Alumni Magazine | Autumn Edition 2013
Forging a future at Southampton
A great place to build a career
Marine excellence Our research and business partnerships inform our education Challenges in computing Two graduates discuss the Web and its future In my own words A conversation with the Vice President and Managing Director of the Nike Foundation
In this issue
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I am very pleased to introduce this issue of Hartley News, the magazine for University of Southampton alumni and friends. In this issue we feature our cutting-edge marine and maritime research and a unique partnership with Lloyds Register. We wait, with much anticipation, for the opening of the new Boldrewood Campus scheduled for 2014. The new campus sees the coming together of our excellent Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute with Lloyd’s Register and represents one of the largest business partnerships with any single university in the world. The University is not just an institution that provides higher education for over 20,000 students; it is also a place where highly-talented individuals are able to forge a meaningful career. Indeed, over 1,800 alumni have chosen to work here after they graduate. Find out why on page 12. One such alumna that decided to build a career at the University is Professor Dame Wendy Hall. On page 16 she discusses with Bryan Glick (BSc Computer Studies, 1987), Editor-in-Chief of Computer Weekly, what challenges the computer science industry faces and how universities such as Southampton are helping. Philanthropic giving has been vital to our success as a University and on page 18 you can discover the difference that your gifts have made to our current students this year. I hope you enjoy reading about your community’s achievements in this issue of Hartley News and that you will continue to stay involved with your alumni community. With your continued input and support we can realise our aspirations, and in doing so continue to change the world for the better. Professor Don Nutbeam (MA, 1983; PhD, 1988) Vice-Chancellor
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1 Marine excellence Our research and business partnerships inform our education. Page 8
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2 Forging a future at Southampton A great place to build a career. Page 12 3 Challenges in computing Two graduates discuss the Web and its future. Page 16
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4 In my own words A conversation with the Vice President and Managing Director of the Nike Foundation. Page 26
More highlights Thank you from our students Your gifts make a difference. Page 18 Get involved Read how you can support our students in choosing the right career. Page 22 Class notes Discover what your friends are up to. Page 24  
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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University Research
Britain’s Atlantis revealed A University of Southampton professor has carried out the most detailed analysis ever of the archaeological remains of the lost medieval town of Dunwich, dubbed ‘Britain’s Atlantis’.
the underwater town’s streets, boundaries and major buildings, and revealed new ruins on the seabed.
“DIDSON technology is rather like shining a torch onto the seabed, only using sound instead of light. The data produced helps us to not only see the ruins, but also David worked with a team from the University’s GeoData Institute; the National understand more about how they interact with the tidal currents and seabed,” Present day Dunwich is a village 14 miles Oceanography Centre Southampton; explains David. south of Lowestoft in Suffolk, but it was once Wessex Archaeology; and local divers a thriving port – similar in size to 14th from North Sea Recovery and Learn Scuba. Peter Murphy, English Heritage’s coastal century London. Extreme storms forced survey expert, says: “The loss of most of the “Visibility under the water at Dunwich is coastal erosion and flooding that have almost very poor due to the muddy water. This has medieval town of Dunwich over the last few completely wiped out this once prosperous hundred years – one of the most important limited the exploration of the site,” town over the past seven centuries. English ports in the Middle Ages – is part of comments David. “We have now dived Funded and supported by English Heritage, on the site using high-resolution DIDSON ™ a long process that is likely to result in more and using advanced underwater imaging acoustic imaging to examine the ruins on the losses in the future. Everyone was surprised, though, by how much of the eroded town still techniques, the project led by David Sear, seabed – the first use of this technology for survives under the sea and is identifiable.” Professor of Physical Geography, has non-wreck marine archaeology,” he adds. produced the most accurate map to date of
An image of the underwater medieval town of Dunwich
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Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
Copper destroys norovirus
Beating cancer
New research from the University of Southampton shows that copper and copper alloys will rapidly destroy norovirus – the highly-infectious sickness bug. Professor Bill Keevil’s work shows that copper alloys containing 60 per cent copper were particularly effective. See Hartley News Autumn Edition, 2011, page four for related research.
Smart fabric technology
Leukocytes (white blood cells that form part of the human immune system) attacking a cancer cell
In 2012, the University of Southampton received a gift of £10 million to boost its world-class research in cancer immunology and immunotherapy, (see Hartley News, Autumn Edition 2012, page seven). The University is using the gift to create a cancer immunology centre that will speed up the translation of research discoveries into benefits for patients. More and more evidence is showing that the immune system has enormous potential to fight cancer and to extend peoples’ lives. New treatments developed by researchers at Southampton come in the form of vaccines and antibodies designed to direct special immune cells against cancers. The most recent drug in this class is called ipilimumab which stimulates the immune
system to kill cancer cells and it was the first ever treatment to extend the life of patients with melanoma. “These exciting results are just the first in a rapidly growing list and over the coming years we expect to see numerous ‘immune booster’ drugs of this type being approved for all different sorts of cancer,” says Professor Christian Ottensmeier who leads the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre in Southampton. To further maximise the potential for the new centre, the University will soon launch a campaign to raise £10 million to advance its role in cancer immunology research. For more information on giving a gift to support our research, or to make suggestions for sponsorship, please call +44 (0)23 8059 2747 or email alumni@southampton.ac.uk
Predicting climate change impact A new study shows that advances in simulations are creating a more accurate picture of the future climate, and current global sea-level rise due to Antarctic ice loss might only be half of what has been reported in major studies in the last few years. Scientists from 12 specialist centres across the world, including the University of Southampton, have – for the first time – collectively studied advances in both observations and simulations of ice-sheet mass changes.
from the Greenland Ice Sheet, thought to be double the Antarctic ice mass. Robert Nicholls, Professor of Coastal Engineering at the University of Southampton, says: “Future increases in mass loss from the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets are likely to significantly enhance the rate of global sea-level rise, which is currently just over three millimetres per year, as these ice-sheet changes become an increasingly dominant contributor.
The study shows how uncertainties in modelling methods have been reduced thanks The team of experts confirm recent results to better theoretical understanding and showing a brighter future in relation to the advances in measurement techniques that contribution to global sea-level rise from the make use of radar, laser and satellite data. Antarctic Ice Sheet – with contributions being This allows scientists to better predict the only half of what has previously been reported impact of climate change on ice-sheet mass – but also confirmed a major loss of mass balance and global sea-level rise.
In collaboration with Electronics and Computer Science experts, Vodafone UK has unveiled its Power Shorts and Recharge Sleeping Bag – two innovations that have the capability to harvest body heat and movement to boost the battery life of mobile devices.
Evolution of birds The discovery of a fossilised species of bird-like dinosaur is giving scientists new insight into the evolution of birds. Dr Gareth Dyke from Southampton says: “Aurornis pushes Archaeopteryx off its perch as the oldest member of the bird lineage.”
