The Red Triangle 2018 - Edinburgh Napier University's Magazine

Edinburgh Napier University’s Magazine

2018

Close up with Emmy and BAFTA award-winning cinematographer, Neville Kidd.

P02 I Welcome

Note from the Editor If you are a recent graduate, I would like to welcome you to your very first edition of The Red Triangle. You are an important part of our community.

I hope you will be inspired, as I was, by the wonderful feature on Neville Kidd’s career (p.12-14). He illustrates how hard work and determination are essential to achieving your dreams. I encourage you to read his story and reflect on how building a network of professional relationships might open new doors along your own journey.

Welcome

As alumni, you are the embodiment and fulfilment of our vision at Edinburgh Napier University, to be an enterprising and innovative community, renowned internationally.

A fact which has never been more apparent than through the stories in this magazine.

Themes of enterprise and entrepreneurship permeate this edition, showing how the University and our graduates are developing innovative solutions to the complex problems of contemporary life.

Throughout the year, I have had the great privilege of meeting many of you through events at the University and during my travels. Highlights included my trips to China, Hong Kong, India, New York, Washington D.C., and Singapore. While one of my oncampus highlights was the introduction of the Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Awards, which celebrated the fantastic achievements of our students and graduates. Please read more about the achievements of those awarded on page 5.

We are committed to providing our students with both academic learning and practical experience. As alumni, you are an integral part of achieving this ambition. Please consider contributing to the journey of our current students. This could be through providing a student placement, mentoring, or financial support through the student grant initiative and scholarships. There are endless ways to be involved, so please be in touch with your alumni team.

Here at Edinburgh Napier, we will continue to educate the innovators of tomorrow and contribute to the research and knowledge development that will shape our future.

I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming year and learning about your achievements. Please make sure you stay in touch.

Warm regards,

Andrea Nolan Principal & Vice-Chancellor

There are so many exciting stories that have come out of the University this year. You will read about the launch of the world’s first blockchain identity laboratory in our School of Computing (p.10). The research being done there will have major implications for how personal data is managed and protected. Meanwhile, research in our School of Engineering & the Built Environment is taking an innovative approach to saving lives during earthquakes in developing countries (p.06-07). Closer to home, our School Engagement Programme has experienced great growth and aims to enable attainment and aspiration in the lives of our some of our closest and youngest neighbours (p.08).

I hope reading these stories fills you with pride in your University, and I’d like to encourage you to share your stories and achievements with us. You can find out more ways to be involved on our website, napier.ac.uk/alumni, or you can email us at alumni@napier.ac.uk.

On the back cover of this magazine we’ve shared some throwback images.

We would love it if you would share your memories with us on social media #EdNapierLife.

Best wishes, Anna Dickens Editor

Contents I P03

Contents p.04 National Teaching Fellows & RSA Young Academy of Scotland appointment

p.08 Breaking barriers & The Age of Frankenstein

p.09 Music in his blood

P.18-19 Behind the Tens lens

p.10 The world’s first advanced blockchain identity laboratory

p.16-17

P.06-07 Absorbing vibrations

Bright Red Sparks Awards

p.20-21 Snapshot of 2018

P.12-14 Close up - Neville Kidd, ASC

P.15 Award-winning design

P.22 Honorary Graduates

P.05 Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Awards

P4 National Teaching Fellows & RSA Young Academy of Scotland appointment

National Teaching Fellows Two of the University’s academic staff have been named National Teaching Fellows by Advance HE, a body that helps Higher Education shape its future. Professor Mark Huxham, from the School of Applied Sciences, and Michelle O’Reilly, from the School of Health & Social Care, were recognised alongside three other colleagues from Scottish universities.

Michelle O’Reilly

Michelle is the Clinical Director of the School’s Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre, a Lecturer in Adult Nursing, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has used Simulation as an educational method for over 10 years, and has a special interest in ‘Live Simulation’ sessions, where entire wards are simulated allowing several professional groups to participate at once.

