2017 ANDY SERKIS MY LANCASTER THE DUKES AND BEYOND ISOLAB A QUIET REVOLUTION FOR LANCASTER WWW.LANCASTER.AC.UK/ALUMNI Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/steps Welcome Contents Welcome to Steps 2017. ? You might be forgiven for 13 thinking it’s more than a year since I last introduced your Flood Recovery 19 alumni magazine, as so much has happened in the last and Resilience How Do I? twelve months. The world 07 The Sociology and Health Department’s is a different place, or so Frequently asked questions research into children’s experiences of ? it seems; and circumstances to the alumni office. have emerged that provide ‘My Lancaster’ flooding and the impact on their lives. some challenges, but also Andy Serkis many opportunities ? for Lancaster. Actor and Director, Andy Serkis shares 03 his thoughts on his time at Lancaster and his subsequent rewarding and 21 IsoLab: a Quiet successful career. Revolution for Honorary Lancaster Degrees and 15 Alumni Awards The £2 million IsoLab facility is providing 09 a unique, world-beating environment for Awards presented during the 2016 quantum science. Life in the University News Graduation Ceremonies. Updates from around the University Public Eye and the alumni office. Interviews with three graduates who work in very differing roles in the 05 public sector. Alumni in Print Against this rapidly changing global I will finish my introduction by reaffirming A round up of books published by backdrop, Lancaster continues to go Lancaster’s commitment to both its Lancaster alumni. from strength to strength. Still firmly international vision and its increasingly 11 fixed in the UK’s top ten universities, diverse and widespread alumni we will be celebrating the first graduation community. Each one of you matters Events at our Ghana campus in September; and to us: wherever you are in the world 17 things are moving forward rapidly for us now and wherever you came from. Round Up Published by: in China following the successful launch You will always be welcome back at Development & Alumni Relations Office last autumn of the Lancaster University Bailrigg. We will continue to celebrate A global tour of events in the last year ‘My Lancaster’ E: [email protected] College - Beijing Jiaotong University your achievements and we hope you hosted by the alumni office and our Donna Munday Additional Contributors: Rachel Pugh in Weihai. will always be proud of your University’s volunteers. and Louise Bryning Theatre Studies graduate, Donna Munday, Produced by: Fusiondesign.co.uk While a magazine should entertain, it successes. Regardless of the political talks about her time at Lancaster and should also inform. So alongside news backdrop we will continue with our mission to pioneer and our efforts to successful career in theatre as an executive The articles printed here, to the best of of alumni weddings and new alumni our knowledge, were correct at the time of producer and arts management consultant. publications – including the launch of make our world a better place. I hope going to press. We cannot guarantee that Barry Lucas and Paul Tomlinson’s history you will always be with us for the journey. all articles submitted have been printed and we reserve the right to edit material where of Lancaster as a powerhouse of North Professor Mark E. Smith necessary. Furthermore, the views expressed West pop and rock concerts in the 70s Vice-Chancellor in this magazine are not necessarily those of and 80s – you will find articles about 06 Lancaster University or the Editor. alumni working in the public sector, the Steps is available to view online at University’s research on flooding and its Alumni Weddings www.lancaster.ac.uk/steps as a PDF and a Word document. If you require this magazine psychological impact on children, and Graduates who met at Lancaster and have news of the opening of our in another format, please contact the Alumni & married in the past 12 months. Development Office. Physics IsoLab. 1 STEPS 2017 - 2 Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/steps TUCKED AWAY ON THE EDGE OF LANCASTER UNIVERSITY’S BUZZING CAMPUS LIES ONE OF THE QUIETEST PLACES IN THE WORLD - WITH SOUND, VIBRATION AND ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION REDUCED TO A MINIMUM. IsoLab: a Quiet Revolution for Lancaster Dr Sam Jarvis operating an atomic-resolution microscope in the acoustically shielded pod The three experimental pods of the Head of Low Temperature Physics, One pod is currently dedicated to low “We can make nanotechnology but we £2m IsoLab - made from 500 tons Professor Richard Haley, who led the IsoLab temperature physics, a second to quantum need to be able to test it,” explained Richard of concrete and situated next to the project, said: “This is a unique building, optics whilst the third is assigned to Haley as an example. “These