Space-time secrets Researchers at the University have taken a significant step to unravel the secrets of the structure of our Universe. Using theoretical physics they calculate that the Universe may exist as a hologram.
Salary equality Research on salaries of female chief executive officers has found that although there are only a few women on the boards of Britain’s top companies, they earn far more than their male counterparts. Female leaders of FTSE 350 firms have pay packages that are more than a third higher than those of their male equivalents.
Flying car A Southampton engineering research student is planning to turn science fiction into fact. Witold Mielniczek has invented a flying car that has a hybrid car-helicopter design. To find out more about these stories, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/mediacentre
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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University News
National social entrepreneur champions Student entrepreneurs from the University are celebrating after winning the Enactus UK national championship for the third year in a row. Enactus is a global not-for-profit organisation that works to mobilise university students to make a difference within their communities while developing their skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Guided by university and business advisers, students run real-life projects that create economic opportunity for others. “We’re thrilled to be the Enactus national champions for the third year in a row and I want to thank everyone involved at the University of Southampton for playing their part in making this possible,” said Charlotte Pearce, outgoing President of Enactus Southampton. “What makes Enactus Southampton so successful is our focus on business together with the opportunity to improve our community and for us to better ourselves and learn from that experience.” At Southampton, nearly 150 students from a range of subjects – management and art to geography and engineering – are actively part of Enactus. At home and overseas the group builds
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partnerships with organisations to identify and link with local entrepreneurs in need of help to support their families and their communities. The projects are funded through a number of commercially-focused Enactus Southampton activities which create a steady stream of revenue, and are supported by mentors from our alumni community (see Hartley News, Summer Edition 2013, p22). “Our social projects are funded by our commercial projects,” Charlotte explains. “We teach entrepreneurship so it’s only natural that we are involved in entrepreneurial activities ourselves to generate the income we need to fund the projects we choose to support.” Enactus Southampton was chosen over 40 other universities to win this year’s national finals after presenting three social enterprise projects to a panel of judges: SanEco, Right Futures and Find Your Path. All of these projects aim to create a positive impact on individuals and communities in the UK and Africa through mentoring skills in business, supporting new businesses and helping to create sustainable income streams.
Eco-challenge Lewis Morgan, an engineering science student from the University, took part in a non-stop driving challenge across the length of Britain, in a bid to be crowned the nation’s most economical driver. Teams from universities across the UK competed in the 1,701 mile Formula Student Diesel Eco Driving Challenge in June.
Chemical Landmark award On 24 July, Chemistry at the University was awarded a National Chemical Landmark blue plaque by the Royal Society of Chemistry, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the discovery of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) that has revolutionised science. In the 1970s Professors Martin Fleischmann, Patrick Hendra and Jim McQuillan found that by roughening the metal surface upon which the molecules they were examining had been placed, they could increase the signal by which they could detect these molecules, a million times over. This allowed them to detect molecules in far smaller quantities than ever before.
The technique is now used for detecting tiny quantities of molecules, in situations from crime scene forensic analysis, to drug detection, to establishing the origins of works of art. On awarding the discovery of SERS with a National Chemical Landmark blue plaque, Professor David Phillips, Royal Society of Chemistry Past President said: “The practical application of SERS in chemistry, genetics and healthcare is of vital scientific importance, from the detection of cancer genes to DNA fingerprinting. It is my great pleasure to come back to Southampton on behalf of the Royal Society of Chemistry and to present a prestigious Chemical Landmark.”
Improving future generation’s health A science and educational-based approach to diet and lifestyle will help young people improve their own health and the health of their future children, Southampton research has shown. LifeLab Southampton is an innovative intervention, part of the National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre in nutrition, which aims to improve young people’s health through education and first-hand experience of scientific approaches at the forefront of modern medicine.
Professor Nigel Shadbolt, one of the world’s leading experts in Web Science and the pioneering co-founder of the Open Data Institute (ODI), has been knighted in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to science and engineering. For more news on the Birthday honours, see page 20–21.
Supporting students Southampton continues to make excellent progress in reaching out to and supporting young people from under-represented backgrounds who have the potential to benefit from higher education. Our students have access to one of the UK’s most generous and flexible programmes of support, tailored to their circumstances and needs, including partial fee waivers, bursaries or a combination of the two.
Life sciences award
Results showed that LifeLab, created a wider appreciation among students that their current lifestyle could affect not only their long-term health but also that of their future children. Additionally, students became significantly more interested in studying science beyond compulsory schooling, and in considering science and healthcare career options.
Since it started in 2008 more than 1,000 school students aged between five and 18 years old, have experienced the scheme. A study, published in the journal Health Education, included a survey of 597 14-year olds across Southampton, which gauged their views and behaviour in relation to their own health. A group of teenagers who took part in LifeLab were compared with those of their peers, six months after the intervention.
National honour
As a result of the promising start LifeLab has had, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) and the University of Southampton have committed to building a dedicated LifeLab facility at Southampton General Hospital, and this was opened in September.
Research by Dario Carugo, from Engineering Science and the Institute for Life Sciences has opened up novel insights into targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy, which has earned him the Life Sciences Postgraduate of the Year award.
Cyber rhino hits the streets This summer the University’s Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) staff and students participated in a mass, world-class public art exhibition ‘Go! Rhinos’ brought to the streets and parks of Southampton by Marwell Wildlife to commemorate the zoo’s 40th anniversary. The cyber-rhino named ‘Erica’ was one of a number of sculptures that inhabited the streets of Southampton to highlight the significant conservation threat facing wild rhinos. To find out more about these stories and more, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/ mediacentre
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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Feature
The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute, led by Professor Ajit Shenoi, is tackling some of today’s most pressing maritime challenges
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Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
Marine excellence At Southampton our excellence in marine and maritime research is anchored in the port heritage of our city. Our world-leading research forges business partnerships across the globe and informs our students’ education, preparing them for their future careers. The Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) at the University, is a unique internationally recognised centre of excellence where experts from all disciplines come together to tackle global maritime challenges, in partnership with business, civic and industrial societies.
Unique partnership “The opportunities for collaboration that Southampton offers within the UK are really attractive,” says Tim Kent (BSc Mechanical Engineering, 1985), Marine Technical Director at Lloyd’s Register. “SMMI provides a great opportunity for academia, ship builders, ship operators, technical verifiers such as ourselves, and technical regulators to work together so that we are properly positioned to deploy emerging technologies safely, cleanly and cost effectively to everyone’s benefit.” Lloyd’s Register’s involvement with Southampton is its largest collaboration with any single university anywhere in the world, and will see the company locating its Global Technology Centre on the University’s new Boldrewood Campus in 2014 (see Hartley News Spring Edition 2013, page 18), when the collaboration was first announced). “Lloyd’s Register is a technical services organisation that provides independent assurance that assets are safe and environmentally acceptable through the cost effective application of technology,” explains Tim. “We develop technical standards called Classification Rules that are built on engineering technical capability, underpinned by our research programme, and delivered by highly-experienced engineers of all disciplines. But in order to keep up with the fast paced industry and the increase in the range of technologies available on ships, it is really important that we work closer with academic institutions so we have the edge over our competitors.”
