BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER FOUNDATION THIRTY NINE I am delighted to share with to deliver an industrial strategy aimed you our latest news and at combating climate change. I am sure hope that you enjoy reading that many of you will have seen that the University has made a public pledge to about our activities in recent become carbon neutral by its centenary months. year of 2027. We firmly believe that all individuals and organisations have In October, we were honoured to host the a responsibility to preserve our planet return of an inspirational group of alumni for future generations and certainly the donors who have been raising money University of Hull is doing its best to help over the last three years in memory of in that effort. their good friend Wiseman Khuzwayo. A tremendous £90,000 was pledged by We also held our annual donor ‘thank this group of friends and graduates from you event’ in November when Professor the late 1970s. Monies raised will fund Brad Gibson, Director of the E.A. Milne a PhD student and visiting fellowship Centre in Astrophysics, gave a unique and programme, both of which directly fascinating insight into the Wonders of and positively influence outcomes for the Universe. His Trip Adviser style guide refugees. We are working closely with featured some of the scariest, loudest and the group as they plan their next project, smelliest places in the Universe! and we thank them for their sterling efforts. May I again extend my sincere thanks to those of you who were able to join us for A number of you will have received a our Annual Supporter Thank You Event – letter from my colleague, Dr Angela and, indeed, those who could not but have Gardiner, asking for your support as given their time or have donated. Your we look to provide the best possible generosity enables us to achieve so much Professor Susan Lea, Vice-Chancellor wellbeing resources for our students. and impacts positively on so many. You will be able to read more about the project in the newsletter, but I wanted to Please know that you are always wel- take this opportunity to thank you and come to visit us in Hull, and I hope that let you know that your contributions many of you will be able to do just that have allowed us to make a real difference over the coming year. to our students’ experience. With my very best wishes to you for the THANK YOU The second meeting of the All Party Polit- Holiday Season and the New Year, ical Group (APPG) was held in November I would like to take this opportunity to when Professor Dan Parsons, Director of thank you for your support of the the Energy and Environment Institute, gave a rousing and very well received talk University. around the University’s partnership with Professor Susan Lea global businesses in the Humber region 1 2 Your generosity during our annual telephone and direct mail campaigns, means that when someone does reach “YOU STAND out the right people can be there ready to WHERE I ONCE STOOD” help them. For students struggling financially, or for care-leavers embarking on their university journey, we are able to provide and support. Your kind words included Following on from last year’s hardship packages, food vouchers, bus personal wisdom, motivational quotes campaign, our 2019 telephone cards and UniKitOut codes. appeal maintained a focus on and practical advice on how to keep going when things are tough. funding student wellbeing To ensure our staff are prepared to provide crucial support we have intro- and mental health support. Around World Mental Health Day (held duced suicide awareness and prevention annually on 10th October) we set to Alongside our student callers training. Thirty-eight staff members, displaying the postcards in the Students’ reaching out to you by phone across a range roles and departments, Union for everyone to see. While no card we sent a direct mail asking have completed the course so far and is the same, the bottom line is clear – this training will become mandatory for 10,000 selected alumni to people care. ‘light up a student’s day’. certain student facing roles. Reading through the messages is truly For many students it can be easier to moving especially when you consider We received an incredible response, with approach their peers for support, this is that these words could reach someone support pouring in in the form of both evident anecdotally but is also supported just when they need them. A strong donations and messages of strength by research. Our student Wellbeing recurring theme was advice not to suffer Champions are trained to provide an White Wall, an online initiative that our alone but to ‘reach out’ to friends, family approachable on-the-ground service, students can access at any time 24/7 to “I chose to become a or support services. looking out for new and returning talk about their problems and get the Wellbeing Champion students who may need a helping hand. support they urgently need. because I wanted to increase student Outside of daylight hours the Hull Thank you for providing these valuable awareness of the University Angels are recognisable resources for students to access, to ensure that they have the support available to importance of good in their blue jackets, ready to help students who may be vulnerable during make the most of their time at university. mental health and night-time activities. Whether the issue “If you are reading this, you ensure that students is related to mental health, intoxication stand where I once stood. I are aware of the or simply a general concern for safety – graduated, but I didn’t services available to such as walking alone – the Angels are graduate without help and them on campus so that there to ensure that everyone ends the night safely. support. Ask for help. I did.” all students can have a positive experience at This year, with funding from our alumni, Postcard from a graduate university.” we have also been able to launch our Big Lisa 3 4 You might think that a sign Summer school scholarships for 6th stating ‘women welcome here’ formers provide an opportunity for WOMEN IN STEM students to gain hands-on experience of wouldn’t be necessary what undertaking a STEM degree entails. CHALLENGING PERCEPTIONS, anywhere in today’s society. Sian from New College, Doncaster spent However, there are still a her summer holiday gaining insight CREATING OPPORTUNITY number of invisible signs and into degree level Astrophysics and barriers that divert women improving her coding skills. Sian had away from the study of initially doubted her abilities but left the programme feeling excited and enthused science, technology, engineer- about her future choices. ing and mathematics (STEM). The reasons behind this Summer Internship placements facilitate reality are complex, but one 3rd year degree students in honing the contributing factor is a lack of skills required to successfully transition into STEM sector employment or a career overt representation of women in research. within the STEM sector. With your support we are breaking Hull has a history of advocating for the barriers and making a difference. Thank underrepresented and we believe that you once again. Next year we want championing talented and passionate to continue and grow this support to women in STEM is a step towards encourage more and more girls and addressing the gender inequality women into STEM subjects. within these subject areas. Our Breaking Barriers: Women in STEM and Changing “It’s proper hands-on the Face of Physics fundraising has “I really wanted to improve research, things have gone helped us to do just that – thank you. my programming skills, wrong and I’ve fixed them. and this internship has not I’m even working on a paper With your help we have been able to only allowed me to do that provide additional encouragement and but it has also improved that may be published support to women and girls in schools before I graduate – that’s a and 6th form colleges as well as those my confidence with the big deal! This experience coming towards the end of their software”. makes me so much more university degrees. employable”. – Kiri Newson School outreach programmes, headed by BSc Physics women in STEM, challenge – Kate Womack (pictured) preconceptions early on and encourage BSc Physics young women to consider STEM subjects for further study. 5 6 Kiri Newson is a shining time learning why, and then fix it. THANKS FOR AN AMAZING example of how alumni donations are supporting “Being based in the PhD lab means I’ve OPPORTUNITY - I WOULDN’T been able to make connections and ambitious, driven and talented networks with postgraduate students. students to huge success. The lecturers were able to spend more HAVE HAD IT WITHOUT YOU time with us, and allowed me to make Her pathway to academic success has my own mistakes, learn from them and come via the non-traditional ‘Foundation figure things out for myself. Normally Year’ route. Driven to succeed and make a there would have been far more people difference, Kiri has been rewarded for her and therefore less time. This experience hard work with an Agrawal Scholarship was more flexible and relaxed. I could (story below) and with a Women in STEM lead rather than it being too prescriptive, summer internship. Here, she tells us her it was a much less pressured story: environment. I travel over an hour to get here, so if I hadn’t been supported “I really wanted to improve my financially to do this internship, then I programming skills, and this internship just couldn’t have done it.