DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Dr Zoe Robinson has been appointed as Director of Education for Sustainability, to provide the lead for integrating sustainability into the Keele curriculum and student experience. 

Professor Marilyn Andrews (PVC for Education and the Student Experience) said: "This role has been created to help Keele achieve its goal of becoming an 'environmentally aware and sustainable outward facing campus community' and to help embed sustainability into the student experience through the Distinctive Keele Curriculum.  Zoe's experience and commitment make her the ideal person to lead this initiative." 

Zoe has been extremely active in studying and disseminating issues of sustainability, and is involved both in large research projects covering energy awareness in communities and issues of fuel poverty, and with educational projects that work with students and the public to help raise their awareness of sustainability issues. 

Zoe has been involved with around 20 project grants on sustainability, leads the innovative 'Greening Business' module, and was awarded a Keele Excellence Award for Learning and Teaching in 2008.

Zoe said: "I'm delighted to be taking on the role of Keele's first Director of Education for Sustainability.  I look forward to the opportunity of working with staff to support the development of sustainability initiatives within their programmes, and equally to working with students to ensure that sustainability is a key part of their experience, both in their core curriculum and through other activities."

Zoe said that she would be delighted to receive suggestions and comments from staff or students on ways in which sustainability can best be built into the Keele experience.

FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR TO COME TO KEELE

Dr Mary Brydon-Miller, from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholar award to come to Keele to work with Professor Michael Murray (Centre for Psychological Research) and Professor Stephen Wilkinson (Centre for Law, Ethics and Society). 

Dr Brydon-Miller, currently Director of the Action Research Centre at the University of Cincinnati, has published extensively on aspects of action research.  During her time at Keele, Dr Brydon-Miller plans to work with Professors Murray and Wilkinson to explore further the ethical issues around conducting action research. 

She also plans to convene a national workshop on ethical issues in community action research and to contribute to postgraduate teaching in research ethics.

The Fulbright Program is highly competitive and success in obtaining one of these awards is very prestigious. 

NICE SOCIAL CARE FELLOWSHIP

Dr Mo Ray, Research Institute for Social Sciences and School of Public Policy and Professional Practice, has been awarded a National Centre for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Fellowship.

NICE has expanded its role into social care standards and to acknowledge and support this role has extended its Fellows' programme to include a Fellowship for senior social care professionals.

The three-year fellowship attracts high profile social care professionals with the capacity to influence practice, who are committed to evidence and research based practice, as well as advising NICE as it develops its social care programme.

Mo qualified as a social worker in 1990 and has had many years of experience as a social work practitioner and manager focusing on services for older people. Since coming to Keele she has remained a registered social worker and has been Director of the MA Social Work programme at the University for four years.

Her teaching focuses on social work with adults and she has developed a range of CPD initiatives with, and for, the social and health care workforce. Her research interests focus on practice development and applied research, which aims to challenge traditional cultures of care and improve quality of life for older people, particularly with high support needs.

She starts her Fellowship next month.

SAVING THE LARGE BLUE

Dr Falko Drijfhout, head of the chemical ecology group in the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, pictured, with Dr Sue Shemilt and Sheffield University researchers, Stephen Martin and Rhian Guillem, have developed a fast, cheap and reliable technique that vastly improves the chances of successfully reintroducing the endangered large blue butterfly to the UK.

The test, using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, can easily tell the difference between two ant species that look virtually identical - one that is essential for the large blue's survival, while the other spells almost certain death.

The ants in question – two species of Myrmica red ants – are difficult to distinguish and only a handful of people in the UK can do this. But even if two ant species look alike, the chemical compounds on their bodies can be very different, and by using chemotaxonomy the two species of red ant can be distinguished.

Other large blue butterfly species across Europe are also in serious decline, but Guillem says the new technique could help stop them from becoming extinct.

The study was published in Biological Conservation and a report has appeared in the spring edition of Planet Earth.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A DOCTOR DAY AT KEELE

Nearly 240 pupils from local schools, as well as from the North West, Midlands and Wales, this week attended the tenth "So You Want To Be A Doctor?" careers day at Keele, hosted by the School of Medicine, in association with the Royal Society of Medicine.

Delegates, aged 14-17, heard a range of talks including sessions on why to choose a medical career, how to choose a medical school, qualifications required and career pathways within medicine.

Two Keele graduates shared their experiences of life as a medical student and as a junior doctor. Accompanying teachers were able to find out more about what universities look for in applications, as well as enjoying an informative tour of campus, led by student ambassadors.

After lunch, pupils and teachers rotated through a series of workshops, including practical sessions looking at lung function and blood pressure, as well as being able to ask questions about admissions and talk to current practising doctors.

The event was covered by both Radio Stoke - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pb4lw - and the Sentinel.

PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT'S PROJECT SHOWCASED AT CITY MUSEUM

Final year Psychology student, Katie Wright-Bevans, delivered a presentation at the Potteries Museum on her work with young people with mental health issues. 

In collaboration with the local charity, 'Changes YP', Katie facilitated a 'Photovoice' exercise to explore how young adults in Stoke-on-Trent manage their mental wellbeing.  Under the supervision of Dr Emee Vida Estacio, Katie's project aimed to engage young people in taking photographs of their daily experiences to allow others to gain a better understanding of their experiences of managing their mental health.  The photos were showcased at the Art Gallery for public viewing.  Katie was also scheduled to present her work at the British Psychological Society Student Conference in Glasgow this week.

SCIENCE WEEK

The makeitmolecular team have had a busy Science Week.

Dr Graeme Jones staged his Saturday Night Science show at the Centre for Life in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, at the invitation of the British Science Association, who were show-casing award lectures from previous years to advertise the forthcoming Science Festival. 

Saturday Night Science was first staged as the Lord Kelvin Award Lecture in 2004.  During Science Week itself, activities were centred on Uttoxeter with an exhibition of Mega Molecules at Alleyne's High School and a molecules trail at Redfern's Cottage, Museum of Uttoxeter Life.

CUPCAKES IN VOGUE

Keele alumnus Kath Warrilow (Marketing and Psychology 2010), had her company, Cupcake Yourself, featured in this month's edition of the fashion magazine, Vogue. Stoke-on-Trent based Kath was invited to take part in the 'Truly Scrumptious' feature, showcasing cake and chocolate companies from across the UK.

Kath began working on her business full time when she graduated. She took part in the SpeedWM programme, run by the Student Enterprise team in Research and Enterprise Services, where she gained access to training and mentoring to help her to establish her business. She also received a grant to support her start-up costs.

Kath is now working on a cupcake recipe book, which she plans to pitch to a children's book publisher. To find out more see here or phone: 07821077114.

The Student Enterprise team is hoping to run a new business start-up programme in the Autumn Semester.  To find out more about Student Enterprise see here.

BOOK SHORTLISTED FOR PRIZE

Dr Michaela Benson, the 2008-2009 Sociological Review Fellow, has had her book, The British in Rural France, shortlisted for the British Sociological Association Phillip Abrams memorial prize.

NEXT WEEK

Professor Robert Ladrech, Professor of European Politics, will be giving the latest lecture in the University's series of professorial Inaugural Lectures for 2011 – 2012, on Tuesday (20 March). He will be speaking on "Political Parties and the European Project".

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Fifteen years ago -

Keele physicist, Dr Richard Cocker, used a vacuum cleaner pipe and a ping pong ball to demonstrate the Bernoulli's Effect at an event to mark National Science Week. Bernoulli's Effect is where an object is suspended in an upwards flow of air without falling to the side. A model flushing toilet was used to demonstrate the complex use of hydraulics. 18 March 1997.