Your Manchester USA
Saving lives at birth: one midwife’s aim to improve maternal health in Zimbabwe (page 6)
ISSUE #02 | JUNE 2017
I started on my master’s degree in Neuroimaging in September, fulfilling a lifetime goal of living and studying abroad. Thanks to the generous support of the Grattidge Master’s Scholarship, I have made an essential step towards my PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology. I have always known Manchester to be a city of science and was honoured to find out I would be able to study at an institution renowned for its cutting-edge research. After graduating with a BA in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati, I put my training into practice where I worked in an alcohol and HIV research lab. Face-to-face work showed me the potential a person can have to change the life of another, and it inspired me to continue my studies towards clinical practice. My current focus at Manchester is looking at identifying early indicators of Alzheimer’s disease, a global challenge that continues to affect our families and loved ones. I know that making a difference to the way we treat patients and improving their quality of life will make me feel accomplished as a clinician. Being able to change one person’s world for the better has the potential to have a ripple effect and improve the lives of their family and friends too. I want to sincerely thank my supporter, Dr Walter Grattidge (PhD Physics 1950) and the many other NAFUM donors who support scholarships at The University of Manchester. Without this master’s, I would not have been able to carry on with my work in Alzheimer’s research. Thanks to the generosity of donors, I am now able to build an exciting career that will help patients and their families to live long and fulfilling lives. Cheshire Hardcastle, MSc Neuroimaging for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Grattidge Master’s Scholarship recipient
Please see the details on the back cover for more information on how you can support students like Cheshire.
ISSUE #02 | JUNE 2017
Your Manchester USA page
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Building brains: Manchester’s imprint on Silicon Valley
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The changemakers
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Get involved. Get connected.
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Meanwhile in Manchester
Your Manchester USA is published by the Division of Development and Alumni Relations at The University of Manchester, in partnership with the independent North American Foundation for The University of Manchester (NAFUM). For further information on any of the articles or stories in this issue: Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 7101 Email: supporters@manchester.ac.uk
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Saving lives at birth
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Alumni spotlight: Shira Stanton
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The Manchester Network page
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Manchester stateside news Meet the Director: Siobhan Clarke
The articles printed here, to the best of our knowledge, were correct at the time of going to press. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester, The University of Manchester Alumni Association, The North American Foundation for The University of Manchester or the Editorial Team.
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Building brains: Manchester’s imprint on Silicon Valley I propose to consider the question, ‘Can machines think?’ – Alan Turing
Turing test, noun: A test of a computer’s ability to exhibit intelligence, requiring that a human being should be unable to distinguish the computer from another human being using only replies to questions that are put to both.
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It was in 1950 that Alan Turing, the father of computer science and artificial intelligence (AI), posed the question that became his Turing test – the original imitation game – while working at The University of Manchester. “The first program ran on the first computer in Manchester in 1948. Two years into the history of what we now know as the computer, Turing was already thinking about where this technology might lead,” explains Professor Steve Furber, International Computers Limited (ICL) Professor of Computing, to a roomful of Manchester alumni in downtown San Francisco. And it was that computer developed at Manchester – ‘Freddie’ Williams, Tom Kilburn and Geoff Tootill’s Manchester Small Scale Experimental Machine, nicknamed ‘The Baby’ – that lured Turing to the University. Professor Furber is speaking at an event that epitomises some of the University’s key strengths: our world-class research; the sheer scale and diversity of our global alumni community; and Professor how we link our long line Steve Furber of achievements, like The Baby, to what lies ahead. Like the many inventors before him, Professor Furber also has a new and exciting vision for the future, in what is known as the SpiNNaker machine (short for Spiking Neural Network architecture): “My work involves building machines that work the way the brain does.” The SpiNNaker machine will use one million of the revolutionary ARM processors which he codesigned in the 1980s. These processors have been intrinsic to the development of billions of products, including those built by some of the world’s most powerful brands in Silicon Valley. “With one million processors, we get to about 1% of the scale of the human brain.” His work is under the auspices of the €1 billion Human Brain Project to simulate the brain and help researchers understand what remains “as one of the great frontiers of science.”
By building a computer model of the brain, scientists will be able to better comprehend what intelligence actually is – as well as understand and develop new treatments for brain diseases and build better computers. And it’s according to Furber that the failure to understand exactly what natural intelligence is has meant that, “even today, no computer has convincingly passed his [Turing’s] test. Progress in imitating human-style intelligence has not been anything like as fast as Turing anticipated.” Although we’re a way off Turing’s vision, Google’s Pete Warden (BSc Computer Science 1997) is one of those using AI to solve life’s problems. And just as The Baby brought Turing to Manchester, it was Professor Furber who attracted Pete to the University. “I grew up in a tiny farming village outside Cambridge and pestered my parents into getting this amazing new Acorn Archimedes machine with this wonderful ARM chip. “So when I was looking at where to go to university, the fact I could sit in a lecture and listen to the designer of the chip I’d spent all those long Sunday evenings in my bedroom playing with was an amazing attraction,” reminisces Pete. Manchester gave Pete “an incredible confidence” that eventually led him to San Francisco, where he was Chief Technology Officer of Jetpac until it was bought by Google in 2014, where he’s now a research engineer. Jetpac created smart travel guides by using AI to analyse photos from Instagram to infer information about the places they were taken. “We were able to answer questions like ‘Where can you go to get an amazing view?’ by looking for all the photos of amazing views and using AI to actually find out what was in them.” “The technology I’d been building with my team proved to be useful to some of the big companies in Silicon Valley. So happily, Google became our new home.