Mark is a professor of Teaching and Research in Environmental Biology. He combines his coastal ecology research with teaching and the scholarship of teaching. He has spent nearly two decades working with local communities, primarily in Kenya, dependent on mangrove resources. Another of his research focuses is on the pedagogical questions arising from his own practice and the needs of students, exploring ways to assess and give feedback and how to include students in the cocreation of learning.

The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme celebrates and recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession. In total there were 54 new National Teaching Fellows awarded this year, and this was the first year institutions in Scotland nominated entries.

In addition to the award of Fellow, Professor Mark Huxham has also been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award in the category of Most Innovative Teacher of the Year. This award is also sponsored by Advance HE. The Times Higher Education Awards celebrate universities’ achievements and contribution to society, while promoting best practice within the sector. The awards ceremony takes place on 29 November.

Mark Huxham

RSE Young Academy of Scotland appointment Dr Clare Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology within the School of Applied Sciences, is one of 53 new members elected into the prestigious RSE Young Academy of Scotland (YAS). Founded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2011, YAS provides a platform for young entrepreneurs, professionals, and academics to develop a coherent and influential voice, and to address the most challenging issues facing society in Scotland and beyond.

Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Awards P5

Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Awards In May, Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrea Nolan bestowed awards on two students and two alumni, recognising their exemplary contributions to public and academic life over the past year.

The award-winning students were Niaz Gharavi, who at the time was a third-year PhD student and recipient of a Peter KK Lee PhD Scholarship, and Zoe Wall, who at the time was a fourth-year BSc (Hons) student in Games Development. Niaz was recognised for a paper he wrote that might change the context of British Standards, which was published in a high-impact journal, Construction and Building Materials. Zoe was recognised for her outstanding work in public engagement and science, including work with the Edinburgh International Science Festival, the Scottish Women in Science project, and the Dovecot Tapestry Studios.

The alumni who were awarded were Sheila Lauchlan, BSc Industrial Design (Technology) 1993, and Arturo Delgado Pereira (aka Chico Pereira), MFA Advanced Film Practice 2011.

In addition to running her own gas engineering consultancy, Sheila was elected as the 154th and first-ever-female President of the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers in 2017. She also featured on the cover of The Red Triangle last year. Chico is an accomplished documentary filmmaker, and his 2017 feature, Donkeyote won an array of awards at festivals around the world.

Sheila Lauchlan

Niaz Gharavi

Zoe Wall

Arturo Delgado Pereira

The event was also an opportunity to thank our generous donors who provide scholarships and grants, which help to enable student achievement.

P06 I Absorbing vibrations

Absorbing vibrations Research that may save lives and help the planet Earthquakes are one of the deadliest kinds of natural disasters, accounting for just 7.5% of such events between 1994 and 2013 but causing 37% of deaths. However, it isn’t the countries that experience the highest number of earthquakes that experience the largest loss of life. Instead, the number of people that die in an earthquake is related to how developed the country is.

The earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015 killed 9,000 people, with many of the deaths caused by the widespread collapse of housing that wasn’t capable of withstanding the quake’s numerous aftershocks. Researchers at the University are actively working on a solution to this devastating problem, using some of the 15 million tons of scrap tyre rubber produced annually. This solution has the added benefit of reusing a non-biodegradable waste product that has few viable methods of disposal.

Dr John McDougall, Director of Research for the School of Engineering & Built Environment and project lead explains: “We were looking at the use of shredded rubber to improve the resilience of mountain bike trails, and it became apparent that this could have significant application in managing the dynamic properties of the ground to cope with seismic disturbances.”

Absorbing vibrations I P07

HOW IT WORKS Dr John McDougall explains the research innovation through the analogy of a garden swing.

“The solution we’re developing can be visualised in the motion of a garden swing. An earthquake creates cyclic motions in the ground, like a garden swing oscillating back and forth. There are two ways you can stop a swing: abruptly or gently.

