i Avenue The magazine for alumni and friends of the University of Glasgow Issue 52 June 2012 Glasgow in a digital age How technology is helping us stay connected ii Get involved in shaping the future of the University As a Glasgow graduate you automatically become a member of the General Council, which plays a key role in the governing of the University. All members are entitled to come along to General Council meetings, which take place in January and June each year. Full details of these meetings are published in Avenue. The General Council Business Committee acts on behalf of the General Council in matters within its powers, including those delegated by the University Court or Senate. We’re always keen to welcome more graduates to the General Council’s meetings and to hear from alumni interested in becoming a member of the Business Committee. Find out more at www.glasgow.ac.uk/generalcouncil 1 Welcome Contents Welcome to the latest edition of Avenue, our twice-yearly magazine for alumni and friends News 2 of the University. Recent activities and achievements This year marks the 150th anniversary of the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. In this 150 years of vet excellence 8 issue we reflect on the school’s impressive history in our feature 150 years of vet excellence Looking back at the Vet School’s many on page 8, and celebrate its many developments and achievements in teaching and research achievements over the years. Glasgow in a digital age 12 How technology is helping us stay Glasgow’s status as a world-leading centre for research continues to grow and in our news connected pages you can read about our latest projects in a wide range of areas, including the illegal antiques trade on page 3, the process of ageing on page 4, space-related science on page 6 Supporting student and many more. employability 14 Alumni who are helping improve the The University has always endeavoured to be at the forefront of technology, and our feature career prospects of Glasgow students Glasgow in a digital age on page 12 reveals how we are embracing the latest trends, from Alumni news and events 16 introducing electronic voting systems to classes, to communicating with our growing global Clubs, reunions and personal news community through Facebook and Twitter. Report to the General Council 22 Lately, a growing number of alumni have been returning to Glasgow to share with our current Minutes from the Half-Yearly Meeting students the knowledge and expertise they have gained throughout their impressive careers. of the General Council, including the In our feature Supporting student employability on page 14 you can read the inspiring stories of Principal’s report two alumni who are giving the next generation of Glasgow graduates an insight into the world Obituaries 25 of work. Deaths of members of the General Council Engaging with our alumni is as important as ever to us, and I hope you enjoy reading all the news and features about the University in this issue of Avenue. Exhibitions and events 29 What’s on at The Hunterian Half-Yearly Meeting of the General Council Professor Anton Muscatelli Saturday, 23 June 2012 Principal and Vice-Chancellor Alumni are invited to join the Chancellor and Principal at the General Council Half-Yearly Meeting in the Senate Room at 10.30am for 11am on Saturday, 23 June 2012. Read the report of the last meeting on pages 22–23. How to contact Avenue Giving to Glasgow: Development & Alumni Office, Photography by the University Photographic Unit. 2 The Square. Tel: +44 (0)141 330 4951 Additional photography provided by Shutterstock, Editorial Strategy Committee: Email: [email protected] Development & Alumni Office, The Hunterian, Archive Executive Editor: Susan Stewart Services, School of Veterinary Medicine, Glasgow City Changes of address and obituaries: Editor: Sarah Lincoln Marketing Bureau. Development & Alumni Office, 2 The Square Cathy Bell, Sarah Armour, Alan Macfarlane, Tel: +44 (0)141 330 7146 Email: [email protected] Printed by Sterling on 55% recycled carbon balanced Susan Dunsmore. paper. Letters to the Editor: Contact details are listed below. All addresses are Corporate Communications, 1 The Square Views expressed are not necessarily those of the University or the University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ. Tel: +44 (0)141 330 4919 Email: [email protected] editors. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced without written permission from the Editorial Strategy Committee. Alumni news: © University of Glasgow June 2012. ISSN 0950-7167. Development & Alumni Office, 2 The Square Produced by: Corporate Communications, Tel: +44 (0)141 330 4951 Email: [email protected] University of Glasgow. 2 News Study of telomere length in zebra finches predicts lifespan Research from Glasgow has shown that measuring the length of specialised pieces of DNA called telomeres in individuals gives a good indication of their expected lifespan. Telomeres occur at the ends of the among individuals in telomere length, chromosomes, which contain our genetic those birds that lived longest had the code. They function a bit like the plastic longest telomeres at every measurement caps at the end of shoelaces by marking point. the chromosome ends and protecting them from various processes that It is known that the variation in telomere gradually cause the ends to be worn away. length is partly inherited, but is also The eventual loss of the telomere cap is influenced by environmental factors such known to cause cells to malfunction. as exposure to stress. Professor of Animal Ecology Pat Monaghan, who led the This study is the first in which telomere research, said, ‘Our study shows the great length has been measured in the same importance of processes acting early in individuals from early life and then life. We now need to know more about repeatedly during the rest of their natural how early life conditions can influence the lives. The researchers measured telomere pattern of telomere loss, and the relative lengths in small samples of blood cells importance of inherited and environmental taken at various ages in a group of zebra factors. This is the main focus of our finches. While there was a lot of variation current research.’ New rabies virus discovered in Tanzania A new type of rabies virus has been discovered in Tanzania by scientists from Glasgow and the Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency. The virus was identified as part of a rabies surveillance research project funded by the Wellcome Trust and was investigated following an unusual incident when a child was attacked by a civet – a cat-like nocturnal mammal – in a part of the Serengeti which was thought to be rabies-free. Subsequent genetic tests showed that the virus was a new type of rabies virus that had not been previously described, but was similar to a bat rabies virus isolated in the Caucasian region of Eastern Europe. Scientists believe the new virus is likely to originate in bats and that crossover infection to civets and other mammalian species is likely to be relatively rare. However, further studies are planned to determine the extent of infection and the degree of risk to human and animal health. According to Glasgow Professor of Comparative Epidemiology Sarah Cleaveland, the vast majority of human deaths from rabies are caused by bites from domestic dogs with rabies, which can be effectively controlled through mass dog vaccination campaigns: ‘The discovery of rabies in the civet was unexpected as the Serengeti National Park has been free of rabies since 2000 as a result of domestic dog vaccination campaigns around the park. The characterisation of the virus in this study indicates that this new case did not result from a breach in the dog vaccination barrier, but from a new source of infection.’ 3 News €1m to further research on illegal antiquities trade The grant has been awarded by the European Research Council to further research in this area. Each year, objects of cultural importance and significant value are looted and then smuggled around the world, often turning up in private collections and even museums in the West. The research will gather and analyse data on the motives of traffickers, types of activities such as illegal excavation, transit and purchase, and pricing structures. The aim is to develop new approaches to regulate international trade of cultural goods and help policy makers better define laws to fight criminal activities. The four-year interdisciplinary project, led by Professor Simon Mackenzie, will cover criminology, archaeology, law, anthropology, cultural studies, international relations, politics, economics and development studies: ‘This funding will ensure that the research team are able to undertake a sustained and deep investigation of this transnational market and to compare its routines and laws to other transnational criminal markets like the traffic in drugs, wildlife and arms.’ Leading immunologist elected Royal Society Fellow Professor Foo Yew ‘Eddy’ Liew, Senior Research Fellow and Gardiner Professor of Immunology at the University, has been recently elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Professor Liew now joins the likes of Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins and Sir Paul Nurse – as well University professors Jim Hough and Richard Cogdell – as a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific body, in continuous existence since Applications to the University rise 1660. by 11% The Royal Society awards lifetime fellowships Figures just released by the University and to the most eminent leaders in the world of Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show science, engineering and technology in the UK that applications received for undergraduate and the Commonwealth. Becoming an FRS is courses to the University rose by 11% one of the very highest honours available to compared to the same period in 2011.