FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS AUTUMN 2017 MyWHY CARDIFF? CARDIFF Alumni and friends share what Cardiff means to them… MY CARDIFF… is at the MY CARDIFF… is rowing MY CARDIFF… is doing aerobatics podium in St David’s down the Taff to Florida at 600 mph, 300 feet up in Hall | Page 10 – and beyond | Page 13 the air | Page 22 STAY IN TOUCH For general enquiries or queries about Cardiff Connect, please contact us via: T. +44 (0)29 2087 6473 E. [email protected] W. cardiff.ac.uk/alumni Deri House, 2-4 Park Grove, Cardiff, CF10 3BN /CardiffUniAlumni @CardiffAlumni bit.ly/cardiffalumni @cardiffuniversityalumni #BeTheDIFFerence Unless otherwise indicated, copyright of this publication belongs to Cardiff University. This document can be made available in alternative formats upon request. Thousands of Cardiff graduates have told us that they want to #BeTheDIFFerence Cardiff Connect Autumn 2017 How? By inspiring prospective students, Come home to Cardiff. In person or Editor – Shayoni Lynn (MA 2010) Assitant Editor – Alex Norton (BA 2015) providing internships and work online, in the classroom or at work; your Managing Editors – TJ Rawlinson, Claire Sanders placements, and taking part in Cardiff experience and expertise are invaluable Contributors – Chris Jones (BScEcon 1999), events across Wales and the world. to current and future Cardiff students. Caragh Medlicott (BA 2016, Creative Writing 2016-) Our new Alumni Volunteering Copy Editor – Nick Rawlinson To get involved, visit bit.ly/cu-getinvolved Design – Elevator Design in collaboration with Programme is designed to enable (this is a secure link) Barry Diamond Cardiff alumni like you to do just that. Illustration – Anton Brand Produced by – Development and Alumni Relations Printed by – McLays Clock tower and Main Building images on front cover by Paul Hindmarsh. Incidental images in ‘My Cardiff’ feature from Shutterstock.com MIX Paper from responsible sources FSC® C017574 IN THIS 02 ISSUE 02 The Big Picture 04 News 09 My Cardiff 10 Michael Bell (BMus 1980) Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton 12 (PhD 2014) 13 Rebecca Girling (BSc 2012) Callum Drummond 14 (BSc 2016) Professor Anita Thapar CBE 15 (MBBCh 1985, PhD 1995) Professor Ian Weeks (BSc 16 1976, PhD 1980, DSc 2009) 05 17 Tania Habimana (BSc 2000) Anne Rebafka (MSc 2010, 18 DAHP 2016) George Watkins (English 19 Literature & Philosophy 2015-) 20 Alan Buckle Dame Mary Perkins DBE FBOA 08 26 21 (BSc 1965, Hon 2005) 22 Mike Bowden (BSc 2002) Yr Athro Sioned Davies 24 (BA 1976) 22 25 In the News Examined Life Former CEO of Dell UK 08 Tim Griffin (MBA 1989) Leukaemia survivor 26 Vithiya Alphons (BSc 2017) 28 In Memoriam 29 Events Calendar cardiff.ac.uk/cardiff-connect 02 The Big Picture Road to victory In July, Cardiff Racing became the first ever UK team to be crowned champions at the Formula Student motorsport competition. The team of 56 students from Cardiff’s School of Engineering outperformed over 130 international teams to be named 2017 Class 1 overall winners. You can read more at cardiffracing.co.uk cardiff.ac.uk/cardiff-connect The Big Picture 03 Cardiff Connect | Autumn 2017 04 News RESEARCH Regenerating rainforests Cardiff University researchers at the Danau Girang Field Centre in Borneo have found that abandoned oil palm plantations can regenerate forest canopy in as little as 17 years. Using airborne laser imaging, the team have a cost-effective way to reconnect isolated Researcher Luke Evans (PhD 2016) said: been able to measure the rate of natural patches of forest, the study has shown the “This study is a key contribution to a project reclamation of underproductive agricultural potential to restore the forest pathways that supporting the Sabah Forestry Department’s land. The study has significant implications encourage the movement of plants and effort to generate more protected forest area for wildlife conservation, especially for the animals. This will lead to increased biodiversity for conservation.” endangered Bornean elephant. By identifying and higher birth-rates. INNOVATION HEALTH Eagle-eyed innovation Training viruses to tackle cancer A senior lecturer at Cardiff’s School of Medicine is leading a Optics specialists Dr Stephanie Campbell (PhD 2017) and pioneering research project on the use of viruses to tackle cancer. Dr Luke Anderson have developed an app which has the potential to revolutionise eye tests for children. In their original form, viruses to give you a virus? But in fact, typically give us cold or flu-like viruses are not necessarily bad.” Noting that difficulty arose Together, they created a game symptoms – but if genetically in testing children’s vision called The Space Vision which Dr Parker is now leading a team engineered they can be ‘retrained’ because of their short allows children to have fun working to alter the Ad5 virus to identify cancer cells and attack attention spans, Stephanie while also picking up on vision with the aim of treating ovarian them. said: “Watching how long problems in children as young cancer, one of the most common children could play on as age