Four key challenges This mutually beneficial collaboration will allow SMMI to work towards the four key challenges that underpin its research, explains Professor Ajit Shenoi, Director of SMMI. The first is climate and the environment; he explains that we need to understand more about how the oceans and the environment are influenced by our climate. “The second key area is energy and resources,” he says. “We will be increasingly reliant on the oceans to provide us with our energy, food, minerals and even medicine; therefore we need to be able to comprehensively understand the ocean’s capabilities.” Another area that SMMI is looking at is society and government. Ajit explains that over the next 15 to 20 years a significant proportion
of the Earth’s population will be living only a few miles away from a coastline. “We believe that a focus on the people in these areas will be vital in understanding and preserving our culture, heritage, homes and communities around these coastlines is critical.” The final key area that research at SMMI focuses on is trade and transport. Over 90 per cent of global trade is transported by sea and ships will continue to be the backbone of this trade. “Food grains, oil, ore and other essential commodities for humankind will continue to be transported in bulk via ships. Enhancing safety of not only the ships but the goods they transport, as well as the crew and passengers, will remain a key focus,” says Ajit.
World-leading reputation Tim explains that he chose to study at Southampton because it has a excellent reputation for engineering disciplines. This is an opinion shared by Ed Dudson (BEng Ship Science, 1990) who is a Technical Director at BMT Nigel Gee and Associates Ltd, a naval architect consultancy firm in Southampton. “If you have graduated with a ship science degree from Southampton, it is well thought of,” he says. “I still see Ajit quite regularly and my company still has quite a lot of links with the University. For example some of my colleagues are involved in reviewing final year projects to give students an industry perspective.” “My education from Southampton gave me a theoretical and practical appreciation of how boats work and float, and gave me a good grounding in naval architecture,” says Holly Phillips (BEng Ship Science, 1991; PhD Ship Science, 1997; MBA, 2013), Principal Naval Architect at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). During her MBA, she used new advanced software tools as part of her course and studied Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as part of her PhD research. “If I had not studied these at University, I would not have the knowledge and confidence to challenge and question aspects of my day-to-day work,” she adds. “I manage the Naval Architecture team at the RNLI (currently a team of six), which is part of the RNLI’s engineering office based at its headquarters in Poole. We are responsible for the structural and stability aspects of all the boats and equipment, and for the design of new lifeboats,” says Holly. “At the moment I am also Project Manager for the replacement life boats on the River Thames, called the E-Class Mk2. I am really passionate about what I do because our lifeboats are there to save lives – you can’t get more valuable than that,” she enthuses. “I was also a member of the Poole lifeboat crew for 17 years, which gave me the added good fortune of experiencing what the RNLI does at the sharp end as well as in the office,” she adds. u Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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“SMMI provides a great opportunity for academia, ship builders, ship operators, technical verifiers such as ourselves, and technical regulators to work together so that we are properly positioned to deploy emerging technologies safely, cleanly and cost effectively to everyone’s benefit.” Tim Kent Marine Technical Director at Lloyd’s Register
Practical learning Ajit suggests that what makes Southampton better at providing engineering graduates with the skills they need is that the courses are taught by world-leaders in their fields. “We also engage scholars from industry and business to visit the University and impart their knowledge to our students,” he says. “Students then learn about their subject from a practical viewpoint, and are better prepared when they go into industry.” The RNLI has an Advanced Technology Partnership with the University. This involves Holly and colleagues identifying potential research projects that students can carry out on the RNLI’s behalf. “This is beneficial to both parties, because it gives the student a real problem to work on as part of their dissertation, but it also gives us the answer to a research question that we have needed,” she says. Holly explains that the UK has a very strong marine industry and more companies should be taking advantage of similar partnerships with universities. “We have broadened our partnership. It started as a very technologically-focused agreement, but over the last
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Credit: Nathan Williams, RNLI
“At the moment I am also the Project Manager for the replacement life boats on the River Thames, called the E-Class Mk2. I am really passionate about what I do because our lifeboats are there to save lives – you can’t get more valuable than that!” Holly Phillips Principal Naval Architect, RNLI
few years it has expanded to include knowledge and management aspects, in collaboration with Douglas Macbeth, Professor of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management.” But a Southampton education goes further than the disciplines that students learn. Ed explains that he has a small network of alumni that he is in regular contact with. And Ajit comments: “There is a small community of ship science graduates and everyone knows each other. We help our graduates to network with each other on a regular basis and connect them with businesses and individuals.” In his role at Lloyd’s Register, Tim visits the University quite regularly and he is pleased to see that much has stayed the same. “The Lanchester and Tizzard buildings are still here, as well as the green spaces, but it is also nice to see how the University has grown and expanded into Salisbury Road and further up University Road, which were semi-residential when I studied here,” he says. “It shows that the University is a very successful place.”
Open for business Ajit suggests that the success of SMMI is down to the staff, students and alumni. “We welcome ideas from alumni about how we can improve research and education at the University and how we can help to improve their businesses,” he says. “Often we are providing alumni with new graduate employees, so their opinion really matters.” The new Boldrewood Campus that will open in 2014 will have excellent facilities that can be used to benefit the University’s partners. “Among the world-leading facilities will be a big new towing tank that can be used for research. SMMI is open for business and I would like to encourage alumni to get in touch to find out how we can help them,” Ajit concludes. For more information on SMMI, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/smmi If you would like to find out how SMMI could help your business, get in touch at alumni@southampton.ac.uk
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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Feature
Forging a future at Southampton Of the 5,000 staff members that work at the University, over 1,800 are alumni. Southampton students recognise the benefits of the world-class education they receive and the fantastic opportunities to forge careers here after they graduate. Hartley News talks to four members of staff that either stayed on at the University to build a career, or after time away returned to continue their careers.
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“I really enjoyed my history degree and this was one of the reasons I returned to work at Southampton after a period away.� Mark Stoyle, Professor of Early Modern History
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Dr Anna Barney
“My role as Associate Dean for Education is also a great job, as it allows me to influence the quality of education and student experience for the students who are here now.” Dr Anna Barney, Associate Dean for Education in Engineering and the Environment
“My interests lie in speech acoustics and speech processing. Southampton is absolutely the place to be if you want a career in this area, because of the world-class research and reputation of the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR),” says Anna Barney, (BSc Physics, 1986; MSc Electronics, 1987; PhD, 1995), Associate Dean for Education in Engineering and the Environment.