Dr John McDougall examines a model

While previous attempts to protect existing buildings from earthquakes by altering their foundations have shown promising results, the vast majority of these methods are very expensive and hard to install.

John and PhD student, Juan BernalSanchez, are working with geotechnical engineering colleagues on an alternative that involves creating foundations made from local soil and scrap tyres. The rubber-soil mixture can reduce the effect of seismic vibrations, and could easily be retrofitted to existing buildings at a low cost, making it ideal for developing countries.

The researchers have shown that introducing a rubber-soil mixture can change the natural frequency of the soil foundation and how it interacts with the structure above it. This could help avoid a well-known resonance phenomenon that occurs when the seismic force has a similar frequency to that of the natural vibration of the building. If the vibrations match, they will accentuate each other, dramatically amplifying the shake of the earthquake, causing the structure to collapse. Introducing a rubber-soil mixture can offset the vibrations so that this doesn’t happen.

The key to making this technology work is finding the optimum percentage of rubber to use. Juan explains: “Our preliminary calculations echo other investigations, indicating that a layer of rubber-soil mixture between one and five metres thick beneath a building would reduce the maximum horizontal acceleration force of an earthquake by between 50%

and 70%. This is the most destructive element of an earthquake for residential buildings. We are now studying how different shaped rubber-soil mixture foundations could make the system more efficient, and how it is affected by different types of earthquakes.”

“An immovable object in the path of a swing will bring it to an abrupt stop, resulting in inevitable damage to the swing and rider through instantaneous deceleration. It is sudden accelerations and decelerations of ground motions that are responsible for the damage to buildings caused by earthquakes.

The research team has built small-scale table models to understand how the system works and to assess the accuracy of their computer simulations. Testing the system in the real world requires an actual earthquake, and it’s almost impossible to know exactly when and where one will strike. The next step would be testing through large scale experiments, with full-size model buildings and earthquake simulations, but this will require funding from big institutions and companies.

“If you want to stop the swing gently, move your hands with the swing, take hold and gradually decelerate the swing. You use your flexibility and mass to gently absorb the energy of the oscillating swing and bring it to rest comfortably. By introducing the rubber shreds, we are changing the dynamic properties of the ground, enabling it to absorb the energy of ground motions and so minimise the impact on buildings.”

P08 I Breaking barriers & The Age of Frankenstein

Breaking barriers The University’s School Engagement Programme

The programme aims to instil academic aspiration and pride into participants, highlighting the pathways into further and higher education. Students get to experience university for a day through activities in the clinical laboratories as well as creatively exploring what they think makes an ideal higher education environment.

The engagement activities also teach young people about the importance of fitness and healthy eating. Partnerships with Scottish Rugby Union, Edinburgh Rugby, Hutchison Vale Community Football Club, Salvesen Football Club, and the Big Hearts Foundation have enabled the programme to deliver a range of rugby and indoor football skills sessions, focused on basic skills, health and fitness, and teamwork.

Over the past two years, the University’s Schools Engagement Programme has supported more than 700 young people from the south-west of Edinburgh. The programme of activities have been tailored to address some of the below average performance indicators associated with this region such as employment, housing, health, crime, education, skills, and training.

Local Councillor, Cathy Fullerton, said: “I’m proud to represent an area I have lived in all my life. However, this is also the area of Edinburgh that has the highest proportion of child poverty, so I welcome and endorse this amazing programme that Edinburgh Napier has delivered with our local schools.”

Sighthill Primary School teacher, Liza Hunter, said: “Throughout the trip, all of my class was engaged and enthusiastic. So much so, they didn’t want to leave at the end of the day. The children were talking about university, which was a joy for me to hear, as many of them may have felt prior to this trip that it was out of their reach.”

