ULSTER GRADUATE The magazine for alumni and friends of Ulster University Edition 40 U Winter/Spring 2018 Easkey Britton first lady of Irish surfing INSIDE Gary McCausland - a passion for property | 10 Ulster alumnae leading in the world of sport | Alumni adventures PLUS Impact of your support URGENT - SEE BACK PAGE Tick the box to stay with us QUICK We have created 19 spin- Ranked in the out companies with a FACTS world's top 150 combined turnover of universities under 50 years old £21m by Times Higher employing Education 287 staff 190,000+ ALUMNI WORLDWIDE 93% OUR BELFAST OF OUR GRADUATES SCHOOL OF ART ARE IN WORK OR BOASTS FURTHER STUDY 6 MONTHS TWO AFTER LEAVING UNIVERSITY TURNER PRIZE DLHE Survey WINNERS OVER 24,000 students across 4 campuses in Northern Ireland, and 2 branch campuses in London & Birmingham TOP We host over 1,000 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM OVER 99 DIFFERENT % 3of universities COUNTRIES in the world OVER TOP 2,300 25% STAFF MEMBERS WE INVEST Contact £40m Tel: +44 (0) 28 9536 7486 OF ALL UK UNIVERSITIES in research Email: [email protected] FOR OVERALL RESEARCH each year In this WELCOME issue... UNIVERSITY NEWS 2017 in a nutshell ...................................4 University appoints new Provosts .....6 What’s happening at: Belfast and Jordanstown ..................8 Magee .....................................................10 Coleraine.................................................11 Award-winning alumni .........................12 FEATURES Property expert, Gary McCausland ....................................14 Students take time to mind their mood.....................................16 Easkey Britton, First lady of Irish surfing .....................18 IMPACTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Distinguished and honorary graduates ..............................20 Welcome to the 2018 edition of you can go online at ulster.ac.uk/ Corporate partnerships ........................22 Ulster Graduate, and in particular alumniandsupporters/ticktostay Ulster University Student Fund .......24 to our most recent graduates. to update your preferences and details. 10 Ulster alumnae leading in the world of sport .............26 I hope you enjoy hearing of the There is great excitement in the impressive impact that Ulster air with the progress of the Belfast SUPPORTING YOUR UNIVERSITY University alumni continue to make campus, new developments at Support your University ......................28 around the world. Magee and Coleraine, as well as Stay involved............................................30 Wherever you graduated, wherever an ambitious new strategic plan you were based, I hope you feel leading us forward. Focused on the Alumni adventures ................................31 connected to Ulster University. next five years, the plan contains Giving back ...............................................34 We are always keen to keep in touch stretching ambitions that will drive Ulster Graduate Edition 40 with you and to keep you up to date us towards our 50th anniversary Edited and produced by the Development and Alumni Relations Office, Ulster University, with what is happening. However, you in 2034 and move the University York Street, Belfast, BT15 1ED are going to have to act to preserve forward significantly as a major force Editorial: Editorial Solutions Ltd that connection. in delivering positive change and Design: RLA Group Ltd Print: Sterling Solutions Ltd impact, both locally and globally. New data protection laws are coming into effect in May 2018. If you don’t tell Inside this edition you will be able Available online at: ulster.ac.uk/alumniandsupporters us how you would like to stay in touch, to see that the University, its staff, We want our magazine to be fully accessible we will be limited as to how we contact alumni, students and friends make a and have therefore made it available in both you after this date. significant contribution to building a printed and online formats. If you need part or all of this magazine in an alternative format confident and forward looking society. That is why we are running our please do not hesitate to contact us. As you read the various stories I hope ‘Tick the box to stay with us’ campaign. you will be proud that you are an Ulster Views expressed are those of the contributors, Please read the back page of this not necessarily the University. Ulster University graduate and that you are inspired to magazine, tick the form that came cannot accept responsibility for any claim stay in touch. with this edition and return it using the whatsoever which may arise out of materials carried in good faith. freepost envelope provided. Or, Eddie Friel Director of Development Front cover image: Easkey Britton: BSc Hons and Alumni Relations Environmental Science, 2009 and PhD Life and Health Science, 2013 4 UNIVERSITY NEWS Ulster University headlines BT innovation: Howard Watson, CEO of BT Technology, from last year Service and Operations, with Alastair Hamilton, CEO of Invest NI, and The University continues to deliver outstanding research Ulster University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paddy Nixon and teaching, as well as encourage the innovation, leadership and vision needed to help our communities 3. NEW BT INNOVATION thrive. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the PARTNERSHIP extraordinary activities that took place in 2017. We partnered with telecoms giant BT to open a new £28m Innovation Centre. It will undertake more than 1. WORLD RANKINGS £7m worth of joint research, driving the creation of 25 The University was proud to be ranked in the top 150 new University research posts, alongside up to 50 new young universities in the world and joint fifth in the UK. graduate roles in the BT Belfast Global Development The University was also ranked among the world’s elite Centre. The research will focus on the Internet of Things, academic institutions for nursing in the QS World University artificial intelligence and data analytics for customer Rankings by Subject, and placed in the top 20 in the UK experience, cyber security and 5G communications. for four subjects (nursing, architecture/built environment, Invest NI offered support of £9m towards the project. agriculture/forestry and sports-related subjects). 4. SIGNIFICANT EUROPEAN FUNDING WIN The University secured €23m of European funding via the highly competitive INTERREG VA programme. It is being used for collaborative research in personalised medicine, renewable energy and connected health technology. The University will lead the research, working with other UK and Irish institutions and companies with existing global expertise in each sector. 5. BBC PARTNERSHIP STRUCK The University became one of just eight UK universities to form a major five-year research partnership with BBC 2. CONFUCIUS EXCELLENCE Research and Development that will analyse ways to AWARD FOR VICE-CHANCELLOR unlock the potential of data analysis in the media. It will be We were delighted to see Vice-Chancellor Professor at the forefront of machine learning in the media industry, Paddy Nixon receive the prestigious Confucius Individual helping create a more personal BBC that can inform, Performance Excellence Award at a ceremony in Xi-an. educate and entertain in new ways. The partnership brings The award recognised his commitment to the continued together experts from across the BBC and world-leading success of the Confucius Institute at Ulster University and to UK data scientists from Ulster University, the universities increasing positive awareness of China in Northern Ireland. of Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Surrey, Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London, and University College London. 6. BIO-DEVICES LAB OPENS Ulster opened a £7.3m advanced biomedical engineering laboratory with the aim of offering expertise and state- of-the-art equipment to assist companies in developing prototypes for the biomedical, engineering, electronic device and aerospace sectors. It is the result of a strategic partnership between Invest NI, Ulster University, Randox Laboratories and Heartsine Technologies, which have come together to help businesses in this sector develop. Professor Paddy Nixon receiving the Excellence Award at a ceremony in China ULSTER GRADUATE | Edition 40 | Winter/Spring 2018 UNIVERSITY NEWS 5 7. CLINTON CENTRE RENEWAL Ulster began an initiative with Dublin City University and the University of Massachusetts to enhance the Clinton Centre in Enniskillen. The universities will create a new, sustainable operational model for the Centre, in BT innovation: Howard Watson, CEO of BT Technology, keeping with President Clinton’s commitment to peace Service and Operations, with Alastair Hamilton, CEO of Invest NI, and and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. The work Ulster University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paddy Nixon of acclaimed large-format portrait artist and Ulster alumnus, Colin Davidson, will be displayed at the Centre, as will his painting of the former president. President 9. MEETING THE CHALLENGE Clinton announced the initiative himself on a visit to The University secured its first victory in the popular Northern Ireland. University Challenge TV programme, beating St Anne’s College, Oxford by 175 to 90 points. As Ulster Graduate went to press, the team had advanced to the quarter finals with a further win over Warwick University. After losing in the first round against a strong Edinburgh side by just five points, they progressed to the second round as one of the highest scoring losing teams. Pictured with host Jeremy Paxman are Cathal