Influencing education Anna worked part-time at Southampton City College (SCC) during her PhD, teaching students that were taking the University’s foundation year that was franchised to SCC. “After graduating, I became the Director of Foundation Year in Engineering and I have been running this ever since,” she says. “My role as Associate Dean for Education is also a great job, as it allows me to influence the quality of education and student experience for the students who are here now,” she adds. Part of Anna’s research looks at how the air makes sounds when we speak. She is working with dementia patients to record the vibrations associated with speech in order to develop processes to diagnose the disease earlier. “In the early stages of dementia, people may repeat words. Using sensors above the jaw, we are looking for vibration patterns that indicate repeated words, in order to diagnose mental decline,” she explains.
Breathe easy More recently, she has been working with Professor Anne Bruton (PhD in Respiratory Muscle Function, 2001), respiratory rehabilitation specialist in Health Sciences, on the sounds made by the lungs when a person breathes. “If you have a disease you may experience wheezing or irregular breathing. We recorded the breathing of patients with cystic fibrosis, asthma and obstructive diseases to look for patterns in order to predict when they might need medical care,” she says. Stephen Holgate (DSc, 1991), Medical Research Council Clinical Professor of Immunopharmacology, also has an interest in people with lung diseases, in particular asthma. “The reason Southampton is such a wonderful place for me personally is that it has enabled me to carry out the first bronchoscopy – a technique of visualising the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes – and to pursue the lines of research that I believed to be important,” he says. When Stephen arrived at Southampton he started to look at the role of inflammation in asthma. At the time, asthma was regarded as a disease of the muscle of the bronchial tubes that contract too much to cause wheezing. “We opened up the field and proved that asthma was an inflammatory disease and between 1990 and 1995, we established that viruses could be a cause for worsening asthma as well as inflammation.” Stephen and his team showed that in asthma patients there was a deficiency in the lungs of a chemical called interferon that usually protects against viruses. As a result of this groundbreaking work, the spin-out company Synairgen was set up to develop a treatment where interferon could be inhaled to deliver it back to the
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Professor Stephen Holgate
Laura O’Loughlin
lungs. “Synairgen is the only company that has developed this treatment and last year we carried out a successful clinical trial to prove its effectiveness,” explains Stephen. Synairgen is one of 16 spin-out companies from the University, 12 of which have been spun out since 2000.
“One thing that I remember being amazed at as a student, and still talk to prospective students about now as a member of staff, is that no matter what your interest, there is something for everyone at Southampton,” says Laura O’Loughlin (BA History, 2008), Administration and Assessment Team Leader in Business and Law.
Laura decided to build a career at the University because she enjoyed her studies, the scenic campuses, being taught by world-leaders and had made Southampton her home. “If I had enjoyed these aspects Professor Mark Stoyle (BA History, 1988) was also drawn back to the University because Southampton was a place where he could continue as a student, I had no doubt I would continue to working here as a professional,” she says. to both research and teach the subjects that really appealed to him. She started her professional career at the University as a temporary He delves into the past, and is particularly interested in Tudor member of staff, before moving into Student Services and the Rebellions and the English Civil Wars. accommodation team. “My favourite time of the year is when we “I really enjoyed my history degree and this was one of the reasons welcome the new students to halls at the start of their first year. I returned to work at Southampton after a period away,” he says. “From my undergraduate studies, I knew that Humanities supported A lot of work is put in by the whole team and it is great to see everyone pulling together to ensure the students have the best possible start.” its students a great deal and there was always an open door policy
Student-friendly reputation
so students could talk to the academic staff whenever they needed advice. This was the sort of institution that I wanted to work in.” Mark has recently been exploring the history of witchcraft during the Tudor and Stuart periods. “I’m interested in why 90 per cent of the English people accused of witchcraft were women – and in how witchcraft affected politics. I’m currently looking at how whispers of witchcraft affected royal courts during this period – and at how some people manipulated fears of witchcraft for their own advantage” says Mark. After the Reformation, a greater fear of witches developed, with the government producing laws that meant people could be executed if found guilty of witchcraft. The fear of witches also intensified during the Civil War between King and Parliament during the 1640s, explains Mark, because law and order broke down and there was nothing to stop the accusations running wild in certain areas. “I’m also interested in why people who were slightly different – particularly argumentative women known as ‘Scolds’ – were singled out as witches,” he notes, “and this is one of the subjects which I’m especially enjoying teaching about on the History ‘Group Project’ at the moment”.
Something for everyone From his time at University, Mark also remembers with fondness the social aspects of being a student, as does Anna. “I was in the motorcycle club, so what I remember most was roaring loudly around the New Forest with a good set of friends,” she says. “I remember we also did some 24-hour endurance moped racing,” she adds.
Laura has recently started a new job as Administration and Assessment Team Leader in Business and Law and is looking forward to taking on more responsibility and learning how another area of the University works. It is evident that so many Southampton graduates enjoyed their time at University and are indebted to the excellent staff and cutting-edge facilities for giving them such a head start in their careers. “It is something to be proud of that so many graduates stay to forge their careers here,” says Mark. “Even though I have been tempted by other jobs in this country and overseas, I have never had reason to leave Southampton, because I have had and continue to have so many opportunities to do the research that is important to me,” says Stephen.
It is not just that Southampton graduates stay at the University to build a career after graduating, even more stay in the Southampton area to build their lives after higher education. A staggering 50 per cent of our alumni community live within 50 miles of Highfield Campus and we would like to stay connected or reconnect with all of you. A small team of alumni are coordinating the launch of the Southampton Branch and we are looking for other graduates in the area to join us to form a professional network of like-minded individuals with the University in common. For more information about joining the Southampton Branch, or any other of our alumni branches, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/alumni/branches
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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Feature
Professor Dame Wendy Hall and her former tutee Bryan Glick discuss the computer science industry
Challenges in computing Dame Wendy Hall (BSc Mathematics, 1974; PhD Mathematics, 1977) is Professor of Computer Science and Dean of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the University. She and her former tutee Bryan Glick (BSc Computer Studies, 1987), Editor-in-Chief of Computer Weekly discuss their experiences of the University and the challenges facing the computer science industry.
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Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
WH: Why did you choose to study at Southampton? BG: I had been advised by my school to apply to the University of Cambridge, but when I went there, I found it oppressive and stuffy. In comparison, Southampton was very relaxed and I remember coming away from the interview feeling comfortable. In addition to the University also having a good reputation for mathematics and computing, the Sunday Times University Guide in that year rated the Students’ Union the best in the country. WH: I was a Junior Lecturer of Computer Science at the time and there were less than 20 students on the course. We got to know all our students really well and it was a completely different experience to now; we have over 100 students on the first year course now and the University is three times as big as it was then. The year you left University, I started building the groundbreaking Microcosm hypermedia system, which pre-dated the Web. And this was the start of my interest in multimedia and hypermedia technologies. How did your course help you with your career? BG: In 1987, computing graduates pretty much had the pick of jobs and I think I had about six offers for programming jobs. But as much as I enjoyed programming, I didn’t see myself as a programmer and accepted a job at International Computers Ltd (ICL) on a graduate training scheme for sales, marketing and business development. In 1999, I wanted to try journalism and was fortunate to get some work experience at the Daily Express. This was the start of my journalism career and I haven’t looked back.
With Professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, who holds a Chair of Computer Science at the University, and Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Head of the University’s Web and Internet Science Group, I have created the academic discipline of Web Science. Web Science not only looks at the technological changes to the Web, but also how the world is changing around the Web and how people’s behaviours change as a result.
transparency. Another issue is to do with how the Web will evolve over the next decade. It is perceived that there is a shortage of career-ready graduates in IT, and without them the industry is worried that there will be no one to drive the technology forward. WH: At the University, we are looking at the concept of a Semantic Web. This is essentially a more intuitive Web. At the moment if you do a search online, your web browser will display lots of sources of information that you then need to sift through. In the next decade, we will see computers sifting through this information for us and providing the exact answer needed.
Publishing is arguably the industry that has changed the most with the emergence of digital media; you have taken magazines from print to digital throughout your career, which is a great achievement. In terms of privacy and transparency, Sir Tim and Sir Nigel have pioneered the BH: Yes, As the Web has grown, and the need open data concept. They have led the way for to publish stories quickly has increased, an unprecedented amount of government more and more magazines are leaving print data to be made freely available. This led behind and turning digital. When I started to the launch of the Open Data Institute in at Computer Weekly, there was a print London last year, co-directed by Sir Tim and magazine and a web site, but the two were Sir Nigel, which incubates new businesses not integrated. We went through a two-year to exploit this open data. The data are now process to change the magazine into being used to create innovative services a web-based product. from apps that avoid accident black spots to finding the nearest empty car park space. The most notable change for me is the perception of the industry by the public. Web technology is completely integrated into our lives and children are now brought up with smart phones and have access to huge amounts of data that was not available before. WH: This is the essence of Web Science, how the technology influences and changes our lives. Now we have all this technology, what do you think are the challenges facing the computing industry? BH: The biggest issue for the industry is privacy and ownership of data, and I believe that the answer to this is greater
The issue of providing the industry with career-ready graduates is taken very seriously at Southampton. Our students have the opportunity to do work placements throughout their time here and we are also discussing introducing industrial placements into our degrees, either as a summer placement or as a year in industry. This should give them real experience of the industry so that they are equipped for the global jobs market. Join our Alumni LinkedIn group for a continuing discussion on Web Science.
I am now Editor-in-Chief at Computer Weekly, responsible for the managing and development of the team producing the editorial content, including the web site, weekly digital magazines, blogs, videos, podcasts, and much more. WH: At Southampton, we are well known for the work we have done on developing the infrastructure for the internet and developing the Web, which is used by everyone worldwide, especially in the publishing industry. I am focused on understanding what the Web is and how we might engineer its future to ensure maximum social benefit.
BSc Computer Studies class of 1987, including Bryan and Wendy
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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Thank you from our students Gifts from you, our dedicated community of alumni and friends, no matter how big or small, are continuing to help talented and ambitious students to fulfil their potential at Southampton.
Kathryn Wicks
Saikiran Tharimena
Hartley News talks to some of the students who have benefitted directly from your gifts to the Postgraduate Research Scholarship fund, which over 400 of our generous donors have supported in the last year.
Hamis Mugendawala, PhD in Economics of Education “The scholarship enabled me to pursue my dream of attaining a PhD at a prestigious Russell Group University, by helping with my tuition fee. As an international student, I come from a very humble financial background and I would not have been able to come to the UK to study without this scholarship. “This scholarship shows that donors believe that able but disadvantaged students need support. It also means that I will strive to become a world leader in my area of expertise and elicits in me the desire to become a future donor to the University.”
Kathryn Wicks, PhD in Gerontology “My research seeks to investigate and identify how the care of older people is negotiated within familial settings in Hampshire, and between families and social support services. “My scholarship has made a world of difference to my education.
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Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
Without it, it would have proved extremely difficult, if not impossible, for me to undertake my PhD at Southampton, which was my first choice of study due to its reputation for research excellence. “It has also been a great motivator for me to study hard, as I appreciate how incredibly lucky I am to have received this award.”
Saikiran Tharimena, PhD in Ocean and Earth Sciences “My specialisation integrates seismology, earth structure, geodynamics and mathematical modelling to seismically image the oceanic plates. I am a recipient of a Postgraduate Research Scholarship and I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the donors whose generosity is helping me to realise my dream of pursuing scientific research in earth sciences. “The extra support means I can concentrate more on my research, rather than worrying about my financial situation. I feel privileged to be among the very few who received this scholarship and my happiness knows no bounds that I have this golden opportunity to chase my dream.”
Your gifts have supported several projects including the world-leading archaeological excavation of Portus, the maritime port of Imperial Rome.
Over the past year, our donors have been giving to six key funds which reflect the strategic priorities of the University. We would like to thank you all for your contributions.
Postgraduate Research Scholarships
The Student Experience
Your support has helped us fund student research on a wide range of topics from investigating the model of educational effectiveness in Uganda to understanding the tectonic plates on the surface of the Earth.
This year, your support helped to rejuvenate and refurbish the Language Resource Centre at Avenue Campus, to create an engaging study space with state-of-the-art technology for an interactive learning experience.
Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Fund
The Library
Your gifts supported several projects including the creation of a unique field school at the world-leading archaeological excavation site of Portus; the maritime port of Imperial Rome.
Gifts enabled us to acquire subscriptions to a wealth of electronic resources and to implement a cutting-edge search and discovery system that allows users to navigate across all resources at the touch of a button.
Student Enterprise Your kind donations allow us to support our enterprising students. Our student Enactus team successfully retained their title of National Champions and recently competed internationally in Mexico. For more information, see page six.
In addition to alumni and friends making a collective impact by supporting six key Annual Giving funds, we are also very grateful to those of you who have chosen to direct your gifts to your former discipline or academic unit. These also make a huge difference to our current students and our world-leading research. We have also been delighted to receive a number of major donations from generous individuals and organisations which supported an array of important projects across campus including summer placements in Electronics and Computer Science, scholarships in Law and the refurbishment of the recording studio in Music.
The Opportunity Fund Your gifts help financially disadvantaged students remain in education at Southampton. We believe that talented students, regardless of background should benefit from a world-class education and we are grateful for your support in helping us achieve this. We are grateful to all donors who have chosen to demonstrate their commitment and dedication to the University in this way. We extend a heartfelt thank you to all our supporters for the many ways you are making a difference to the lives of our students and staff. If you would like more information about making an impact on your University by giving a gift, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/supportus
“I appreciated the head start in my career that I got from my physics degree from Southampton. My donation was largely a ‘thank you’ for this.” Tony Cowburn (BSc Physics, 1973), donor Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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Alumni News
The Malaysia branch A group of Southampton graduates have been meeting up regularly in Kuala Lumpur since 2009 to share their experiences and memories of Southampton. The group was started up by the late Dr Salehhudin Mohd. Yusof (BEng Electrical Engineering, 1978) and at that time comprised of around 17 members who had studied either at the University of Southampton or Southampton College of Technology. Over the last four years the group has doubled to a total of 36 members and is now headed up by Dr Zulraini Shaari (Medicine, 1978). The last time these friends all got together was on 1 May in Kuala Lumpur at a dinner for over 50 people, including partners. On this occasion members from the University of Southampton Malaysia Campus also attended and Professor John McBride, Chief Executive of the Malaysia Campus, Dr William Birch, Senior Lecturer, and Dr Suhaila Mohd Sanip, Education and Research Manager, updated the group on the University’s key activities in Malaysia.
