The Brighton Effect Magazine Issue 28 by University of Brighton

Issue 28

The bigger picture Spotlight on: Mandy Chessell, Louise Rennison and Fatboy Slim The power of volunteering

Has your experience at the University of Brighton opened your eyes to social responsibility? Many graduates feel they gained a lot from their time at university – much more than a qualification – and are happy to give something back. If you are one of them, please support students now by donating your Fiver for the Future. A one-off donation of £5 through the Students’ Union means your generosity will: • provide extra funding for students to apply for so they can pursue their interests and develop life skills through the SU societies • help students to cope with personal difficulties through the wellbeing fund • support students to become more active citizens in their local community • help the development of southern Africa through the Southern African Scholarship Fund. Text UBSU to 70500 to give your fiver. The donation can only be made with the bill payer’s permission. Standard text messaging rates apply. www.justgiving.com/fiverforthefuture development@brighton.ac.uk 01273 642600

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

WELCOME

Dear alumni and friends Welcome to your alumni magazine and especially to our newest Brighton Graduate Association (BGA) members. Making a difference On behalf of the BGA, we would like to say a massive thank you to all of our alumni. Thank you for staying in touch and keeping us updated with your achievements. Thank you for supporting our projects which impact not only on our students and staff but also on our community and the wider world. You can read more about our projects in the Your Brighton Effect supplement in this magazine. Whether it is volunteering, innovating, competing or entertaining, we are very proud to bring you inspiring news from our alumni community. Your university is very proactive when it comes to social involvement and responsibility – seeing that reflected in the achievements of our graduates is one of the best commendations for the impact a University of Brighton education can have. As your professional home, we are keen to provide lifelong support and opportunities to help you develop and enhance your careers. We are proud to inform you of new initiatives, as well as provide information on how you can give back to your university in a variety of ways. The BGA is committed to supporting the environment. Hard copies of this magazine are printed on recycled paper and we use a carbonneutral printer during the printing process. If you have been sent a hard copy of the magazine and would prefer an electronic one instead (or vice versa), please let us know. Please keep telling us your news – we always want to hear from you. We hope you enjoy your magazine. With best wishes from your development and alumni team, Sam, Faye, Sarah, Andrew, Alison, Tessa, Robert, Val, Allan and Aine

To enquire about receiving this magazine in other formats, please contact us on +44 (0)1273 642600 or email alumni@brighton.ac.uk.

Looking at the bigger picture The past year heralded major changes to higher education in the UK. We are not alone in our passion to safeguard the role of education in our society and the wider contribution that universities make through advancing research, working with businesses and engaging with the communities that we serve. Here at the University of Brighton, we are confident about our abilities to respond to this dramatically changing environment.

Contents Welcome University news Research news Alumni news The power of volunteering The golden opportunities of altruism – our alumni share their experiences

Alumni Advice Network

We have the ability to influence the lives of thousands of students, to address relevant and practical issues through our research activities, to contribute to economic wellbeing by sharing expertise and resources with the business world, and to contribute to society both locally and globally. This means that as well as ensuring that the books balance we also have an obligation to society to give back more than we take. This obligation is something that we at the University of Brighton take very seriously, and have done over our 150-year history.

Showcase your expertise and remain involved with your professional home

We have many positives that point to a bright future. We received record numbers of student applications (40,000 for just 4,000 places), making us the twelfth most applied to university in the UK for the academic year 2011/2012. Our excellent industry links and strong focus on the professions help our students gain the skills and experience that they need to compete in today’s competitive jobs market. Our teaching is enriched by one of the strongest research portfolios among our generation of universities. This strength enables us to attract some of the leading young researchers in the country, creating an even stronger research future for Brighton.

Sam Davies catches up with Fatboy Slim

We are indebted to our supporters who recognise that now more than ever, fundraising to enhance the student experience and invest in vital projects is essential. The central section of the magazine highlights the fruits of your generosity. Support from our alumni and friends is very important to us and no matter what level or type of contribution, your participation is vital and it is this participation which will enable us to seek the support and investment of others in the future.

Professor Julian Crampton, Vice-Chancellor

01 02 04 06 08

Never stop questioning and learning

Mandy Chessell, Master Inventor

The bigger picture

How the University of Brighton is working harder for its locale and the wider world

Your Brighton Effect You’ve come a long way, baby It’s a funny old business

22 24

Louise Rennison talks about her award-winning career

Class notes

Where are you now?

Alumni round-up

The Brighton Effect is published by the Development and Alumni Office, FREEPOST SEA8437 University of Brighton BN2 4ZZ Tel: +44 (0)1273 642600 alumni@brighton.ac.uk www.brighton.ac.uk/alumni The views expressed in the magazine are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Brighton. Editor Sarah Grant Designer Mark Toynbee Contributors Sam Davies, Tessa Gooding, Sarah Grant, Solveig Grover, Sarah McGregor, Phil Mills, Andrew Scanlan Printer Pureprint Group, a CarbonNeutral® company registered to environmental standards ISO 14001 Cover image Professor C Gull, our new widening participation character, designed by alumnus, Chris Riddell. © University of Brighton 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior consent of the publishers.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Showcasing student creativity Over 500 graduating students from 25 courses showcased their creative work in art, architecture and design at the University of Brighton’s Burt Brill & Cardens’ Graduate Show 2011. For one week the university’s Grand Parade campus opposite the Royal Pavilion became the largest exhibition space in the south-east. The programme of activities included the Brighton Graduate Fashion Show where fashion and textile students presented their work to an audience which included TV presenter and fashion expert, Caryn Franklin.

The presenter of BBC One’s The Clothes Show said: “It is clear to me that the graduates of the University of Brighton receive amazing training here and are confident, both in terms of their own vision and their technical ability. “What I also saw in the show was passion, integrity and above all, authenticity. Being able to maintain such integrity and one’s own creativity in the corporate world is a tough call, but one these graduates will no doubt achieve.” http://arts.brighton.ac.uk

Lord Winston opens bioscience building Scientists have a duty to communicate and explain their work to the people who pay for it – the tax-paying public. That was the message from Professor Lord Robert Winston as he opened a new £23m bioscience building at the university on 1 July.

regularly performs explosive experiments for school groups.

The new building houses stateof-the-art teaching and research laboratories for the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences.

Professor Andrew Lloyd, dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering said: “We feel strongly that these facilities should be considered a shared resource for the university, local industry and community.”

Lord Winston, scientist and TV presenter, watched a demonstration by the university’s Professor Hal Sosabowski, who

Lord Winston said: “One of the really exciting things happening today at places like Brighton is the amount of engagement the university does.”

www.brighton.ac.uk/scieng

IT high flyers High-flying graduates are being offered the chance to take a fully funded University of Brighton masters degree thanks to awardwinning IT graduate employer FDM Group. Recently voted Best Technical Graduate Recruiter in the National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2010, FDM Group has joined forces with the university to launch a new Applied Computer Science MSc, which promises to help students looking for fast-track career progress. FDM was founded by Brighton alumni, Rod and Sheila Flavell. www.fdmgroup.com

Engagement in Africa

International honour

Green success

Praise indeed

Dr Juliet Millican from the university’s partnership programme is working with colleagues from the University Cheikh Anta Diop and Boston’s Suffolk University Dakar campus.

We have won international recognition for a project which has so far encouraged 1,500 students to get involved in community projects as part of their studies. The university was placed second in the MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship and will collect $2,500 to help support the project.

We have climbed 10 places to twenty-first in the latest People & Planet’s annual Green League. People & Planet, a student network campaigning to protect the environment, awarded Brighton a first class honour, one of only 31 among the country’s 142 universities and other higher education institutions.

Students heaped praise on tutors, staff and course representatives at an Excellence Awards night. The event which celebrated great course reps and outstanding teaching practice or academic support, was organised by the Students’ Union.

They are planning a postgraduate certificate in community engagement to be run in a village setting in Senegal. The programme is designed to boost local employment, enhance employability skills and serve as a pilot for wider programmes of studentcommunity engagement to be run across sub-Saharan Africa.

The successful project, Student Community Engagement, was launched by our Community University Partnership Programme (Cupp) which forms partnerships with community organisations.

Our success demonstrates our support of the Talloires Declaration; the first official statement made by universities of their commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education. It has been signed by over 350 university presidents and chancellors in more than 40 countries.

Opening the event, Emily-Ann Nash, the union’s Vice President Academic Affairs, spoke of the importance of students taking ownership of their learning and celebrating the transformative nature of higher education.

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Multimillion pound boost to the economy

Blowing the House of Commons up!

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Honorary graduates

A study has shown that the University of Brighton has an impact of more than £600m on the economy every year. The study, conducted independently and using data from the 2009 academic year, found that the university employs around 2,500 staff directly as well as generating a further 4,400 jobs indirectly by the university and the presence of students. This tangible impact on the local economy demonstrates the university’s increasing importance as a major driver of economic growth. Professor Julian Crampton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, said: “In these economically challenging times it is crucial to show how important universities are, both nationally and locally.” Brighton was ranked 22nd by international consultants, The Parthenon Group, in its league table of the 30 highest-value universities, for being among the best in Britain for helping students gain well-paid jobs. Its findings suggest some post-1992 institutions like Brighton do just as well as or better than many Russell Group institutions on employment outcomes.

50 years of expertise Celebrated author and illustrator, Professor John Vernon Lord, has been teaching young artists for 50 years at the university. John has been a Professor Emeritus at the University of Brighton (since 1999), having taught at the university’s various iterations since 1961. He was appointed Professor of Illustration at Brighton in 1986 and he has held various senior posts over the years, including head of department of visual communication (1974–81 and 1984), head of department of graphic arts (1989–91) and head of school (1997–98). http://arts.brighton.ac.uk

Not since Guy Fawkes has anyone dared to behave so explosively at the House of Commons. A Brighton professor was given permission to blow up gases and liquids on the House of Commons terraces – all under controlled conditions and with no risk of damage or injury. Hal Sosabowski, professor of public understanding of science at the University of Brighton, was invited by the Royal Society of Chemistry to help with the parliamentary launch of the United Nations International Year of Chemistry 2011.

During the event in January 2011, Professor Sosabowski reproduced some of the colourful experiments from his annual Brighton Dome show, Bigger Bang, including an explosion that sounds like a barking dog, to a special audience of MPs and guest of honour, David Willetts, minister for universities and science. Professor Sosabowski said: “It is a great honour to help mark the launch and I like to think this is a reflection of how the royal society and we at the University of Brighton are trying to make chemistry more accessible, more easily understood and more interesting.”

During the February and July 2011 graduation ceremonies, the University of Brighton was proud to confer the title of honorary graduate upon the following recipients: • Steve Bell, Doctor of Arts • Michael Chowen, Doctor of Science (pictured above) • Dr Steven Goss-Turner, Doctor of Philosophy • Liz Gray, Master of Arts • Jonathan Grimshaw MBE, Master of Laws • David House, Doctor of Letters • Dr Martin Mackay, Doctor of Science • Brian Oliver, Doctor of Letters • Professor Declan McGonagle, Doctor of Letters • Professor Nigel Llewellyn, Doctor of Letters • Professor Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Doctor of Letters.

Fuse lit for digital expansion

Thriving business partners

Premium internship programme

A £1m grant has been awarded to expand the creative, digital and IT sector in Brighton & Hove. The project – called Brighton Fuse – will bring together a consortium of experts to support innovation, creativity and economic growth and generating new business and employment opportunities with the University of Brighton taking the lead.

Businesses working with Profitnet have seen profits increase by as much as 25 per cent over the last 18 months. The companies also reported taking on more staff and doubling the number of new products and services they offer.

The university has launched a new internship scheme offering employers a recruitment and support programme to give access to the local graduate talent within Sussex.

Professor Julian Crampton, ViceChancellor said: “Digital media plays a major role at the university... We are delighted that our expertise will make a major contribution to this project and play a significant role boosting the creative zone and in generating much needed business and jobs.”

The university’s Profitnet programme has helped more than 1,000 businesses in the UK and Ireland since it began in 2005. It aims to transform the profitability and sustainability of private sector companies by organising structured learning networks and helping firms to develop innovative processes and strategies.

