SHOCK DEFEAT FOR UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE TEAM OF '68

Keele University's victorious University Challenge team from 1968 crashed to a shock defeat this week against a team of current students in a charity re-match chaired by original quiz-master Bamber Gascoigne.

The teams went head to head to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Keele's win before a packed audience in the Westminster Theatre, with all proceeds from ticket sales, £1,155, going to children's hospice charity the Donna Louise Trust.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Janet Finch, who welcomed Bamber Gascoigne and the teams, said: "It has been an extremely tense contest and very close. I am delighted the 2008 team has won, it shows that Keele is definitely keeping up the standards."

The veteran quiz-master started proceedings with the legendry words "fingers on the buzzers, your starter for 10" but there was trouble for the '68 team as they fell to minus five points at the first hurdle and coming up the half-way stage trailed 95 to 45. They gradually clawed their way back into contention and with five minutes to go led by 135 to 90.

When Bamber announced that there would be just three more "starters" the '08 team trailed 145 to 100 but they were first to each one and ran out 155 to 145 winners.

The alumni team was captained by Larry Lawrence (1969 Latin/History), a BBC Brain of Britain winner and Mastermind contender, with Paul Brownsey (1970 History/Philosophy), Andy MacMullen (1970 Law/Politics) and Bob Crockford (1964 French/Economics) from the 1964 team, who substituted for Pam Groves (now Maddison).

The student team, captain Ben Hockenhull (fifth year undergraduate Medicine), Kathryn Ambrose (PhD Humanities), Rob Russell (MA International Relations), and Adam Cook (MA International Relations & PGCE) were each presented with a framed David Gentleman print of Keele Hall.

Keele's 1968 victory took place in the fifth season of the show, beating Jesus College, Cambridge, in the final. The same team came second in University Challenge Reunited in 2002, a special season marking the 40th anniversary of the quiz, losing to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (1979 winners) in the final.

SIXTIES GENERATION IS HEADING FOR CONVENTIONAL OLD AGE

Dr Rebecca Leach, School Sociology and Criminology, was interviewed by 13 BBC local radio stations, including BBC Radio Stoke, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Scotland and NewsTalk, Ireland yesterday after her research into Britain's post war baby boomers generation was published. The research was also covered in many regional and national newspapers, including the Telegraph and Daily Mail. Professor Chris Phillipson was also interviewed on BBC West Midlands and other regional radio stations and by the London Evening Standard.
 
The research, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council, shows that most members of the baby boom generation – often regarded as the first teenagers of a more affluent consumer society - have modest ideas for their retirement.

Findings from the study, says Dr Leach, "provide only limited evidence that first wave boomers are developing new third age lifestyles." Most have fairly modest aspirations, hoping at best to maintain current lifestyles and activities provided health and finances permit them to do so.

The first wave baby boom generation, born between 1945 and 1954, represents 17 per cent of the UK population. Born at a time of austerity, this group later experienced relative prosperity and the emergence of a mass consumer society. The research project by Dr Leach and Professor Phillipson at Keele University and Professor Simon Biggs at King's College, London, looked in particular at the role of consumption in approaches to adult ageing. It examined the extent to which baby boomers see themselves as part of a distinctive generational group, and how this might affect consumption patterns.

DOUBLE SUCCESS FOR KEELE SPIN OUTS

Keele celebrated success at The Engineer: Technology + Innovation Awards 2008 in which two of its spin out companies, SciSite and NanoTherics, were selected as runners-up in the Sector Collaboration Awards category which recognises the best examples of collaborative technology projects in Automotive, Energy, Aerospace & Defence, Environmental Technology and Medical & Healthcare. This prestigious awards scheme invites university engineering and technology departments and their partners in industry to step into the spotlight with outstanding examples of collaborative activity. The awards took place at The Royal Society, London.

THE WAY WE WERE - INAUGURAL LECTURE

Professor Fiona Cownie, Law, this week gave the opening lecture in the University's programme of Inaugural Lectures for 2008/2009. The title of the lecture was "The Way We Were; legal academics in the 1960s".

In 2009, the Society of Legal Scholars, which is the largest and oldest association of academic lawyers in the U.K., will celebrate its Centenary. As part of the celebrations of that event, a history of the Society has been commissioned, which is being written by Professor Cownie and Professor Ray Cocks, both members of the School of Law at Keele.

The lecture sprung out of that research, and focused on the 1960s, a decade which has many associations in popular memory, including flower power, the Beatles and student unrest. Against this background, Professor Cownie examined developments in higher education, and in particular in the Society of Legal Scholars, in order to throw some light on legal academic lives then and now.

The other lectures in the series are: Tuesday, 28 October 2008, Professor Barbara Kelly, Music, "Shaping Ravel:  identities and legacies in French music"; Tuesday, 18 November, Professor Pat Bailey, Natural Sciences, "Fireworks, rainbows and magic bullet medicines"; Tuesday, 9 December 2008, Professor Jan Wenzelburger, Economics, "Hog cycles and the dynamics of markets";   Wednesday, 14 January 2009, Professor Danielle van der Windt, Primary Care Epidemiology, "The epidemiology of pain: a tale of two countries"; Tuesday, 17 February 2009, Professor Marilyn Andrews, Health and Rehabilitation, "Innovation in healthcare education: a model for the future"; Wednesday, 18 March 2009, Professor Tony Bradney, Law, "Should the Law Respect Religion?"; Wednesday, 13 May 2009 Professor Mihaela Kelemen, Management,  "Management, uncertainty, pragmatism: the new triumvirate".