“One of my favourite examples of AI is the Google Translate app. If you point it at a foreignlanguage menu, it will translate the words on your camera in real-time, without needing any connection to the cloud. It goes back to when I was a kid and imaging the ability to do magical things with these devices.” While the work of engineers like Pete means that AI is becoming part of our everyday lives, we’re still unable to positively answer Turing’s 67-year-old question. “We still don’t have computers powerful enough – anywhere in the world – to run real-time models of the full human brain. The brain is too complex for today’s computers, although we’re not that far off now,” says Furber. The work of Professor Furber and Pete Warden, via countless others, perfectly demonstrates the impact Manchester graduates and staff have worldwide. And it’s thanks to the work of our global alumni networks, like our volunteers in San Francisco, that events like this ensure that those from The University of Manchester’s past are very much connected to our future. Professor Furber and Pete Warden were speaking at our The Future of Computing event held at Beyond, San Francisco on 9 March 2017. You can learn more about joining your local alumni network in Get Involved. Get Connected on page 11. Discover more about how Professor Furber’s pioneering approach has led to the development of the SpiNNaker machine by reading the ‘The man who is building a brain’ in the winter 2016 issue of The University of Manchester Magazine: www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/magazine/ features/the-man-who-is-building-a-brain
To find out more about Pete Warden’s work, visit his blog at petewarden.com
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Throughout the course of my career as a midwife, I’ve delivered around 5,000 babies Unice Goshomi
Find out more about the University’s research in addressing global inequalities at www.manchester.ac.uk/global-inequalities-research
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Saving lives at birth A Manchester research student – supported by donors to NAFUM – has come to the University with a bold ambition: to prevent mothers and babies dying in childbirth in her native Zimbabwe. “Throughout the course of my career as a midwife, I’ve delivered around 5,000 babies,” says Unice Goshomi, Robin and Jan Mills PhD Scholar in Midwifery. That experience has taught her a lot about the problems in pregnancy and childbirth that her country faces, which has become a national crisis over the last 25 years. Zimbabwe has some of the worst maternal health outcomes in the developing world. In 2013, it reached a peak when, for every 100,000 births, 960 mothers died from causes related to or aggravated by pregnancy. In comparison, there are only 21 per 100,000 every year in the US, and in some European countries it is in single figures. High maternity fees, a decrease in births attended by skilled healthcare professionals, and the fact that many expectant mothers never attend antenatal clinics, are among some of the many contributing factors. The latter factor in particular first attracted Unice to the idea of research as prevention. “When I did my master’s degree, I specialised in mother-child health and midwifery education. I studied the relationship between healthseeking behaviour in expectant mothers and the information midwives had provided them with.” “Particularly in under-developed, rural Zimbabwe, many expectant mothers will avoid seeking help from healthcare professionals. “My concern was that, instead of them coming to hospital, they would seek help from a family member, or they might go to a church priest to pray for them, or they might go for traditional rituals,” says Unice. The results can be tragic. “One of the symptoms of pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening condition affecting women in pregnancy, is that the patient goes into a fit. There are a lot of connotations of witchcraft attached to fits in Zimbabwe, and some of the rituals involve being immersed in water, and it is very easy to drown.”
Research finding a solution Unice found that midwifery training and education could be improved because the relationship between an expectant mother and her midwife is crucial when encouraging her to engage with healthcare systems. After her master’s degree, Unice went into training and education alongside her clinical practice and was eventually identified by the Lugina African Midwives Research Network, or LAMRN, as a promising researcher. Professor Dame Tina Lavender, LAMRN’s Principal Investigator, is based at The University of Manchester and supports the network in helping improve maternal health outcomes in Africa through increasing evidence-based practice in midwifery. “Tina and her team suggested that we put together proposals for research projects. In June 2014 I was told I had been accepted and by September, I was in Manchester.” This was made possible thanks to the support of NAFUM donors Robin (BA Economics 1967) and Jan Mills, who funded Unice’s scholarship. It’s been a whirlwind journey for Unice, leaving her husband and three children at home for months at a time in order to take up her place. The potential impact of her research on millions of Zimbabwean families makes it more than worthwhile.
Midwives can, and do, make a difference
However, there are real problems with the pressure that midwives face in Zimbabwe. In countries like Japan, you can expect to find one midwife for every expectant mother, but it isn’t uncommon for midwives like Unice to manage 10 or more at any one time in Zimbabwe. These pressures result in many midwives leaving for other countries where the conditions are better. Even for those who stay, Unice has uncovered deep-rooted anxieties and dysfunctional relationships between teacher and trainee, which have a negative impact on the care and attention that mothers have received. Through her research, Unice has been able to drill down into the detail of training methods and identify some of the issues that cause these problems. Unice’s research will be submitted to the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health, where she hopes it will influence training policies for midwives in the future.