This scheme will provide businesses with new skills, fresh ideas and a different perspective into their organisations on a short-term basis. Internships are cost-effective and flexible and can also be very useful if companies are looking for full-time employees, as the internship phase provides the opportunity to develop the graduates’ capabilities within your business.

www.brighton.ac.uk/profitnet

www.brighton.ac.uk/careers

RESEARCH NEWS

Research excellence

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

The hitchhiking mite

Results from the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in 2008 confirmed that 80 per cent of the university’s research output submitted for review is of international standing. The results, released by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), assessed the quality and quantity of research activity in the UK’s universities. Six Brighton academics have recently been appointed to sit on panels for the new national Research Excellence Framework (REF), the replacement for RAE which will happen for the first time in 2014, confirming our position as one of the leading research universities of the future. The appointments follow on from the selection last year of Professor Bruce Brown, the university’s ProVice-Chancellor for Research, as one of the REF’s four main panel chairs. The new panel members are: Professor Jon Cohen, dean of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School; Professor Ann Moore, professor of physiotherapy; Professor Morgan Heikal, Ricardo professor of automotive engineering; Professor Peter Squires, professor of criminology and public policy; Anne Boddington, dean of the Faculty of Arts; and Professor David Arnold, director of research initiatives and dean of graduate students.

Air pollution and the iPhone An iPhone app that alerts asthma sufferers to poor air quality is just a step away, thanks to research by Dr Kirsty Smallbone, principal lecturer in the School of Environment and Technology. Air pollution is increasingly recognised as a trigger for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Consequently, people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or heart conditions may find their illness worsens on days with high air pollution.

This mite, one tenth of a millimetre across, was an unexpected find when scientists at the University of Brighton were testing their new state-of-theart electron microscopes (SEM) in the university’s new £23m Huxley building in Moulsecoomb, Brighton.

The new cryo electron microscopy system, the most advanced in the south-east, produces images sharper and faster than others by freeze drying samples, enabling the study of samples that would otherwise be impossible to examine.

Based on Kirsty’s positive evaluation of a project in London and Sussex where local councils text vulnerable people the air pollution forecasts for the next day, King’s College has developed an iPhone app which allows people to download real-time air quality data from their nearest monitoring station. The app is still in its test phase but once developed, will enable people to make lifestyle choices based on air pollution information.

The mite, identified by the Natural History Museum as a ‘motile hypopus’, was spotted as it was taking a ride on a leg of a millipede to search for richer feeding grounds.

As part of the university’s economic engagement policy, our facilities can be used for educational visits through the STEM-Sussex network. Over 500 children and 36 teachers from 15 schools will visit the university and experience the SEM.

Sustainable clean up

Beating diabetes

BBC covers our research

Safeguarding travellers

Staff from the Faculty of Science and Engineering have been awarded funding from the European Union Framework 7 programme to work with an international network of researchers examining less aggressive, more sustainable methods of cleaning up contaminated land.

The university has recently been awarded a government-funded knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) worth over £140,000 to assist SSL International plc in developing methods of patient outreach.

In December 2010, the BBC World Service featured our research on the environmental applications of nanotechnology. The Discovery programme examined the rapidly developing fields of nanogeoscience and environmental nanotechnology, and discussed the university’s work on developing low-cost, non-toxic water and land clean-up methods based on nanoparticles – highly reactive particles a fraction of a millimetre in size. Our international researchers work closely with industrial partners to develop and scaleup devices where iron, silver and other nanoparticles are embedded into polymer and carbon-based materials, and used as the basis of water filters, membranes and other clean-up devices.

Brighton Business School students have helped to develop the Travellers’ electronic Safety System (TeSS) that helps trace missing people. Designed for gap year students, backpackers and adventure holiday travellers, they can update their movements and journey plans on TeSS by text message.

The GREENLAND project (Gentle Remediation of Trace Element Contaminated Land) involves 18 European research teams and examines the practical application of greener land clean-up technologies which use plants and benign soil additives to remove or stabilise heavy metals found in the soil at former industrial sites.

The partnership will provide practitioners with evidence-based self-help advice for low-risk diabetes patients, with the aim of reducing the progression to chronic diabetes. The partnership demonstrates how the university is increasingly working with enterprise to get the benefits of its research out into the community.

If friends and family lose contact with the traveller, then the authorities can use TeSS to work out their last-known whereabouts based on information supplied by the travellers themselves. www.tessonline.co.uk

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Joining forces to cut emissions The university and Sussexbased Ricardo UK, world leaders in engineering technology consultancy, have joined forces in a project to find ways of cutting carbon emissions in heavy-duty vehicles.

Virtual cricket: the next test Brighton researchers are developing computer programmes to help batsmen cope better with fast bowlers. Footage of bowlers is projected onto life-size screens and batsmen’s reactions are analysed to help them develop the ability to read the bowler’s body movements in order to anticipate the type, direction and length of delivery.

Most car makers today produce electric or low-emission hybrid vehicles but heavy-duty trucks and similar vehicles are proving more difficult to convert. Ricardo and the university, led by Dr David Mason, will look for solutions, funded in part by the UK Technology Strategy Board. Ricardo and the university submitted a winning feasibility study to the board’s recent disruptive technologies in low carbon vehicles’ competition.

RESEARCH NEWS

Ricardo, based in Shoreham, and university scientists will model and evaluate an advanced splitcycle combustion system that will increase engine efficiency. Unlike previous research which focused on refining existing four-stroke engines, the CoolR project will examine a new concept based on a split-cycle, temperature-controlled system, which increases engine efficiency.

With the likes of England’s James Anderson bowling at 90mph, it takes the ball 500 milliseconds or half a second to reach the bat but it takes batsmen 900 milliseconds to decide how to play the ball once it leaves the bowler’s hand. To make up the 400 millisecond difference, batsmen must anticipate where the ball is heading before it is released.

The research is not all about pace. The team has developed a programme which coaches batsmen to deal with spin bowlers. Using specially edited video, batsmen are trained to anticipate spin directions, based on identifying the bowler’s pre-delivery body movements.

University wins oil company contract The University of Brighton has been awarded a four-year contract worth £150,000 by a major US oil company. The contract involves funding a full-time PhD student at Illinois, supporting three sedimentology field work sessions in the USA and data exchange between Brighton/Illinois and the oil company sponsor.

The universities will also be working with partners in Leeds, Birmingham and Calgary.

Phil was recently appointed as one of the first members of the Pool of College Chairs with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC tackles the twentyfirst century’s major environmental issues including climate change, biodiversity and natural hazards.

New cancer research centre

French help for British wine research

Hospital bug breakthrough

Tackling the Haiti epidemic

Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) has redeveloped its research centre for experimental and cancer medicine based at the Trafford Centre on the University of Sussex campus. The refurbished laboratories will be the home to the research teams of Professor Pietro Ghezzi, RM Phillips Chair of Experimental Medicine, and Professor Peter Schmid, Foundation Professor in Cancer Medicine. The new cancer department was funded by the generous donation of honorary graduate, Michael Chowen. The impact of the new cancer centre is already yielding benefits as Professor Schmid’s team has been designated an Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre by Cancer Research UK.

One of Bordeaux’s top wine producers is helping finance research into wine production at Plumpton College, the university’s partner institution. Plumpton received a donation from Martin Krajewski, owner and chief executive officer of Chateau de Sours in Bordeaux, which has enabled the appointment of Dr Belinda Kemp as a full-time lecturer and research coordinator in wine. Belinda will manage current research collaborations with Jon Danielewicz, an expert on oxidation in wine, and Professor Richard Marchal, of the University of Reims. She will also establish new research links with colleagues from the university’s Faculty of Science and Engineering.

University scientists have successfully tested a breakthrough product that could cut the rate of some hospital-acquired infections, leading to a reduction in morbidity and mortality across the country. Hospitals around the world could benefit from the work and health authorities could save millions of pounds in treatment costs.

Dr Huw Taylor is helping fight a cholera epidemic among thousands of earthquake victims in Haiti. He saw the suffering firsthand during a recent visit to the Caribbean island, and is now working at the university on a manual for the treatment of cholera-infected wastewaters.

Phil Ashworth, the university’s professor of physical geography, will study the river and tidal sediments which are similar to ancient sediments that can host significant reserves of oil and gas.

The study was conducted by Dr Ian Cooper and Dr Anna Guildford from the microbiology research group and BrightSTAR research group for Cambridge-based medical materials company CamStent Ltd. www.brighton.ac.uk/pharmacy

Medicins Sans Frontières (MSF), the French humanitarian organisation, invited Dr Taylor to Haiti to help control the spread of the deadly disease.

ALUMNI NEWS

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

A flair for fashion Business Studies (2004) graduate, Juliette Offenbach, knew for sure that her fashion business was a success when Cheryl Cole rang and asked for her leopard-print linen 1950s-style dress, which she wore on the last series of X-Factor. Fashion has always been Juliette’s first love. Both her parents were in the industry and all her work experience as a teenager involved fashion. After school, she worked in different parts of the industry, including stints on the Daily Mail and the Telegraph’s fashion desks, but felt she needed more business understanding before she could set up her own fashion label. So she started a business studies degree at the University of Brighton.

Double celebration

She did a sandwich course so she could do a year of work while she was studying and after graduating in 2004, her first job after Brighton was at her placement, working for Condé Nast’s Traveller magazine as a fashion stylist. She travelled the world and worked under an inspirational style director.

In June, the university received national recognition for its fundraising achievements, winning an award for improved and sustained progress during the second year of the CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) matched funding scheme.

After Traveller magazine, she worked as a freelance stylist, styling the likes of Clive Owen, Daniel Radcliffe, Naomi Watts and Brad Pitt. Her work as a stylist made her realise that much of women’s fashion doesn’t flatter their bodies which inspired her to start Pink Label London. In the last year she has collaborated with best friend Charlotte Olympia on the 1950s-inspired outfits and is about to launch a bridal range.

This was a double celebration as Steve Maycock (member of the Board of Governors and a former student of Brighton Polytechnic), was chosen for the Matched Funding Volunteer Award for his ‘exemplar volunteer leadership’ in fundraising and alumni engagement with praise given for his ‘unstinting enthusiasm and interest’.

Clean water collaboration After suggesting the idea to her course leader, the idea snowballed into a two-year project called Adaqua and attracted €175,000 in European funding. Adaqua, involving the University of Brighton, the National Laboratory in Nicosia, the environmental education centre, Terra Cypria and the Cypriot Water Development Department, will develop new environmental management tools to support river basin management plans in Cyprus. Dr Huw Taylor is leading the university’s contribution to the project.

Dr James Ebdon will train Cypriot researchers in specialist laboratory methods at Brighton and the project will provide fieldwork opportunities for the university’s students.

Leading NHS reform

Prize-winning doctor

Enterprise for change

Lighting the way

A key role in the government’s NHS reforms in Sussex is being taken up by Brighton MBA graduate (1996), Amanda Fadero. As chief executive of Sussex NHS, Amanda will liaise closely with local family doctors as she works with groups who will have future responsibility for the planning and buying of residents’ healthcare services, ensuring a smooth transfer of responsibility from four Primary Healthcare Trusts (PCTs).

In May, BSMS 2009 graduate, Dr Anita Wale, was awarded the Young Investigator’s Prize by the British Nuclear Medicine Society. Her winning paper was written in collaboration with colleagues at the Brighton and Sussex Universities NHS Trust.

Co-directed by Brighton alumnus, Phil Ashford (MBA 2003), Enterprise for Change is a not-forprofit organisation specialising in helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds to become selfemployed or start a business in order to turn their lives around.

New alumna, Emily Brooke (Product Design with Professional Experience, 2011) has developed a safety device that projects a bright green laser image of a bike onto the road ahead – alerting motorists to the presence of cyclists.

Anita commented: “I’m thrilled to have won. I’ve always been proud of graduating from BSMS. This research is continuing the collaborations started at medical school.”

Enterprise for Change recently secured a contract with Serco to deliver an innovative and intensive self-employment pilot programme with offenders in HMP Lewes. The programme design is the result of a successful collaboration between HMP Lewes and the University of Brighton.

