EXCHANGE News and views from around the University
Issue 70/ September 2013
Welcome home Life Cycle 3 team’s happy return
Stage presence How lessons in comedy can help recovery from addiction.
Research’s new heights The University’s academics secure record funding.
Picnic in the Park Friends invite wider community to enjoy Millennium Garden.
100 years of Students’ Union Celebrating a century of welfare, good works and a lot of fun.
What’s inside 4&5
12&13
11
6
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P3 Life Cycle 3 Community day marks return of fundraising cyclists. P4&5 Laughing Matters Lessons in stand up comedy help provide life skills for recovering addicts. P6 Royal Society award Accolade for bioscientist Professor Malcolm Bennett. P7 Faulty ‘switch’ Researchers could help target treatment for schizophrenia. P8&9 SU Centenary Celebrating 100 years of Students’ Union. P10 Spotlight News round-up. P11 Art in the Asylum Exhibition explores use of art in treating people with mental health problems. P12&13 Picnic in the Park Brass band, pond-dipping and family fun. P14 Slavery links Exploring the ties of stately homes with the slave trade. P15 Research record Academics secure unprecedented £170m in grants. P16 Campus news Next phase in University’s drive to enrich students’ experience. P17 Constable duty Art History graduate Amy is looking after a masterpiece. P18&19 Star Wars and me Dr Gianluca Sergi’s unique collaboration with Hollywood. P20 Bulletin board News from across the University. P21 Events P22&23 What’s on Public lectures, exhibitions, music, theatre and more.
Contact Rob Ounsworth Exchange magazine, The University of Nottingham, Pope Building, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD e: robert.ounsworth@nottingham.ac.uk t: 0115 846 8545
15 18&19
Photography: Lisa Gilligan-Lee, Andrew Hallsworth, CampbellRowley Design: Rob Ounsworth Read Exchange online at: www.exchangenottingham.org.uk Read Research Exchange online at: www.exchange.nottingham.ac.uk/research For articles for Research Exchange, please contact: tara.decozar@nottingham.ac.uk
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The University of Nottingham has made every effort to ensure that the information in this magazine was accurate when published. Please note, however, that the nature of the content means that it is subject to change from time to time, and you should therefore consider the information to be guiding rather than definitive. © The University of Nottingham 2013. All rights reserved.
News
The Life Cycle 3 riders celebrate as supporters and well-wishers enjoy the day.
We’re back!
We’re back! After riding more than 1,000 miles along a route which took in the capital cities of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Life Cycle 3 team were welcomed back to University Park. Hundreds of well-wishers turned out to cheer on the 12-strong team as part of a community day to mark the end of the challenge. Cyclists joined the final stage by taking part in a 55-mile ride from Leicestershire, whereas less experienced riders tackled a shorter route from Lakeside Arts Centre. These sponsored community rides further boosted Life Cycle 3’s pledge to raise £300,000 in support of Stroke Rehabilitation Research. The crowds also enjoyed live music, a barbecue, cycle challenges and a chance to find out more about the University’s research, which helps stroke survivors after they leave hospital. The Life Cycle team were again led by Vice Chancellor Professor David Greenaway, who wrote a daily blog during the ride. His closing post reads: “What a wonderful day. We knew finishing in Nottingham would be something special, but none of us anticipated just how special.” More on Life Cycle 3: http://tiny.cc/LC3
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Feature
Stand up for yourself
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From touching a nerve to finding their funny bone — people affected by addiction problems are being asked to draw on their life experiences for a stand-up comedy routine, as part of a new social enterprise devised by two Nottingham entrepreneurs. By coaching people affected by alcohol, drugs and gambling through the skills used by professional comedians, Laughing Matters aims to improve their communication, confidence and self-esteem. The aim is to aid their recovery, help them to reintegrate into society and improve their employability. The venture is the brainchild of a graduate and student from Nottingham University Business School — Mark Christian who previously ran a charity offering counselling to recovering addicts, and Kirstie MacDonald, a former investment banker who worked for multinationals including Goldman Sachs in New York. The idea was born when the pair collaborated on a social entrepreneurship module while studying at Nottingham, Mark on a full-time MBA course and Kirstie a specialist MBA in Corporate Social Responsibility. Kirstie said: “We’d hit on the idea of stand-up comedy workshops and as a result of his past life as a counsellor Mark suggested that we use them to benefit recovering addicts. “It’s a well-known adage that laughter is the best therapy but we thought we would turn the tables on that idea and use the skills that comedians employ to increase confidence, create a stage presence and rebuild the self-esteem that people may have lost as a result of their experiences.” Mark added: “It’s less about teaching them how to be funny, more to do with helping them to recover by turning what may have been negative experiences in their life into something altogether more positive. We are now considering extending the course to other vulnerable groups such as young people coming out of care and older people who are socially excluded.” The project has attracted the support of Just the Tonic at the Cornerhouse in Nottingham. It asked comedians Harry Hill, Tony Law and Paul Foot to perform at the Royal Concert Hall on Friday 13