The Age of Frankenstein Commemorating the bicentenary of Frankenstein’s publication The Age of Frankenstein aims to explore and disseminate the cultural importance of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for both public and scholarly audiences.

The research project is led by Dr Emily Alder and Dr Sarah Artt, and commemorates the bicentenary of Frankenstein’s publication in 1818 through intellectual exchange, interdisciplinary work, and engagement with public audiences.

Throughout 2018, a series of symposia, public talks, and film screenings have explored the notion of the twenty-first century as the ‘Age of Frankenstein’.

These events have looked at where, how, and why Frankenstein continues to feed

modern culture so profoundly and in such a diverse multi-disciplinary way.

The bicentenary year events will conclude with an academic conference and a public engagement event in late November. The conference, The Fates of Frankenstein, will be held at Edinburgh Napier from the 23-24 November and will explore the adaption and appropriations of Shelley’s novel. This will be followed by a final public engagement event on 26 November where playwright Nick Dear will be in conversation with Dr Donna Soto-Morettini. They will discuss his 2011 Frankenstein adaptation for the National Theatre, which starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller and was directed by Danny Boyle.

Music in his blood I P09

Music in his blood The academic composing with diabetes data The University’s Dr Zack Moir, lecturer in Popular Music, was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 17 years old.

Living with the condition has seen him walk a daily tightrope to ensure that his insulin dose matches his food intake.

However, in 2014 he received an insulin pump that helped manage his treatment.

In addition to improving his health management, the pump brought inspiration to another key part of his life, his music. A Medtronic insulin pump has the ability to upload a user’s data and present it in a series of tables and graphs.

While studying his data, Zach saw that the rise and fall of the graph lines could represent elements of music, so he set about converting one of his graphs.

Taking statistics from one month, including blood glucose levels, active insulin amounts in his system, and the total amount of insulin he takes, he turned the data into specific pitches. He then sampled sounds that related to the daily

Dr Zack Moir

experience of living with diabetes such as the sound of an insulin vial being struck, the twang of a blood glucose strip, and the beep of his meter. He brought all these elements together into an experimental track that represented the ebbs and flows of living with diabetes.

Zack said: “I’m a bit of a self-confessed geek and after studying the data from my insulin pump intensely for a certain period of time, I started to see structures that felt ‘musical’ to me within the graphs and data that I was viewing.

One idea led to another and I quickly built up an intricate tapestry of musical information that I think is at times chaotic and more relaxed at other points, mirroring what living with the condition is like.”

The final track has been recorded and mixed in the University’s studios and is available to stream and purchase, with all funds being donated directly to Diabetes UK on an ongoing basis.

P10 I The world’s first advanced blockchain identity laboratory

The world’s first advanced

blockchain identity laboratory Dr Hans Lombardo and Professor Bill Buchanan

A pioneering research lab has been built in the University’s Merchiston Campus to explore how blockchain technology can protect data. The world leading collaboration with the Hong Kong based company, Blockpass, will span three years and fund research staff and PhD studentships in addition to the lab.

Blockchain technology was originally invented to serve as a public transaction ledger to self-regulate and verify cryptocurrency ownership, but has untapped potential for improving other data applications. In a blockchain, blocks of information are secured through cryptography and are dependent on the previous blocks that came before them, making the chain resistant to modification.

Blockpass is using the technology to develop alternatives to data management that allows data subjects to retain full control of their identity and how their personal information is used. A key focus of the lab will be to create world leading knowledge and innovation around systems that enshrine the right to privacy.

Blockpass’ Chief Marketing Officer, Dr Hans Lombardo, said:

Part of the University’s £600,000 collaboration with Blockpass

“We continue to see identity management at the forefront of blockchain and cryptography discussions. The creation of this lab in conjunction with Edinburgh Napier University will provide a space where further research and innovation can lead that discussion to newer and more advanced grounds.”

