with your workmates, as you get more interaction with your company and your career managers, you actually realise that—although you were recruited for something—there is a lot of potential to do things outside of the role you were recruited for. I’m always pushing to get
an expatriate role myself. As part of my interview for the chartership, I made a commitment to mentor students and future engineers. It’s about giving back really and it has been very enriching and rewarding experience. I think there’s a lot of benefit in mentoring students—for my personal
development as well. It’s developing me to be a successful future manager. It’s not just about making sure people can do their job; it’s relating to people and understanding their emotions, anchors and drivers in life as well. You can help them reach their potential—that’s what it’s all about.
Alumnus Subbu Parameswaran (right) is a social entrepreneur who has made it his mission to enable children from under resourced backgrounds to achieve equitable life outcomes. You can find out a little about his career journey in his interview online.
Alumna Omayma Motaleb (left) was one of the first RGU students to graduate with an MSc via Online Distance Learning, following this up with a PhD — all while raising a family. In her Q&A she pays credit to RGU staff and the university’s flexible approach to learning.
Global network Your alumni community
Increasing alumni population
Houston focus As part of RGU’s commitment to alumni engagement, the university is ramping up activity across the globe. RGU recently connected with its Houston-based alumni for a business breakfast, organised by the RGU Foundation and international law firm Pinsent Masons. Members of the alumni community came together with Mark Sollis, Vice-Principal for University Advancement, for a morning of networking to look at the topic of growth in a disruptive world. Head to RGU’s website events-page to find more engagement programmes.
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Change our tomorrow Collective philanthropy The annual fund provides critical support for key projects at the university and helps initiatives that would not receive support from any other channel. For some students, support has meant the difference between staying at home and attending international, multicultural, educational opportunities, like the Willem C Vis International Arbitration Moot or the Go India Project. These experiences help students to develop skills for their chosen disciplines and gives them invaluable international and multicultural networking opportunities that shouldn’t just be for those that can afford it themselves. Through funding, scholarships have also been made available to those who meet the widening participation criteria. This supports students financially as well as academically, as each scholar has access to a
dedicated study skills advisor. The programme also supports students’ career progression, with some being given the opportunity of a mentorship programme or a
projects, including funding to create industry links that started the ball rolling on research into climate change. It also allowed exploratory research into the psychology
summer placement. This gives students valuable experiences, builds their confidence and improves the skills that they’ll take into the workforce. Donations extend financial hardship support to talented RGU students, they aid student led extra-curricular activities such as student clubs, societies and support-services and in doing so add real value to the student experience. Funding from our alumni has also supported research
of physical health and exercise to continue. The partnership between the university, alumni and all our benefactors provides a foundation on which we can achieve our ambitions. Through making a contribution to the annual fund, alumni will change tomorrow for current and future generations of talented RGU students. SUPPORT THE FUND
UNEXPECTED
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Cryptocurrency Borderless by blockchain Opinion piece by Communications Officer Jack Stott
If you’ve heard of Bitcoin, then you may some knowledge of what cryptocurrency is all about. Bitcoin is an electronic currency that uses a public, de-centralised ledger to ensure its accuracy. Like any currency, Bitcoin has had its ups and downs and other cryptocurrencies are available, but perhaps more interesting than their changing value is the technology that makes them possible: blockchain. Blockchain is the de-
centralised ledger that creates these borderless currencies. It was invented by Bitcoin’s elusive inventor, Satoshi Nakamoto, in January of 2009. Blockchain is all about confirmations, and an irrefutable record of them that is known to the entire peerto-peer network. Confirmation must take place in order for a transaction to become part of the blockchain. It’s the job of a cryptocurrency miner to make that happen. Miners compete to solve a cryptologic puzzle that will
create a new block and link the transaction to the blockchain. They are incentivised with a small amount of the cryptocurrency, and it is the only way that bitcoins are created. Every time a new block is added, previous blocks are reconfirmed and move deeper into the blockchain’s permanent history. The potential benefit to all of this is that the blockchain is shared and everyone can see what’s on it. That may just make it more transparent and more trustworthy as a result.
Digital exposure
ISO: How sensitive your camera is to the light. It can also affect colour quality and introduce noise.
Aperture: Measured in f-stops, aperture controls how much light you let hit your camera’s sensor.
Shutter speed: It’s how long you want light to hit your camera’s sensor. It’s measured in seconds.
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Opinion piece by Communications Officer Jack Stott
Understanding these basics will help make you a better photographer
If you’d be interested in learning more about photography, RGU offers a 40 hour foundation, intermediate or advanced courses that also teach location based and studio photography.
Modern digital cameras are clever bits of kit. The vast majority of the time, they adequately automate the exposure process. However, it would be a waste to purchase an expensive DSLR and not use it to take creative control of your exposure. A creatively correct exposure is made up of three basic elements, often referred to as the exposure triangle. Each relies on the other and changing any one of them will alter how your image is exposed. ISO alters how sensitive your camera is to light. A higher ISO allows you to take photographs where less light is available. This will, however, increase the amount of noise that’s introduced into the image. Noise appears as little specks on your photo when you zoom in. It’s usually best to keep the ISO setting as low as is sensible, but not at the expense of your creatively correct exposure. The aperture setting changes the size of the hole that lets light into your lens. Altering the aperture will also change your cameras depth of field, which is the distance
between the nearest and farthest objects in focus. If you make your aperture small, less light will enter the lens but more will be in focus. The reverse is also true, with the addition of introducing bokeh. Bokeh is the way your lens renders the out of focus areas in your image. Lenses with good bokeh will make beautiful backgrounds to frame your subjects in and are highly prized by photographers. Open up your aperture to take advantage of bokeh. Shutter speed is the amount of time your camera’s sensor is exposed to light. The longer it’s open, the brighter the image will be. Images can be taken in a fraction of a second to freeze almost any moment in time. Leaving the shutter open for several seconds can stretch movement across your image to beautiful effect. Just remember to use a tripod. Try making the exposure decisions for yourself every so often. Your camera won’t always make the right call and taking creative control of your exposures can help you get the shot you want more often.
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Did you hear? Follow your curiosity Lecturer Amy Waring
“We are privileged to be holding a special ceremony in the presence of the current Lord and Lady Aberdeen for the renaming of The Ishbel Gordon Building, honouring the lasting legacy of the major contribution which she has made for women in Scotland, Ireland, and Canada.”
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“Stories can be a catalyst for transformative thinking amongst students facilitating powerful changes in identity. This contrasts with the traditional, more transmissive and transactional methods of teaching and learning.”
RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski
In the UK, less than 10% of new housing stock is designed by an architect. Professor Gokay Deveci
“It was a surreal feeling to finally get our hands on the trophy.”
“RGU has always been at the centre of innovation and ingenuity; you only have to look at its incredible history to see that. This is the perfect time to join RGU, helping to shape the university’s position as a thought leader, as we begin the next chapter in its journey.”
RGU FC President Gabriel Antoniazzi
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Visiting Professor Damian Bates
“Had to design and build a soapbox racer.” Dr Morgan Adams