NAFUM Scholarships: addressing global inequalities One thing is clear: without her unique scholarship, it would have been impossible for Unice to take advantage of this opportunity. “I would like to convey my heartfelt, sincere gratitude and appreciation to Robin and Jan Mills for their kindness and sincerity. I hope after completing the programme I will be able to fulfil my ambition of contributing to the provision of quality, life-saving care in the future.”
“In Zimbabwe, midwives are found across almost all the health institutions,” says Unice. “They can work in maternal health, they can offer family planning, and they can offer child care for newborns, under-fives, or even teenagers. You find the midwife cuts across all those areas.” It’s clearly a vital role, and studies have shown that developing midwife training can reduce maternal deaths by nearly 70%.
Read more about supporting this research at www.givingblog.manchester.ac.uk/agi
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The changemakers Find out more at vimeo.com/supportuom/annauma
At Manchester we believe in the power of education to create a better world. And this is demonstrated perfectly through our Equity and Merit Scholarship programme, where we offer talented students from some of the world’s poorest countries the opportunity to gain a world-class education. As we celebrate the programme’s 10th anniversary, Equity and Merit Scholarship alumna Dr Ann Auma and the NAFUM donors who funded her scholarship, Tim and Judith Sear, share their stories.
When I found out I’d been chosen for a scholarship I was ecstatic. I love adventure and was excited about moving to a new country and meeting new people. Dr Ann Auma 8
Supporting an outstanding student who combines academic rigor and determination with social responsibility is a step towards the kind of world we all dream of. Tim and Judith Sear (BA Commerce 1960, BA Arts 1961), supporters of the Equity and Merit Scholarship programme
“In Uganda, malaria is the second deadliest disease among children under five. It’s a major global problem, but it’s particularly problematic in African countries because poverty interferes with us providing quality healthcare. It also has a huge impact on our economic development. It’s a burden to our country.
“Before I went to Manchester I was shy and not very confident. But now I’m a better person. I’m a better project manager, I’m better at timekeeping, I organise myself better, I even communicate better. The University of Manchester has shaped me into who I am, not just professionally but as a person.
“The people most vulnerable to malaria are children and pregnant women. For those that don’t die, malaria causes other problems like hypoglycaemia and anaemia, which have a big impact on a child’s development.
“My scholarship and the support I’ve had from Tim and Judith Sear have changed my life in so many ways. I often tell my friends that my life started when I went to The University of Manchester. I no longer think within the boundaries of Uganda. I now look at the global picture and how I can make a difference globally. Now I want to spend the rest of my life helping to solve the puzzle of vaccine research and eradicating infectious disease in Africa.”
“We need to create new vaccines against malaria and improve the treatments that we have right now. Currently, there are very few African scientists who are leading vaccine research globally. Research is about collaboration and networking, but I also believe that the research agenda in Africa should be led by Africans. Because of this, I was inspired to apply for an Equity and Merit Scholarship to study for a master’s degree in Immunology and Immunogenetics at The University of Manchester. “When I found out I’d been chosen for a scholarship I was ecstatic. I love adventure and was excited about moving to a new country and meeting new people. “Going to Manchester opened up my mind in so many ways. It was extremely challenging, but I’ve been able to gain valuable skills and knowledge in immunology, and as an individual.
Tim and Judith Sear British-born alumni Tim and Judith Sear have spent the last 50 years living in the US, but prior to this, over half a century ago, Tim and Judith became university sweethearts while studying at The University of Manchester. It was thanks to Tim and Judith that the very first cohort of Equity and Merit Scholarship students came to Manchester in 2006, and they have continued to support a further 18 students to complete master’s degrees at Manchester. For Tim and Judith, donating to the scholarship programme is their way of contributing something positive to the world. “Supporting an outstanding student who combines academic
rigor and determination with social responsibility is a step towards the kind of world we all dream of. We have been stunned by the energy and motivation of all our students and the hurdles they have overcome. We are immensely proud of each one of them. They are all terrific!” And their message to others thinking of supporting scholarships at The University of Manchester? “Just do it! Our students have been magnificent. They never give up. These young men and women will affirm your belief in the best of human nature. We are in awe of the vitality and drive of these young people. They are an example for all of us.”
What are Equity and Merit Scholarships? Set up in 2006, the Equity and Merit Scholarship Programme offers exceptional young people from Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda the opportunity to gain a master’s degree in subjects that aren’t available back home. Students then take the knowledge they’ve gained and use it to teach others and to benefit their communities. These life-changing scholarships would not be possible without the support of our donors. While the University covers each student’s tuition fees, donors fund the student’s flights, visas and living costs. To date, we have awarded more than 200 scholarships in subjects like medical mycology, urban planning and financial law.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Shira Stanton From an early age, Shira Stanton knew she wanted a career in which she could make a positive difference in the world. Thanks to the Thornley Master’s Scholarship, supported by the GAT Family Foundation, she gained an MA in International Political Economy at The University of Manchester, graduating in 2006. This gave Shira the skills she needed to make her dream a reality, and she now works as a Policy Advisor for Greenpeace. We caught up with Shira to find out about life after Manchester. I grew up in California, and went on to do my bachelor’s degree in International Relations (with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies) at the University of California in San Diego. I’ve always been interested in politics – how the world works, how countries interact with each other, and why they make the decisions that they do. It was in my last year of my bachelor’s degree that I was offered a donor-funded master’s degree scholarship at The University of Manchester, and the rest is history. “Studying at Manchester was a great experience. One thing that stuck with me was the quality of the teaching staff. I had professors who actively engaged with us, challenged us with thoughtprovoking questions, and encouraged us to go back and read more. My fellow students were inspiring peers from all over the world who are still my friends. “For me, it was important to pursue a career in the non-profit world, but without my scholarship that would have been difficult and I would probably have had to take a different path. My scholarship meant I didn’t have huge student loans to pay off.