Since the launch of the lab in September, University researchers have also been working on solutions to data recording problems in various industries. These projects include working to develop blockchain solutions to the data recording problems that can jeopardise the complex construction projects and creating a trustworthy trail for ethically sourced food.

School of Computing Professor Bill Buchanan believes the possibilities are endless, saying: “We aim to contribute to the building of a new world, based on blockchain. Whether it is health and wellbeing, or the changing of our public services, it is likely to be blockchain methods that will provide the foundation for the future.”

Dr Sally Smith, Dean of the University’s School of Computing, said: “This is another step forward in the advancement of our research and innovation, and builds on a strong track record of success.”

The future is fintech & Keep the change I P11

The future is fintech The University has launched an innovative new hybrid Masters course, combining content from The Business School and the School of Computing, which has an internationally recognised reputation for research in cybersecurity. The financial technology (fintech) industry is thriving globally and is key to the successful future of all organisations.

The MSc in Financial Technology enables University postgrads to study subjects like financial management, data wrangling, cybersecurity, and transnational financial crime. Students will develop an understanding of the complexities surrounding how international financial markets, banking, and money transfer systems are affected by innovations in fintech.

Gail Boag, Dean of the Business School, said: “Fintech has evolved to disrupt and reshape commerce and in particular financial services. We are well placed to support this growing

Keep the change Loral Quinn, BA Communication Studies 1994, and her daughter, Eishel Quinn, are the co-founders of a financial technology company called Sustainably. The Red Triangle caught up with them to discuss their early successes and where the company is headed next.

Sustainably rounds up your change whenever and wherever you shop, enabling you to apply it to the charitable cause of your choice. While this model may sound familiar, Sustainably takes it to the next level with a slick app to

digital sector in Scotland, combining expertise in finance and computing with practice and application.”

Peter Cruickshank, Director of Postgraduate Programmes at Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing, said: “This is a great example of how our university is responding to the convergence of finance and technology, and will equip students with the technical and data skills which are becoming essential for a career in finance.”

manage your giving, and integrations for business that allow companies to match their customers’ and employees’ donations.

Loral left a 13-year career at Aberdeen Asset Management, most recently as the Head of Digital Strategy and Insight, to launch the socially responsible start-up with her daughter in January 2016. Together they’re coining the term ‘causesumerism’ and changing the way we give.

Loral says, “The model is all about the integration of giving into your everyday life; it’s the TOMS shoes for everything you buy or the Uber of philanthropy.

Being philanthropic isn’t this extra thing you need to do, we’ve created frictionless giving.”

Since its launch, Sustainably has gone from strength to strength, racking up a CV that would be the envy of many startups. They’re a top-5 Virgin Start Up; part of the Scottish Government’s Unlocking Ambition Challenge; they won Best-InShow at Finovate; are nominated for a British Innovation in Media Award (BIMA) for Technology with Conscience; and most recently they have been one of only 20 companies to be put on Tech Nation’s fintech programme.

About the process of launching a start-up, Loral says, “You start with nothing, just an idea. You don’t have a product, a team, or a lot of money. You just really have to hustle and be focused on what you want to achieve, otherwise it won’t happen. At a large company you have resources like legal and compliance teams. In a start-up you have to be able to put different hats on and surround yourself with experts.”

The hard work is paying off, as Eishel explains, “It’s such hard work but when you do get the reward and people wanting to help you, you feel like you’re actually getting there. When you’re achieving something for your own company, it’s a really nice feeling.”

And they’re not slowing down anytime soon. They’re about to partner with the top 20 UK banks and some major charities before internationalising, starting first with expansion to the USA.

Loral Quinn and Eishel Quinn

P12 I Close up with Neville Kidd

When The Red Triangle sat down with Neville Kidd to talk about his career as an award-winning cinematographer and director of photography (dp), he was just back from Toronto after wrapping Netflix’s highly-anticipated, The Umbrella Academy. In a matter of days he would be off again to Rome to shoot the television drama, Devils, for Sky Italia. He is a man in constant motion, and the only trajectory is up.