Latip Sadali (BSc Civil Engineering, 1978) said: “The idea of getting together was that we just wanted to reminisce about the old times when we were all there in Southampton. We really had a great time in Southampton and we wanted to recall the camaraderie we had then. We were still very young and away from our parents and the rest of the family.” As part of our work to develop the alumni community in Malaysia and the wider region, even further, the Alumni Relations team plan to officially re-launch the alumni branch in Malaysia during 2014 and are working with numerous volunteers to prepare for this. We are also working to re-establish our branches in Singapore and Hong Kong and to further develop the branches in China and Taiwan. If you would like get involved please email us at alumni@southampton.ac.uk
Southampton graduates at a dinner in Kuala Lumpur this May
Welcome to our graduates Congratulations and welcome to the 6,900 graduates who joined the alumni community this summer. Honorary degrees, Fellowships and a Higher Doctorate were awarded this July as follows: Honorary Graduates: John Craven – Doctor of Science (Social Science) Professor Richard Holdaway CBE (Doctor of Science) Baroness Rabbi Julia Neuberger (Doctor of Science) Stuart Popham (Doctor of Law) Dame Valerie Strachan (Doctor of Law) Professor Zhong-Qun Tian (Doctor of Science)
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Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
Fellows of the University: John Brooks CBE Michael Erben Patrick Sandford Higher Doctorate: Professor Ashwani Gupta
Who was your best lecturer? This year, for the first time, SUSU the University of Southampton Students’ Union held the Excellence in Teaching Awards (ETAs) which recognised and rewarded excellence among lecturers and teaching staff at the University. Overall Outstanding Lecturer: Winner – James Minney – Faculty of Humanities (Modern Languages) Highly Commended – Ian Harding – Faculty of Natural & Environmental Sciences (Ocean & Earth Sciences) Best Innovative Teaching: Winner – Simon Kemp – Faculty of Engineering & the Environment (Environmental Sciences) Highly Commended – Oli Bills – Faculty of Physical Sciences & Engineering (Electronics & Computer Science) Best Feedback Provision: Winner – Bella Millet – Faculty of Humanities (English) Highly Commended – Debra Ugboma – Faculty of Health Sciences (Nursing) Best Academic Support: Winner – Sally Hayward – Faculty of Social & Human Sciences (Geography) Highly Commended – Kamaljit Kaur-Bicchu – Faculty of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award: John McGavin (English) & David Hinton (Archaeology) – Faculty of Humanities Who was your best lecturer at Southampton? We’d love to know your thoughts for a future issue of Hartley News. Let us know by emailing alumni@southampton.ac.uk
Join in Our events calendar is continuously updated with opportunities to come back to campus or to attend reunions and networking receptions. For more information, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/alumni/alumnievents If you would like to get more involved with your University and help students by volunteering some of your time, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/alumni/volunteering Find us on social media: www.facebook.com/universityofsouthamptonalumni www.linkedin.com (University of Southampton Alumni) pinterest.com/unisotonalumni twitter.com/UniSotonAlumni
Alumni recognition Our very best wishes go out to all Southampton alumni recognised in HM The Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2013: Rodney Brazier (LLB, 1968; LLD, 2008) appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order for services to Constitutional Law; Professor Peter Dobson (BSc Physics, 1965; PhD Physics 1969) awarded an OBE for services to science and engineering; Dr Andrew James Hall (PhD Epidemiology, 1986) was awarded a Knighthood for services to public health; Professor Peng Tee Khaw (Medicine, 1980) awarded a Knighthood for services to ophthalmology; Kiki Maurey (BSc Politics & Sociology, 1989) awarded an OBE for services to women and minority groups in business; Professor Mary Ratcliffe (PhD Research Education, 1996) awarded an MBE for services to chemistry; Professor Eric Jackson Thomas (Honorary graduate, 2006) awarded a Knighthood for services to higher education; Adrian Tinniswood (BA English, 1977) awarded an OBE for services to heritage; Peter Waghorn (BSc Chemistry, 1957) awarded an MBE for services to cycling and sailing in the South East. We apologise for the omission of Colin Bird (BSc Chemistry 1966; PhD Chemistry, 1970) from the New Year’s Honours article in the Summer Edition of Hartley News. Colin was awarded an MBE at the beginning of the year for services to the communities in Eastleigh and Southampton.
Make your voice heard Thank you to those of you who have taken part so far in our global alumni survey. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late to give us your views on how you would like to interact and engage with your University. Wherever possible we’ve sent you your unique link to participate by email. Where we don’t hold an email address for you (or if you’ve missed our email), you’ll find your unique link to take part on the carrier sheet which accompanies this issue of Hartley News. You also have the option to enter our prize draw to win one of five £50 Amazon Gift certificates. If you cannot locate your unique link please telephone +44 (0)23 8059 2747 or email alumni@southampton.ac.uk For more information on the survey visit www.southampton.ac.uk/alumni/survey2013
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Get involved Employing graduates from Southampton is a great way to make sure you have talented people to take your business forward. Hartley News investigates why Southampton graduates are so employable to Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Paul Hanrahan, Talent Acquisition and Training and Development Manager, at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, explains that nationwide, the company employs 22 Southampton graduates. The key for Enterprise Rent-A-Car is to employ talented graduates that attain a good degree from a university with a good reputation. “We want to employ someone that can take in information, process it and apply it to their role,” he says. “We also look for candidates that stand out and have developed extra skills while at university, and this is something that is really encouraged at Southampton,” he adds. Paul is responsible for employing graduates to work in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. In this region Enterprise Rent-A-Car currently employs seven Southampton graduates. Lisa Blacksmith (BA Modern Languages, 2011) Kirstie Elmes (LLB Law, 2011) are both assistant managers at the Southampton and Fareham branches respectively, Neesha Khela (BSc Psychology, 2010) is Branch Manager in Banbury, Nick Collins (BSc Mathematics, 2002) is Management Assistant in Swindon, and Chris Coates (BSc Management with Entrepreneurship, 2011; MSc Business Analytics and Management Sciences, 2013) and Luke Thomas (BSc Oceanography, 2012) are management trainees in Southampton and Oxford respectively. Anita Paterson née Creswell (BSc Geography, 2009) is a Department Head in Winchester. She says: “My degree helped me develop transfer of information skills that means I can sort through many sources of information and collate them into a conclusion. This helps with loss control and profit management in my job. I also coached the Vixens, the University cheering squad. This helped with my confidence and also people management skills. Different people work in different ways so knowing how to motivate them was very important,” she adds.