tiny machines Department of Physics - have opened which takes controlled environments to a microscopy and sub-molecular resolution. are extremely fragile and delicate. We can up unique and extraordinary facilities completely new standard and opens up a reduce vibration and noise, but even then Funding for IsoLab came from the Wolfson for physicists studying some of the vast range of exciting possibilities from blue at room temperature some effects are Foundation, the J.P. Moulton Charitable 21st century’s most fundamental sky thinking to testing products that are on completely drowned by thermal agitation Foundation and the Garfield Weston questions on quantum science and the edge of being in the market place.” jostling the atoms. So we cool them down Foundation with a substantial contribution the behaviour of new materials and to isolate the machines from this ‘noise’.” The centre, which was built by Eric Wright from Lancaster University. Since it has devices. Construction Ltd, consists of three above- been built completely to order by Lancaster The project has taken around two years to By providing an ‘ultra-quiet’ experimental ground laboratory pods, each contained in a University it therefore has a combination of deliver - and within budget. Although it was PROFESSOR environment, IsoLab has already granted separate silo sunk five metres underground isolation features which make it completely handed over to the University in November GEORGE PICKETT Lancaster scientists an atomic view several inside a concrete tank with a base unique - including its construction directly 2016, the official opening took place on times more powerful than was possible 0.75m thick. onto the cushioning glacial clay under the June 7, involving representatives from the Using the new high resolution vibrometer before the facilities became available. University campus. funders, the EPSRC and hosted by the In the basement of each pod sits a 45-ton Even greater detail is expected once the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark E. Smith. C-shaped concrete block raised on seven Nearly £1m has also been awarded by equipment in the IsoLab has been ‘tuned’. air springs to absorb further vibration before the Engineering and Physical Sciences Lancaster scientists involved in the The knowledge from looking at quantum it reaches the experimental equipment. Research Council (EPSRC) for the first IsoLab project are also working with other systems under controlled conditions will There is also shielding inside each pod to tranche of equipment and instrumentation. organisations, small businesses and larger also be applied to a host of cutting-edge keep out residual vibration and electro- commercial enterprises who want access The decision to build the isolation laboratory technologies ranging from the building of magnetic waves - which means that it’s a to the facilities. was taken because of the strengths of microscopic machines (nanotechnology) place guaranteed to provide no signal for the Ultra-Low Temperature Physics team The Vice-Chancellor said: “This unique and the development of quantum encryption anyone avoiding mobile phone contact. at Lancaster University, built up under the facility is a world-beating environment for for the Internet of Things (predicted to link leadership of Distinguished Professor modern quantum science and technology. 30 billion electronic devices by 2020) to George Pickett. It provides support for this field not only for the improvement of MRI scanners for researchers in the University, but also for PROFESSOR health care. RICHARD HALEY partners and businesses in the North West region and beyond.” Studying graphene devices at millikelvin temperatures 3 STEPS 2017 - 4 Keep in touch www.lancaster.ac.uk/steps Alumni in Print Alumni Weddings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 RUSSELL HARRIS GUY SHAHAR ANDREW MCCLOY JUDY KENDALL DR JOHN CULLEN MBA, 1993 MA Values and the History, 1989, Lonsdale MA Creative Writing PhD Management Learning ‘The Infinite Loss’ Environment, 1999 ‘The Pennine Way’ ‘Insatiable Carrot‘ & Leadership, 2009 ‘Transforming Autism’ ‘Work, Ethics & Organisational Life’ 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DON RHODES NEIL COLEY MALCOLM POVEY DAVID JOHNSON STEPHEN MOSSOP English, 1970, County History & Politics, MA Literature & Society, 1969, PhD Geography, 2010 English, 1997, Grizedale ‘Bugs in Amber’ 1973, Furness English & Philosophy, ‘An Improving Prospect’ ‘Bridie’s Bridge’ ‘Lichfield Pubs’ 1968, Cartmel ‘Missing’ 1 RALI STOYKOV CHILIKOV, Business 8 BEN MAYFIELD, PhD Law 2012 married 14 SCOTT MASON, Politics, 2009, Furness Studies, 2016, Grizedale married AMY GIBBONS, PhD Organisation, married LAURA WILKINSON, French & TATIANA SMOLINA, Management & Work & Technology, 2012, MRes Spanish Studies, 2010, Furness Organisation,