Throughout his career, he’s treated every opportunity as a chance to develop his skills and get to the next level, which only leaves us wondering what he will do next.

Neville Kidd, ASC BA Photography 1989 Member of the American Society of Cinematographers Winner, 2014 Primetime Emmy Award, Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie, Sherlock Winner, 2009 BAFTA TV Award, Best Photography Factual, A History of Scotland Nominee, 2017 ASC Award, Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography NonCommercial Television, Outlander Nominee, 2006 BAFTA TV Award, Best Photography Factual, Michael Palin & the Mystery of Hammershøi

Close up with Neville Kidd I P13

“As a director of photography you’re constantly re-inventing yourself ”

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman on the set of Sherlock

“This is the world I want to create” Neville decided at a young age that he wanted to work in the television and film industry. He loved going to the cinema, where he was fascinated by the idea that films were a portal into an alternative world.

He also experimented with his grandfather’s Standard 8 camera, fondly recalling, “There’s a certain kind of nostalgia and romance when I think back; I’d switch the lights off, put the projector on, and watch family films.” It was in these dark rooms with a projector that he knew he wanted to be a part of creating these cinematic worlds.

The next step in his path was to come to Napier Polytechnic (as we were then) to study photography. The course had a film option that took a limited number of students and was highly competitive. Neville recalls, “I remember the stress of finding out if I was accepted onto the film track, but I was determined to get in. The whole industry was changing from film to video.

We learned to shoot both on the course, so it was fortunate for me to have studied at that changeover point.”

“You’ve got to put in the groundwork” After graduating, Neville went to work for a production company that had BBC news and documentary contracts. He worked under the production company umbrella for six years before Jim Hunter, former Head of Television at BBC Scotland, and presenter,

Kristy Wark, convinced him to strike out on his own as a freelancer. Equipped with the contacts and relationships he cultivated over the years, he took the plunge and bought his own camera, which he described as “essentially taking out a second mortgage”.

Early in his freelance career he was doing everything to survive, documentaries, commercials, short dramas, but always with the goal of shooting long format dramas. Recognising that drama required more sophisticated lighting, he used his documentary and commercial shoots as development opportunities. He explains, “I wanted to make things more appealing and hone my skills, not just light people so you could see them like the news guys taught me to do.” He also worked on short films (sometimes for free) in order to form relationships with directors. It was through developing his lighting skills and building these relationships that he was able to work on more and more dramas.

The importance of relationships in this industry cannot be understated. You can literally map Neville’s career through relationships. He describes it like this, “You grow up together [in the industry] and you benefit from each other. You meet fantastic people that become great friends, so you try to work together as much as you can.” He first worked with Director, Nick Hurran on Doctor Who, and they have since worked together on Sherlock, Childhood’s End, Travellers, Altered Carbon, and on the upcoming Devils. He met Showrunner, Steve Blackman, on the set of Altered Carbon.

They found they were creatively likeminded, so Steve brought Neville on as the dp for the yet-to-be-released, The Umbrella Academy.

The titles cinematographer and dp are interchangeable, and refer to the person whose job it is to visually tell a story. When preparing for a new project, Neville has to visualise the script in his head and work with the producer, director, and production designer to develop that concept into a reality. He describes the process as a constant reinvention because each story exists in a different world. He tries to reflect the emotions of the story into the photographic elements, like composition, light, and the camera work to make the viewer more empathetic to the experiences of the characters.

As a dp, Neville sets the visual feel for the production and directs the photography team (as many as 50 people on large productions). He is committed to supporting his crew and the next crop of cinematographers. He explains, “I try to recognise talent and push people when I see that they’re good. It’s such a hard industry, so I’m always encouraging my crew to step up. I try to give them new opportunities and help them develop skills.”

It’s once again about relationships, but now he is the one giving a helping hand to those on his team.