I didn’t need to worry as much about how much I earnt after I graduated – it gave me the flexibility to be particular with the positions I applied for. “After finishing my master’s degree I moved around to various countries, working on migrant labour rights, and then on economic and social rights more generally. I eventually took up a job in Brussels at an NGO working on access to justice in post-conflict countries. I now work at Greenpeace, tackling issues related to corporate capture of our democratic processes, and ensuring that our trade agreements are beneficial to people and the planet. Thanks to my scholarship, which set me on the right path, I now have a job where I really believe in what I am doing. This is something I’m passionate about, which makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Shira Stanton
“It’s so important to give back to the next generation, and not to underestimate the difference you’re making in people’s lives, no matter how great or small. Any contribution has the potential to make a huge difference, and I’m an example of that. My Manchester experience and my scholarship have taken me to wonderful and unexpected places and I’ll be forever grateful.
“I’ve stayed connected to Manchester since graduating through the Manchester Gold Programme, where I mentor students who want to go into human rights or the non-profit world. I also continue to keep in touch with my donor who made this all possible.
Would like to be in the spotlight and tell us about life after graduating? Get in touch! alumni@manchester.ac.uk
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Get involved. Get connected. It’s never been easier to reconnect with the global Manchester alumni community. At The University of Manchester we’re proud to have the largest global alumni community of any campus-based university in the UK, with many of the 350,000 graduates we are in contact with holding positions in every imaginable field. And with over 8,000 living in the US, it’s easy to expand your professional and social network of fellow Manchester graduates.
Find your local alumni network By volunteering to help organise alumni events and reunions in your state, you’ll quickly expand your network by meeting other Manchester graduates from different industries and sectors. Whether you can commit a few days or a few hours, just the once or on a regular basis, there are lots of ways you can get involved. From simply helping us find corporate partners and speakers for events, through to leading on creating networking opportunities or acting as a point of contact for your area’s alumni. Get in touch with your nearest alumni coordinator to find out more. We’re actively looking for more volunteers and coordinators in key urban areas, to help bring more alumni together in Boston, Chicago, New York City and Washington DC.
Visit your.manchester.ac.uk/north-americanetworks to see the up-to-date list of alumni coordinators. If you’re interested in volunteering, but can’t find a coordinator, contact markus.karlsson-jones@manchester.ac.uk to find out more about becoming an alumni coordinator for your state or region.
Join us at an event There’s no easier way to meet fellow Manchester alumni than joining them at a local event or reunion. But we can only notify you about these if we have your most up-to-date contact details. That’s why we’ve made it easier than ever to maintain a lifelong connection with us. Just visit network.manchester.ac.uk to create or log in to your Manchester Network account and go to the University Record tab to update your details, or you can sign in with LinkedIn to automatically share your experience history with us. You’ll be joining hundreds of other alumni living in the US who’ve already done exactly that.
Be a Global Graduates host Global Graduates is an exclusive programme for students at The University of Manchester that gives them the opportunity to meet with alumni in one of our host cities across the world, including New York City and San Francisco. Over 85% of students who have benefited from the programme are from disadvantaged backgrounds. As a Global Graduates host, you’ll help these students see the world through a wider lens, equipping them with both global awareness and cultural agility – experiences that are becoming increasingly attractive to employers. If you’re based in New York City or San Francisco, email richard.screaton@manchester.ac.uk to discuss hosting a Global Graduate at your workplace.
All of our forthcoming events are also listed at your.manchester.ac.uk/forthcoming-events
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The Manchester Network American Football player Sam is helping a current Manchester student take his first steps into a promising career. With the new Manchester Network, it’s never been easier to help students across the globe. “Playing American football made my CV look different to that of the average student,” says Sam Purkiss (BSc Biology 2016) – the sport’s only player to be elected to The University of Manchester’s prestigious XXI Club, into which 21 high-achieving sportspeople are inducted each year. “And that’s advice I’ve passed onto my mentee. When I went for an interview for my MPhil, I talked about my experience as a player and chairman of the Manchester Tyrants. I ran a committee of seven and was responsible for hiring and firing 15 coaches. It taught me a lot of transferable skills.” Since graduating in 2016, alumnus Sam has remained at the University to conduct research into phenotypic plasticity as part of his degree in Evolutionary Biology. He uses our new online
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platform the Manchester Network to offer advice to a student mentee, Marco Giorda. “Marco’s on the same course I did three years ago – a BSc in Biology. He got in contact via the Manchester Network to ask what he can do to improve his CV. We spoke a few times, one thing led to another and now he’s working with me in the laboratory. When he comes to leave the University, Marco will have that on his CV and his name on our research paper. To be a first-year undergraduate with your name on a paper is huge.” The Manchester Network connects you with students and fellow graduates who are seeking professional advice. And unlike some of the University’s other mentoring programmes, it comes with as little or as much of a time
commitment as you like – you can offer to review a CV or give one-off advice over email, through to providing internships and placement year positions. It’s a service Sam wishes had been available to him as an undergraduate, but as an ambassador for STEM he’s delighted that he can use it now to share advice as he starts his own career as a scientist: “I had mentors when I was an undergraduate who were at the height of their profession. But once you’re 20 years into your career you can perhaps forget about what it was like when you started. It would have been nice to have someone sit down with me to tell me what I know now.
