ArchesThe University of Newcastle upon Tyne Alumni Association Magazine Issue 7 / Spring 2006 Life Through a Lens The inimitable work of award-winning photographer Chris Steele-Perkins Visit: Arches Contents www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni Contents 08 Arches Editorial Board Development & Alumni Relations Office University of Newcastle upon Tyne 6 Kensington Terrace Newcastle upon Tyne 09 12 NE1 7RU Telephone:+ 44 (0) 191 222 7250 Fax:+ 44 (0) 191 222 5905 04 –08 Arches Feature 16 –17 E-mail:[email protected] Website:www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni News 12 –13 Reunion Weekend Latest news straight from the A report on the 25th annual Reunion University of Newcastle upon Tyne Life Through Weekend, which coincided with the Editorial Board members are: Dan Howarth (Editor,DARO),Stephen Teal (DARO),Dr Eric a Lens School of Politics’ 50th birthday Cross (Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences), World-renowned photographer Melissa Suddes (Student Recruitment Office), Chris Steele-Perkins gives us a Melanie Reed (Press & Communications Office), 09 –10 Mark Scrimshaw (Chair of the Alumni glimpse into his world Arches Feature Association),Stuart Vose (Union Society), Phonathon 2005 Cathryn Harvey (Student and Academic Results of this year’s Alumni 18 –19 Services),Professor Paul Younger (Faculty fund campaign of Science,Agriculture & Engineering) 14 Free Primary Contributors: Dan Howarth (Editor),Alissa Banking on a Education Barlow,Melanie Reed,Jaine Fleetwood,Kate Arches Feature Morris,Dr Rhiannon Talbot,Prof James Tooley, Wind of Change Prof James Tooley on the growth of Dr Nick Randall,Liz Smith,Celia Alldridge, 11 private education in the Developing Dr Margaret Gill World, and how free primary Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Chris Tackling Terrorism 15 education is not the answer Steele-Perkins,David Axelbank at Magnum, Dr Rhiannon Talbot of Newcastle Melanie Reed,and the staff at Third Millennium. Clean-up Project Very special thanks to David Whitfield at Law School explains how Counter- Infinite Design,Melissa Suddes,and all the Terrorism Law has found a new Wins Award staff in DARO,who have helped to make this home at Newcastle magazine possible. We spoke to Prof Paul Younger after his mine water research project Picture credits with thanks: Chris Steele-Perkins scooped the biggest prize in higher (Magnum Photography),Simon Veit-Wilson,Jim McAdam,Melanie Reed,North News and Pictures education Arches 02 The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Alumni Association Magazine Dear Graduate, I am delighted to welcome you to the latest edition of Arches, the magazine of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. In these testing times for higher education in the UK, I am confident that we as a University are setting new standards for innovation, as well as nurturing our traditional academic values.Our reputation as a leading research- intensive institution has been officially recognized by the designation of Newcastle as a Science City. 21 25 The Great North Museum and establishment of our Cultural Quarter will also further assist the City in its transformation into a centre of cultural interest. Furthermore,high standards of teaching in all areas have enabled the University to rise eleven places in this year’s Times Higher World University Rankings. This period of change has also been mirrored in the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO),where we have a new Director of Development,Stephen Teal (see page 25),and a new Alumni Relations Officer,Lauren 22 26 Huntington;both of whom are keen to get to know as many of you as possible.In addition to the appointment of a number of new staff,the DARO Team has also 20 –21 25 updated the look and feel of Arches,and would be Arches Alumni Snapshots pleased to hear your feedback. The very first meeting of the Mini reports on past alumni activity Highlights in this issue include the results of Alumni Association’s brand new and notice of future events this year’s Alumni Fund Phonathon;a review of last Canadian Branch, and more news from our graduates summer’s Reunion Weekend;and a feature on acclaimed Arches Feature photographer and Newcastle alumnus,Chris Steele- Perkins,including some spectacular photography. Arches Feature 26 Past,Present I very much hope you will enjoy reading the new- 22 –23 look Arches,and I would like to take this opportunity to and Future… thank you for your continued support and involvement, Uniquely Unequal Janet Sacks presents Past,Present and A report on the efforts of Celia Future,a full history of the University and wish you every success for 2006. Alldridge and her organization, MST, of Newcastle,available to pre-order to reform social inequality in Brazil ahead of its publication in November With the very best of wishes, 24 Classnotes Catch up with the latest news from old friends and acquaintances Professor Christopher Edwards Vice-Chancellor 03 Visit: Arches News