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Additional skills As well as employing graduates at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Paul helps to organise summer work placements for students from Southampton and works closely with the University’s careers service, Career Destinations on the Graduate Passport scheme that allows students to show potential employers the additional skills they have developed in addition to their academic qualification. “Southampton students realise that they need to set themselves apart from other candidates, to experience work and to develop additional skills while at University,” he says. He also works closely with the student enterprise society, Southampton Enactus, and other societies, to help the students develop communication, leadership and team work skills. “It is a really good opportunity for the students and these opportunities are what help make Southampton graduates so employable.” Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s product and service is to provide rental cars for its customer, but Paul explains that there is so much more to the company. “We come on to campus to educate students about the company. Ultimately, our graduate scheme teaches candidates to become a manager, to deliver an exceptional service, to build loyalty with customers, to manage and motivate a team to improve performance, and to be ambitious,” he says. “The University is part of the Russell Group of research-intensive UK universities and has a fantastic reputation. More companies should employ Southampton graduates, indeed a lot of multinational businesses already do. Of the seven in my region five have already been promoted in Enterprise Rent-A-Car,” Paul adds.
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
There are many ways you can support the University. You can get involved with events to share your expertise with students, employ our graduates, become an ambassador for the University or even link your business with Southampton through our enterprise activities. For more details on how you can contribute, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/ alumni/getinvolved
Make your comeback. The Reunion Experience 2014 Make Saturday 12 July 2014 a day to remember and celebrate your Anniversary Class Reunion with friends from ‘64, ‘74, ‘84, ‘94 and ’04. This is your opportunity to come back to Southampton for the weekend, take a trip down memory lane with your friends and experience first-hand everything that makes the University what it is today. Explore the astrophysics of the universe in the ‘Soton Astrodome’; experience an exciting live-action lecture all about particle physics ‘Accelerate!’; listen to live music and hear topical lectures on research that is currently taking place. Have a go at experiments in our Chemistry labs; take a trip on the Toastrack bus or have a tour round our Humanities campus. With a program of exciting and interactive activities for you and your friends to experience and enjoy, the only thing missing is you! If there are eight or more of you in a group, when you book we can offer you a discount per person on your ticket price. To find out more and to register your interest, please email ARevents@southampton.ac.uk call + 44(0)23 8059 2747 or visit: www.southampton.ac.uk/alumnievents Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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Class notes Every issue we receive many more class notes than we have space to print, but you can view full updates and photos at www.southampton.ac.uk/classnotes
Phyllis Starr (BSc Geography and Mathematics, 1931) The Alumni Relations team is sorry to learn of the passing of Phyllis Starr, the University’s oldest alumna, who died in May aged 101. Phyllis first came to study at Southampton in 1929 aged 17 when the institution was called Hartley University College and was associated with University College London. She graduated in 1931 and worked as a mathematics teacher rising to the role of Head of Department at Henrietta Barnett School in London where she worked for the remainder of her career. Phyllis stayed involved with the University’s alumni community after graduating. She attended the first meeting of the London branch in 1948, was an active member of the University Court set up in 1952 when Southampton became a University and more recently in 2012 she attended the University’s 60th Anniversary celebrations at Highfield Campus which was also her centenary year.
1950s
1970s
Ian Thomas (BA German, 1960) and John White (BA German, 1960) got in touch with each other, with valued help from the Alumni Relations office, more than 50 years after graduation. They each had gone their separate ways as ex-pats in international businesses and lost contact. Ian ended up in Mexico and John in Spain. They decided to have a reunion in Mexico, here they are in Xochicalco, an important pre-Columbian archaeological site with their partners Patricia and Christiane.
David Barnes (BA French and German, 1976) writes: “After graduating from Southampton in 1976, I worked for British Rail and its successors until 2009, when I retired. During that time, I became a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, a member of the Institution of Railway Operators, and a technical member of the Institution of Safety and Health. In retirement, I continue to live in Tunbridge Wells and do voluntary work for a preserved railway among other activities. Professor Tariq S Durrani OBE FRSE FREng (PhD Physical Applied Sciences, 1970) who is a Research Professor at the University of Strathclyde has been nominated by the IEEE Board of Directors as a 2014 IEEE President Elect candidate this year.
1980s
Ian Thomas and John White
1960s Geoff French (BSc Civil Engineering, 1968) will take over the role of President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in November 2013 and is very much looking forward to continuing the planned development of the ICE during his year in office.
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Ian Ferguson (LLB, 1982) writes: “After over 29 years working as a lawyer in the City of London (most of which with Allen & Overy) but practicing internationally, I moved to Singapore at the end of 2012. I have joined Olswang Asia focusing on the Technology, Media and Telecoms sectors and commercial transactions in the financial services sector in the ASEAN region and India. I also co-founded (with a client) in 2009 a strategy consultancy firm, Elix-IRR Partners, specialising in all forms of transformation, change, operating models and sourcing strategies.” Harry Kenyon-Slaney (BSc Geology, 1983) writes: “I am presently based in Australia and
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
run Rio Tinto’s energy business which consists of its thermal and metallurgical coal mines and its uranium operations.” Helen Matthews (LLB Law, 1984) is celebrating her silver wedding anniversary this year. She is married to Tim Matthews (LLB Law, 1984) who she met on her second day at Southampton in Glen Eyre hall in September 1981. William Webb (BEng 1989, PhD 1992, MBA 1997) has been elected as a Deputy President of the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) as well as being included in this year’s ‘Who’s Who’.
1990s Patrick Schmid (LLB, 1995) has recently returned to the UK after working in Hong Kong and Australia, as well as completing an LLM (Hons). He’s looking to re-establish contact with a number of his fellow classmates.
2000s Ben Ash (BSc Management Science, 2003) was highly commended in the Ernst & Young FD of the Future category of the FDs’ Excellence Awards. Rachel Dale (BA Spanish and French, 2009) is currently Programmes Development and Fundraising Manager at ‘Teach A Man To Fish’, an international education charity committed to tackling global poverty. She has just returned from two years in Nicaragua working for a British NGO.
Roz (Matthew) Hall (Art and Design, 2000) was among 50 artists worldwide selected for the Lumen Prize Exhibition, the world’s first prize and tour for digitally created fine art. Dr John Jerrim (BSc Economics, 2005; PhD Social Statistics, 2011) won the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Outstanding Early Career Impact prize 2013 for his work on measuring educational attainment in the UK. Richard Murphy (BSc Economics, 2003; MSc Economics, 2004) was awarded second place in the same category.
Austen Robilliard (BSc Economics & Finance, 2005) writes: “I have been selected for inclusion in Citywire’s Wealth Magazine ‘Top 30 under 30’ for making an impression in the investment industry.”
