Issue 23 2011–12 Burning ambition Getting set for the London 2012 Olympics Inside: A word from the wise – our Leadership Mentors are helping students stand out from the crowd See pages 20–21 2 The Birmingham Magazine The first word The first phase of our Circles of Influence campaign has relaid the foundations of philanthropy at Birmingham. More than a century after our founding, we have, once more, successfully combined individual generosity with the financial power of the University to achieve extraordinary results. Looking back at the beginnings of our campaign, I am overwhelmed to say that you have by your warmth, enthusiasm, and generosity, it represented a slightly daunting but hugely surpassed our most optimistic wishes, and we will now build on this foundation. We are exciting prospect. together we have already had a remarkable raising our sights still higher, continuing this impact. We have developed sector-leading momentum to have an even greater impact Before its inception, a great deal of thought widening participation initiatives that have locally, nationally, and globally. was given to every detail. With our goal to enabled more than 338 exceptional but become a leading global university clearly disadvantaged students to succeed at It is our goal to become a leading global in mind, we created themes and projects university. We have improved breast cancer university and each of you is vital to helping that would support our desire for research survival rates by 30%. We have carried out us achieve that ambition. I feel very proud with international impact; a unique student pioneering research in sustainable, clean fuel of all we have already achieved and would experience; and greater engagement through technologies. We have revolutionised the ways like to sincerely thank you for the support strategic partnerships with the NHS, industry in which we interact with our cultural heritage you continue to provide – your time, money, and major employers. This would be the through the use of cutting-edge digital expertise and advocacy. The value of each University’s biggest ever fundraising effort, technologies. We are transforming our iconic and every pound and hour you give us is never and a cornerstone of our future plans. Chancellor’s Court through the construction underestimated and always greatly appreciated. of the Bramall Music Building, complete with What we couldn’t know was whether it would a 450-seat auditorium. Thank you. work. Nothing like this had been tried for more than a century. How would alumni, friends, and You – our alumni and friends – have made this Professor David Eastwood supporters respond? possible and we thank you deeply. Encouraged Vice-Chancellor and donor to the University In this issue Stay in touch Support the University Features For general enquiries n Text giving – send a text to 70070 with The greatest show on earth 14 Post: Development and Alumni Office, CIRC02 followed by the amount you’d like Doing her best for children 18 University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, to give eg, CIRC02 £5 A word from the wise 20 Birmingham, B15 2TT, England n Direct Debit – making regular giving safe, Thank you 22 Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3344 easy and cost-efficient A bright future at Birmingham 24 Email: [email protected] n Online – visit www.justgiving.com/ Turning family values into www.birmingham.ac.uk/alumni universityofbirmingham business gold 26 n Via your tax return – you can give the Great run for cancer research 28 For events enquiries: Anne-Marie Vassiliadis University all or some of any tax refund Rise of the robots 29 Tel: +44 (0)121 414 8904 through your tax return. Simply add the code Leading the battle against infection 30 Email: [email protected] FAH 59JG in section 19A.3 and call Fiona The bonfire of the humanities 32 Newell on +44 (0)121 414 8893 for a A force to be reckoned with 34 With your news, memories and feedback donation form. You can also reclaim tax Tel: +44 (0)121 414 2744/2773/4724 on the gift on next year’s return Regulars Email: n Shares – most donors can claim tax relief via The year in pictures 4 [email protected] share gifts. Visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/ News 6 Or leave us your latest news at alumni/giving/givenow.aspx Alumni events calendar 10 www.your.bham.ac.uk n Legacies – contact Martha Cass on Groups and societies 12 [email protected] or +44 (0)121 414 6679 My favourite books 28 The views and opinions expressed in the n Company matched giving – contact Laura Awards and Honours 36 University of Birmingham Magazine are not Clark on +44 (0)121 414 8894 for details Puzzles – Benefits – Giving 38 necessarily those of the Alumni Office or n Giving from overseas – you can make a gift Donation form 39 the University of Birmingham. to the University from anywhere in the world. Visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/alumni/ giving/givenow.aspx n Our registered charity number is X7237 The Birmingham Magazine 3 In focus Scientists at the University have discovered a modified form of the drug MDMA – commonly known as Ecstasy – with 100 times more cancer-busting properties than the recreational drug and which they hope could be produced in a safe form to treat patients. Research results published in the journal Investigational New Drugs show significant success in redesigning the designer drug for potential use as a cancer-killing agent in the treatment of leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. 