www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni For more information about any of these features and to keep up to date with the very latest Alumni News from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne,visit: News www.ncl.ac.uk/alumni Locusts Feel Fighting the the Force A husband and wife team from the University’s School of Biology and Psychology have won a major international prize for making locusts watch Star Wars. Superbugs Doctors Peter Simmons and Claire Rind were honoured with the Ig Nobel Peace Prize for the study which revealed locusts are terrified Scientist appointed to fight ‘superbugs’ of Darth Vader,in Harvard University’s annual spoof of the real Nobel prizes.Now in their Professor Jeff Errington,one 15th year,the awards are given for science of the country’s leading that ‘first makes people laugh,and then microbiologists,has recently makes them think’. been appointed to the Chair of The project was designed to help scientists Molecular Bioscience at the understand the brain mechanisms that locusts University. He will also be use to escape predators and mid-air collisions Director of the Institute of Cell in the hope that they may be useful in designing and Molecular Biosciences,where car safety systems.Also on the podium were he hopes to place the University, Dr Meyer-Rochow of the International University, and North East,at the forefront Bremen for his paper ‘Pressure produced when of the race to develop antibiotics penguins pooh: Calculations on avian defecation’, capable of combating the new and Roy Glauber, a Harvard University physicist breed of ‘superbugs’like MRSA who organized a paper plane-throwing contest at and C-difficile. the awards and who last week won the real Nobel ‘Antibiotic resistance is reaching Prize for Physics. crisis proportions.As the so-called Dr Simmons, speaking to the Newcastle “superbugs”become more and more Professor Jeff Errington aims to Journal newspaper, said:‘The Ig Nobel Award resistant to the treatments that are place Newcastle at the cutting edge is an honour. It is recognition of our work. currently available,so the need to of antibiotic development. I don’t know why the award was the peace develop medicines capable of treating prize. Perhaps it is for marital harmony and these infections becomes more actions of bacteria.There are few, something to do with us being married and urgent,’says Professor Errington. if any,places in the world that focus still collaborating on research.’ From February 2006,Professor on this vital aspect of the infectious Errington will be joined by a team of disease problem.We have an For more information on the 15 scientists.Initially,the team will opportunity to set up a world-first Ig Nobel Prizes please visit: be based in the Medical School, centre here in the North East www.improbable.com/ig but Professor Errington hopes that, of England’. eventually,the team will move to a Professor Errington began new location close to the recently- his scientific career at Newcastle opened Paul O’Gorman Building University,where he graduated with (which houses the Northern Institute a BSc in Genetics in 1976.He has for Cancer Research),and expand to spent the last 24 years at Oxford more than 100 scientists. University,most recently as Professor He said:‘My aim is to develop of Microbiology.He is a Fellow of a centre to study the fundamental the Royal Society. Arches 04 The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Alumni Association Magazine Organic veg sales go from strength to strength Updates All Go for Organic ● The University’s new Royal Literary Fund Fellow is Dr Denis MacEoin. Dr MacEoin is a former Nafferton Farm,a University farm near A new website is being developed with lecturer at Newcastle, and the Stocksfield,has begun its third season grant assistance from the ERRP Rural Enterprise University of Fez. He writes fiction of selling organic vegetables directly to Scheme.As well as allowing customers to order under two names: Daniel Easterman the public. their vegetables directly through the site from (international thrillers) and Organic conversion began on the farm the beginning of November, the site will also tell Jonathan Aycliffe (classic ghost in 2001, and it now has around 350 acres of people about the farm and the organic system. stories in novel form), and his 23 certified organic land producing grain, potatoes books have been translated into and vegetables. University staff and alumni can For more information visit: 11 languages. He describes himself buy vegetables from the farm through its ‘box www.naffertonorganicveg.co.uk as Irish and plump, and hopes to scheme’, which organizes delivery of boxes to create a friendly, relaxed drop-off points on campus every Friday. However, atmosphere in which students boxes are also sold directly to the public and can unburden themselves about to other retail outlets and the farm is now the anxieties and pressures that expanding its box scheme so that customers written work creates for them.