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The Priests Clerical Chart-Toppers Win Prestigious Award Autumn 09 THE The Priests Clerical chart-toppers win prestigious award P32 Class of 2009 P10 New Library P17 Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s THE MAGAZINE FOR GRADUATES AND FRIENDS OF QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST THE GRADUATE P3P3 Editors’ Welcome Contents WelcomeW to the marine biologists are helping to conserve 20092 edition of the endangered horse mussel (p6), find 3 Editorial Queen’sQ alumni out how one student has given ‘Twitter’ magazine,m The its voice (p24) and learn how Queen’s GraduateG . pharmacists are fighting MRSA (p29). ThisT issue features For those who have received a copy of exclusivee interviews the Roll of Graduates Questionnaire, withithQ Queen’s’ Chancellor,Ch ll His Excellency there is a new deadline of 30 November Kamalesh Sharma who will be officially for those wishing to be included in inaugurated in December and Mike Brown a free prize draw for returning their 4 Profile of Heathrow’s currently Chief Operating Officer of completed survey. Mike Brown Heathrow Airport who will take up the post of MD of London Underground next year. Alumni feedback on The Graduate is 6 - 8 Faculty of Medicine, always welcome to: [email protected]. And Norma Sinte (Director of Development and remember, you can keep up to date with Health and Life Sciences Alumni Relations) takes readers on a tour of news from Queen’s at: www.qub.ac.uk/ the new library, which opened for business alumni. 9 Annual Meeting of over the summer (see p10/11). Convocation We look forward to hearing from you. The Graduate also brings you the latest alumni news from around the world (see Gerry Power and Tracey McKinney, Class Notes p19-23). Plus you can read how Co-Editors Message from the Director 10 The Library at Queen’s As The Graduate of the University and the student body as a goes to print whole. 12 Graduate and Student around 3,500 of the Year students have Queen’s is taking a tough approach to left home for tackling this issue, while also addressing 14 Profile of His Excellency the first time aggravating factors such as alcohol abuse. Kamalesh Sharma to embark on Students and staff work closely with a range academic study. of partners, including landlords, Belfast I congratulate City Council, the PSNI and other academic 16 Queen’s Culture and Arts them all; they institutions to make the affected areas better have worked hard places to live, for local residents and our 18 Annual Blues Awards to achieve this students. and I wish them every success. 19 - 23 Class Notes In an address to parents in September, the At Queen’s we have always put our students Vice-Chancellor stressed that the University first. From our new-look Students’ Union to will not tolerate anti-social behaviour among 24 - 26 Faculty of Arts, Queen’s Sport (selected as a training camp any of its students. Several high profile Humanities and Social for the 2012 Olympics) and our new £50m campaigns warn about the dangers of Sciences library, we offer some of the best facilities in excessive alcohol and ask students to show the UK and Ireland. respect for themselves and their neighbours. 27 - 29 Faculty of Engineering Robust disciplinary procedures are in place and Physical Sciences We believe our students deserve the and every complaint is investigated. As a best Queen’s has to offer, academically, result, many students were fined and some culturally and socially. They can be our best suspended last year. 30 Queen’s International! ambassadors and we take pride in their achievements, achievements such as those A Belfast City Council community safety of Lisa Collins, from Omagh, who set up a wardens scheme is in place, part-funded by fundraising project for children in Uganda, the University, and we are also lobbying for and is this year’s Queen’s Student of the Year additional powers for police and wardens (see p12/13). such as on-the-spot fines, drink bans, and restrictions on parties in alcohol free zones. The majority of students enjoy their 32 Congratulations Class of University experience and earn an excellent It is crucial that the challenge of students’ 2009! degree. Many make a positive contribution anti-social behaviour is met decisively to to Queen’s and the South Belfast community, ensure that this year’s freshers and local 34 Perks but we are fully aware, that a small minority residents can enjoy the best ‘Queen’s engage in anti-social behaviour. This experience’ possible. damages the quality of life of local residents, 35 Miscellanea - Sudoku, particularly our close neighbours in the Norma Sinte, Director of Development Teaser, Quiz Holyland area, and tarnishes the reputation and Alumni Relations P4 THE GRADUATE THE GRADUATE P5 ‘When I was at school I didn’t really know ‘I also recall that we occupied one of the ‘All our major international competitors what career