September to raise funds for the venture. Kirstie — pictured with Mark at the Royal Concert Hall — added: “We were really keen to explore how companies can use their skills and expertise to impact positively on social outcomes. That is how Just the Tonic came on board — they wanted to give something back in a way that would have more impact than simple cash donations.” Laughing Matters workshops are also being delivered by professional stand-up comedy coach Sam Avery, who over four weeks will help participants identify their experiences for use as material, hone their writing skills and polish their performance. The would-be stand-ups go on to host a performance for the friends, family and professionals who are supporting them. Among those who took part was Graham St Quintin, of Mapperley, a service user of Double Action, a charity providing counselling and support for people recovering from alcohol and drug dependency. Graham said: “Laughing Matters helped me to take the next step. I reached a point where I was in a really comfortable recovery ‘bubble’ and I needed an impetus to start moving forward again. “The workshops were great fun and while the performance was a little nerve-wracking it’s something that I am incredibly proud to have achieved. It has expanded my comfort zone. The performance element has helped me in other situations where I might otherwise feel nervous, for example a job interview.” Professor Martin Binks, Dean of Nottingham University Business School, said: “Our MBA programme is designed to encourage a creative and entrepreneurial approach with an emphasis on generating innovative ideas in a team context. “The Laughing Matters project is a wonderful example of successful collaborative ingenuity that will also have long-lasting benefits for some of the local community’s most vulnerable groups. I am delighted for Mark and Kirstie and look forward to their venture continuing to grow from strength to strength.” Laughing Matters: w: www.laughingmatters.org.uk e: hello@laughingmatters.org.uk
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Research
Faulty ‘switch’ linked to psychotic symptoms Scientists have shown that psychotic symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia could be caused by a faulty ‘switch’ within the brain. In a study published in the journal Neuron, they have demonstrated that the severity of symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations is caused by a disconnection between two important regions in the brain — the insula and the lateral frontal cortex. The breakthrough, say the academics, could form the basis for better, more targeted treatments for schizophrenia with fewer side effects. The four-year study, led by Professor Peter Liddle and Dr Lena Palaniyappan in the University’s Division of Psychiatry and based in the Institute of Mental Health, centred on the insula region, a segregated ‘island’ buried deep within the brain, which is responsible for seamless switching between the inner and outer world. Dr Palaniyappan, a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow, said: “In our daily life, we constantly switch between our inner, private world and the outer, objective world. This switching action is enabled by the connections between the insula and frontal cortex. This switch process appears to be disrupted in patients with schizophrenia. This could explain why internal thoughts sometime appear as external objective reality, experienced as voices or hallucinations.” Several brain regions are engaged when we are lost in thought or, for example, remembering a past event. However, when interrupted by a loud noise or a person speaking we are able to switch to using our brain’s frontal cortex. With a disruption in the connections from the insula, such switching may not be possible. 6/ Exchange/ Issue 70/ September 2013/
The Nottingham scientists used functional MRI (fMRI) imaging to compare the brains of 35 healthy volunteers with those of 38 schizophrenic patients. The results showed that whereas the majority of healthy patients were able to make this switch between regions, the patients with schizophrenia were less likely to shift to using their frontal cortex. The results suggest that detecting the lack of a positive influence from the insula to the frontal cortex using fMRI could help identify patients with schizophrenia. Researchers in Nottingham are also looking at a technique called TMS – transcranial magnetic stimulation — which uses a powerful magnetic pulse to stimulate the brain regions that are malfunctioning. Despite the fact that the insular region is buried so deeply within the brain that TMS would usually be ineffective, the results of the Nottingham study suggest that the loop between the insular and the frontal cortex could be exploited for TMS — if a pulse is delivered to the frontal lobe it could stimulate the insula and reset the ‘switch’. Other future treatment options could include the use of a compassion-based meditation therapy called mindfulness, which may have the potential to ‘reset’ the switching function of the insula and can promote physical changes within the brain.
Research
A bioscientist at the University’s Centre for Plant Integrative Biology (CPIB) has been recognised by the Royal Society with a prestigious Wolfson Research Merit Award The award will support Professor Malcolm Bennett’s research into the ‘hidden half’ of plants and help develop crops with improved root architecture to help meet the challenge of global food security. The Wolfson awards help UK universities recruit and retain outstanding scientists. Professor Bennett, one of 25 new Wolfson Research Merit Award holders, said: “This award provides recognition for the groundbreaking work of our team to re-engineer root systems and create new, improved and more sustainable varieties of crops.” Crop production has to double by 2050 to keep pace with global population growth. Climate change, water shortages and moves to environmentally sustainable agriculture all present challenges in achieving this target. Developing crops with the root architecture critical to improved water and nutrient uptake would provide a solution. Over the last six years, experts from the Schools of Biosciences, Maths, Computer Science and Engineering have worked together at CPIB to build predictive models of the complex interactions that take place in the roots of plants from cell to the field. The award recognises Professor Bennett’s expertise in root growth and development. Many of the genes and signals that regulate key root traits such as angle, depth and branching density have been identified using a model plant called Arabidopsis thaliana. Professor Bennett is part of a worldwide effort to develop new varieties of crops. He aims to translate his knowledge of key root genes to re-engineer important traits and optimise yields in crops relevant to Europe (wheat), Asia (rice) and Africa (pearl millet) with international collaborators. In the long term, combinations of root traits and novel genes are likely to be required to underpin food security. The new award, by supporting study of root growth and development, will inform the design of new crops and may transform agriculture over the next 10 to 20 years. Professor Bennett explained: “To better understand exactly which combination of root traits and genes determine water and nutrient use efficiency in crops, our team is building on recent major investment at Nottingham by the University, the Wolfson
Professor Malcolm Bennett’s work has been recognised by the Royal Society.