4 The Birmingham Magazine The year in pictures Alumna crowned Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Birmingham Law Society named alumna Ruth Creed (UG Diploma Law, 2001) Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in recognition of her work offering free legal advice to people who could not otherwise afford it. Ruth, who co-founded Birmingham Free Legal Advice Group (FLAG), said cutbacks to legal aid were her inspiration for offering free advice. Snapshot of the present for students of the future Thousands of people from across Birmingham and the West Midlands visited campus for the University’s annual Community Day. The event included the burial of a time capsule (seen above) to mark the forthcoming opening of the Bramall Music Building in 2012. The time capsule, containing a picture of our first Professor of Music Sir Edward Elgar; a photo of 2010’s music graduates, and the score from a specially-composed fanfare, will be opened by future students of the University in 50 years’ time. Speaking out for Birmingham Sixty University experts from across the College of Arts and Law joined together to launch the Birmingham Speakers Programme, which offers free talks around the city on more than 100 subject areas. The initiative, which is open to schools, clubs and community groups across the city, features topic areas as diverse as history, politics, and drama. The programme follows the College’s success in being named among the global top 50 places to study Arts and Humanities by the Times Higher Education supplement. Garden party celebrates University House history Music from the stars More than 50 former residents of University House returned to Birmingham to enjoy A team of astroseismologists led by the a traditional garden party celebrating the University used data from NASA’s Kepler reopening of the Margery Fry room, complete Mission to listen to the sound made by 500 with reproduction drawings, photographs stars similar to the Sun. The research will and information panels tracing UH history. be used to find planetary systems similar A brass plaque was unveiled by Marcia to our solar system in the hope of finding a Davies (BSc Geography, 1974; MSc planet able to support life. Dr Bill Chaplin, Engineering Production, 1975), with talks Reader in Solar and Stellar Physics, said: tracing the history of life at ‘House’ before ‘The sound inside stars makes them residents viewed a display of heritage vibrate like musical instruments, objects from UH, Research and Cultural [this is how] we can tell how big a Collections and Special Collections. star is – from its stellar music.’ The Birmingham Magazine 5 Celebrating 25 years of Ironbridge A quarter of a century since Ironbridge Gorge was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site was marked with a summer-long programme of events, including concerts, theatre and workshops, celebrating the museum’s links with the industrial revolution and the University. The Shropshire-based site includes the Ironbridge Institute, a dedicated postgraduate research and teaching facility run in an equal partnership between the University and Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust (IGMT). VC medals awarded to alumni supporters Alumni and friends who are among the University’s greatest supporters were recognised for the vital role they play in Birmingham’s success. Several members of the Development Advisory Council were given the rarely-awarded Vice-Chancellor’s medal in gratitude for the large amount of time and financial Now you see it… support they have each given. Academics from the School of Physics and Astronomy led by Dr Shuang Zhang and colleagues at universities in London and Denmark attracted international headlines for creating something you can’t see. An ‘invisibility cloak’ that can conceal an object the size of a paperclip through a process using a calcite crystal has been hailed as a ‘huge step forward’ by Dr Zhang for its potential to restrict the view of objects of a much greater ns size in the future. A demonstration of ctio the cloaking crystal can now be seen in du o the School of Physics admissions suite, c Pr thanks to funding from two alumni. Atlanti © Flying Monsters swoop on BAFTAs Birmingham in England’s top dozen Two alumni were among