Nexusonline SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2012
RGU plays its part in London 2012
Connecting the University community Hannah Miley
LiveWire project delivers measurable improvements
The LiveWire project, a web development project which aimed to build on and improve RGU’s web presence, has come to an end after 18 months. The project was developed to enhance RGU’s online presence and evidence shows that this has been achieved. The project was split into five strands which were; moving to a single web domain, optimising the website for natural search, improving RGU’s online presence, creating a publishing plan and looking forward as new technology develops. In addition to a core project team, involving marketing, communications and student recruitment, ITS supported by providing search engine optimisation expertise in Aberdeen Business School. Over 100 staff across the University were identified as ‘web champions’ and received training on how to update content using FarCry, a content management system which has enabled delivery of an improved user experience. Story continued on page 4
Olympic fever ran high throughout RGU this summer as the 2012 games brought to light the links between the University’s sporting endeavours and the Olympic spirit. The University had numerous stakes in the London 2012 games, given its connections to student swim-star Hannah Miley, honorary graduate and gold-medalist Katherine Grainger, and the Cameroonian team which it hosted during their pre-games training camp (PGTC).
The Garioch swimmer, who has trained at RGU: SPORT alongside her studies, also brought national acclaim when she helped her team make huge progress in the third round, pushing them up to ultimately claim fifth place in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay.
Sports and Exercise Science student and RGU: SPORT Scholar Hannah showed a marked improvement on her Beijing 2008 campaign, forging her way to the final in all three of her chosen events.
North-east Olympic rower, Katherine Grainger, who received an Honorary Doctor of Law from the University in 2010 also gave cause for celebration when she stormed to gold in the women’s Double Sculls final at Eton Dorney on Friday 3 August.
Her campaign kicked off in the first days of the 2012 games, placing fifth position in the 400 metre Individual Medley (IM) and finishing in seventh in the 200m IM.
Helping build excitement in the run up to the summer event, staff and students were delighted to play host to the Cameroonian Olympic team for their PGTC which ran between 4 and 20 July.
The managers and coaches of the African team expressed their extreme satisfaction with the training camp, remarking that the world-class facilities had helped put them in the best possible shape for their Olympic campaign. Director of Sports at RGU: SPORT, Filippo Antoniazzi commented: “It has been fantastic as a university and a region to have shared in and played a role in the summer games. We couldn’t be more proud of Hannah and Katherine’s achievements, and the Cameroonian PGTC provided an ideal opportunity to showcase our facilities and expertise on the global stage.”