At the root of food security “This award provides recognition for the ground-breaking work of our team.” Professor Malcolm Bennett
Foundation, UK and European research councils. This investment has enabled us to non-invasively visualise crop roots grown in soil employing an unique combination of robotics, X-ray imaging and computer vision software.” CPIB is funded by the Systems Biology initiative by BBSRC and EPSRC. The centre is one of six across the country sharing funding of £80m. 7/ Exchange/ Issue 70/ September 2013/
Feature
The Union Executive Committee 1955-56.
A century of enriching lives The University of Nottingham Students’ Union celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The start of the new academic year kicked off a series of special events and activities, including reunions and exhibitions celebrating a century of welfare, advocacy, campaigning, social events, sporting activities and an ever growing and rich mix of students’ societies. For many undergraduates extra-curricular activities played a part in their lives which proved at least as important as their academic study. And at the heart of this was, and still is, the Students’ Union. From its tireless fundraising and voluntary work to its role in providing advice, welfare and entertainment, campaigning and political protest, the Students’ Union has held firm on its determination to make students’ lives better. Although there was a Student Association in existence at University College, Nottingham as early as 1878, organising talks, presentations and outings to local beauty spots, it was in 1913 that a Students’ Union was formed at Nottingham to replace the Representative Council. Its aims were to promote unity, intercourse and social responsibility and to provide “a proper channel of communication between the students in all matters affecting their interests”. The subscription was 2s 6d per session which gave admission to athletics clubs and affiliated societies of which there were four in 1913: the literary and philosophical society, the folk dance society, the natural history society and the engineering society. Almost 300 people joined the union in the 1913-14 academic year and from this platform a number of clubs, especially sports, were established.
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A lack of space and the paternalistic, tight control of authority seemed to be among the earliest concerns. Conversation in the common rooms was limited to specified times of the day, dancing was permitted once during each session and refreshments could only be served at a student meeting at the discretion of the Principal. The First World War years brought about a suspension of student activities but the Union did produce its own handbook in 1915 containing a variety of useful notes including some ‘hints’ for freshers, which included the following guidance: • If you feel you want a nursery or a bear garden go outside till it passes off • Don’t wear “Here-I-Come” apparel • Don’t do a day’s work on Monday and then spend the rest of the week admiring it • Endeavour to behave in the common rooms as you would in your home • If you have an hour or two to spare don’t go and spend it with a man who hasn’t The University of Nottingham Students’ Union today is a student-led and independent charity representing 43,000 students in 150 countries across the University’s campuses. It supports more than 200 societies and 77 sports clubs, award-winning radio and TV station, theatre and magazine and Karnival, Europe’s largest student-run charity, which last year raised more than £1.6m for a variety of charities. Look out for special events throughout the year and please do share your memories.
Calling all the heroes Whether you graduated this year or more than half a century ago, we can all think of someone who helped make our Nottingham experience memorable. And Alumni Relations is looking for One Hundred Heroes.
A student sit-in in the Trent Building, 1973. Below: A Students’ Union banner in 1977.
As part of the SU centenary celebrations the Alumni team is launching an appeal to all current and former staff and students to tell about the people and the societies who touched their lives most during their time at University so that they might be recognised. It might be a fellow student, a tutor or lecturer, a sports coach or someone in the local community. There are four categories: • Leaders and Champions • Unsung Heroes • Tutors and Lecturers • Clubs and Societies Some of the best submissions will be showcased in One Hundred Heroes, an exhibition in the Portland Building on University Park in 2014, as well as featuring a selection in an online exhibition. You can make as many or as few nominations as you wish. Your nomination could just be a few lines or a biography. There will be space to include far more nominations online. If you have photographs, posters, magazines or other memorabilia you can scan and send to Alumni Relations that would be wonderful, or you could lend material which will be copied and returned to you. A One Hundred Heroes committee of past and present students will study the submissions and decide what to include in the exhibitions. Closing date for submissions is Friday 20 December 2013. e: alumni-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk t: +44 (0)115 823 2408
“If you have an hour or two to spare don’t go and spend it with a man who hasn’t.” 1915 Union handbook
University College Nottingham Rag Week 1937.
One Hundred Heroes Alumni Relations University of Nottingham Portland Building University Park Campus Nottingham NG7 2RD
Above, left: The cover of the 1956 SU Year Book.
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Media
Spotlight
For the very latest University news, follow us on Twitter: @UniofNottingham, @UoNStudentNews and @UoNPressOffice.
Gary Rydstrom was awarded an honorary degree.
Hyperactive pre-school children ‘need early support’ Three-year-olds who display hyperactivity, inattention or conduct problems are at risk of poor academic outcomes, researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Bristol discovered. They sampled over 11,000 children as part of the study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire just before their child’s fourth birthday to assess whether their child showed signs of hyperactivity/inattention or conduct problems. The children’s GCSE results at 16 were then assessed. After adjusting for variables such as IQ and parental social class, boys who displayed high levels of hyperactivity and inattention at 47 months (just before their fourth birthday) were found to be 33% more likely to not achieve a minimum level of five good GCSE grades at 16. For girls, the effect of conduct problems on education achievement was comparable to boys. The findings of the research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, have ramifications about the implications of early behaviour difficulties, as well as the
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Jubilee Campus, once the home of the Raleigh cycle factory.
importance of taking parental concerns seriously. Dr Kapil Sayal, Reader in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Nottingham, said: “Early academic support for children with these problems may help reduce the longterm risk of poorer academic outcomes.” Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ UoNbehaviour
Green Flag for University’s transformed industrial site The University has secured a prestigious Green Flag Award for a Jubilee Campus. Jubilee was established in 1999 on a former industrial site and has been transformed into an environmentally friendly campus with lakes, sustainable buildings and open green spaces. Nottingham was the first university to be awarded a Green Flag in 2003 for University Park, and has continued to rack them up every year since. This is the first time Jubilee Campus has been entered. Desmond O’Grady, University Grounds Manager, said: “The campus has high environmental biodiversity and sustainability standards, and community accessibility is excellent. The Green Flag Award is
a measure of quality within landscaped parks and this reflects on the professional management of the campus by the University.”