Sam Purkiss (Left) and Marco Giorda (Right) in their lab at Manchester
“I want to use the Manchester Network to get rid of the mysticism around science that really stops young people looking at it as a potential career. It’s all done in closed environments and it’s very rare, even at undergraduate level, that you get actual exposure to the daily ins-andouts of being a scientist.” Although Sam’s relationship with Marco is on campus, the Manchester Network lets alumni and students build professional networks beyond borders. In the near future, Sam will have even more experiences to share with other potential mentees after he travels to the Netherlands to present some of his research at the 2017 Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology. Back on the field, the D-tackle is in talks to represent a professional team in Germany over the summer. As for the Tyrants, they enjoyed similar poor fortunes as his NFL favourites, the 49ers, this year, but under Sam’s stewardship as chairman have built a successful programme to promote the sport to future and current Manchester students. “We’ve had a troubled season! We were undefeated last year until the final and were promoted to division one, but this season we had to fight until the last game to get our first win!
“When I took over as chairman we did a lot of outreach, including work at local colleges to get kids interested in the sport to stay in Manchester so they can play with the Tyrants and the Titans. I’m a big believer in sports teams – we’re a large body of people, and with that comes the power to do a lot of good.” There are few larger bodies of people than our global community of 350,000 alumni, and by joining Sam and sharing your experience, you’ll help our current students and your fellow alumni get ahead in their careers.
Activate your Manchester Network profile Visit network.manchester.ac.uk to create or log in to your account, activate your mentoring profile and to approach others for professional advice. If you’re not contacted by a mentee straightaway, don’t worry – new members are joining every week and are looking for mentors like you.
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Meanwhile in Manchester The University is embarking on its most ambitious capital project to date, investing £1 billion over the next 10 years, with a focus on bringing the science and engineering activity of the North Campus closer to Oxford Road to create a cohesive location for almost 40,000 students and 12,000 staff. As buildings change and new creative spaces grow, the University reflects on the history of the North Campus, and its part in defining Manchester’s story.
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Work began on the Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) in 2015, which is planned to sit alongside the National Graphene Institute (NGI), completed in 2016, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) and the Henry Royce Institute, which are set to open in 2018 and 2019. MECD will occupy the site of the former Materials Science Centre and the Grosvenor Group of Halls, which included Bowden Court, Ronson Hall and Grosvenor Halls. This exciting project aims to facilitate interdisciplinary teaching, learning and research, and create an environment to inspire future generations of engineers to pioneer discovery. The University of Manchester has always had a proud heritage of being a university for the people. We are the only university in the UK to rank social responsibility equally, alongside
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world-class research and outstanding learning and student experience, as one of our three core goals. We also offer eligible students one of the most generous support packages in the UK, and this ethos has been at the heart of the University since its conception almost 200 years ago. At the height of the industrial revolution, Manchester became home to engineers from across Europe and the world, looking to become a part of this monumental advancement and discovery in science, technology and commerce. In 1824 a group of skilled craftsmen noticed a gap in the education provision for mechanics and artisans, and realised the importance of linking theory to practice to excel the profession. On this premise the Mechanics’ Institution began to
take shape, emphasising the importance of educating the workers, particularly local men whose socio-economic background would have prevented them to access further study. Building on their talents, the Mechanics’ Institution provided these craftsmen with the opportunity to understand the scientific principles and theory behind their profession. The Institution grew rapidly in enrolment as well as prestige and, not long after opening its doors, it outgrew its Princess Street location. After taking over as Secretary in 1897, JH Reynolds transformed the Institution into a modern Technical School, which focused on serving the needs of local industries including brewing, baking, weaving and engineering.