Water and Environmental Management MSc graduate (2009), Athina Papatheodoulou, triggered the launch of a major research collaboration project between the UK and her native Cyprus. While studying for her masters course, Athina realised how new methods to trace pollution sources being developed in the School of Environment and Technology could help clean up waters in her own country.

A qualified nurse herself, Amanda specialised in paediatrics and held a series of senior management posts with Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust before her latest appointment.

www.enterpriseforchange.org.uk

Director of Development and Alumni, Sam Davies, said: “It is wonderful to receive recognition for our efforts in raising the profile of the impact of giving. This really is a long-term activity, but it is hugely encouraging to look back at what we have achieved already.”

Her invention, BLAZE, was hailed as a potential life saver and won her a place at a prestigious college in the USA, on an entrepreneurship programme. Emily worked with road safety experts, Brighton & Hove City Council, the Brighton & Hove Bus Company and driving psychologists in developing BLAZE, an idea that has won her international recognition.

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Winning design

Lin, who is a senior lecturer in Jewellery Design at Central Saint Martins, was one of 100 designers invited by LOCOG to submit their ideas for consideration for the new medal. Lin took her inspiration from the wings of Nike (the Goddess of Victory) and was inspired by “the endurance, focus and achievement of elite Paralympic athletes”. Her winning designs were unveiled at the British Museum.

Image: © LOCOG.

Alumni show great taste

Log on to www.brighton.ac.uk/ alumni and keep up to date with your professional home. Our new website keeps you informed of reunions, events, discounts and services as well as alumni news. It has never been easier for you to update your details, submit class notes or search for long-lost friends on our message board. Read about our fundraising projects or sign up for the Alumni Advice Network. Don’t forget you can also follow us through www.facebook.com/ brightongraduateassociation at LinkedIn or through our brightonalumni and bsmsalumni Twitter accounts.

Ivan graduated in Business Studies BA(Hons) in 2010 and Imogen graduated in English Language with Media BA(Hons) in 2009. Ivan and Imogen, both in their early 20s, work in Sussex and source as many local ingredients as possible.

They pride themselves on their unique and innovative combinations including Golden Beetroot and Horseradish relish, and Purple Piccalilli. www. huckleberrysproducestore.co.uk

Singer pipes up for heating campaign

Student discounts for alumni

Natasha Khan, better known as Mercury-nominated singing sensation, Bat for Lashes, has lent her voice to the Friends of the Earth’s Warm Homes campaign.

We are delighted to roll out the NUS Extra card to all alumni, no matter when they graduated. The card is estimated to save the average cardholder over £500 a year and the retail discounts can add up to some hefty savings, especially for one-off purchases such as computing equipment.

Natasha, who graduated in 2004 with in Music and Visual Art BA(Hons) recalled her own misery of living in damp student digs when she was studying in Brighton. The Warm Homes campaign aims to put pressure on the government to improve draughty houses to keep vulnerable tenants warm.

Each May Sport Brighton hosts a bumper weekend celebrating the university’s sporting achievements. A highlight of the weekend is the annual Sports Awards dinner. This year, the event was opened to alumni and the BGA was delighted to sponsor a new category, that of Sports Alumnus of the Year. Chelsea graduate, Gary Marlow (Physical Education with QTS, 2003, pictured) was the 2011 recipient for his services to sport.

Two Brighton alumni are proving a success in the jam and relish market by conjuring up unusual flavour combinations. Imogen Davis and Ivan Downes started their enterprise, Huckleberry’s Produce Co. while studying at Brighton and in just their first year of business they have already collected a prestigious award.

Get online

Sporting success

Winners at the 2012 Paralympic games will be wearing medals designed by Brighton alumna, Lin Cheung (3D Materials Practice (Wood, Metal, Ceramics and Plastic) 1994).

Their Strawberry and Balsamic jam received a prestigious One Star Gold Great Taste Award from the Guild of Good Food which used 350 experts to blind taste more than 7,400 entries from 1,600 companies in the hunt for the wow factor.

ALUMNI NEWS

Furthermore, for every card purchased, a small percentage is donated to benefit student experience projects via the Students’ Union. Contact alumni@brighton.ac.uk if you wish to apply for a card and start saving today.

Special guest speakers were Olympic bronze medallist, Katherine Merry and Paralympic boccia competition manager and alumna, Sandra King (pictured). The BGA was also delighted to present the Club of the Year Award to the cheerleading squad. Brighton alumnus, Adam Haniver (Sports Science, 2000), also picked up the Coach of the Year Award for his outstanding work with the university’s award-winning boxing club.

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

There’s no doubt about it, volunteering experience looks great on your CV. According to a survey by Timebank (a national volunteering charity), 73 per cent of employers said they would rather employ someone with voluntary experience than someone without. The Timebank survey also states that 58 per cent of employers say that voluntary work experience can actually be more valuable than experience gained in paid employment. ACTIVE STUDENTS AND ALUMNI The University of Brighton has always recognised the value that volunteering plays in rounding individuals’ skills and developing their involvement in community projects. Active Student is the university’s volunteering service which finds suitable and rewarding volunteering opportunities for students in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. Beth Thomas-Hancock, student volunteering manager, said: “The majority of students who come to us are looking for volunteering experience that relates to their course, something that can link theory to practice and provide practical work experience. Many students say they are looking for voluntary work they can cite on their CV to demonstrate their skills.” The BGA encourages this ethos and is enormously proud of the achievements our alumni attain through their voluntary experience. The impact they have on the wider world is a great testimony to the calibre of our alumni. Here, a few of our alumni explain how the benefits of their voluntary work are a two-way thing.

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Now recruiting for 2011/12

ADDING MOMENTUM TO THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE Momentum is an award-winning mentoring scheme set up by the university’s Careers Centre to increase links between university students and the business community. It is an opportunity for students and their mentors to exchange knowledge, with a view to improving students’ employability and to enhancing their prospects of career success. The programme is open to all current students of the University of Brighton who feel that they might be at a disadvantage in the labour market. Momentum mentor, John Brandwood, first graduated from what was then Brighton Polytechnic in 1984 with an Institute of Mathematics qualification in applied maths. In 2004 John graduated for a second time with a first class honours degree in Business Studies from the Brighton Business School where he won the Dean of Faculty’s prize for best graduating business student.

MOMENTUM MENTORING SCHEME • Team up with a high-profile employer • Boost your confidence • Gain extra employability skills

www.brighton.ac.uk/careers What attracted you to Momentum?

momentum flyer 2011.indd 1

John is strategic marketing director at Honeywell Life Safety Systems EMEAI (Europe, Middle East, Africa, India). In this role John is responsible for marketing strategy and planning, multi-brand/ channel business development, business communications, and marketing and communications coordination for the overall HLSS EMEAI business.

Why did you choose the University of Brighton and your course? I live in Hove so the location was ideal. The school was also Financial Times business school of the year in 2000 when I enrolled.

Was student life what you expected? As a mature student, I was always trying to fit my coursework and student commitments around my job. It was tougher than I expected to get back into learning but the five years flew by.

06/09/2011 09:59

I realised just how much I am benefiting from the education I received and wanted to give something back.

What impact has volunteering had on you? It hasn’t changed my life but it has given me a unique perspective on which of my transferable skills are strong and which need development. It has also helped me to understand the challenges today’s graduates face as they move into the workplace.

What is the most challenging aspect of it? Recognising development needs in myself that were highlighted by the process.

What has been your most rewarding moment so far? Being told that my mentoring had made a real difference by my mentee.

Would you recommend volunteering to other alumni? Yes. It can be of as much benefit in terms of learning and development to the mentor as the mentee.

What advice would you give to current students? Invest as much effort as you can in your education. It will pay off.

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

A HEALTHY APPROACH TO VOLUNTEERING Dr Ben McFadden qualified in 2010 from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) with a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor Surgery degree (BM BS). He is currently a foundation year 2 doctor starting his first rotation in general practice. As an undergraduate, Ben was an active volunteer in BrightMed – an outreach programme to encourage local students from non-traditional backgrounds to consider a career in medicine. Despite the famously hectic schedule of medics, Ben explains why volunteering has always been important to him. “I’ve always been a keen volunteer. I find it rewarding and the experience provides me with new skills that I have found very useful in my career, most notably communication skills. It’s a great feeling to give something back to the community and looks great on any CV. I have volunteered my time mostly in teaching. Over the years I have produced several teaching sessions for students who are keen to go to medical school as part of the BSMS outreach programme, BrightMed. “This programme allows students to come to BSMS once a month to learn more about a career in medicine and finally to help them write their personal statements to a standard good enough for interview. My role was producing teaching sessions on medical topics such as anatomy, clinical skills and physiology. “From this I volunteered my time in BrightMed’s sister programme, BrightWams (a student-led outreach programme promoting educational awareness in the local community). BrightWams took BrightMed out into the community, visiting primary schools to introduce the concept of university and education to the older year groups. Again, I produced and delivered simple interactive sessions based around the human body.

“Volunteering has opened many career doors and opportunities. My work with BrightMed and BrightWams has not gone unnoticed and I have been asked to deliver lectures at work and for my fellow medical student colleagues. It has certainly improved my confidence when speaking in public. I have formed close friendships with influential academics and senior doctors who have all been a tremendous help throughout my first year as a doctor. “Last year I did a lot of work on safety in the workplace based on a special study module I had done at BSMS, Safety Guardians. My work was noticed by several members of the safety team and the chief executive. I was invited to talk about my achievements at the chief executive’s meeting, which I was nervous about but it felt amazing to know my achievements had been recognised.

“My most rewarding experience has been being invited to host the annual BSMS Christmas lecture in 2010. It was an amazing privilege to have been asked to give such an important lecture in the BSMS calendar. It was great fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was lovely to come back to where I had started my training in 2005.” Ben is an active member of the BSMS Alumni Advisory Board which was established to inform alumni activity for the medical school. To get involved, please contact alumni@bsms.ac.uk.

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES Graduating from Chelsea School in 1978 with a BEd in Human Movement and Education, Sandra King’s sights were set on a career in PE teaching. Fast forward to 2011, and Sandra is at the heart of preparations for London 2012. How did she progress from PE teacher to competition manager for boccia at the 2012 Paralympics?

What are your main memories of life as a student?

I chose Chelsea School because of its reputation. I loved being involved in sport full-time. We had a lot of lectures – about 24 hours a week, divided equally into practical sport, theory of sport and education theory. At the beginning of every term our muscles got so sore that I remember having to walk downstairs backwards! I remember our sports kit – cherry red track suits and nylon leotards and tights that got smaller as we got bigger (just two of the idiosyncrasies of the Chelsea uniform). I became the chair of the group rep system, was part of the gym display team, and played in goal for four of the six women’s hockey sides, took drama as my related study and Children with Special Needs as my further study.

Could you describe your current position and tell us more about your career so far?

I am responsible for running the boccia competition at the 2012 Paralympics. This is an event management role on a large scale, providing the service that the International Federation requests and the International Paralympic Committee approves. Chelsea equipped me for the role in respect of the standards and organisational skills that it instilled in me. I have always been proud of being a Chelsea girl. I’ve been a PE teacher all my life. I was at Chailey Comprehensive in the early 80s when we were one of the pioneers of inclusive education. After having my children, I got back into teaching part-time as a girls’ hockey coach at Brighton College and later as the PE teacher at its pre-preparatory school. When I wanted to get back into full-time teaching, my skills weren’t really right for the mainstream market; the national curriculum had been introduced.

Sandra with Sam Cox at the National Junior Games at Stoke Mandeville.

I joined the Keeping in Touch with Teaching scheme that was aimed at getting former teachers back into the classroom. I taught at Brighton College and undertook teaching practice at Longhill School on Fridays and that led to a third part-time role at Patcham House (Day Special) School in Brighton where I was tasked with introducing the national curriculum for PE. My learning curve was almost as steep as that of the students, but within three years the students were achieving national success in a range of sports. Funnily enough, boccia wasn’t one of those sports, despite the fact that when I arrived, the head teacher told me he’d just spent my entire year’s capitation on a set of boccia balls – a game I knew nothing about! I quickly enrolled on a boccia leaders’ course and we played boccia at the school.