the team who Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) data scooped this year’s British Academy of places Birmingham in the country’s 12 elite institutions. The Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Specialist University is one of the best performing institutions which share Factual award for Flying Monsters 3D. more than half of students with the highest A level grades. The documentary’s presenter Sir David The data shows the highest number of AAB students attend Attenborough (Hon DLitt, 1982), and co- Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Leeds, producer Martin Williams (BSc Biological Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton Sciences, 1997), were among the team and Warwick; forming the English elite. In addition, no that used cutting-edge 3D technology places at Birmingham went to Clearing again this year. to uncover the truth about pterosaurs. 6 The Birmingham Magazine News g n di Har g u o Innovative: The Redcrosse projects debuts at the Windsor Spring Festival in 2010 © D Curious about George Debate about St George, Englishness and national identity is the inspiration for an innovative collaboration between the University of Birmingham and the Royal Shakespeare Company coinciding with next year’s Royal Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics celebrations. The planned climax ng di will be an innovative event combining fresh liturgy, poetry, Har g u o art and music in Coventry Cathedral in 2012. Contribution: Canon Theologian Andrew Shanks © D Redcrosse: A New Celebration of England also tests and remakes it in a modern setting, Fernie admits. ‘Even considering St George as and St George, which takes its title from 16th reforging St George and Englishness for anything other than a white male has caused century English writer Edmund Spenser’s today’s very different society. Many people are howls of outrage; but he’s the patron saint of epic poem The Faerie Queene, has ignited reluctant to wave the St George’s flag because many countries. These symbols belong to all widespread discussion about the changing in recent times it’s been associated with toxic of us and they’re stronger because of that.’ nature of national identity by presenting ‘a versions of nationalism, but I hope Redcrosse new vision of Englishness and St George’ will help reclaim English cultural identity as Following the success of Redcrosse, the in multicultural Britain. belonging to everyone.’ same writing team is also talking to the RSC about a ‘Shakespeare liturgy’ for the important The project, which debuted at the Windsor So far two major works commissioned for anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016. Spring Festival in 2010, is based on a text Redcrosse have been performed at Manchester written by Professor Ewan Fernie, Chair Cathedral and St George’s Chapel in Windsor, Redcrosse will be published by Continuum of Shakespeare Studies at the University’s while music by the composer Tim Garland was Books in 2012, hopefully on the same day Shakespeare Institute, in conjunction with the also played at Romsey Abbey. Further events as its performance by the RSC. Canon Theologian Andrew Shanks and three are now expected to feature in 2012 as part major contemporary poets: the former Poet of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Learn more Laureate Andrew Motion, Costa Prize winner Shakespeare’s birthday on 26 April, and the www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/edacs/ Jo Shapcott, and Michael Symmons Roberts. Cultural Olympiad for the London Olympics. departments/shakespeare/research/projects/ faerie-queene.aspx Professor Fernie explains: ‘Redcrosse works ‘Talking about English identity has proved a with English identity in an historical sense, but hotter topic than we’d expected,’ Professor Leave a legacy to the University of Birmingham. Plant a Contact Martha Cass on mighty oak. +44 (0)121 414 6679 or email: [email protected] The Birmingham Magazine 7 Manufacturing top-class graduates Birmingham’s role in training the next entrepreneurial and understand how businesses be unfashionable, mature or in decline. generation of highly-skilled workers and run. Short-term strategies won’t work, but the Stoke-on-Trent, for example, is often entrepreneurs is vital to ensuring the West institution has the capabilities to meet the associated with a declining ceramics Midlands’ manufacturing industries continue demands of the future local labour market.’ industry but there are more than 50 ceramics to flourish. firms that are not competing on price, but Steps being taken by the University to enhance design, quality and historical association. Many companies across the West Midlands student career prospects include greater are forced into running at below their capacity emphasis on industry placements, and the ‘The firms that have succeeded have responded because they are unable to recruit the launch of the Alumni Leadership Mentoring to globalisation and repositioned themselves. high-calibre workers they require, according Programme (see pages 20–21). They are extremely well-managed and engaged to John Bryson, Professor of Enterprise and in value innovation, but a key challenge is the Economic Geography. Despite the perception of an overall downward difficulties they are experiencing in recruiting turn in the West Midlands’ manufacturing suitably skilled people.’ He explains: ‘Many manufacturing firms have economy, Professor Bryson says there are an older workforce and find it difficult to replace countless examples of ‘highly competitive’ firms Find out more about Professor Bryson’s key employees on retirement. Firms will close that have proved their resilience, including firms research: www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/ or send work overseas unless they are able making locks, ceramics and in the foundry and profiles/gees/bryson-john.aspx to attract skilled workers. casting sector. Could you offer a student or ‘The University has a major role to play in He explains: ‘The region’s firms that have graduate placement? Contact developing graduates in the region who are survived are in industries often deemed to [email protected] Lifesaving test identifies heart Great Read ahead defects in newborn babies for new students The University launched a new initiative A simple test to measure blood oxygen Lead investigator Dr Andrew Ewer says: ‘The for incoming undergraduates in 2011 in newborns has been shown to identify test is usually performed within 24 hours of called Great Read at Birmingham. All new babies with life-threatening congenital heart birth and is simple, painless and non-invasive. undergraduates received a copy of the defects, according to researchers from the A small probe is put on the baby’s hand and same book to encourage them to engage University of Birmingham and Birmingham then the foot, the machine is switched on with academic ideas and create a shared Women’s Hospital. and you obtain a reading. It takes longer to experience for them as an incoming cohort. undress the baby than it does to do the test. More than 20,000 mothers and babies from the The book selected for this year was A Rough West Midlands took part in the PulseOx study, ‘This study has shown conclusively that the Guide to Evolution by Professor Mark Pallen the UK’s largest investigation into screening test is advantageous. I think we now have from the School of Biosciences. The book newborns for congenital heart defects. enough evidence to say that pulse oximetry was selected due to exploring the impact of Midwives used pulse oximetry to measure screening should be incorporated into evolution from several disciplinary angles, oxygen levels in newborns’ blood via a small everyday clinical practice.’ meaning lecturers on the majority of courses sensor placed on the skin of hands or feet. throughout the University have an entry point Babies with low oxygen levels soon after birth to introduce the book into their teachings. may be at increased risk of heart defects. Students received a copy of the book in Current screening for heart defects involves their welcome packs and were asked to ultrasound before delivery and routinely read it before they arrived. There were then examining all newborns in the first 24 hours University-wide activities based around after birth, but this can miss babies with serious the book in Welcome Week and first term. heart defects. PulseOx is an additional test The hope is that all students will be able to carried out before discharge from hospital. engage with each other over the material. If successful, the programme may be continued In the study, babies who failed the test were in future years using different books. given a heart ultrasound. Of 195 babies with an abnormal result, 26 had a major congenital Life-saving: Research has shown that a simple, Find out more: www.birmingham.ac.uk/ heart defect and a further 46 had problems painless test can detect major heart defects in welcome/grab.aspx newborn babies which required urgent treatment. 8 The Birmingham Magazine News The year in sport After a successful year, the University At the start of 2011, Luke Gunn (BSc Sports was awarded second in the overall British and Materials Science, 2006) was selected University and College Sport (BUCS) to represent Great Britain at the World Cross leagues table for 2010–2011. UBSport Country Championships finishing a credible had sat in the top three for more than 15 73rd in an African-dominated race. years but not in the first two since the mid-90s. Loughborough were overall Lucy Williams (BA Applied Golf Management winners, with Birmingham overtaking Studies, 2010) won the 2011 English Leeds Met for the second place. Women’s Amateur Golf Championships Lifesaving: Water testing must be fast to save