Oscar winner underlines Institute’s film partnerships Legendary Hollywood sound director and seven-time Academy award winner Gary Rydstrom was awarded an honorary degree during a visit to the University’s Institute for Screen Industries Research (ISIR). Mr Rydstrom, whose credits include Titanic and Jurassic Park, is the fourth Hollywood film practitioner to visit the University in a research collaboration. He said: “I am eager to work with the ISIR and am inspired and deeply honoured to receive an honorary degree from The University of Nottingham along the way.” ISIR Director Dr Gianluca Sergi said: “Gary has been a very strong supporter of the Institute’s work from its inception and has already played a great role in opening doors in Hollywood for us to generate new contacts and partnerships.” The University also announced a new research partnership with entertainment technology giant Dolby Laboratories during Gary’s visit.
Healing power of art The pioneering use of art from the early 1800s in helping to treat people with mental health problems is showcased at an exhibition at Lakeside Arts Centre. Art in the Asylum: creativity and the evolution of psychiatry looks at how British psychiatric institutions used art as therapy.
the most well-known patient art associated with ‘Bedlam’ — Bethlem Royal Hospital. Dr Victoria Tischler, Associate Professor in the Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology and Arts Co-Ordinator for the Institute of Mental Health, based at The University of Nottingham, is co-curator of the exhibition.
It features the first exhibition outside She said, “By highlighting the key Scotland of examples of the earliest use of art by Dr WAF Browne at the Crichton Royal institutions and influential figures in the history of British mental healthcare, the Institution in Dumfries from the 1800s. exhibition traces the historical shift from Other highlights will include work from the invasive treatments of mental disorders to collection of the ‘grandfather of art therapy’, a more humane regime in which creativity Edward Adamson, at the Netherne Hospital played a significant role. in Surrey from 1946, and the free expression “The exhibition also tells the story of the of residents at Kingsley Hall in London, a strong influence of continental psychiatry on therapeutic community established by Dr British practice, and the wider recognition RD Laing in the 1960s. Work by Richard of patient artwork by leading modern Dadd and Louis Wain represents some of
artists. Uncovering fascinating stories, this historical overview provides insight into the diagnostic and therapeutic use of patient artwork, its influence on the development of humane psychiatric practice, and its wider recognition by artists associated with Surrealism, Art Brut and so-called Outsider Art.” Running with Art in the Asylum is a new video installation by Canadian artist Althea Thauberger, featuring a performance of Peter Weiss’ 1963 play Marat/Sade at the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital, Prague, in 2012. Marat/Sade imagines the infamous Marquis de Sade as author and director of a play about the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat while the former was interned in the Charenton asylum in 1808. A time of great institutional reform, this period saw the beginnings of the reformation of the treatment of mental illness from punishment to therapy. In the 1963 play, the inmates of the asylum enact the drama, and are always partly themselves, as patients, and partly in historical character. Thauberger’s filmed production, Marat Sade Bohnice, is performed to an audience of staff and patients in Bohnice, the largest psychiatric clinic in the Czech Republic. The exhibition will be complemented by a series of free events being held at the Djanogly Art Gallery Lecture Theatre and at Nottingham Contemporary and Broadway Cinema. Visit: www.lakesidearts.org.uk
Untitled ca.1933 by Louis Wain. (Detail). Courtesy Henry Boxer Gallery, Surrey
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News Feature
Grace Harwood, 7, blowing bubbles.
Picnic in the Park Scores of families enjoyed the summer sunshine as The Friends of University Park once again hosted a day of free activities, including live music from Newstead Brass Band, in the Millennium Garden.
Picnic chairs; Peter Lowe. Derek Roebuck, Ann Roebuck, Barbara Lowe. Jacob Miller, 5, pond-dipping with dad Dan Miller. Right: Peter Lowe. Derek Roebuck, Ann Roebuck and Barbara Lowe.
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Left: Newstead Brass Band musicians Mark Hanson and Mark Davis. Above left: Rocket boys Ross Ferguson, 5, and Will Ferguson, 3.