P14 I Close up with Neville Kidd

“Sherlock opened the door to America” Working on Sherlock was a pivotal moment in Neville’s career. The show was an international success and opened the door to the bigger budget American productions that are currently dominating his schedule. His work on the programme was also recognised with an Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography. Neville describes the experience as “jetlagged madness”. He came off a night shoot for Outlander and made it home a few hours before his flight to Los Angeles. He was too excited to sleep on the plane, so by the time the four hour Emmy ceremony began he was starting to hallucinate with tiredness. Then the adrenaline kicked in. He remembers, “Everyone from Sherlock was winning, and I was thinking ‘oh no, I’ll be the one that doesn’t win’. I was so tired and started to think the whole thing was going to be a huge waste of time. Then they called my name. Suddenly I was up there in my kilt giving a speech. Then you’re off into a world of press and publicity. It’s unreal.”

However, the life of a cinematographer isn’t always so glamorous; sometimes it’s downright dangerous. Neville has experienced a few bumps along the way

that include falling down the bait hole of a fishing boat (he managed to save the camera but not his ribcage), getting bitten by a poisonous caterpillar on set in Jamaica, and just this winter he broke his leg in a cycling accident in Toronto. I asked him how he managed on set with a broken leg. He shrugged and said that the crutches were good for pointing at things. It seems that not much is going to faze him or keep him from getting the next shot.

“It’s about making your own luck.”

Neville seems genuinely thankful for the opportunities that have come his way, but he’s also candid about the work it has taken to get the jobs he wants. His advice for students and recent graduates is to, “put in the ground work. You’ve got to spend years finding your contacts. They don’t just appear and you have to prove your worth.

Occasionally someone jumps right out

of university onto a big project and then they’re up and away, but that’s the rarity.”

He advocates “making your own luck” through developing skills and relationships with every job and opportunity, which is advice that is applicable regardless of what industry you’re in. He used Doctor Who as a good illustration for this: “For dps in Great Britain it’s about the Christmas one. It’s the biggest budget episode and attracts the most viewers. It sets you up nicely for the next thing, but you can’t just say ‘I wanna do Christmas’. That’s not going to happen.

You have to do a good job with the episodes you are given. They’re like an audition for the Christmas show.”

This philosophy continues to serve Neville well, as he’s recently been made a Member of the American Society of Cinematographers. The membership process involved being sponsored by an existing member and then defending his body of work before a panel of 25 of the world’s best cinematographers.

Despite all that he has achieved, Neville is still chasing his dreams. He says, “Everyone wants a film, particularly for me with my childhood love of cinema. I remember being in awe as a kid watching Diamonds Are Forever. To have a Bond film is my ultimate dream. I don’t know if it will ever happen, but that’s the fantasy that keeps my dreams going.” It’s those dreams that have kept him in constant motion, from an awestruck boy with a projector up to the top of his industry. We can’t wait to see what he does next.

Images of Neville were taken at the Ubiquitous Chip and other locations in Glasgow’s West End.

Award-winning design I P15

Alexandra Groza, BDes (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design 2018

Award-winning design Over the summer, recent graduates and students from the University’s School of Arts & Creative Industries travelled to London to exhibit in some of the UK’s most prestigious design award shows and took home many of the top prizes.

D&AD New Blood Awards

Creative Conscience Awards

RSA Student Design Awards

These awards celebrate young creative talent from across the world, and are recognised as instant validation for an individual’s potential within the design world. Elise Smidt, Karina Bonnin, and Jennifer Dewar, all MSc Creative Advertising students, won an award for their #giffconsent campaign, which aims to fight sexual harassment and educate the next generation about consent through the development of an app.

These awards celebrate creatives who apply their talents to socially valuable projects, promoting sustainability, freedom, social health and wellbeing. Charlotte Crozer, BDes (Hons) Graphic Design 2018, was awarded the Gold award for her project called, Chained to the Supply, which highlighted unethical and unsustainable practices in the fashion industry.