lives in West Sussex. She played an incredible when disasters like the Haiti earthquake strike Alumna Hannah England (BSc Biochemistry, card coming back from one down after 16 Technology quenches 2009) won a silver medal in the women’s to snatch the title on the 19th with a finish 1,500 metres at the 13th IAAF World of birdie, eagle, birdie. thirst for safe Championships in Daegu. Hannah was with the main group of leaders on the final stretch water solution before setting off wide and accelerating her way to a surprise second place. Thousands of lives will be saved by new equipment that can show in less than 60 seconds if water is safe to drink in disaster areas. Champion: Lucy Williams The global problem of preventing thousands of deaths each year from people drinking infected Several members of the Jamaican National water supplies has sparked a lifesaving solution Athletics Team, including the year’s fastest from a team of University academics. man Asafa Powell and Olympic silver medalist Shericka Williams, visited the University Aid efforts are often hampered by the length Medallist: Hannah England athletics track and met current students and of time up to three days it takes for standard Alumni who represented Great Britain at the staff. The visit was in preparation for next tests to tell if water is safe to drink and these European Cross Country Championships in year, when the University will host the whole delays mean fatal diseases such as cholera Albufeira, Portugal, included Sarah Waldron Jamaican Olympic team in a pre-Games continue to ravage communities. (BSc Sport and Exercise Sciences, 2009) camp before London 2012. who won a team gold in the under-23 The problem is now closer to being solved womens race, and was the second Brit thanks to water treatment specialists in the to cross the line. In the senior men’s race, School of Civil Engineering, who have worked both Phil Nicholls (BSc Sport and Exercise with manufacturer STS Instruments to develop Sciences, 2005) and Frank Tickner (BA a simplified version of a process called French and English, 2007) produced fluorescence spectroscopy, which allows strong performances to finish in 18th dangerous microbial activity to be identified and 48th respectively. in less than 60 seconds. Edmund Salt (BEng Civil Engineering, Dr John Bridgeman (BEng Civil Engineering, 2007), Luke Swain (BSc Geology, 2005) 1989), Reader in Environmental Engineering, and Thomas Reader (BSc Sport and says: ‘The problem aid agencies face is Exercise Sciences, 2005) completed the returning water testing results faster than On track: Members of the Jamaican National world’s longest triathlon ‘The Arch 2 Arc’ diseases spread. Over the past two years we Athletics Team with Birmingham students as part of the team Urban Fitness GB. have helped in the development of a piece of Along with three other teammates, they In July Chrissie Wellington (BSc Geography, equipment costing £5,000 that’s the size of smashed the world record by one hour 1998) set another world record, this time a briefcase. It requires no specialist training and 22 minutes to record a time of 35 for the full Ironman event, finishing first to use so it’s ideal for working in displaced hours and 53 minutes. By achieving female in a time of 8.18.13. She finished communities and is now attracting interest from this, the team raised money for 5th overall with only one male running Oxfam, Water Aid and Save the Children.’ various charities. quicker than her marathon time of 2.44.35, which was a new world record in itself. Learn more www.eng.bham.ac.uk/civil/index The Birmingham Magazine 9 University to invest £175 million in Edgbaston campus The University has announced a proposed five-year investment in facilities that will transform its historic Edgbaston campus and extend services available to staff, students and the local community. Key developments include a new sports centre The proposed library development will provide students, and to delivering on our commitment and library to join the Bramall Music Building, outstanding facilities for a new generation of to reduce the carbon footprint and currently nearing completion. students and researchers, as well as an open environmental impact of the University.’ access cultural hub for the University and city, The new sports centre plans will expand and with services available to the public. A public consultation has been taking place significantly improve on current provision for during the autumn and if you have queries staff, students, alumni and local residents and Director of Estates Ian Barker says: ‘Although regarding the development, please contact clubs. The centre will include Birmingham’s first we are very proud of the Edgbaston campus, [email protected]. 