My next job was as Head of PE and Sport at Lord Mayor Treloar School and College in Alton, Hampshire; one of the biggest independent special schools in the country, and catering primarily for students with high levels of physical disability. One of the first things I realised was that here was a large pool of prospective Paralympic-pathway boccia players, but that boccia wasn’t being offered either within the curriculum or outside. As well as boccia, we were at the forefront of introducing many disability sports and within a few years I had also got the exam boards to agree to adaptations that I supplied for GCSE and entry level PE, so that our physically disabled students could access these qualifications.

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Our first A* student was Ben Rushgrove, Paralympic silver medallist in the T36 (Paralympic disability classification for ambulant track events) 100m in Beijing, and medal prospect for London 2012. However, it was boccia that captured the imagination of many of the students, and the after-school club that we introduced in the autumn of 1997 rapidly became a burgeoning squad that at one time boasted as many as 25 per cent of all school students competing at the regional championships. In the first year we got four players through to the national championships, but I think they lost every match! We saw a head-pointer used for the first time, and got one made for Cecilia Turk, who had previously been almost unable to play due to her disability; now Cecilia is part of the GB boccia squad and one of its longestserving players. The second year eight Treloar players qualified for nationals, and one or two started to win games, and in the third year we got 12 through and our first national champion.

What spurred you into undertaking voluntary work?

As national champion, Treloar student, Amy Bishop, was invited to trial with the England squad, and I felt I needed to up my game if I was going to coach a national squad athlete. I was accepted as a volunteer squad assistant with the England boccia squad. At the same time I was nominated to the International Boccia Committee. I was duly elected during the Sydney 2000 Paralympics, when another relative newcomer to the sport, Nigel Murray, claimed the gold medal in the BC2 (Paralympic disability classification meaning no assistance is permitted) individual event. Nigel is still the mainstay of the GB throwers team, and has recently returned from the world cup in Belfast with an Individual silver and a team bronze to add to his collection.

How has volunteering changed your life?

At first being a volunteer was hard. I went to the training weekends but I had to look for jobs and generally try to be helpful. I became a sports assistant – on court with the athletes – and when the existing coaches stood down I was appointed as England team manager and head coach. We started to bring on a group of new young players. Included in this programme were a young David Smith and Dan Bentley – two of the four-man GB squad who won gold in Beijing.

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

Did you ever envisage getting into this type of work when you started your degree?

How can Brighton students and alumni get involved with the London 2012 Paralympic Games?

I never thought about volunteering and although I followed the Children with Special Needs course at college, I wasn’t really aware of the possibility of being a specialist PE teacher exclusively working with disabled pupils. However, I’m so glad to have had that opportunity; it’s meant that I could fulfil my potential and have the chance to be a big fish in the smaller pond of disability sport.

Paralympic ticket sales opened to great response but there will be a second round soon so if you haven’t already managed to bag tickets to the greatest show on earth then look out for further opportunities as we approach the games. LOCOG is committed to delivering a fantastic Olympic and Paralympic Games and of course I’d love everyone to come and support the boccia athletes!

What is the most challenging part of your career?

My current role has to be the most challenging because it’s a step away from education and into a huge and multifaceted organisation. When I first arrived I suffered from imposter syndrome (when are they going to realise I’m just a PE teacher?), but I soon realised that I’d been employed for my knowledge and skills in the sport, and of course I believe that I’m both worthy of, and equal to, the job.

What advice would you give to current students?

One of my life mottoes has been ‘Never let an opportunity pass’. Your life is what you make it – you can choose to have an impact on the lives of others, and you can choose what that impact is.

The boccia competition will be at the ExCeL venue and a £10 day ticket will give you entry to five different Paralympic sports, which is incredible value. In addition, there will be a boccia test event in the basketball arena on the Olympic Park, May 5–7 2012. If you are interested in attending as a spectator please contact alumni@brighton. ac.uk. I’d love to see lots of University of Brighton students and alumni there!

Boccia Boccia is a target ball sport belonging to the same suite as petanque and bowls. It is played by athletes with disabilities who require a wheelchair and whose motor skills are severely affected. All events are mixed gender and boccia can be played by individuals, pairs, or teams of three. The aim of the game is to throw leather balls (red or blue) as close as they can to a white target ball or jack.

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

The Alumni Advice Network makes good use of the talents and voluntary efforts of our alumni. It is a powerful and significant resource which benefits the university community. To date, 200 alumni are active members of the network. The network gives alumni like you the chance to play an ongoing and meaningful role in the life and work of the University of Brighton. The expertise, skills and knowledge found in our alumni community can make a huge impact on our current and future students.

MENTORING TOMORROW’S GRADUATES Julie Howell (Information Management MA, 1998) is a renowned campaigner for accessible technologies, a diversity and equality advocate, a multiple award-winner for new media initiatives, and the innovator behind Jooly’s Joint (a support website for people with MS). She has been involved in the university’s award-winning Momentum mentoring scheme for several years and is a proactive advocate of the University of Brighton via social media. She explains why keeping in touch is so important to her. Why do you remain in contact with the university? The University of Brighton gave me a fantastic start in life. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in my final year and the teaching staff could not have been more helpful and supportive.

Opportunities to get involved vary according to each individual: whether interacting with current students to share your own university experience; giving talks on your profession; mentoring students; contributing to the Alumni Advisory Board; offering placements, or by providing testimonials to encourage potential students to choose the University of Brighton.

Remaining an active part of the university community can be enjoyable and fulfilling. It also helps to inform our future alumni activity – because you can tell us what you need. Here are some examples of how our network members have already engaged with us.

They made me feel that I was still capable of achieving my goals and this encouragement has stayed with me throughout the 20 years since I graduated. I am always pleased to give back to the university in any way I can. Please describe your involvement in the Alumni Advice Network? I have taken students on work placements, internships and provided mentoring support through the Momentum scheme. I will also provide free help and advice to any student past/present who wishes to contact me via social media as I understand how important – yet hard won – that first break is. Just as others have helped me in my career, so I will help others where I can and I encourage those I help to do the same when they become successful. Why volunteer? The support I received as a student was delivered with so much kindness and caring that I feel inspired to help others wherever I can.

TRADING SKILLS Sam Baker, director of OSTC Brighton, graduated in 2004 with a degree in Business Administration. He trains graduates to trade in the world’s financial markets as well as trading himself. Sam runs a competition with students every week in the university’s trading room. Sam told us what spurred him into volunteering: “We at OSTC believe it’s important to build relationships with the local universities as it serves as a great way to promote the organisation. I personally like to give something back to the university as without them I wouldn’t be where I am today. It is also a great recruitment tool.” Sam described one of his most rewarding moments to date: “The end of last term when the competition came to an end and the students had achieved a better than expected result, I like to think it was down to my guidance.”

For me, mentoring, placements etc is not a big ask and I actually learn a huge amount through working with Brighton students – it’s a virtuous circle. If the University of Brighton has been of support to you in your career, then give something back, even if it’s just a few hours of your time and expertise. Many new graduates lack confidence when entering the job market at an extremely difficult time. The help you give really can set them off down the right road and it’s such a great feeling to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Looking forward, Sam’s ambition is to fill each OSTC recruitment drive with ambitious graduates from the University of Brighton. Asked about his own time as a student here, Sam said: “I had only heard good things about Brighton as a place and the university was flying up the rankings at the time so I thought it was the place for me. The course covered a broad number of subjects and allowed me to specialise in certain areas if they interested me more than others, flexibility was the key. My degree covered subjects from accounting to people management; the diversity of my course is helping with every aspect of running a business.”

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

ACADEMIC AFFINITY Twenty-three-year-old teacher, Sophie Riley, is the youngest member of the Alumni Advisory Board. Sophie graduated in 2010 with a Primary Education BA(Hons) with QTS. Sophie explained what motivates her to keep in touch. “I had a wonderful four years at Brighton and gained many vital skills and the knowledge and understanding I need for my career. I enjoy reading about new developments at the university. I still use the university swimming pool and gym and train with the university lacrosse team. When our widening participation team needed a new figurehead for their activities, who better to ask than Chris Riddell (Graphic Design BA(Hons) 1984), illustrator, political cartoonist for The Observer, writer of children’s literature and one of the first volunteers for the Alumni Advice Network.

Having scooped the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize seven times, Chris was able to apply his expertise to the creation of Professor C Gull, our cover star. Widening participation is a major focus for the university, starting from primary school

age and inspiring children from non-traditional or deprived backgrounds to consider a university education. Professor C Gull will be used in a number of ways to promote our activities across the region, raising awareness of higher education and its benefits.

AWARD-WINNING EFFORT In June, Steve was awarded the CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Matched Funding Volunteer Award for his ‘exemplar volunteer leadership’ in fundraising and alumni engagement with praise given for his ‘unstinting enthusiasm and interest’.

Having graduated from Brighton Polytechnic Steve Maycock (Business Studies BA(Hons), 1975), has remained a staunch supporter of the university. As an active member of the university’s Board of Governors, Steve was one of the first alumni to join the university’s Ambassadors programme. Steve chairs the Disbursement Advisory Group (the committee which oversees the appropriate acceptance and allocation of philanthropic donations to the university) and undertakes face-to-face meetings with alumni.

Steve is also a popular speaker at alumni events and last year he delivered a motivating talk on how to sell yourself effectively to a packed lecture theatre of students and alumni.

Commenting on his involvement, Steve said: “It provides an opportunity to give back, but equally important is the chance to meet bright, enthusiastic people with different experiences and views from mine … that experience alone makes volunteering worthwhile.”

“Since graduating I have been a member of the Alumni Advisory Board. In these meetings we think of new ways of improving communications between the university and its alumni. I have also been a guest speaker at welcome events for new students and at open days. New students can find the start of their time at university very difficult. Normally these problems can all be ironed out by having a chat with them. Through the network I have also met so many new people and have learnt many new things. “The Alumni Advice Network is a great way to help other people who may need career or professional advice, or maybe just someone to talk to. You can give as much or as little time as you like which makes it easy for anybody to get involved. There are so many opportunities within the network so your expertise will definitely lend itself to something.”

If you would like to get involved with the Alumni Advice Network, email alumni@brighton.ac.uk.

ALUMNI PROFILE

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Not many people can boast the title of Master Inventor, fewer still that they are a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Mandy Chessell (Software Engineering MSc, 1996) has both. As a master inventor and Distinguished Engineer for IBM in Hursley, Europe’s largest software development laboratory, Mandy is responsible for developing and implementing technical strategy for a number of IBM software products. Within the industry, she has a prolific invention record in middleware (the computer software that connects software components or people and their applications), and it has brought her a string of rewards. Mandy was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal, and she currently is a visiting professor at the University of Sheffield. Mandy started her academic career with a degree in Computing and Informatics from the University of Plymouth. She had been working at IBM for about four years and was looking for opportunities to expand her knowledge of software engineering when IBM offered to sponsor her on a modular postgraduate degree at the University of Brighton.

“I am a master inventor which means I have a large patent portfolio (45 inventions issued) and I spend a lot of my time mentoring people around innovation and career development. I also author white papers and I am writing a book.”

But returning to study whilst working presented its own challenges. So how did she cope? “Combining study with working full-time is a big commitment. You need to be very organised and have a job role you can do easily to allow you to focus in the evenings and weekends on the course work. “The course updated my skills with objectoriented design skills – which was new at the time – and gave me confidence to move jobs within IBM. My project work specifically created a new opportunity. I presented it at a lunchtime seminar within IBM and a manager who was looking for someone with object-oriented design skills was in the audience. He phoned me afterwards and offered me a new role. This was a pivotal point in my career since it made me more visible to our executives and it was when I started inventing. “I think this course would be useful to someone who had been working in the software industry for a few years and has built an understanding of commercial software development. With that as a background, the course was excellent at taking the real-world experience of the students and aligning it with the software engineering theory.” Unsurprisingly, there is no such thing as a typical work day for Mandy. Her roles are numerous: at the time of this interview, she was on a site visit to a US-based customer, advising them how to use the products for a complex and ambitious project: “This type of visit helps to understand where our products can be improved and to understand new opportunities.