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2020: Drawings of the new Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) 2004: North Campus after the merger in 2004 c. 1920: Sackville Street Building
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In 1902, the iconic Sackville Street Building was built so that the School could continue to grow its intake and reputation. Educating men and women during two World Wars, the Technical School, or ‘Tech’ as it was fondly known, continued to change focus to fit the needs of the times. During the Second World War, key military machinery and innovations were developed at the Tech, including the deep-sea hydrophone to counter submarine threats, as well as advising the government on stretching the nation’s bread supply during rationing. Following a rapid period of expansion in the 1960s the Tech was renamed the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1966, eventually merging with the Victoria University of Manchester in 2004 to become what is now known as The University of Manchester. The University has continued to experiment and innovate across disciplines, including the discovery of Graphene in that very same year. As we move into a new era of engineering at Manchester, we celebrate the past while embracing and looking forward to the future. The new Manchester Engineering Campus Development is already taking shape on Upper Brook Street and, once completed, will be one of the single largest construction projects undertaken by a higher education institution in the UK. With the support of our friends and alumni, we will be able to update our facilities, laboratories and teaching spaces, to meet the needs of future generations of engineers and scientists. This 21st century build will focus on bespoke spaces for teaching and learning, facilities suitable for advancing our world-leading research, and collaboration with industry to achieve real-world impact. With Manchester’s strong heritage of history-making scientists and engineers, it is sure to continue to inspire new leaders for generations to come. Find out more: www.mecd.manchester.ac.uk
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MANCHESTER STATESIDE NEWS
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell (left) with Professor Sir Andre Geim (Centre) and acting US Ambassador Lewis Lukens (right) at the National Graphene Institute
Strengthening ties: the US Ambassador visits Manchester In March, the University welcomed Lewis Lukens, the Acting US Ambassador to the UK, to campus. While he was here, he was shown the pioneering research that is being conducted at Manchester before delivering
a presentation to students and staff in the American Studies department on the longstanding special relationship between the two nations. Mr Lukens discussed strengthening links between the University
Mapping dialect with Twitter
Manchester alum wins Oscar for Best Short Documentary
Linguists and researchers at Manchester are using social media communication platforms like Twitter to explore dialect patterns in the US. Based on previous work carried out by The University of Manchester and Aston University, The Great American Word Mapper has interpreted millions of Twitter posts across the country to show patterns and trends in language variations, with the hope that increased knowledge of how people use language will lead to greater understanding of cross-cultural and social differences between communities. The side-by-side comparison format allows viewers an engaging and interactive opportunity to explore differences in vocabulary based on geographic location.
Manchester alumnus Orlando von Einsiedel (BSocSc Social Anthropology 2002) received the highest accolade for film and cinema this year, taking home the award for Best Short Documentary at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. As his second Oscar nomination, Von Einsiedel’s documentary, The White Helmets, tells the story of the Syrian Civil Defence forces through the eyes of ordinary men who are risking their lives to save others in the ongoing civil conflict. Orlando von Einsiedel 16
and the States, and the importance of Manchester’s strategic goals to develop longstanding collaborations and partnerships with US higher education institutions.
Record number of Marshall Scholars to Manchester
A record number of students on the prestigious Marshall Scholarship programme took up their place at Manchester this year. Beginning in 1954, Marshall Scholarships are allocated to high achieving American students to undertake postgraduate study in the UK. Typically, one outstanding student from the US takes up a place at Manchester,
however this year an additional four graduates have also selected the University through the open Marshall Scholarship award. Manchester has welcomed 23 scholars since its conception, including one of the very first cohorts of scholars when the programme began.
UN photo: JC McIlwaine visit to south sudan
Making peacekeeping data work Collecting usable data and information can be a difficult task during peacekeeping missions. As part of her Fulbright-Schuman Research award at the University of Manchester’s Humanitarian and Crisis Research Institute (HCRI), Dr Larissa Fast collaborated with HCRI researchers on a three-year project called “Making peacekeeping data work for the International Community.� The project aims to improve data collection during peacekeeping missions, with a particular focus on incident data collected in Darfur. By understanding how we can improve data collection through organisations on the ground, researchers can learn more about how and why data are collected and used, in order to better understand conflict dynamics, security issues for aid workers, and how peacekeepers interact with local communities. This essential information will ultimately improve the links between theory and practice in conflict areas. The HCRI continues to lead in the UK for humanitarian response, and is committed to providing practical and effective solutions to humanitarian crises.
Your Manchester USA
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MEET THE DIRECTOR
Siobhan Clarke I became involved with Siobhan Clarke the NAFUM board in 2015, to share my enthusiasm and passion for Manchester and promote The University on a global level. I feel strongly about the University’s values and the work it does, and I want those who haven’t had the opportunity to study there to experience the drive for change and determination that defines what it is to be a Manchester graduate. Along with participating on the board, I also proudly support Undergraduate Access Scholarships, which provide crucial financial assistance to those who might otherwise feel that the path to Higher Education is closed to them. By supporting this programme, I’m impacting local lives and helping to shape growth in the Greater Manchester region and its connections globally. Thanks to the drive and determination of the volunteers in local chapters, our network of alumni in the US has developed significantly, both in the number of alumni connecting with the University and the relationships that are developing within
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the community. Being part of NAFUM is exciting for me because I can help bring the University’s goals and local alumni goals together, and I encourage all US-based alumni to engage with your local chapter in whatever way you can. Getting involved means we can share our collective knowledge, help each other get a step up and provide support for those who follow in our footsteps. Acting as one, we will achieve more together – we can create a positive future for the next generation.