I wanted. I suppose I had a University’s buildings on campus as part of have more runways than Heathrow. passing interest in journalism and politics a student protest when we heard that the An additional landing strip would give us at the timet but I didn’t work hard enough MBA course at Queen’s was to stop,’ he greater flexibility and of course passenger High Flier at my A-levelsA to keep all of my options added, ‘but that is a story for another day!’ capacity. While we will continue to open. I have to confess that Queen’s was operate within strict environmental fourthfourth choice on my list of universities, After completing the second part of limits - by demanding quieter and cleaner For those who have to fly in andnd out of Heathrow on a but in retrospect I am really glad things his studies, Brown moved to Ealing aircraft - economically the arguments are regular basis the prospect of assumingassuming responsibilityresponsibility turned out as they did.’ in England with a couple of fellow compelling. It may still be eight to ten for one of the world’s busiest airportsairports would Queen’s graduates. A brief period in years away but if the UK is to compete probably be quite daunting. TheThe wordswords “poisoned“poisoned TheThe middlemi of three children, Mike’s older Brand Management with Rank Hovis worldwide and if we are to attract chalice” spring to mind, yet takingaking on one ofof sister studieds medicine at Queen’s, while McDougall was followed by 19 years in international companies to locate here, his youngeryou brother followed the same senior operational and customer service London certainly needs more runway the major challenges in UK transportansport did not professionprofess after studying at Liverpool. roles at London Underground, now a part capacity and Heathrow is the obvious deter Queen’s graduate Mike Brown, who was Mike’s late father was also a Queen’s of Transport for London (TfL), where he location.’ appointed Chief Operating Officerfficer at Heathrow medic, and while his mother stayed at became Chief Operating Officer. in September 2008. Alumni Officerfficer GerryGerry PowerPower home tot raise the children, didn’t he feel Mike is married to Dundee graduate caught up with the Belfast-bornorn BSc (Econ) and under pressure to toe the family line? Brown was on duty, and one of the first Barbara, who comes from Bangor and MBA high flier on a recent visitit to London.London. to face a barrage of media interviews, in whom he met in London. Together they ‘There‘There was no pressure on me at all to the aftermath of the explosions which have a six year old son, Patrick, and the ‘At the time the position became vacant,cant, I hadhad beenbeen study medicine;m in fact my father was killed 52 people and resulted in over 700 family regularly comes back to Northern running the operations at London Undergroundnderground forfor rather pleased that I had other interests!’ injuries on 7 July 2005 in London. Ireland to visit family and friends and five years,’ said the affable Mike Brownown over coffeecoffee for weekends at their second home in in Terminal One. ‘In truth, though I waswas happy AnAn economicseco degree at Queen’s gave ‘After 9/11 the Tube was always on a Newcastle. there, the challenges were similar andnd I didn’t want Mike theth opportunity to develop his high state of alert, but nothing - not to regret not applying.’ interestinterest in a business career. Playing even growing up during the troubles in What of his own longer term plans - hockeyhockey for Queen’s Seconds (where Northern Ireland - could prepare you for where does Mike Brown see himself in Taking over just months after the embarrassingmbarrassing hehe sayssays he was ‘more committed than what happened that day,’ said Brown, five years? debacle that was the opening of Terminalminal Five, good’)good’) satisfied his sporting interests and clearly still moved by the trauma of Mike Brown is now responsible for 7,5007,500 staff,staff, involvementinvolve in the student version of the the attacks. ‘That said, the operations ‘Heathrow is a massive turnaround strategic relationships with dozens of national and AllianceAl Party addressed his political staff in particular, and of course the challenge, but I like a challenge… and international airlines, not to mentionn the 67 million curiosity. emergency services responded in an success, so that remains my current goal.’ passengers who pass through en routeute to over 180 unbelievable manner. I am proud to say destinations each year. ‘I guess I was a political activist that London’s response was to run a near Whatever lies in store, there’s no of sorts when I was at Queen’s, full underground and bus service the doubt that this affable and determined in the sense that I helped put up following day.’ Queen’sman, with a proven track record posters for an election in North in change management, will make a Down.
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