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Research
It may be over two hundred years since the abolition of the British slave trade but now untold stories about the trade’s links to stately homes in the East Midlands and Yorkshire have come to light thanks to University researchers and English Heritage. The research by the School of Geography and Department of History was commissioned by English Heritage and appears in a new book by the organisation, Slavery and the British Country House edited by Madge Dresser and Andrew Hann. Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire and Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster were studied by Dr Sheryllynne Haggerty from the Department of History and Dr Susanne Seymour from the School of Geography. Bolsover Castle was owned by the Cavendish and Bentinck families, the dukes of Newcastle and Portland. The researchers focused on the attitudes towards the slave trade and slavery of the third duke of Portland, William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck. He was British Prime Minister twice, in 1783 and from 1807-09 as well as Home Secretary in charge of the British colonies. In contrast, the owner of the old Brodsworth Hall from 1790 was a French-Swiss-born businessman and financier, Peter Thellusson. The researchers’ sources included the University’s Portland Collection, which includes the Third Duke’s papers, in its Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections. Dr Haggerty said: “We selected the two properties to investigate different types of landowning interests, aristocratic in the case of Bolsover and mercantile in relation to Brodsworth, and varying types of connection with slavery.” Dr Seymour added: “Associations of English estate owners with slavery were much more common and complex than has previously been thought. Supporters and abolitionists could even be found within the same family. Communicating these interconnections through exhibitions, displays at country houses and via electronic media promises to create a new openness and understanding of slavery and its various legacies.” As Home Secretary in the 1790s, Portland supported Britain’s slave-based Caribbean colonies. There is evidence of a Portland stake in slave-based production and although the third duke was not a Caribbean plantation owner or trader, new links were uncovered to Portland cousins who were slave-estate owners. Peter Thellusson’s amassed a fortune through 14/ Exchange/ Issue 70/ September 2013/
Bolsover Castle.
Historic ties to bonds of slavery commerce with slave traders and owners and, when he died in 1797, he owned more than 4,000 acres of land in England. His descendants built new Brodsworth Hall, which is today maintained by English Heritage. Portland died owing more than £500,000. Both characters regarded enslaved Africans as a form of property. For Thellusson, they were a commodity to be traded and invested in as a means of accumulating wealth. For Portland, the slaves were a property right and a cornerstone of the British Empire, to be defended against the increasing social and political debates on abolition and ‘the rights of man’. This new research will help English Heritage promote public understanding of the ways in which the fortunes of the landed elite and their country houses were intertwined with slavery and the slave trade.
“Associations of English estate owners with slavery were much more common and complex than has previously been thought.” Dr Susanne Seymour
Research
Record research fund University academics secured a record £170m in new grants last year. Funding during the last financial year represents a 25% increase on the previous year and is an endorsement of the University’s international reputation for research. Engineering alone more than doubled the grants received, increasing by 118%. Medicine and Health Sciences brought in 38% more funding. Science (15%), Arts (9%) and Social Sciences (17%) also won significant increases. Grants from Research Councils are up 87%; EU funding has gone up by 25%, Government by 112% and funding from industry by 21.1%. Professor Saul Tendler, Pro-ViceChancellor for Research, said: “These latest figures are excellent news and are a true reflection of the outstanding and world-changing research that is taking place at the University.” Professor David Greenaway, ViceChancellor, said: “The outcome
represents a huge vote of confidence in our researchers on the part of the key funders of research. The new awards will support a range of exciting and potentially transformational projects.” Significant individual grants gained this year by Nottingham researchers include: Engineering: the new £18m EPSRC National Centre of Excellence for Power Electronics is coordinated at Nottingham. Led by Professor Mark Johnson, it involves universities of Manchester, Newcastle, Cambridge, Greenwich, Bristol, Sheffield, Strathclyde, Warwick and Imperial College London. The centre is working with industry to take innovation to the marketplace. Medicine and Health Sciences: the new £3m MRC-Arthritis UK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research is a partnership with the University of Birmingham. It is one of two new centres to be funded by the Medical Research Council and Arthritis Research UK. Science: the new Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Food will be led by the School of Biosciences with £4.5m
funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The centre will tackle the key 21st-century challenges of sustainable food production and novel medical devices to improve healthcare. Social Sciences: the ESRC Network for Integrated Behavioural Science (NIBS) is a partnership between the Universities of Nottingham, Warwick and East Anglia. It will test cross-disciplinary models of human behaviour and behavioural change, and so inform public policy. The Network is funded with £4m until December 2016 by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Arts: success under the Cross-Council Connected Communities Programme has secured funding for collaborative research with community groups, museums, libraries and archives to explore the region’s heritage, such as trade on the River Trent and green spaces in Nottingham. These projects were included in a national showcase of Connected Communities projects run by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in March.
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News
The University’s next phase of its ambitious development programme will bring a further £50m worth of campus improvements. The on-going transformation of the campus landscape will enhance the student learning experience by providing world-class facilities and setting new standards for teaching and learning in the 21st century. A £260m investment has already been made into improving buildings and facilities in the last five years. Professor David Greenaway, ViceChancellor, said: “Part of our strategy as a university is to continuously look at ways of improving our students’ learning experience. To do this we feel it is vital to invest in the buildings and facilities where we teach in order to provide an exceptional learning environment. This latest programme is particularly important for our sustainability agenda, and the reduction of our environmental footprint has been a priority during planning.” Construction has started on the four new building projects at University Park, Sutton Bonington, Jubilee Campus and Grove Farm playing fields, with completion expected by 2015. A £19m replacement for the George Green Science and Engineering Library at University Park will double the size of the existing library, which will get a new facade and extension. The new Engineering and Science Library will increase student study and computer spaces as well as providing a new catering outlet. At Sutton Bonington, the £9m construction of a three-storey amenities building will include a 500-seat dining hall, student common rooms and staff lounge and will also house the Graduate Centre, Faith Room and Student Guild Service. The double-height dining hall will create an airy environment with plenty of natural light. Both will achieve a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) ‘excellent’ rating for sustainable building design. The latest landmark development on Jubilee Campus is the GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratory for Sustainable Chemistry. The £20m carbon neutral building will set new standards for the development
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Enjoying Jubilee Campus.