Mandy with Silver medal, 2001 © The Royal Academy of Engineering “I also lead two global teams of architects who are each responsible for the design and evolution of software products or large cross-product software capabilities. Through conference calls and workshops we discuss and decide on the technical integration and use of the products. I am a master inventor which means I have a large patent portfolio (45 inventions issued) and I spend a lot of my time mentoring people around innovation and career development. I also author white papers and I am writing a book.” Mandy said the hardest part of her leadership role was time management – prioritising her work and encouraging people to change. So what advice would Mandy offer current students? “Specific technologies come and go, but the principles and underlying theories remain true. Make sure you have a good grounding in the theory. Also, technical skills are important, but so are communication skills and the ability to work in teams. Always understand the context (environment) for your software solution. Never stop questioning and learning.” Having achieved so much already, what priorities does Mandy have for the future? “Focus on growing my skills around leadership and new technology. Keep moving to the next generation of software challenges.”

Your Brighton Effect Welcome to Your Brighton Effect, the section of the magazine dedicated to sharing details about how we spend the funds that are very kindly donated by our many alumni friends and other supporters.

Football 4 Peace

On behalf of all the students and staff who have received support and indeed the university itself, we would like to say a huge thank you. Through your generosity we have achieved things that would not have otherwise been possible. We hope that you will see that there is a huge variety of projects that are being supported, and maybe even see something that you would like to donate to if you haven’t already done so! For the past three years, universities in the UK benefited greatly from a matched funding scheme offered by the government. The scheme was established to help promote universities as charitable concerns and this is the message we have sought to communicate during the lifetime of the scheme. Unfortunately the matching ended in July 2010 and we must now continue our efforts and build on the momentum already generated. Most importantly, we need to increase the levels of philanthropic support we can secure. In light of the recent changes to higher education, it is even more important to provide support and opportunities to our student body; scholarships to attract the most talented students; bursaries to help those who suffer from financial difficulties; and funds to help us provide an interesting and stimulating experience for all our students and staff. For those alumni and friends who have not yet made a donation, I hope you will choose to join me and our other supporters in giving this year. Mrs Sam Davies Director of Development and Alumni You can find us online at www.brighton.ac.uk/giving.

The Chelsea School has a long history of students getting involved in community projects, working directly with disadvantaged children in and around Eastbourne, Sussex and even overseas. This includes the groundbreaking Football 4 Peace project (F4P) which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. F4P is an activity-based community relations and reconciliation initiative. Sports coaches, community leaders and volunteers work together bringing differing communities together through football and aspects of outdoor education. The project began in 2001 uniting two communities and involving 100 Jewish and Arab children. Today, the programme in Israel involves 24 mixed communities with over 1,000 children. F4P also operates in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, facilitating a cross-border project. Run by local teachers and coaches trained in the F4P methodology, this project uses football to

bring together children from both sides of the border regardless of background and religion. International development of the project progressed further in 2009 when F4P began operating in Jordan. In all projects, young people enjoy learning and playing football together in non-threatening settings. The activities and coaching methodology devised by the initiative promotes close interaction, allowing longer-term relationships and cross-community understanding to flourish. There are four main aims to F4P. • to provide opportunities for social contact across community boundaries • to promote mutual understanding • to engender in participants a desire for and commitment to peaceful coexistence • to enhance soccer skills and technical knowledge.

Over £60,000 has been raised to support this project from Chelsea students, alumni, partner organisations and other supporters.

Telephone fundraising campaign 2010–11

Hastings Aspiration Awards The University of Brighton’s campus in Hastings was created in 2003 as a central part of plans to regenerate the seaside town. Despite being so close to Brighton and other fairly affluent parts of the south-east, Hastings ranks among the most deprived parts of the UK with high rates of crime, teenage pregnancies and drink and drug abuse. Thirty per cent of the population in Hastings and Rother have no formal qualifications (which is six per cent above the national average).

Many thanks to all our alumni who spoke to us during our telephone fundraising campaign and a special thank you to everyone who agreed to donate. You all helped make last academic year’s campaign the most successful we have ever run. During the spring 2011 term, a team of 30 student callers got on the phone to speak to alumni, updating them on news and activities at the university and to ask for modest regular donations to support students and activities in the schools in which they studied. Last academic year, our campaign focused on calling alumni from the School of Education, Brighton Business School, the Faculty of Arts and Chelsea School. We also ran, for the first time, a dedicated section of the campaign to fundraise on behalf of the Students’ Union. The student team was given extensive training, including role playing and making mock phone calls to each other before being allowed on the phone. This helped to ensure that each call was an enjoyable experience for both the student callers and our alumni. Alumni were asked to pledge a regular monthly donation of between £3 and £10, paid by direct debit. The pledged donations created funds within the specific school or faculty, with slightly different priorities in each, ensuring that

every former student’s donation is used to provide support and opportunities to students studying in the same area as they did when they were at Brighton. Every pound that was donated, including the gift aid and matched funds that these donations generated, is directed straight into the school/faculty funds; the cost of the campaign is borne centrally. In total, we spoke to over 3,000 graduates, 450 of whom pledged a donation. The campaign raised over £50,000 which will be used to help enhance the student experience for current and future students. Sarah Rowell, a graduate from the Chelsea School, who donated during the campaign said: “For me, this is about supporting others in a manner which I know would have helped me when I was a student. My whole career has been built on the degree that I did and if in a small way I can help others at a time when the financial situation is not so supportive, I will.” We are already planning this academic year’s campaign during which we will be calling alumni from the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Brighton Business School, the School of Applied Social Sciences and the School of Service Management. If you are a former student from any of these schools and would prefer not to be called, please let us know and we will ensure you are removed from our calling schedules.

The campus was created to offer higher education foundation and undergraduate degree courses to Hastings residents who may not have otherwise considered going to university. The campus now has 34 courses and 650 students. alumni were spoken to

pledged a gift

average four-year gift value

people pledged a regular gift

Over £22,000 has been donated by Hastings staff, alumni, local residents and other supporters, some of which will be used to create a series of aspiration awards for new Hastings students. These will be aimed at students entering education from non-traditional backgrounds such as single mothers, care leavers or students who are also caring for relatives with long-term sickness or disability. The impact of the university’s campus in Hastings is already clear with one nontraditional student saying: “[studying in Hastings] has given me a great deal of confidence in my professionalism,” while another said: “I have realised that I have more confidence than I ever imagined and that I am able to give my children a positive role model.” The aspiration awards will help to encourage people from Hastings into and successfully through higher education, showing them that university is an option.

The School for Malagiri opens its doors to its first pupils To date, over £60,000 has been raised by alumni, students and staff of the School of Education to pay for the construction of a new school in Malagiri, a village in rural Nepal. The school will become a partner college and site for student placements and academic research at the university. The annual running costs of the school will be about £20,000 and the university is committed to raising these funds from the project’s many friends and supporters. Kevin Fossey, senior lecturer in the School of Education who has been leading the project said: “The School in Malagiri opened its doors in early April to 50 children. As planned, I attended the opening ceremony along with

Lorraine Harrison, head of the School of Education, and then returned to the school a few days later to spend some time with the children and teachers. “The villagers gave us a great reception during the opening ceremony. They are thrilled with the school and they send their greetings to all the supporters. We have appointed a head and deputy and the villagers decided the admission policy and appointed the cook, teaching assistant and a caretaker.

“Due to your fantastic support there are now 50 children being educated who were not going to school before.”

“We are now in the process of thinking about building another two classrooms and a handicraft centre where the villagers can make items for sale on a fair trade basis.

Rebuilding the House that Kevin Built Over the course of six nights back in 2008, live on TV as part of Grand Designs Live, presenter Kevin McCloud built an eco-house out of carbon neutral and natural materials. Now, with the help of the Mears Group, the university is rebuilding the House That Kevin Built as a research project on our Grand Parade campus. The Mears Group has very kindly donated the materials and labour necessary to begin the project, building the foundations, below ground utilities, concrete slab and everything up to the

house’s damp proof course. Mears has also supplied site security and accommodation for the duration of the build process.

£100,000 worth of in-kind support and materials pledged so far.

Mears apprentices have been involved in the build so far giving them a taste of higher education. The apprentices also helped students to build a number of pavilions in the courtyard as part of the annual Faculty of Arts degree shows. This included structures inspired by the house including a rammed chalk wall and hay bale wall.

Springboard grants A fund of nearly £150,000, donated through the generosity of alumni and friends over the last few years, has been used to create the Springboard Grants Programme. This scheme allows anyone in the university, whether student or staff, to submit an application for funds of up to £1,000 to support unique activities (academic or extracurricular) which enrich and enhance the student or staff experience.

Eighteen grants totalling just under £15,000 were awarded this year and included £1,000 to architecture masters students to produce a quarterly architecture fanzine and £500 to enable the purchase of new display equipment in the product design centre. The next round of applications opened in the autumn term 2011. Grants included £1,000 to the Sussex Waves cheerleading squad to allow the purchase of a new flexi roll cheerleading mat from America.

Plumpton wine research

Brighton cycle for southern Africa

English wines are currently flourishing in both quality and popularity with the South Downs producing some of the best wines this country has to offer. The university offers foundation and undergraduate degrees in winemaking and viticulture at our partner institution, Plumpton College. Over the last year, nearly £500,000 has been donated to the college to establish a wine research centre as well as funds towards the research staff required. South Africa and its neighbouring countries are struggling to address apartheid-era imbalances in crime, education and healthcare. The university is raising funds for the Southern African Scholarship Fund which aims to help the development of South Africa and its neighbouring countries that were deeply affected by apartheid. The fund was set up by the Students’ Union in 1988 and provides scholarships for southern African students on courses which directly benefit their wider community when they return home. We are raising money to provide a scholarship to a student from South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique or Angola.To date, the fund has supported trainee teachers, engineers, doctors and nurses.

In September, we ran a very successful sponsored event in aid of the fund: a 40-mile sponsored cycle from Brighton to Hastings campus. The team of 34 staff members, students, alumni and friends of the university who got involved raised over £7,000 for the fund, thanks to Santander Universities matching all donations up to the value of £3,000. We hope to run a similar event in March 2012 as part of the university’s Green Week. To find out more, visit: www.brighton.ac.uk/ southernafricanscholarshipfund.

The 2011 Zambian medical scholar Webby Phiri said: “Many people are looking up to me who will probably get inspired by this. So it’s not just for me but for a whole community back home.”

THANK YOU For a list of our supporters, please visit www.brighton.ac.uk/giving.

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OUR INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

The university has opened a new international college to help overseas students prepare for university education. Talented students will be able to move from their international college courses to degree courses with us, and they and their home countries will benefit enormously from the education they can receive here. The new international college will help students attain the appropriate academic skill levels for entry through academic support, learning support tutors, small class sizes and lots of contact time. The college will also provide an introduction to UK culture and environment, and English language tuition if it is required as part of an academic programme. The international college is based in the Watts building on Moulsecoomb campus. At the time of writing, over 100 students from 27 countries have accepted offers to study here, with the annual intake expected to rise to around 500 within the next five years. Students from the international college are guaranteed a place at the University of Brighton when they successfully complete their programme and achieve the required grades.

The international college’s pathway programmes include foundation certificates leading to first year undergraduate entry and graduate diplomas for those seeking entry to masters-level programmes. A diploma in business programme develops some students for entry to the second year of a bachelor’s degree in line with other advanced entry agreements. The university will chair a committee to provide complete control over academic aspects of the college’s work that includes the curriculum, academic standards and assessment criteria for students completing the programme and progressing on to the corresponding university courses. This exciting venture will increase the university’s recruitment opportunities and further internationalise our students’ experience of university. It also partly meets the aim of diversifying our income sources, as set out in the corporate plan. www.brighton.ac.uk/ubic

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SUSTAINING

A GREEN FUTURE Universities have many purposes, but above all they are concerned with building futures – future knowledge, future jobs, future societies. It is hardly surprising then that in the early part of the twenty-first century, the challenge of sustainable development is rapidly moving up the agenda for universities all around the world. At our campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, we have already made significant advances in many areas of sustainable development including cutting energy consumption and emissions and introducing sustainable purchasing practices. We have also opened up opportunities for staff and students to explore ways they can actively contribute to a more sustainable future during their time here, such as volunteering in the community and through the Environmental Action Network. However, we have much more to do. A sustainable future requires big changes, and the University of Brighton will be starting at home with our ambitious target of reducing our carbon emissions by 50 per cent over the next five years. We have deliberately set a more ambitious target than the one set by the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) of a 43 per cent reduction by 2020 across the higher education sector. The university’s carbon management plan sets out how we will achieve these carbon reduction targets. It was developed with the Carbon Trust, as part of the higher education carbon management programme in consultation with students and staff.

