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Professor Keith Shine Joins Illustrious Ranks of the Royal Society BulletinFortnightly news for staff | 28 May 2009 | 498 Professor Keith Shine joins illustrious ranks of the Royal Society Keith Shine, Professor of Physical The Royal Society is the world’s oldest doctorate in meteorology at the University Meteorology at the University. has been scientific academy in continuous existence, of Edinburgh followed by spells as a elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. and has been at the forefront of enquiry researcher at Liverpool and Oxford and discovery since its foundation in 1660. Universities. He became a Professor in As a Fellow of the UK’s national academy New Fellows are elected through a peer of science, Professor Shine joins the likes 1998. His research focuses on review process that culminates in a vote of Richard Dawkins, Jocelyn Bell Burnell understanding how human activity and Stephen Hawking. by existing Fellows. The main criterion for initiates climate change and the role of election as a Fellow is scientific excellence. water vapour in the Earth’s energy Professor Shine said: ‘I am delighted and balance. He has been heavily involved in honoured that my research has been Professor Shine is Director of Research in major United Nations’ assessments of recognised in this way; it is not only the Department of Meteorology at the both climate change and stratospheric recognition for myself, but also for the University, having previously held the University and my many colleagues, who post of Head of Department. He joined the ozone depletion. He also led the have helped create the environment in University in 1988 after studying physics University’s successful bid for a Queen’s which my work could thrive.’ at Imperial College London and taking a Anniversary Prize in 2006. continued on page 2 498 | Professor Keith Shine continued from front page Professor Gordon Marshall, scholars from Reading being Royal Society, said: ‘Our new Vice-Chancellor said: ‘This is elected to the Royal Society.’ Fellows are at the cutting 28 May 2009 the ultimate accolade for edge of science worldwide. | The Fellowship of the Society Keith’s remarkable 20 year is composed of the most Their achievements represent Front cover: Professor contribution to the University’s distinguished scientists from the the vast contribution science Bulletin Keith Shine, the world-renowned Department United Kingdom, other makes to society. They join an University’s latest scientist of Meteorology, which is Commonwealth countries and outstanding group of over 1,400 to be elected to the central to the wide-ranging the Republic of Ireland. Fellows Fellows and Foreign Members Fellowship of the Royal study of climate change of the Royal Society are of the Royal Society, and all elected for life and designate rank among the international Society currently being undertaken here. Keith’s election to the themselves through the use of leaders in their field.’ The Bulletin can be found online at Royal Society continues a the letters FRS after their names. More information at http:// www.reading.ac.uk/bulletin tradition of distinguished Martin Rees, President of the royalsociety.org/newFellows where you can read a pdf of this issue and access archived issues of past Bulletins. The Bulletin is published in-house fortnightly during term time. Items Professor Ken Norris are welcomed from every member of the University and should be Professor Ken Norris, Professor world is facing today, and will policy-led, applied research sent, marked ‘Bulletin’, to of Agro Ecology at the University face in the future. on biodiversity that is Carol Derham has been appointed to Professor Norris said: supported by organisations Communications, DEA champion one of the Natural ‘Biodiversity provides essential such as Defra and the wider Whiteknights Environment Research services that we all take for user community. His research The University of Reading Council’s seven environmental interests span a range of Reading RG6 6AH granted – food, clean air, research themes. email [email protected] clean water and many others. individual, population, Championing research in this community and ecosystem Please note that we reserve the Professor Norris will lead the approaches to understanding right to edit items and not all Biodiversity theme, area is a huge challenge but material may be used. Free small succeeding Professor Lloyd extremely important if we are how biodiversity responds to ads from University members will Peck who steps down from to continue to have access to the environmental change. For be included if space permits. the role later this month. services from the environment the past four years he has Copy date for the edition The seven themes form the that we all depend on.’ directed the strategic and published on 25 June is 11 June core of NERC’s science Professor Norris has very operational management of the multi-disciplinary Centre The Bulletin is typeset by strategy, which sets out the broad research experience, Diana Arnold in Communications, science needed to provide from