Landscape for learning “This latest programme is particularly important for our sustainability agenda.” Professor David Greenaway
of laboratories. It will be built from natural materials and its energy needs will be met by renewable sources such as solar power and biofuel. Excess energy will provide enough carbon credits over 25 years to offset its construction and is being used to heat the nearby office development. The lab’s researchers will focus being on sustainable chemistry delivering ‘less waste, and more product’, and train future PhD students to have a much greater appreciation of sustainability. The University sports playing fields at Grove Farm by the River Trent will also benefit from a £5m investment in two new pavilions, providing replacement changing rooms.
Feature
Work with the greats As an art history student Amy Concannon studied some of the most famous paintings in the world. Now the Nottingham graduate is putting her knowledge into practice — looking after a £23m masterpiece. As an Assistant Curator at the Tate Britain, Amy was part of the historic bid to purchase Constable’s iconic painting, Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, for the nation. The painting was bought for £23.1m from the family of Lord Ashton of Hyde. It was made possible with grants of £15.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £1m from the Art Fund and a substantial donation from The Manton Foundation and Tate Members. Amy said: “This was the work that Constable saw as his best, the culmination of his career, and so its acquisition for the nation will give it a renewed focus.” A chance to save such a pivotal piece by one of the most significant British landscape painters is rare. The painting, one of a monumental series of
six-foot canvases, will be displayed in London and in museums in Wales, Scotland, Salisbury and Ipswich. Amy said: “It is loaded with meaning, there’s a tension in the painting’s contrast between sunlight and showers, its portrayal of urban and rural, man and nature, alongside Constable’s concerns about the power struggles in religion and politics. Constable wanted his work to be seen by as many people as possible and I am sure he would be delighted that it will remain in Britain and on permanent public display.” Nicholas Serota, Director of Tate Britain, said: “This is a painting of such supreme importance that had it not been possible for a gallery in this country to acquire it, there would undoubtedly have been institutions abroad that would have wanted to bring it into their collections.”
Careers Service with pressing home the importance of work experience. The specific modules she took also helped to develop her fascination with 18th and early 19th-century British art, which led to an internship with the Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere after she graduated. Not only will the exhibition run throughout the country but each display will be unique to each venue, and will be complemented by an education programme which encourages audiences to learn more about this painting. The project will establish a national network for Constable Studies to promote, exchange and create opportunities for training and skills development. Watch Amy share her passion: http://tiny.cc/UofNAmy
Looking back to her time at Nottingham, Amy credits the History and Art History Departments with being fantastically supportive in nurturing ideas about what she wanted to do as a career and the
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Profile
Tell me a bit about yourself? I was born in Milan, Italy, in 1964 but when I was about 7 my family moved back to the south, to Reggio di Calabria. A passion for all things movies started very early on. At the time there weren’t any film degrees. I did economics and after the first year I completely lost interest. The English connection came about from a group of students from The University of Nottingham on an exchange. One asked if I had ever thought about studying in the UK. She said ‘I have uncle who teaches film’. That uncle, [Alan Lovell, who later co-authored two books with Dr Sergi] became one of my best friends. I came, studied, and got an interest in staying in academia. Do you have a typical day? It has changed a lot since I started this project [the Institute for Screen Industries Research]. The film and television industry is global: there is always somebody who is up, somewhere, emailing. It could be something to do with one of the industry partners, or something to do with one of the visits of the industry fellows. What drew you to this area of research? I was lucky enough to be at an impressionable age when Dolby Stereo and movies like Star Wars that creatively used the technology came about. I went to see Star Wars with friends – everybody loved it. Afterwards, I simply said: “The film sound was fantastic”. They looked at me like I was from outer space! I didn’t know I would end up writing a PhD. I wrote to Ray Dolby saying I’m writing a PhD on sound and Dolby. Ray and Ioan Allen [a key figure at Dolby Laboratories and now an honorary graduate of the University] introduced me to the top professionals in their field. What does it involve? I was one of the few academics talking to film-makers about mutually beneficial research. The Institute establishes collaborations with studios, film-makers and film-making organisations; to do research together, create opportunities for research students. The Institute has interns in Hollywood. The film and television industry is global and this University has a presence in China, Malaysia and campuses here in Nottingham, so we are a possible research gateway to the world. Another area is new technologies and audiences’ response to it. Beyond that, I’ve researched models of development for studios. Academics get an overview. That creates opportunity for scholars and students, creates talent for industry and is beneficial for industry. What do you like most/least about your work? I don’t like it when I see cynicism. The good thing is to put it in reverse – colleagues, who had very little reason to believe in the project, have tried to make that leap of faith. And I’ve seen a very positive attitude from industry and film-makers. That is humbling but also very energising. How does your work impact on the man/woman in the street? Entertainment is a fundamental aspect of our life and experience. The film and television industry play a very
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important role within that. If my work helps this essential component of human life, I’m more than happy. What are the highs/lows of your career so far? It’s difficult to get the balance right between work, life and family. Sure, going to Hollywood sounds glamorous - and it can be – but it also takes me away from my children, Monica and Paolo. But I love working with students, their energy, enthusiasm, sense of fun. They’re inspiring. What would you hope your research will achieve in your lifetime? I would be very satisfied if we help better understanding of entertainment and the impact it has but also help the people who make the entertainment. If my work and the work of the Institute can help the UK film industry and television industry to grow that’s also a very good outcome. What advice would you give to you your younger self? Don’t waste any time being cynical. What living person do you most admire and why? Being a father [to Monica and Paolo] is bloody difficult and I know I’ll never be as good a father as I want to be. When I see truly dedicated fathers I admire them because I know it’s a difficult, difficult job. Who would you invited to your dream dinner party? Civil Rights leaders of the 60s. If I were to pick one it would be Malcolm X because there’s a story that tells you what you can do once you decide to become a better human being. If you weren’t doing this what else would you be doing? As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut. I liked science but gave it up too early. Or I would work with very young children – I love their energy. I also admire architects – it’s work that brings in so many disciplines, a bit like filmmaking. But I can’t draw! Where do you call home? I have always had trouble with nationalities, national boundaries. Home is of course where my children and my wife are, but home is also where my family are down there in Reggio Calabria. If you could go back in time where would you go and why? The 60s: A moment of convergence and a fantastic opportunity and excitement. Space exploration was the most obvious manifestation of that aspiration: to go beyond your boundaries, your limits. Transcending your origins, that’s my guiding principle. How do you relax? I listen to music, jazz in particular. I like spending time with my family. I like going to the movies, still! I like all genres, all kinds, all types. I’m a big fan of Hollywood movies but if I was to choose one movie paradoxically it would be a very small movie called Late Spring, made by a Japanese director called Ozu. It’s a film that moves me every single time.