The Carbon Trust commented that: “Your motivation and commitment, technical expertise, project management discipline and attention to detail made a real difference and enabled the delivery of one of the best and most ambitious plans on the programme.” Sue McHugh, director of finance, chaired the carbon management programme board and said: “As well as helping us achieve good value for money from our estate, the plan is an important contribution to the delivery of our values and the corporate plan commitments to social responsibility.”

IT MODERNISATION With the existing Watts data centre running out of space, power and cooling, the university has started work on a new state-of-the-art energy-efficient centre designed to meet the university’s data storage requirements. Energy and maintenance costs over a 10-year period were taken into account, rather than just the initial purchase price, to assess the energy consumption of the project. Once the new data centre is completed, Information Services will consolidate central and department computer systems to enable further savings.

STUDENT SWITCH OFF Residential Services have been working with the Students’ Union and Abigail Dombey, the university’s energy manager, to introduce energy-saving initiatives for students living in halls of residence and private sector accommodation. The first major initiative, the Student Switch Off Campaign, focuses on energy saving and encourages students to cut their energy usage and reduce their carbon footprint.

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Abigail Dombey, energy manager, with new energy efficient boilers

Competition is fierce in this inter-hall competition. Students signing up to the campaign can win prizes individually, and the hall that saves the most energy is rewarded with a big party. The campaign has been successful in raising awareness among students and in reducing running costs in halls. Overall usage has reduced by an average three per cent across all student residencies.

NEW STUDENT ACCOMMODATION The accommodation is being built at Varley Halls in Brighton and will increase the number of bed spaces for students and offer new social facilities on the site. The new accommodation will be energy efficient, with a centralised heating system. The design includes a lowcarbon combined heat and power (CHP) plant which generates electricity at the same time as producing heating and hot water; making further savings on the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carbon emissions.

GREEN ENERGY The university now buys electricity from renewable sources for all its main campuses across Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings and is also planning onsite electricity generation to further reduce our carbon footprint. Solar panels on the roof of Cockcroft will deliver an immediate benefit reducing our carbon emissions by nearly 30 tonnes a year. Other carbon-saving projects include upgrading lighting, improving recycling, switching to biofuels for some university vehicles, and engaging staff and students in carbon reduction.

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1,500 places at the St Leonards Academy.

Space for 900 students at the Hastings Academy.

More than 60 per cent of Hastings secondary school students will attend the two academies.

Artist’s impression of the Hastings Academy building due to open in September 2013.

Social and community activity is an important part of the university’s core purpose. We are committed to economic and social engagement, and to forming productive working partnerships with local communities. One such initiative is helping to regenerate the Hastings and St Leonards area. The university is lead sponsor of the establishment of two new academy schools in Hastings and St Leonards. We are joined by co-sponsors East Sussex County Council (ESCC) and BT. The multimillion pound academies will provide a twenty-first century education for many young people in the Hastings area, with new facilities and opportunities expected to make a very positive impact in local communities. The academies will be state-funded, will accept students of all abilities, and will bound by the same school admissions code as all other state-funded schools.

They will replace Hillcrest, Filsham Valley and The Grove secondary schools and more than 60 per cent of the town’s 11–16 year olds will attend the two new academies. The establishment of the academies is the second of a two-part strategy to transform the education experience of pupils in the town. In 2008, Hastings was the thirty-first most deprived borough in England, the most deprived in the south-east and the lowest attaining borough out of 354, based on summer 2008 GCSE results. It was decided by ESCC that a radical intervention strategy to combat disadvantage and raise standards in the long term was required. The first part of the strategy was to create a federation of the three schools to implement educational best practice.

Through the work of the federation, significant improvements have been achieved and in March 2010 Hillcrest was recognised as the second most improved school in the country. ESCC approached the university to lead on the second stage of the strategy, the creation of two new academies, to ensure that these improvements are sustained. Both academies opened in their existing buildings at the start of September 2011 and will move into their new purposebuilt accommodation in September 2013. At a cost of just over £32m (funded by the government and ESCC), the two new buildings will have stateof-the-art information technology and facilities that will inspire and motivate students and staff, and be flexible enough to change with the times. The St Leonards Academy has places for 1,500 pupils and will specialise in English and ICT. On the eastern side of the town, the Hastings Academy will accommodate 900 pupils and specialise in mathematics and ICT.

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Newly appointed principal for the St Leonards Academy, Jenny Jones, said: “The sponsors will influence and contribute to the experience of our students through projects and enrichment programmes which draw on their expertise and knowledge. The small school model which is at the heart of the sponsors’ vision is integral to delivering personalised provision where every child is known, and will be the core focus of this academy.” Theresa Phillips, principal of the Hastings Academy, said: “We expect the university to bring exceptional professional development opportunities for all staff at the academy. They have brought skill and professionalism to the branding and marketing of the academies which has contributed to increasing numbers of pupils applying to join this academy.” Parents and pupils have been fully consulted about the academies and a pupils’ brief recorded thoughts and ideas about every aspect of the academies.

Above: Academy uniform workshops were run by the university’s fashion design students. Right: The academy logos. Far right: Principals Jenny Jones and Theresa Philips.

Fashion design students from the university’s Faculty of Arts ran a series of workshops with pupils to choose the new school uniforms and Mark Toynbee, a graphic designer based in the university’s Marketing and Communications department, designed the distinctive lion’s head logos for the academies and also their prospectuses. The university already has strong educational links in the area through our campus in Hastings and partner Sussex Coast College.

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EDUCATION FOR ALL When the government announced its cuts in higher education funding, tales of doom and misinformation circulated through the media, causing concern for potential students. The most alarming prospect was that higher education might become inaccessible to some of the country’s most gifted students. The University of Brighton has a reputation as one of the most socially inclusive institutions in the country and although changes are on the way, our commitment to students remains unchanged. As our alumni and friends, we felt it was important to provide you with a candid look at fees, student funding and how we plan to work through these challenges. The reality is that by 2014–15, our overall funding will be cut by 80 per cent. Currently, we receive 33 per cent of our budget from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) but by 2014–15, this will be reduced to 12 per cent. The following charts demonstrate the impact of these cuts to our university and where the new fee rises are necessary to address the shortfall. In making our decision on fee levels, we took into account factors including: the real costs of delivering our courses in 2012; the fact that many require highly specialised facilities and equipment; the significant uncertainty around the amount of public funding the government will provide for our courses; the distinctive value of our courses – many of which are approved by statutory and professional bodies; our growing reputation for research excellence; and our continuing popularity with prospective students. We received close to 40,000 applications for this academic year, making us the twelfth most applied for university in the country.

FUNDING CHANGES FOR UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON Chart 1: 2011–2012 budget

In July, the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) approved our tuition fee levels of £9,000 per year for undergraduate degrees delivered by the University of Brighton and of £7,000–£8,300 for students at our partner colleges. Fees for our international and postgraduate students have increased but only by five to seven per cent. Fees for international students will range from £10,500–£12,750 and postgraduate fees from £4,320–£12,510. These increases will take effect from September 2012. OFFA also approved our plans to spend more than £5m every year on fee waivers, bursaries and scholarships to improve access and support to students, primarily from low income families and from families who traditionally do not go to university. We are also investing a further £2.8m in outreach work with local schools and colleges, and for academic and pastoral support for students most in need, to help them make successful applications to the university and to support them in their studies. The government has introduced a range of loans and grants to help students finance their studies. The grants do not need to be paid back and loans only have to be repaid once students have completed their course and are earning over £21,000. Interest will be charged on the tuition fee loan from the time it is taken out until it is repaid. More information can be found at http:// studentfinance-yourfuture.direct.gov.uk/costs

Chart 2: 2014–2015 (current prices)

Commercial, residental and catering Tuition fees NHS Teaching and Development Agency HEFCE

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WHAT WE ARE DOING In line with our mission to enable access for all, our new bursary scheme provides a different way of supporting our students and will mean that help is targeted towards those who need it most. One major change is how the financial support will be provided to students. Our new bursaries will include three elements: fee waiver, cash (to a maximum of £1,000) and discounted services, for example, unicard credits or contributions towards accommodation costs. The government was particularly keen that universities include a fee waiver, reducing the debt incurred by students and the amount borrowed using student loans. The University of Brighton bursaries range from £3,000–£9,000 over the duration of an undergraduate course. Our bursary scheme has been redesigned to help the students who would benefit most from receiving financial support. There are two main types of bursary funding: the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) which involves the university in matching funds provided by the government and bursaries funded directly by the university. For the first year of the NSP, £555,000 has been allocated. In addition to this, the university has committed £300,000 to other bursaries, scholarships and financial support in 2012, rising to £1.5m in 2015. A comprehensive outline of our bursaries can be found at www.brighton.ac.uk/ bursaries. We are also continuing to fund the University of Brighton Disabled Athletes Scholarship. The University of Brighton Student Support Fund will complement the Access to Learning fund allowing students who are in real need (who may in the past have been eligible for a general university bursary) to receive one-off payments.

SUMMARY OF UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON BURSARIES University bursary Widening access Care leavers Aimhigher Access to architecture Access to pharmacy Access to teaching

Total value two-year taught course £5,000 £5,000 £4,000 N/A N/A N/A

The University of Brighton bursaries are for full-time undergraduate students from England. Part-time students will receive pro-rata support providing they meet criteria similar to those for full-time students. In addition, the University of Brighton offers a generous range of scholarships to further support students who perform well in their studies (www.brighton.ac.uk/ scholarships). We hope that by having more tightly targeted and higher-value support, we will be able to reduce some of the effects of fee increases for students from non-traditional and low-income backgrounds.

Total value three-year taught course £7,000 £7,000 £6,000 £3,000 N/A N/A

Total value four-year taught course £9,000 £9,000 £8,000 £4,000 £4,000 £4,000

As alumni and friends, these changes may not impact upon you directly, but we hope you share our belief in the value of a University of Brighton education and can help us spread the real message about the new funding situation for students. We are determined that places at our university remain achievable, regardless of background, and that we deliver the best quality experience for our students. Our challenge, as a university community, is to keep the next generation of students buoyant, through the support we provide. For more information on fees and bursaries please visit www.brighton.ac.uk/money.

ALUMNI PROFILE

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“Call me whatever you like: Norman, Norm, Nobby …” Perhaps better known as Fatboy Slim, Norman (born Quentin Leo Cook in 1963) was a student at Brighton Polytechnic from 1982–1985, achieving a 2:1 BA in British Studies. Almost 30 years since graduating, Norman invited The Brighton Effect to his home to chat about his time as student, his career and his relationship with the city. WHY BRIGHTON?

MUSIC FIRST

Norman admitted that in many ways, he chose the city first and the polytechnic second. As his sister attended the University of Sussex, Norman spent a lot of time hanging out with her, soon falling in love with the city.

Norman always wanted to go into the music business but his parents made it clear that they would only support him whilst he was in full-time education. “They just wanted me to have something to fall back on in case the music career didn’t work, but I always knew what I wanted to do.”

Norman recalled one of his first discoveries was that The Young Ones wasn’t the reality of student life! He remembered savouring the rush of freedom associated with leaving home and working out what to do with it. He also learnt how to stick with something for three years and he remains justifiably proud of his 2.1.

Paul Heaton was at the same grammar school and they formed a band together. After graduation, Norman joined Paul in Hull to play bass with The Housemartins. So when did Norman know he’d made it? As with most artists at that time, he cites the band’s first appearance on Top of the Pops, but also recalls when he first heard a Housemartins’ song on the radio. The band were in a chip shop in Edinburgh and suddenly the song Sheep started playing on Radio 1.