two. “The use of virotherapies sounds occurrences of the disease computer games, I turned to counter-intuitive” said Dr Alan amongst women in the UK. technology for help.” Parker at the recent Cardiff Day. Read more about Cardiff “If you’re ill, why would we want Day in diolch cardiff.ac.uk/cardiff-connect News 05 Ice Age mystery uncovered DISCOVERY A study undertaken by Cardiff’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences has shed light on a mysterious change in climate which saw temperatures fluctuate by 15°C over just a few decades, during the Ice Age period. It was previously believed that flooding from trigger a series of events leading to dramatic melting icebergs was responsible for the changes in climate. dramatic change in temperature. However, “These findings show that there are ‘windows Cardiff researchers have suggested that a rise of opportunity’ within climate space where so- in carbon dioxide levels may be the definitive called boundary conditions, such as the level factor. of atmospheric CO2, make abrupt change more The study indicates that after crossing a likely to occur,” said Professor Stephen Barker, certain threshold – or tipping point – CO2 can co-author of the study. CELEBRATION Jolly good The “Bobs” are beloved at JOMEC fellows In our Spring 2017 feature, “Cardiff’s answer: train principled journalists”, Wales’ national football team manager Chris Martin Lewis OBE (PgDip 1998) referred Coleman OBE, Martin Lewis OBE (PgDip to his “glorious friction about stories” 1998), founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, with “the old school hack and teacher and managing director of GE Aviation Wales Bob”. La-Chun Lindsay were among those to be awarded Honorary Fellowships at Graduation The editorial team added a note Week in July. suggesting Martin meant Professor Bob Franklin, current Professor of Journalism Cardiff University was delighted to host 14 Studies. In fact, Martin was referring to eminent figures from a diverse range of fields, the much-missed Robert “Bob” Atkins, including an editor-at-large of the Guardian, who headed the postgraduate Diploma the director of Europol and one of the UK’s in Broadcast Journalism jointly with leading physiotherapists. Colin Larcombe between 1992 and Alumni to be honoured also included the 2007. equality campaigner Rosie Moriarty-Simmonds Successive generations of journalism OBE (BSc 1985) and chair of the Prince’s Trust students are fortunate to have benefited in Wales Sir Derek Jones (BA 1974). from the teachings of more than one For a full list of honorary fellows, visit: inspiring Bob. cardiff.ac.uk/about/honorary-fellows 20 years of fighting crime CRIME A crime prevention model introduced by Cardiff academic Professor Jonathan Shepherd (DSc 2000) is celebrating 20 years of worldwide success. In the last two decades, the Cardiff Model has When people are injured by violence, been implemented internationally in justice receptionists at emergency departments record systems from the United States to Australia. the location and weapon used. This information is anonymised and combined with police data The model was piloted in Cardiff after Professor to inform violence prevention strategy and Shepherd, a maxillofacial surgeon, realised tactics. One example has been requiring pubs that three-quarters of incidents resulting in and clubs to serve drinks in shatter-proof hospital emergency treatment were unknown plastic instead of traditional glass. to police. “There were people on my operating table every week, injured by someone who was “The Cardiff Model has made a real difference,” never brought to book,” he said. Professor Shepherd said. “This has made a saving of over £5m per year in Cardiff’s health, Under the Cardiff Model, data from hospitals social and criminal justice costs.” is shared with the police and local authorities. Cardiff Connect | Autumn 2017 06 News RUNNING Record numbers run for research A record number of people ran the 2017 Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon as part of #TeamCardiff, raising vital funds for cancer, neuroscience and mental health research at Cardiff University. The event sold out for the first time Collectively, #TeamCardiff have in its history; 25,000 people tackled raised £65,000, a sum which will the 13.1 mile (21.1 kilometre) significantly benefit early careers route in the heart of the city. researchers working across the two fields. The 350-strong #TeamCardiff featured people of all different Cardiff University has extended its ages and backgrounds, ranging title partnership with the Cardiff from current student Rosa Patel Half Marathon, one of the UK’s (Geography (Human) 2016-) to largest road races and an IAAF the event’s oldest runner, 85 year- Silver Event, until 2020. old Brian Pemberton (MTh 2004). MEDIA ACHIEVEMENT Journalists of the future A world top 100 university Cardiff University has been officially ranked inside the The second Sue Lloyd-Roberts Scholarship top 100 institutions globally in the 2017 Academic World has been awarded at Cardiff’s School of Ranking of Universities, placing 99th.