Dr Gianluca Sergi, Associate Professor of Film Studies, and Director of the University’s Institute for Screen Industries Research, tells Rob Ounsworth about his life and work
From Stars Wars to Late Spring 19/ Exchange/ Issue 70/ September 2013/
Bulletin
Bulletin board
Email any school/faculty news to: robert.ounsworth@nottingham.ac.uk, marking your email bulletin board.
Professor Wilson was an pioneer of railway ergonomics.
Professor John Wilson: pioneer and an inspiration Professor John Wilson, who worked in the Faculty of Engineering for the last 30 years, has died aged 62. Described as “the father of rail human factors”, Professor Wilson helped develop tools now used worldwide to predict workload demands upon signallers. He joined the University in 1983 and supervised more than 50 PhDs in human factors and ergonomics. Professor Sarah Sharples, Head of the Human Factors Research Group, said: “John was fantastic to collaborate with, combining a love of travelling and fun with a strong work ethic and made a special effort to support younger colleagues and students in developing their careers.” Richard Cobb, Director of Studies for Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, said: “John was an inspirational teacher who enthused students over the past 25 years with his passion for Human Factors. He made the subject come alive and imparted scientific and research rigour into all who had the pleasure to be taught by him. John was a great friend and mentor to many and we will not see his like again.”
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Dr Igor Lesanovsky has been awarded a €1.5m research grant.
Professor Wilson was also Principal Ergonomist for Network Rail. Professor Andrew McNaughton, Technical Director at High Speed 2, said: “I regard John Wilson as the father of rail human factors. As Chief Engineer of Network Rail I regarded John’s discipline as central to successful operations and maintenance. Now it is driving the design of Britain’s high speed railway. John has influenced the rail domain internationally profoundly and permanently.”
documents and PowerPoint) and integration with Outlook calendar. Virtual meetings using video/audio/text are also supported. How to get Lync: http://nott.ac.uk/yourlync Support: visit selfservice.nottingham.ac.uk or telephone 0115 95 16677.
Prestigious European grant for quantum physicist
Professor Wilson was a founding member of the Network Rail Ergonomics team and he pioneered the joint PhD programme between Nottingham and Network Rail.
Dr Igor Lesanovsky, Associate Professor and Reader in the School of Physics, has been awarded a €1.5m European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.
More on Professor Wilson’s life: http://nott.ac.uk/johnwilson
Dr Lesanovsky will use the five-year grant to help increase understanding of quantum matter and pave the way for new technologies and materials.
Global communication tool brings staff closer together
Dr Lesanovsky said: “I am delighted to receive the grant which will allow me to assemble a strong team of scientists to carry out research in this very novel and exciting area of physics.”
Lync — the University’s new global communication tool — is now live across its UK, China and Malaysia campuses. Lync will enhance collaboration between national and international colleagues and associates. It enables instant messaging and conversations via audio and video using webcams. Lync also allows sharing of desktops and programs (including Word
Professor Richard Bowtell, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy, said: “The competition for ERC Starting Grants is extremely tough, so winning this grant is a tremendous success for Dr Lesanovsky, which demonstrates his status as one of the leading young researchers in his field.”
Events
Events Anupama Bhagwat (sitar) and Gurdain Rayatt (tabla) Thursday 26 September, 7.30pm, Djangoly Recital Hall, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: £16, £13 concessions. In her UK debut performance Anupama Bhagwat, whose virtuosity on the sitar leaves audiences in awe, is accompanied by the UK’s rising star of tabla, Gurdain Rayatt. In the first half of the concert Anupama will explain her musical background and talk about the sitar and raga. This will be followed with a 75-minute recital. w: www.lakesidearts.org.uk t: 0115 846 7777
Cathartic Expression or Artistic Output? The Art of Creative Writing Friday 20 September to Friday 11 October, 10am-3pm, Lakeside Arts Centre. Fees: £70 (£63 concessions) fee waived for those on income related benefits or low income. Using Lakeside’s Art in the Asylum exhibition as inspiration, the course will look at the art of writing. Enrol through Workers Educational Association: t: 0115 985 8203 e: ckeep@wea.org.uk w: www.nottinghamwea.com
Dr Phil Hammond: Games to Play With Your Doctor Thursday 3 October 8pm, Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: £16, £14 concessions, £11 restricted view. Dr Phil — practising doctor, campaigning journalist and the first comedian to appear at a public inquiry — asks: Wouldn’t a trip to the doctor or a rush to A&E be much more fun if it was a game? In this brand new show, learn how to sing your symptoms, arm wrestle for drugs and sniff a thermometer. w: www.lakesidearts.org.uk t: 0115 846 7777 21/ Exchange/ Issue 70/ Septembers 2013/
Listings
What’s on
Arts, music and lectures — expand your mind on campus this month. See www.nottingham.ac.uk/events for comprehensive listings.