After three years, the DJing bug had bitten him and Norman left as he realised it was dance music that he wanted to do: “It was a great time and it was kind of me and Paul’s dream that we used to sit there mulling over in the pub when we were 16 … but musically it wasn’t really my scene and over the years, I’ve realised I’m a much better DJ than I am a bass player.” Despite Norman’s determination to develop a career in the music industry, he did find his course interesting. What particularly resonated was a final year module in urban settlement patterns in the US. This was the aspect he found most appealing and is still fascinated by it. When travelling across the globe, Norman points out city layouts to his crew: “It was all about the idea of planning settlements rather than letting them grow. I still talk about zones in transitions and central business districts.”

Before we got down to the interview itself, I had a small surprise up my sleeve – a copy of Norman’s original student record card, complete with a photo of Mr Cook, aged 19. “Oh my word!” was his response, “I’d totally forgotten.”

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ALUMNI PROFILE

This year Norman has played 70 shows all over the world – Great Wall of China, Jakarta, Ibiza and Vegas, to name but a few: “So the other half of my life is travelling, being a wandering minstrel, playing tunes to people and hopefully turning them on.” Being photographed and regular television appearances are both things Norman doesn’t enjoy. In fact, anything which comes with fame is difficult for him to deal with, wanting instead to focus on the music. He laughs about the idea that he might one day be ‘found out’, with everyone realising that he is just a bloke who waves his arms about and plays records.

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

ENTER FATBOY SLIM Norman returned to Brighton in 1988 to find that the acid house craze had taken over: “When I came back, everyone was wearing smiley face bandanas and I thought ‘what’s going on here?’” It was at this point that his friend (another Brighton Polytechnic alumnus) J C Reid established the Loaded label. Norman recorded on the Loaded label under the name Pizzaman, but when Skint was set up as a sub label of Loaded, Norman was asked to create another pseudonym and so Fatboy Slim was born. Norman explained: “It’s just that I really like old blues records and if you were a fat blues singer, you got called Slim. There was Pinetop Slim, Memphis Slim, Bumblebee Slim, so Fatboy Slim was a nice oxymoron.”

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With the focus these days very much upon universities supporting student employability and providing strong careers advice, did Norman receive much careers guidance from his tutors? “To anyone who tried to offer me careers advice, I said ‘come back in three years – I’m giving myself that time to have a crack at the music business’.”

Norman is very Brighton-centric: “I’ve always been very proud of the city. I do love it.” He feels it comes back to what he studied about developing settlements – on one hand there is the hedonism, but then also the underlying role of Brighton as a service point for leisure. “The economy of the city depends on visitors – not necessarily tourists – but visitors. Whether it’s stag nights, clubbers, conference guests or language schools – that’s the economy of the town.” From Norman’s point of view, being allowed to play hometown gigs in recent years has provided the perfect showcase to celebrate the city, its history, its future and its long-standing tradition of inviting people here for a party.

Looking forward, Norman’s ambition is to produce a full film score. Following his contribution to Baz Luhrmann’s film, Moulin Rouge, he would love to write a score from start to finish, citing films such as Paris, Texas by Ry Cooder and Midnight Express by Giorgio Moroder as examples where the music has become synonymous with the film. A typical day when he isn’t on the road involves a morning visit to the gym, listening to the new tunes he is working on, occasional interviews and looking after his two children while his wife, Zoe Ball, hosts BBC 1’s Strictly Come Dancing’s companion show, It Takes Two. Photos: Jim Holden (2011)

Norman still enjoys DJing, although he does think about the future: “Obviously there will come a point when I’m too old to enjoy it or do it or they don’t want me anymore, so there is plenty of time for me to do soundtracks when I’ve got more time on my hands.”

NORMAN SAYS … What advice could he offer new students? Norman wishes Brighton’s new students lots of happiness and success. Coincidentally, his nephew has just started as a student at the university. He lived with Norman and Zoe for a few weeks before moving into halls. Having his nephew stay certainly made Norman reminisce about his student life. “For me, the weirdest thing is that the geography block where I’d spend many an afternoon gazing out of the window at the South Downs, has now been turned into a football stadium.” Norman’s links with Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club are well known. He feels strongly that people should support their nearest team and it meant a great deal to him that the Skint record label name was on the Albion shirt for several years. Is there anything Norman knows now that he wished he’d known when he was a student? Obviously a lot has changed since his student days – if only he’d known then how important computers would become. In his words, it was most certainly a case of: “Check these things out, as they might be around for a while.” He might have something there!

ALUMNI PROFILE

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IT’S A FUNNY OLD BUSINESS If you could build a career based on your adolescent fantasies, you’d probably be laughing. Not bad work if you can get it. Comedienne and author, Louise Rennison, tells us how voicing her inner teenager has led to a prolific publishing career, award-winning books and why research is no big chore.

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ALUMNI PROFILE

What did you graduate in and when? I think it was 1987 when I graduated (with a first darling, a first) in Expressive Arts as it was then – so lovely and 70s and cosily kaftanish.

Why did you choose your course at the University of Brighton? I had just done one of those courses in London for women with no qualifications. (My parents emigrated to New Zealand when I was 15 and it was a nightmare of geothermal activity. I refused to go to school and lay in the back garden – being thrown around by the thousands of cubic feet of molten rock trapped beneath the earth’s crust, until they sent me home.) I did a threshold course and was advised to apply for a literature course and got a place at Cambridge but then I saw a brochure of Expressive Arts students at Brighton and I thought that is what I would really like to do.

What are your main memories of life as a student? Was it what you expected? At first it was absolute agony. I was a mature student and I had had a lovely life in London and then I left it all to come to a bedsit in a strange place. But worse was the fact that I couldn’t do anything. I did think about leaving but my tutors persuaded me to just hang on. Then I was given marvellous help and advice and I just threw myself into everything. Even when people didn’t ask me to, I performed all the time. Every day I couldn’t wait to go to college. It was very hard work but it was a dream come true to do something I loved and that was so creative every day. Plus we had loads of venues as our playground. I began performing at the old Zap Club on the seafront. First of all in Women with beards which was a feminist group. One of the girls in the group was very Celtic and actually did have a bit of a beard. So as an act of solidarity the rest of us wore false ones. We supported all sorts of people, Ben Elton amongst them.

Could you describe your career so far? Accidental and lucky! After WWB split I used to do Fellini films with my mate Jane. We were a cult darling, a cult. Then I did a one woman autobiographical show called Stevie Wonder felt my face (which he did actually). The show did well and won awards and was on TV so I toured for a few years. During that time I was asked to do a lot of radio and began working on Radio 4 Loose Ends, Women’s Hour, the Afternoon Shift and then the John Peel show on Saturday mornings Home Truths. John was an enormous pal to me and let me more or less do whatever I wanted column-wise. The Evening Standard in London asked me to write for its Friday evening magazine. I wrote a piece about having to have my shoes surgically removed in casualty in Charing Cross Hospital. Oh you know the sort of thing, wearing shoes too small for me and cut into my feet, going home after a few drinks, lying down for a snooze on the sofa, fully dressed, waking up in the morning with the shoes embedded in my feet (swollen flesh hiding the straps).

A publisher read the piece and said did I want to write a book. And I said: ‘What sort of thing, contemporary woman around town?’ The publisher said: ‘No, we want you to do a teenage girl’s diary because we haven’t read anything so childish and self-obsessed for ages, and we think you could really do it.’ And that was the birth of Georgia and Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging and the film and now the theatre show which is out in February 2012 at the West Yorks Playhouse in Leeds (my home town!).

Is there such a thing as a typical day for you at work? Up at the crack of midday! I like to do something physical before I go to the office. So I will play tennis or do yoga or swim before I plunge into the nightmare that is my mind. There is often a lot of variety in my days. Recently I have been making a little film for the marketing people about my new book in the Withering Tights series about Talullah who is at a really bad performing arts college in Yorkshire called Dother Hall although the locals call it Dither Hall. I sometimes have gigs to do and book covers to think of and interviews here and in America so the days do vary.

What is the most challenging part of your career? Doing the work! I forget about this part of it when I am swanning around doing readings. But you do have to dig in and work. Withering Tights was especially hard because I had written 10 books about Georgia and to change to a new person and place was very hard. I had to get to know her and the place. I am quite proud of myself because there was a lot of other personal stuff going on but I did it.

What has been the major achievement for you so far within your work? Blimey. So many lovely things have happened to me. First going on stage and being able to do something was marvellous, the first book review I got for Angus I cried and cried because I just couldn’t believe that people loved it. Letters I get from girls and often their parents.

Girls hugging me, telling me stuff. Mixing with the nicest people, having a film made. I bet this is making people want to kill me. I did get an award in America, they were very excited about it and rang me at midnight, I had just got in from dinner and was a bit, erm, ‘relaxed’. They said: ‘Ms Rennison, we are so thrilled to tell you, you have won the Michael Printz award.’ I said: ‘Who?’and they said: ‘It is so prestigious, it’s like the best award!’ And I said: ‘I see. Does it mean I am sort of like the Dickens of children’s literature?’ and they said: ‘Who?’. You’ve got to love them.

Did you ever envisage getting into this type of work when you started your degree? I think I genuinely only thought day to day. Also I do have quite a lot of the hippie traits ... money is nice but I didn’t set out to make a fortune. As I say, I think if you can live moderately well, the best thing is to do something you love.

Have you been back to the university since you graduated? Yes, I used to go back quite a lot when I knew the tutors still and I occasionally get asked to dos. In my embarrassing way I have said to some tutors I have bumped into, ‘thank you for changing my life’. I like to say it, because it is actually true.

If you had your time again would you change anything? No, I wouldn’t change a thing, not even the hard bits – maybe especially not the hard bits.

What advice would you give to current students? Please relax. I know that sounds like the most useless and annoying thing to say but there are more things to life than money and I feel they have been really railroaded into career and mortgages. We are all renting now – it’s the way forward. Let’s live in communes and not bother about stuff so much and have happy creative lives. As I said as Anita in La Dolce Vita, ‘I believe in three things, love, love and love’. I believe that is the moment my dress fell off, but ...

CLASS NOTES

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Where are you now? We are always delighted to receive your news and updates. We will try to include all appropriate entries on our website and where we have space in the magazine, but reserve the right to review and edit the information you submit. The news featured here was gathered over the past few months and was accurate at the time we received it. A full version of Class Notes is available at www.brighton.ac.uk/alumni.

1960s Campbell Peter Applied Physics 1963 My degree from Brighton College of Technology has been the underpinning of a career in high technology/electronics throughout my entire working life. I am now semi-retired, doing parttime technical marketing. The broad scope of my course in the early 60s has served both my professional life and my personal interests in attempting to know what makes our world work. Plus, living in Brighton during my studies reinforced my delight in being by the sea and I now live right on Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, another fun town with a university and vibrant cultural scene.

1970s Kerr William Hotel and Catering Management HND 1974 I had a successful career with First Hotels in UK and France followed by a period as a university domestic bursar at University of Sussex. Following that, I worked at Royal Southampton Yacht Club as their CEO. I spent 20 years in sales in a variety of environments: publishing, cars and property, with a great deal of success. In the last two and a half years, I have been employed by Eastbourne District General Hospital and have recently been promoted to ward coordinator within the acute coronary care unit. I love my work as a health care worker and feel it is a fitting last employment in my working life having reached 57 years of age. It is a great opportunity to give back something to the community.

1990s Hawes Dan Business Studies BA(Hons) 1994 At my grammar school in the north west of England, sixth formers were historically encouraged to study theoretical subjects at red brick universities and in some cases, Oxbridge. I also aimed for universities such as Manchester, Newcastle and Lancaster but believed that a degree in business studies would be further enhanced if I could take a year placement in industry and that’s why I chose the University of Brighton.

Not only did the course teach me the basic principles of business, but it also gave me the chance to learn and develop new skills which I put to the test in my year’s placement with a London-based US electronics firm.

The course certainly equipped me for my chosen career – I’m an energy consultant. I spend half my working week dressed like Bob the Builder, ferreting round plant rooms getting all geeky at building drawings and electrical diagrams!

Upon graduation, many of my fellow graduates returned home, went travelling or temped. I had no plan other than to work short term to fund a road trip to the States in 1995. On my return, I was ready to start my career and felt my calling was in marketing.