Board Members as of December 2016 Elected members of the Board Mr Gian Fulgoni (President) BSc Physics 1969 Mr Elys Roberts (Treasurer) BA History 1993 Mrs Judith Sear (Secretary) BA Arts 1961 Ms Siobhan Clarke MEng Electrical/Electronic Engineering and French 2000; MBA 2008 Mr Dave Crossen BA Economics 1988 Dr Walter Grattidge BSc Physics 1944; PhD 1950 Dr Harin de Silva BSc Chemical Engineering 1972;MSc(T) 1974; PhD 1977 Dr Geoff Makinson Diploma in Health Services Management 1984; MA (Econ) Health Services Management 1985 Mr Robin Mills BA Economics 1967 Dr Hugh Montgomery BSC Physics 1969; PhD 1972 Mr George Rigg BSc Science 1960 Mr Tim Sear BA Commerce 1960 Mr Michael Shaoul BSc Management Sciences 1987; PhD 1993 Mr Tony Thornley BSc Chemistry 1967 Mr Shane Williams BSc Biochemistry 1991
Thank you for giving! Those listed below, as well as donors who choose to remain anonymous, have helped NAFUM in its goal to support The University of Manchester’s students and researchers.
We would like to thank every supporter who chose to make a donation in 2016. Mr Ahmad Q Al Kushaly Dr Michael G Albrow Dr Elizabeth A Amin Ms Rachel E Anderson Mr Samuel Aparicio Mrs Sarah L & Mr Marvin Ashton Mrs Janet A Austin Mr Talat N & Mrs Heather Baddar Mr Kevin I Baker Mr Richard E Ball Mr & Mrs Curtis H Barnette Mr Alexander W Baron Dr Wesley M Beal Mr Ian L B Bell Dr Ian & Mrs Beti M Bell Benevity Community Impact Fund Mr Ajay Bhardwaj Mr Richard J M Blackett Dr Penelope A Bowers Mr Steven D Bramson Mr Ian D Brooks Ms Helen E Brown & Ms Julie Kahn Mr Anthony J Burnell Mr David S Bye Mrs Betty P Calzada The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association Dr Sai-Kit Chan Mr Yen S Chew Mr Aloysius R Chircop Dr Ishwar C Chopra Ms Siobhan Clarke Professor Sheila E Cohen Dr Melanie M Cooper Mr Hervé Corniou Dr Michael Cowperthwaite Dr Bruce B Craig Dr David Creed Mr Colin Crewe Ms Alexandra J Crone Professor Gilbert Cross Mr David B & Mrs Helen Crossen Mr Richard Curtis Mr Rune Dahl Professor Christopher C Davis Dr Harindra de Silva Dr Anthony & Mrs Audrey Delany Dr Myra K Derbyshire Ms Sharon A Doherty Sirott Mr John P Dougherty Mrs Lesley A Dugard Mr Nicholas B Dunphy Dr Santanu Dutta Mr John R Eaton Mr Geoffrey A Ediss Mr Ernest L Edwards Mrs Janet Eley Mr John F Ellison Dr Gwilym Evans Mr Handel & Mrs Carol Evans Dr John V Evans Dr Jan Fekkes Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Dr Kevin J & Dr Margaret P Fish Dr Stephen W Fitzpatrick Dr Michael A Flynn Ms Jane L Forrest Mr Eric B Forsyth Mr Emil H Frankel
Dr Ian L & Dr Judith A Freeman Mr Gian & Mrs Sarinda Fulgoni Professor John C Gallagher Mr Stephen W Gaskell GE Foundation Dr Anne D George Mr Richard P Giarniero Mr James J & Mrs Rene Gibson Dr Susan J Gilbert-Miller Glaxosmith Kline Mr James F & Mrs Irene Glazebrook Mrs Jennifer G Goldfinger Mr Juan C Gonzalez Lozano Mrs Hilda E Gould Dr Douglas A Granger Dr Walter Grattidge Ms Victoria J Graves Dr Jeremy & Dr Oluyinka Green Mr Alex Greenbaum Judge Adele W Grubbs Mr Carlos J Guadamuz Dr Junhong Gui Mr Rohana K Gunawardena Dr Catherine I S Gunton Dr Bhupender S Gupta Mr James N Haigh Professor David M Hall Mr Adam G W Halstead Mr Mark Hanley Dr Eliyahou Harari Dr David Harris Dr Natalie K Harris Dr William E Haymes Miss Joyce Hayton Mr Nicholas J Hedges Mr Geoffrey C Hennessey Mrs Elizabeth M Heuermann Mr Mark R High Mr Andre N Hilton Mr Gary P Holtzman Dr Gordon J Howard Dr Jeffrey Ibbotson Professor Dimitris E Ioannou Dr Moavinul Islam Dr William B James Mr Richard C Janda Mr Rick B Janowski Dr Martin O Jeffries Mr Martyn R Jones Dr Grace Jorgensen Mr Narayanaswamy Kannambadi Professor Jack H Kaplan Miss Kimberly F Karlin Dr Lydia C Kaus Mrs Mary Kennedy Baumslag Mr Ravi Khanna Dr Behzad Khosrovi Ms Maureen Kilcommins Dr Kevin M Knight Mr Kourosh Kohanteb Dr Hok W & Dr Lilian C H Kwan Margaret Q Landenberger Research Foundation Mr Simon P Lee Mr Noel J & Mrs Annette Leeson Mr John W & Mrs Alma Littlechild Mrs Joanne & William Long Mr Jarrett Lucero