BEYOND CEREMONY – THE OFFICE OF CHANCELLOR

Universities UK this week launched Beyond Ceremony, a unique publication which focuses on the ancient office of a university Chancellor. The booklet gives an insight into what the University Chancellor does and how the role complements that of the Vice-Chancellor.

Beyond Ceremony profiles many well-known Chancellors, all of whom have their own special insights into the position, and includes Keele's Chancellor, Professor Sir David Weatherall . Among the wide-range of contributors is the best-selling American writer and satirist, Bill Bryson (Durham University); former Governor of Hong Kong and EU Commissioner, Lord Patten (University of Oxford and Newcastle University); Jon Snow newsreader, journalist and presenter (Oxford Brookes University) and film, television and stage actor, Patrick Stewart (University of Huddersfield).
 
This publication provides a colourful insight into their roles, and presents the prestigious history of the position, counting as it does, Oliver Cromwell and Winston Churchill amongst its former post-holders. Lacking a formal job description, the role of Chancellor gives those appointed the scope to apply their own experience, often gained from a lifetime in business, politics and the public eye.  The publication itself came from a suggestion made at Universities UK's annual meeting of Chancellors where those new to the position suggested it would be useful to hear 'tips' from old hands!

NEW EXHIBITIONS OPEN IN KEELE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY

Phil Redmond, CBE, Deputy Chair and Creative Director Liverpool Culture Company and creator of popular television programmes like Grange Hill and Brookside, opened two new exhibitions in the Art Gallery in the Chancellor's Building last week. The exhibitions, Alex Corina – Crushed Beyond Recognition and Ian Taylor – Recycling and Assembling, run until 8 November 2008.

Alex Corina's work combines materials and adapts techniques from painting, collage and photography. In addition to portraiture, he explores the apparent immortality of art and our own mortality using printmaking experimentally, recycling images and materials such as dustbins, drinks cans, scrap metal and, more recently, musical instruments.

Ian Taylor has divided his career into making art and teaching in Yorkshire. This exhibition includes a selection of his smaller works, some constructions using found objects and some in stone. He uses all materials with great skill, careful observation and an incisive wit.

New international society to influence World Health Organisation

Professor Shaughn O'Brien, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who is internationally renowned for his research into pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual disorders, has brought together experts from around the world to establish the International Society for the Study of Premenstrual Disorders.

He chaired the inaugural meeting in Montreal last month with some of the biggest names in PMS research.  The multi-professional group came from Canada, California, Buffalo, New York, Texas, Scandinavia, Australia and the UK, including our own Khaled Ismail, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Over the two days of the conference the eminent group looked at the whole subject of premenstrual disorders with the aim of providing advice to the World Health Organisation, the American Psychological Association, the Royal Colleges and specialist colleges worldwide.

PMS and other menstrual disorders can have a devastating effect on the lives of some women and their families.  A woman who has one week a month affected by the condition can spend in total seven to eight years of her life suffering from it.

The conference considered the qualifications and impact of symptoms, the burden of disease and objective methods of diagnosis.

Research grants

The Leukaemia Research Fund has awarded a grant of £188,733 to Keele for a project supporting Dr. Mirna Mourtada-Maarabouni's studies on the molecular control of cell death.

The three year project is based in Professor Gwyn Williams' lab within the Apoptosis Research Group in the Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine and the School of Life Sciences and also involves collaboration with Professor Farzin Farzaneh's lab at King's College London. The control of leukaemic cell death strongly influences both the initial development of leukaemia and the success, or otherwise, of therapy, and the project is intended to build on recent advances in understanding of this area derived from work carried out by Dr. Mourtada-Maarabouni and others within the Group.

Dr Chris Exley, Research Institute for the Environment, Physical Sciences and Applied Mathematics, has been awarded £55,412 by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for a project titled "The unique bioinorganic chemistry of the Formation of Hydroxyaluminosilicates: A case to support a New Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometer".

Dr Gabrielle Lynch, Research Institute for Humanities, has been awarded £1,800 by the British Academy for a project titled "Modern Kenya and the ethnic factor: The case for Kalenjin".

Launch of new peer e-mentoring scheme

A new Peer e-mentoring Scheme has been launched in the School of Psychology. The aim is to provide every 1st year Psychology student with informal support and advice from a more experienced 2nd year Psychology student. Twenty-three peer e-mentors were successfully recruited and trained last year.

This year, they will mentor approximately 10 first year students each. Students can email their mentor if they have any queries or concerns, no matter how big or small. Dr Claire Fox and Dr Gaby Jacobs have been instrumental in setting up the scheme and will oversee its development during this first year.

Having been awarded £1,300 from the Faculty of Natural Sciences under the Teaching Innovations Award Scheme, Claire and Gaby will be able to evaluate the scheme in its first year. Depending on the findings, the scheme could be rolled out across the University.

A taste of Staffordshire good food awards

Keele Hall celebrated 2nd place in the Best Banqueting category at the awards dinner held at the Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford on Monday. 

This is Staffordshire's acknowledgment of the very finest food and service the county has to offer.  Restaurants, pubs, brasseries, tearooms and banqueting venues compete for these prestigious awards and are judged for quality and excellence, and particularly for their use of locally produced ingredients. 

Keele Hall's 400 cover restaurant was narrowly beaten by Weston Park, home of the Earl of Bradford, which specialises in exclusive hire for events like the G8 summit. Sandon Hall, near Stone, came 3rd.