There was a strong leaning toward using MS Excel, which has proved very useful over the past decade, and also, the broad range of subject matter has meant that I’ve got a robust knowledge of energy-related matters which comes across well when I’m talking to clients. I would recommend studying at the University of Brighton – energy is a very hot topic at the moment and the university has a long history with this important subject.

My degree gave me the knowledge to perform this role successfully; however, over the next 18 months I slowly developed my entrepreneurial desire and often discussed ideas with a fellow business graduate. In 1997, we struck on a business model, raised funds and set up a recruitment business for graduates! Over 13 years we have hired many Brighton graduates and now work closely with current students to help them with their careers and if they want to go into recruitment we’ll take them on. www.grb.co.uk Beichman Jerome Counselling PGDip 1998 I am working for EAPs (Employee Assistance Programmes) and independently and also running workshops/courses for the general public in areas such as self-confidence and more specialised areas for counsellors/therapists. Dunn Laura Energy Studies and Physics BSc(Hons) 1999 I used to joke that one of the reasons I went to a seaside town was because there was a massive landmark (the sea) so my appalling sense of direction couldn’t let me down! I have a lovely memory of walking to my part-time job in the snow which had settled on the beach – it was almost magical. The staff and tutors were supportive and in some cases inspiring. I didn’t ask for assistance that often, but when I did, help was at hand. There were few women students on the physics element of my course, so it was inspiring to have two female tutors for this side of the course. The energy side of the course covered a wide variety of topics, the information from which I sometimes still call on for my present job. I still recall the three-hour lecture on lightbulbs (or lamps, as they are more properly known).

Wichelow Tom Editorial Photography BA(Hons) 1999 Ongoing artistic links with Brighton and Sussex Medical School culminating with running a photo course for third year medics as part of medical curriculum. Interesting art/science crossover that is creating real quantifiable results (even the scientists seem to be getting excited by this art project) that seem really to make the medical students more perceptive and as a result, better doctors. Also carving out a niche as a freelance photographer/ artist/lecturer and finding interesting projects with a variety of places including Tower of London and British Council.

2000s Beveridge Lucy Visual Culture BA(Hons) 2003 I chose Brighton because of its emphasis on interdisciplinary study of the arts and humanities, because of its historical location and its proximity to London theatres, art galleries, museums and the British Film Institute. My extracurricular activities included production design/art direction for theatre and film, painting for exhibition and continuing, independent study of Shakespeare on film. The university has helped my career by providing me with a solid foundation in art, design and architectural history as the basis for my professional activities – and I stay in touch with the university as a thank you for its contribution to my future.

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

CLASS NOTES

Class of ‘69 architecture reunion 20/08/11 Left to right: William Housego-Woolgar, Mary Nickolls, Ann and Colin Hayward, Rod and Jill Whittaker, Geoff James, Jim Boyd, David Garbutt, Peter Bareham, Heather Blackett, Malcolm Nickolls, Edward Blackett, Pat and Alan Stephens, Caroline Housego-Woolgar, Roz Millen, Andy Blyth and Liz Butt.

Michaelides Georgos Computer Studies BSc(Hons) 2003 Information Systems Development MSc 2004 As an overseas student and with English as a second language I was concerned how I would be able to adapt to the culture and learning methods of the university. But the relationship I developed with my fellow students and my teachers helped me to fit in quickly and made it easier for me than I originally expected. I was particularly amazed at the willingness of people there to help. To be honest, it was not easy for me to get a job in Cyprus as soon as I graduated. This made me regret not taking the option the university offered which was to have a work placement before my third year. It would have made things much easier for me and I would have felt connected to the professional world. But although things in the professional world are sometimes very different from what the university teaches, the whole experience has put me in a certain mindset of learning and understanding, which helped me deal with most of the problems in my professional career. I am now employed at the Cooperative Savings Banks of Nicosia as an IT officer. My main responsibilities are IT support and consulting. The university was very supportive in adapting to the university life and culture as a foreigner. The orientation and induction weeks really helped. The University of Brighton has offered me a great experience, which I will always look back and long for. Oyelakin Odunayo Business Studies with Finance BA(Hons) 2005 When I was first choosing universities one of the main things that attracted me to Brighton was the fact that everyone was so friendly. When I came to the open day, I already felt that I was a part of the university which made me put it as my first choice. Studying at Brighton has helped my career so much. Not just in terms of completing a degree, but also in terms of learning how to learn. I picked up many skills and techniques from fellow students that I’m sure I would not have picked up elsewhere.

Everyone on my course wanted to do well and they were highly self-motivated. This encouraged me to do the same. Also, the industrial placement I undertook for 12 months was invaluable. I cannot stress enough how much this helped me get a taste of full-time work, picking up skills that others without experience wouldn’t have and it also helped me to decide my career path. I would 100 per cent recommend to all to go on placement for a year. White Suzie Geography PGCE 2008 I completed my undergraduate degree in Geography and graduated in 2007. I had a fantastic time at the University of Brighton and was so impressed with the quality of teaching and education that I decided to continue my PGCE qualification at Falmer. Once again the staff shone and made my uni experience second to none. I felt I was always supported and the staff were always willing to go that extra mile. I am still in touch with both course leaders!

2010s Hall Richard Animal Science FdSc 2010 Finishing the course with such great results was an amazing experience. I have been doing lots of voluntary work since graduation to try out different avenues for a future career. I have an interview lined up at the RSPCA and will shortly know the outcome. I wish all fellow students on my Animal Science course at Plumpton the very best of luck in finding their chosen career path. Larcombe Paul Sport Culture and Society MA 2010 I studied at the University of Brighton for my MA because I knew that they had some of the best lecturers in the world. Chelsea School has a long history in the sociology of sport with great lecturers like Ian McDonald, Steve Redhead, Belinda Wheaton and Alan Tomlinson, just to mention a few.

I can, hand on my heart, say that my MA at the University of Brighton was the most rewarding and challenging period of my life so far. It has helped to get my current job teaching English in South Korea. Without it I would not be able to teach English at the South Korean universities which I will be doing in my next contract. I continue to assess the opportunities in Australian universities as I would like to take a position as a research assistant. At the future at the same time I hope to complete my PhD.

IN FOND MEMORY Lorna Mary Wilson 1916–2011 In 1955, Lorna Wilson was appointed head of dance at Chelsea College of Physical Education where she remained until retirement in 1977. She trained at Bedford in the mid 1930s and taught at St Swithun’s, Winchester. Before joining the staff at Chelsea, she lectured at Bishop Otter College, Chichester, at Dartford CPE and attended the Laban Studio. As well as being a gifted dancer, she had great musical and artistic talent. She was also an inspired teacher; she combined a love of subject with knowledge and creativity and communicated with infectious enthusiasm. It was a privilege to be in the Advanced Dance Group in my final year at college where, as in all her lectures, Miss Wilson demanded and drew from her students the very highest standards whether in practical work or in teaching. She played lacrosse for England. She also loved snow skiing, diving, water skiing and travel and in her later years, gardening and bird watching. Aged 94, she died at home in Polegate on Friday 29 April 2011. Her funeral and service of thanksgiving held on Monday 23 May at Eastbourne Crematorium was attended by family, friends, former colleagues and past Chelsea students. Pearl Holt (nee Mawdsley) Chelsea CPE 1961–64

ALUMNI ROUND-UP

THE BRIGHTON EFFECT – ISSUE 28

Recent graduates: what are you doing now? From December, recent graduates can expect to receive a questionnaire from the university’s Careers Centre asking if you have managed to get a job or whether you are continuing your studies. The confidential questionnaire is part of a national survey of graduates and is an annual requirement for UK universities. For those that are employed, the questionnaire seeks to find out if you are doing any part-time study as well as the level of salary you are earning. We appreciate that this can be time-consuming and even intrusive, but it is hugely important for the university to collect this data. This information helps future students decide which university to go to or even whether to go at all; so you will be doing them a massive favour. It also helps us shape our services, for example, letting current students know where they may find work and how much they can expect to earn.

Lifelong careers support Through our website you can register for vacancies and find a wealth of helpful information and advice, such as how to improve your CV and develop your interview techniques. Unlike most other universities, we offer this service to our alumni for life, highlighting our commitment to help you get the most from your course.

Hong Kong reunion

Graduates gather in the USA

In August, Andrew Lloyd (dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering) and Alicia Zaman (international officer) hosted a reunion for over 30 Hong Kong-based alumni.

To mark the start of our USA international chapter, we held two drinks gatherings on the east coast of America in August 2011.

Andrew provided a short presentation on recent developments at the university, which was followed by a slide show. The event was held as a precursor to the official Hong Kong alumni chapter and provided alumni with a good opportunity to network.

Celebrating 25 years of Brighton Business School Over 100 alumni joined us in November to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Brighton Business School. Among the returning alumni, we were delighted to welcome a large cohort of European Business with Technology BSc(Hons) graduates. Professor Aidan Berry, dean of the business school welcomed our guests and Professor Jacqueline O’Reilly provided a keynote talk on ‘Managing Uncertainty: Global Perspectives’. Later in the afternoon alumni were invited to join a panel of alumni experts to discuss whether FTSE top 100 companies can remain socially responsible. The event finished with an evening reception at the Brighton Pavilion. You can find pictures of the reunion on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ brightongraduateassociation.

www.brighton.ac.uk/careers

We’re going global! The BGA is working to establish an active alumni association worldwide and to show how overseas graduates can stay involved with our university community. To this end, international alumni chapters will be established in areas where large populations of University of Brighton alumni live and work. The backbone of this network will be dedicated graduates who give their time locally to support and promote the university and its alumni. We already have a small number of groups set up, but we are still looking for enthusiastic and committed alumni to form leadership structures for these groups and establish further chapters.

• • • • • • • •

University of Brighton alumni (France) University of Brighton alumni (Germany) University of Brighton alumni (Greece) University of Brighton alumni (Hong Kong) University of Brighton alumni (Malaysia) University of Brighton alumni (Mauritius) University of Brighton alumni (Taiwan) University of Brighton alumni (USA)

These groups are networking on LinkedIn. You can search for them under University of Brighton alumni and join up at www.linkedin. com. If you are keen to set up an alumni chapter in your region we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at keepintouch@ brighton.ac.uk for further info.

Thirteen alumni, based in and around New York, met to reminisce about their time at university and to hear about the university’s latest developments. Many of the alumni spoke of the value of carrying out a work placement during their degree and gaining invaluable industry experience in the process. We are very grateful to our alumni Rod and Sheila Flavell (chief executive officer and chief operating officer of Brighton-based FDM Group) for allowing us to use their fantastic office space at Wall Street for this event. Nine alumni also met in Boston for a drink and a friendly chat. Mechanical and Production Engineering graduate, Julio Mantilla, who is now working as VP of Global Compensation at Fortune 500 company, TJK, said: “I really enjoyed the evening. It was great to meet other graduates living in the area and to learn about the brilliant things the university are doing. I am now really keen to visit Brighton and the university next time I am in the UK.”

Award-winning advice We are pleased to announce that Robert Prosser, our alumni careers development adviser, was honoured at this year’s graduate celebrations with an Excellence in Facilitating/ Empowering Learning Award for the quality of his work on the Momentum mentoring programme and career guidance.

Alumnus of the year and the winner is... you tell us. Do you know anyone who studied at the University of Brighton (or its predecessor or partner institutions) who deserves recognition for their achievements? Have they made an outstanding, noteworthy achievement in sport, the arts, science, academic or public life? Do you know a former student who has made a major contribution to the lives of others, or who has overcome significant personal hardship? For example, someone who has shown: • professional success demonstrated by notable career achievements • extraordinary community involvement • outstanding personal achievement • significant volunteerism or philanthropy. Each year we will be awarding one member of our global community with this prestigious title and are always keen to hear of inspiring graduates. Alumnus of the year will be awarded every year at one of our graduation ceremonies in Brighton.

Contact alumni@brighton.ac.uk for further information.

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All these things and more were made possible through the generous support of our alumni, friends and other supporters. This is why we fundraise: to provide opportunities and fund projects that make the University of Brighton an even more supportive and exciting place to study and work. For more information, or to make a donation, please contact us on giving@brighton.ac.uk or call +44(0)1273 643591.