Mrs Kristen L & Mr James B Lummis Mr Peter A Macaulay Mr Ross MacCallum Mr Scott W Mack Mr James C Mackeand Dr Geoffrey T Makinson & Ms Joanne Iddon Mr Jerry M Martinez Reynoso Mr Nikhil M Mathew Mr Peter M Mbugua Merck Company Foundation Dr Charles A Midgley Mr Robin D & Mrs Jan L Mills Mr Ian T Mitchell Dr Roger S Mitchell Dr David Moncrieff Dr Hugh E Montgomery Mr Christopher Morrell Mr John E Moseley Ms Natasha O Mosquera Dr Kyle C Murphy Miss Lili Nader Mr David J Nelson Mr Nicholas P Newman Dr Richard H Nurse & Dr Inger Maier Mr Stephen W Nutt Dr Charles Okonkwo Dr Joseph P & Mrs Jennifer C Oliver Mr Adekunle Osuntogun Professor Dr Richard N & Mrs Elaine Ottaway Mr Murray Page Dr Julian D Parrott Dr Ghanshyam Patel Dr Mahendra R Patel Ms Sara A Patey Mr Robin Payne Mr Peter Pelham Mr Allen V & Mrs Tina Petrossian Mr William D & Mrs Jean Phillimore Piper Jaffray & Co Dr Raymond A Plumb Ms Gwendolen E Pole & Mr Jonathan Schine Dr Rodney S Pratt Dr Leslie Preger Mr Andrew J Preston Mr Ian E & Mrs Diana Prise Mr Simon J Prosser Mr Alan J Pugsley Mr Mark J A Radcliffe Mr Mohamed G Rajah Mr Michael O Ranney Mrs Freda M & Mr Joseph Reid Mrs Valeria Ricci Dr Mark Richardson Ms Melissa Richebacher Mr Burt Riehle Jr Mr George P & Jan Rigg Ms Jennifer Robbins Professor Bryan R Roberts Mr Elys Roberts Mr Michael L Ruggiero Ms Mary Ryan Mr Peter B Sadler Mr Anthony M Saich Ms Katherine J Sample Mr Frank T Samuel Mrs Dinah H Schachtel Mr Timothy R G & Mrs Judith Sear Sear Family Foundation
Mr Simon A Segars Mr James P Shallow Dr Michael D Shaoul Dr Ben H Sharp Professor Gavin J Sherlock Miss Corinne A Sisco Mr Stephen R Slater Mr Duncan A Small Dr Graeme Smethurst Mr Richard Neil Smith Mr Roger B Somerville Dr John T Sparrow Professor Mukasa E Ssemakula Mr John R Stifler Mr Hock Seng Tan Dr Peter I Tattersall Mr Mervyn G Taylor Dr Raj K Michael Thambynayagam Dr Brian Thomas Dr John T Thomas Dr Anthony R Thompson Mr Tony & Mrs Gillian Thornley Dr Trevor M & Ms Patricia Twose Dr Tiffany Tyler-Kuffner US Bank Foundation Mr Farhad & Mrs Susannah Vazehgoo Mr Robert A Veitch Ms Cheryl Veronda Mr Peter C Warden Mr Connor Watkins Ms Mallory Waxman Mr Paul Weir Mr Jonathan M Wells Mr James Whitelocke Mrs Margaret R Whybrow Mr Paul Wild Dr Shane N O Williams Dr Tom B Wilson Mr Simon J Wilson Dr Norman & Mrs Vera Winskill Dr Mario I Wolczko Dr David C Wood Emeritus Professor David G Woodcock Mr Olujimi O Yoloye Mr Stephen R Young Your Cause LLC Dr Vidushekhar V Zambare Mrs Marguerite T Zemek Judge Bernard Zimmerman Dr Michael Zimmerman
Contact us Maureen Kilcommins Administrative Officer North American Foundation for The University of Manchester PO Box 293 Littleton MA 01460 Tel: (978) 772 1875 Email: info@nafum.org www.nafum.org
The North American Foundation for The University of Manchester (NAFUM) is an independent organisation registered as a 501(c)(3), supporting The University of Manchester. NAFUM’s tax ID number is 31-1598015. If you have any questions about how we compile the NAFUM donor list, please contact supporters@manchester.ac.uk
Your Manchester USA
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Tom Kilburn, Freddie Williams and Geoff Tootill built the world’s first stored-program computer.
Nobel prize-winning economist Arthur Lewis, Britain’s first black professor.
Marie Stopes, the founder of Britain’s first birth control clinic.
Will you support the next World-changer at Manchester? By supporting scholarships, you could fund the next Nobel Prize winner, the next great humanitarian, or the person who goes on to cure a killer disease.
My scholarship means I can focus on my research at Manchester, where I am working to improve the lives of those living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Cheshire Hardcastle
Cheshire Hardcastle, MSc Neuroimaging for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Grattidge Master’s Scholarship recipient
Will you help fund a scholarship for another bright student? By post: Your donation form is in this magazine By phone on: +44 (978) 772 1875 Online at: www.nafum.org
PLEASE GIVE BY
31 JULY 2017 Please send your gift by the deadline to support a student starting in fall 2017.
Your gift will go towards supporting the North American Foundation for The University of Manchester (NAFUM). NAFUM is a 501(c)3 registered organisation in the USA. Gifts to NAFUM are fully deductible for federal income tax purposes for the maximum amount permitted by law. NAFUM’s tax ID number is 31-1598015. The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL | Royal Charter number RC000797 | DW3239.06.17