50-metre swimming pool, a 215-station gym, these are exciting projects that will provide the To find out more, visit http://www.birmingham. a large sports hall, and various other sport high-quality environment and facilities essential ac.uk/news/latest/2011/08/09Aug-Estates- and fitness facilities. to attracting and retaining the best staff and Development-FrameworkRelease.aspx Investment: Architect’s visual of how the library could look A snapshot of faith in Birmingham Did you know... that you can help us Multimedia images and video footage Images banked by the department include fight cancer? featuring 600 places of worship across photos of Sikh Gurdwara’s Green Lane Birmingham is the focus of an ambitious new Mosque, and Birmingham Cathedral. Videos project celebrating the breadth of religious and pictures will be used by students during Whether it’s holding a bake sale, diversity in the city. their courses, as well as by local schools organising a ‘Dress Down Friday’, teaching religious education, and by faith or running a marathon, you can raise The Department of Theology and Religion communities in the city. money for our life-saving research. has received £15,000-worth of funding from the University’s Centre for Learning Dr Davies adds: ‘The project will strengthen Simply visit our ‘Get Involved’ web and Academic Development for the scheme, cultural bonds in Birmingham, and enrich the pages for more details: aimed at supporting student learning, local student experience. The department is ranked www.birmingham.ac.uk/alumni/ schools, and faith communities in Birmingham. first for personal development by the National getinvolved Student Survey, and that’s reflected in the Dr Andrew Davies, Senior Lecturer in broad range of careers our graduates Intercultural Theology and Pentecostal move into.’ Studies, explains: ‘There are around 600 places of worship in the city. Just over half Learn more of them are churches but we have more than www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/ptr/ 100 mosques too. Representing this diversity index.aspx is a challenge and our idea is to visually depict the vibrancy in Birmingham.’ 1100 TThhee BBiirrmmiinngghhaamm MMaaggaazziinnee Alumni events calendar Get together with friends and classmates, network with fellow professionals or simply come along for a chat. To find out more about any of our events, or for help organising your own reunion, please visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/alumni/events, email [email protected] or call the events team on +44 (0)121 414 8904. Event invitations are usually sent by email – update your details at www.your.bham.ac.uk to ensure you don’t miss out! Festive Drinks at the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market, 9 December 2011 Come along after work for a complimentary glass of German beer or a mug of Glühwein while you soak up the atmosphere of the largest German market outside Austria and Germany. Your first drink is on us and we have reserved an indoor heated seating area in one of the traditional beer stalls. Please RSVP in advance, all alumni welcome. Antiques Valuation Day at Winterbourne, 19 November 2011 Bring along your prized antique items and see what they are worth. Collaborating with Biddle & Sacred and Profane: Treasures of Webb auctioneers and valuers, a team of experts Ancient Egypt, until 18 January 2012 will be on hand to take a look at your porcelain, Step back in time to discover life – and paintings, jewellery, pottery and silverware to life after death – in Ancient Egypt at try and reveal the history of your treasures. the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. Visit Visit www.winterbourne.org.uk for full details. www.barber.org.uk for full details. London Professional Network, March 2012 Ai2JHno5lu uiO nnNm ssPotnarovoikn efra,eme ,Hs cJbseeaoeapprrd ta Si2 noou0,nf s 1 Sa1cnh ool fwiNonhlseloiutlewwra o ensrnchkjeoo w,ry tpiilntyhrg o b fpweueltil rnorteewy g aaainnslutddem rlce naygion afuarlo rpr meéinls att.et heFreedu srfi ptte hrbleodyrfs eed somesft aiafioinilnl sans no wcwiel.l , of English, Drama and American & Canadian Studies, for an informal Birmingham Heroes lecture – reception with fellow alumni Cancer, February 2012 living or working in Osaka. Hear one of our leading cancer researchers speak about the latest ground-breaking work taking place at Birmingham. The lecture, being held in London, will be followed by a networking drinks reception. Further details to be confirmed but register your interest by email now. Behind the scenes at Winterbourne, 28 April 2012 UTCisshnt huiaisavd pjeaeolrnnyasnftiunisutls y aaC lanC ehndavrd irfes aotnthmlmt e,Si al oiDeesrr sgecv.ap eiAcnaleeilrsltb ,me ar5draee tDnb iowtey n oect lfhfec oeMmor mUusbstneeaii,crfv f n,e,2 or0s 1it1y RosJnooceueinn n odfeef s oltl hofafew ty WUo aunliurni vmvteeisnrrisbti ifwotoyui’rtsr han f eaalof ntHoetarkons ubotsieocehn ci antunedladt u t ahGraneald ra dcsaesknee,t s.. booking or ticket is required. The service starts at 6.15pm in the Great Hall.