Public lectures
Exhibitions
Music
What Can Systems Biology Tell Us About Cancer Biology? Professor Robert Clarke, Dean of Research, Georgetown University, Washington DC Date: Monday 16 September Time: 5.30pm-6pm refreshments, Café Direct 6pm-6.45pm lecture and Q&A session Venue: Lecture Theatre, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Graduate Entry Medicine, Royal Derby Hospital Centre, Uttoxeter Road, Derby DE22 3DT Admission: Free e: caroline.chapman@nottingham.ac.uk RSVP: lesley.randall@nottingham.ac.uk
Art in the Asylum Creativity and the Evolution Of Psychiatry
Anupama Bhagwat and Gurdain Rayatt Sitar and tabla
Date: Until Sunday 3 November Venue: Djanogly Art Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: Free
Date: Thursday 26 September Time: 7.30pm Venue: Djanogly Recital Hall, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: £16, £13 concessions
A Hidden Gem: Dr. WA. Browne’s Collection Of Patient Art Art in the Asylum Lectures Date: Wednesday 18 September Time: 6.30pm-7.30pm Venue: Djanogly Art Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: Free Book: Box office 0115 846 7777 School of Computer Science Uncertainty, imprecision and vagueness — fuzzy logic in the real world Professor Robert John presents a lecture discussing the field of fuzzy logic Date: Tuesday 17 September Time: 6pm-7pm Venue: LT1, Exchange Building, Jubilee Campus Admission: Free Beating the System: How to Uncover State Secrets Through Archival Research Dr Rory Cormac, an expert in British intelligence and lecturer in International Relations at The University of Nottingham Date: Tuesday 24 September Time: 1pm-2pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: Free Book: Box office 0115 846 7777 22/ Exchange/ Issue 70 September 2013/
Secret Intelligence and Hidden Evidence Surprising Finds in the University Of Nottingham’s Historic Collection Date: Friday 20 September until Sunday 5 January Venue: Weston Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: Free Explorations in Glass Craft showcase by Samantha Donaldson, Louisa Finch, Melissa Vogel Date: Until Sunday 17 November Venue: Djanogly Art Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: Free De Natura Tessi Acti, Joy Buttress, Fiona Hambli and Katherine Townsend respond to respond to objects in the Natural History Archive in the University’s Biology Department Date: Saturday 21 September until Sunday 3 November Venue: Wallner Art Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: Free Museum Of Archeology: Young Vision New Eyes On Past Lives Students from Woodborough Wood’s Foundation School compare life in the past with today. Date: Saturday 28 September until Wednesday 3 April Venue: Angear Visitor Centre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: Free
Martin Taylor and Martin Simpson Guitar Date: Wednesday 2 October Time: 8pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: £18, £16 concessions, £12 restricted view Danish String Quartet Classical Date: Thursday 3 October Time: 7.30pm Venue: Djanogly Recital Hall, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: £16, £14 concessions Pinski Zoo Jazz Date: Wednesday 9 October Time: 8pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park. Admission: £16, £13 concessions, £10 restricted view The Schubert Ensemble Classical Date: Thursday 10 October Time: 7.30pm Venue: Djanogly Recital Hall, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £16, £14 concessions, £8 restricted view
Theatre and Dance The Six Wives Of Henry VIII Living Spit Date: Thursday 26 September Time: 8pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £13, £10.50 concessions, £8 restricted view Dr Phil Hammond Games to Play With Your Doctor Date: Thursday 3 October Time: 8pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £16, £14 concessions, £11 restricted view Cymbeline Phizzical Productions Date: Friday 4 October and Saturday 5 October Time: 7.30pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £16, £14 concessions, £11 restricted view Stones and Bones Squashbox Theatre Date: Sunday 6 October Time: 1.30pm and 3.30pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £7
b. supreme Date: Saturday 28 September Time: 7.30pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £13, £10.50 concessions, £8 restricted view Russell Maliphant Still Current Date: Tuesday 8 October Time: 8pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £18, £15 concessions, £13 restricted view
In A Deep Dark Wood (5-8 Years) Gobbledegook and Moko Dance Date: Saturday 12 October and Sunday 13 October Time: 3.30pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £7 Three Billy Goats Gruff Theatre of Widdershins Date: Sunday 20 October Time: 1.30pm and 3.30pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £7
Andrew O’Neill Is Easily Distracted (pictured) Date: Thursday 10 October Time: 8pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £13, £10.50 concessions, £8 restricted view Deep In The Woods (2-4 Years) Gobbledegook and Moko Dance Date: Saturday 12 October and Sunday 13 October Time: 11am and 1.30pm Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park Admission: £7
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Coming soon
Cafe Interior: Afternoon 1973 by Patrick Caulfield Š The Estate of Patrick Caulfield. All rights reserved. DACS 2013
The David Ross Collection The first public exhibition of one of the most important collections of late-20th century and contemporary art in private hands Opens Saturday 23 November at Djanogly Art Gallery, Lakeside www.lakesidearts.org.uk