We are sorry to announce the deaths of the following alumni:
Matthew West (BA English, 2006; MA Creative Writing, 2009) has been named as Southampton’s first children’s poet laureate after winning a competition in the Daily Echo. He plans to visit schools and colleges within the city to inspire young people to experience the joy of poetry.
Dr Dennis Austen (PhD Chemistry, 1959) Hwei Yen Choo (BM Medicine, 2005) Dr Philip Desouza (BM Medicine, 1983) Michael Durham (BA French, 1963) Cassie Elliott (BN Nursing, 1998) Philip Goodeve-Docker (BA Management, 2004)
Marriages Jessica and Rod Kirby
Thomas Ackernley (BSc Engineering, 1985)
Steven Harrison (PhD Biological Sciences, 2004)
Rosanna and Jonathan Mead
Ian Hughes (BSc Chemistry Physics and Pure Mathematics, 1959) Dr Harold Jerrard (PhD Physics, 1958) Mervyn Lavender (MPhil Education, 1988) Professor Martin Lowson (PhD Engineering, 1963) Keith Morphew (MSc Electrical Engineering, 1957)
Abigail and Peter Roberts
Hannah and Daniel Bradberry
Matthew Walsh (BSc Economics, Politics and International Relations 2006) and Joanna Walsh née Manhire (BSc Physiotherapy 2006) got married on 29 March 2013. Many Southampton friends and alumni were in attendance.
Hannah Bailey (MEng Computer Engineering, 2010) and Daniel Bradberry (BEng Digital Systems Engineering, 2009) married on 26 January 2013.
attendance, including the Best Man – Alistair Ward (MEng Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2010) and guests:
Jessica Kirby née Mason (MA History, 2010) married Rod Kirby on 6 April 2013 at Dorton, Buckinghamshire.
Naomi Munroe (MEng Space Systems, 2011)
Abigail Roberts née Shipman (BN Nursing, 2006) married Peter Roberts (BSc Zoology, 2006) on 13 April 2013 in Cottishall, Norfolk.
Joe Catton (BSc Physics, 2010)
Jonathan Mead (MEng Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2010) married Rosanna Mead née Campbell on Sunday 3 June 2012. Jon and Rosie had an amazing day with all their friends and family. There were also nume rous alumni in
James Gill (MEng Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2010)
Chris Naish (BSc Physics, 2010)
Tom May (BSc Physics, 2011) Endrit Zeka (BSc Chemistry, 2010)
Phyllis Starr (BSc Geography and Mathematics, 1931) Keith Way (BA French, 1950) James Witham (MSc Mathematics, 2013)
If you would like to get back in touch with a former friend from Southampton, take advantage of our ‘Find a friend’ service. Contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations with a message for your friend and we will send it on to them if we have their current contact details. If they choose, they will then get in touch with you. For further details and a form, visit the Services section of our website, www.southampton.ac.uk/alumni or write to us at: Office of Development and Alumni Relations, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ.
Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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Alumni Profile
In my own words Howard Taylor, BSc Population Studies, 1992 Howard Taylor is Vice President and Managing Director of the Nike Foundation, which works to unleash the unique potential of adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves and for the world. He talks to Hartley News about his experiences of Southampton and what motivates him.
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Why did you choose to study Population Studies at Southampton? I originally applied to read law at Southampton, but took a life-changing gap year working in a school in South India before starting university. That was my first exposure to extreme poverty at scale. I changed my degree to Population Studies, which was new and felt right for me as it combined the study of global issues, population and development alongside learning practical skills in statistics and economics.
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What other opportunities did you take up as a student? I was Secretary of the Running Club, a member of the Christian Union, and I acted in a few plays. I also played drums in a band, and in my final year was part of a team that organised the inaugural Social Science Summer Ball.
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to the School of Oriental and African Studies where I completed an Economics PhD. I started my career in May 1997 and I joined the new Department for International Development (DFID) working as the desk officer in Sierra Leone. Less than two weeks into my job there was a military coup and I was thrown into working across government with Number 10, the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence on a joined-up policy and operational response. That experience opened doors for me as I ended up working for the Secretary of State. Throughout my 14 years at DFID I held a number of senior roles including leading DFID country teams in India and Ethiopia, and ran the office of two Secretaries of State.
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What does your role at the Nike Foundation involve? As Managing Director I’m responsible for development and delivery of the Foundation’s global strategy, operations, partnerships and advocacy. It’s a fabulous job, and I’m privileged to be part of an incredible leadership team.
When you graduated what was your ambition and do you feel you’ve achieved it? When I started University I wanted to change the world and end extreme What motivates you? poverty. I’ve had some fabulous opportunities to work with great people to pursue this ambition, particularly with the UK Department for I’m motivated by the untapped potential of adolescent girls living International Development (DFID) and more recently with the Nike in unimaginable poverty, and by the opportunity I have to play a part Foundation. We have a great mission, the ‘Girl Effect,’ (www.girleffect. in unleashing that potential, for the benefit of the girls themselves and org) which is about unleashing the unique potential of 250 million for the world. adolescent girls living in extreme poverty around the world, so that they What are you most proud of? lift themselves, their families, communities and countries out of poverty. The people I’ve worked with. I’m really pleased when I see teams How did your studies and experience at Southampton shape coming together and individuals blossoming, that makes me really proud. your future? What are your best memories of your time at Southampton? My tutor at Southampton advised me to study for a PhD if I wanted to work in international development. After Southampton I moved The passion and professionalism of the academic staff stands out. to the University of London, first to the London School of Hygiene I also had a fantastic group of friends and housemates, and enjoyed and Tropical Medicine to study Medical Demography, and then all sorts of clubs, societies and other activities.
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Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
The arrival of Lord Palmerston for the opening of the Hartley Institution, 15 October 1862
Be remembered. Leave a legacy When Henry Robinson Hartley left a bequest to the Corporation of Southampton in his Will, his wish was that the Hartley Institution be created and that it became a place of transformative and influential knowledge. Little did he know that over 150 years later his legacy would still be remembered today and that his ambition to create a world-leading institution would become even more of a reality for thousands of students.
to experiences that have helped to shape a successful future, a legacy gift is a fantastic way to remember your time here at Southampton. In the past, gifts of this kind have provided scholarship opportunities for students studying at all levels in a variety of subjects and endowments to protect the University’s future.
If you would like to remember Southampton in your Will and would like more information on how you may leave a legacy, please Large or small, a legacy gift allows our alumni and supporters to invest in the future contact Katherine Carter in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations on of Southampton and to areas where the +44(0) 238059 9077 or email University holds a special place in their memories. From meeting lifelong friends supportus@southampton.ac.uk Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton
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www.southampton.ac.uk/hartleynews alumni@southampton.ac.uk +44 (0)23 8059 2747
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Hartley News | Autumn 2013 | University of Southampton