the solid foundation of for Agri-Environmental DEA and is printed by Advent solutions to the global basic science provided by the Research (CAER) at the Colour, Andover environmental challenges the research councils to the University. Health, work, well-being The second annual well-being on health-related issues were The SportsPark would like to advice useful and informative. week was organised by Human all extremely popular and thank all staff who participated We would appreciate your Resources, in partnership with well attended. The live in the week of classes. They feedback on how we can Commercial Services, Health cooking demonstration was a hope their programme helped improve future activities, and Safety Services, the favourite and in response to to improve motivation please send any suggestions SportsPark and Occupational your requests the healthy towards a more active and to [email protected] Health to promote employee recipes are available at: healthier lifestyle. Human Resources health and well-being. http://www.rdg.ac.uk/ Commercial Services and the This year there were activities humanresources/rdg-only/ SportsPark offered great prizes, at Whiteknights, Bulmershe health_work_wellbeing.htm including the chance to win Court and Greenlands. Commercial Services enjoyed Nirvana Spa vouchers, a raffle for an exotic fruit basket, a As a result of the week, we meeting their customers face trial gym membership and discovered a continued to face to discuss catering personal training sessions. demand for health and well- needs across campus. There The lucky winners were all being initiatives at the was a good response from pleasantly surprised! University. Again, the health catering suppliers who offered a number of healthy We hope you found the checks, massage therapies, Beccy Bridges takes part in a reflexology gym classes and presentations products for staff to sample. activities, presentations and session 498 Art on URS wall Sharing | Fine Art student Ed Quick, displayed his expertise latest captivating work by projecting it 28 May 2009 onto the wall of URS Building, | The University highlighted its expertise in Whiteknights from 11 to 15 May. literacy and language education in April Bulletin The affectionately titled Eso (Evolutionary when the Institute of Education hosted Sculptural Organism) is a continuation a one day conference on behalf of The of Ed’s 2nd Year degree project which British Education Research Association. aims to ‘take art into the public The conference attracted 80 delegates environment in an engaging manner’. Mike Proven Photo: from all over the UK and several This dynamic, digital sculpture consists ‘I am exceptionally proud of Eso which is eminent speakers. of a randomly seeded population of not a pre-recorded film but a projection A number of papers from established cuboids interacting in real-time. These of a computer-based, real-time, moving and new researchers also contributed symbiotic cuboid-cells coexist and sculpture which constantly evolves to making this first conference of its compete through stages of birth, without human influence’. type a great success. The day ended reproduction, and death. The result is an The project was made possible with with a stimulating plenary on the ‘organic’ series of unique, non- support from the School of Business and question ‘Research evidence suggests predetermined, evolving forms. School of Real Estate & Planning. To see that at least 20% of adults in England Ed, who also works for the University photographs and a video of the display are still functionally illiterate, that is as a Senior IT Support Technician, said: please see http://www.edquick.co.uk/ over 5 million people; who, or what is to blame?’ Professor Andy Goodwyn, who organised the event, said: ‘This really was an outstanding success, enhancing the Feminist Judgments reputation of the Institute of Education and of the University. Researchers came Re-writing case-law from feminist project: Grace James, Rachel Horton, from all over the country, some highly perspectives. Rosemary Auchmuty, Martha-Marie distinguished, others at the start of their Kleinhans and Samia Bano. careers, several colleagues gave excellent The School of Law hosted a two-day papers and our PhD students gained a workshop in April, in which over 30 The project will inaugurate a new real insight into the best work coming writers (academics and practitioners) form of critical socio-legal scholarship, through in our field. We are already put theory into practice by writing one which seeks to demonstrate in planning for next year’. alternative feminist judgments in a a sustained and disciplined way how series of cases. A number of academics judgments could have been written and from the University are involved in the cases could have been decided differently. Pupil researchers visit Bulmershe At the beginning of the summer term, four group are keen to continue the link and pupils from Baylis Court School in Slough plan to focus on developing the pupils’ visited the Institute of Education to learn skills in lesson observation.
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