In the same category, Guilhem Boujassy BDes (Hons) Graphic Design 2018 was awarded the Bronze award for his project, The Old School, which aims to combat loneliness.

The RSA Student Design Awards is a global competition for emerging designers that’s been running since 1924. Cameron Gleave BDes (Hons) Graphic Design 2018 and Guilhem Boujassy, won a £1,000 RSA Moving Pictures award for their digital animation, Unclear Waters. In their animation, which is executed in a handdrawn style, water is used as a metaphor for information.

The University’s most recent Graphic Design graduates also won the award for Best Stand at the exhibition for the fourth time in five years.

Calvin Brown, BDes (Hons) Product Design 2017, won the Bronze award in the Product and Structural Design category for Buddy, a therapy product for autistic children experiencing sensory overload.

Interior Educators @ Free Range Alexandra Groza, BDes (Hons) Interior and Spatial Design 2018, took home the top award and a £2,000 prize for her project that reimagined the Tropical Palm House building in Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden. The award is given to the most innovative, comprehensive, and well communicated final degree studio project.

Jennifer Dewar, MSc Creative Advertising student

P16 I Bright Red Spark Awards

Br ght Red Sparks Awards This year Bright Red Triangle launched a competition, called Bright Red Sparks, to award ÂŁ12,000 in prize money from philanthropic sources and ÂŁ17,000 of legal support from the law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn. Out of a pool of 19 finalists, winners were chosen and announced at an awards dinner on Saturday 28 May. The keynote speaker at the ceremony was alumnus Kevin Dorren, one of the founders and entrepreneurs behind Move Fresh (an investment company for e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods brands). The evening was hosted by alumnus, Adam Purvis, who is the co-founder of FutureX.

THE WINNERS WERE: Bright Ideas category Campar, an online booking tool for camper vans and camp sites, developed by alumni Madalina Dichiu and Codrin Platon.

Going for Growth category uFraction8, which has developed a niche filtration system that reduces water usage and increases efficiency in the production of pharmaceuticals, food additives and other products across a range of sectors. It was founded by Dr Monika Tomecka and alumus Dr Brian Miller.

Business for Good category Alterwaste, a start-up developing eco-friendly products from waste, developed by alumna Martina Zupan.

Madalina Dichiu and Codrin Platon.

Maria Gauci

Dr Monika Tomecka and alumus Dr Brian Miller.

Martina Zupan

Bright Red Spark Awards I P17

Staff Superheroes category Maria Gauci, Edinburgh Napier Teaching Associate, alumna, and the founder of Partem Astra training & consulting, which helps graduates secure industry jobs.

Innovative Intrapreneurs category Alumnae Alex Porter Smith and Olga Tjukova, who both received this award for the role they have played in Bright Red Triangle’s consultancy service.

Active Citizens category: Gon Asla, a current nursing student and volunteer for social change, is developing a social project to support and empower nurses.

Gon Asla

Alex Porter Smith and Olga Tjukova,

SANTANDER UNIVERSITIES ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARDS Santander Universities also awarded two graduates with prizes at the awards.

Non-technology prize Awarded to alumna Sydney Chasin, founder of The Healthy Crop.

Sydney Chasin

Richard McAdam

Nick Fannin, Head of Bright Red Triangle, said:

“The Bright Red Sparks Awards have been a fantastic celebration of the breadth of innovation and enterprising activity across the University. We have been so impressed by the creativity, drive, and enthusiasm of our finalists to solve problems, create opportunities, and drive new business.”

Commenting on the winners of the inaugural Bright Red Sparks awards, John Morrison, of Shepherd and Wedderburn, said:

“The quality of entries in the Bridge Red Sparks competition was extremely impressive. All the finalists deserve to be commended, but the winners really stood out as examples of commercially focused innovation with great potential in their respective markets.

“Through our ongoing role with Bright Red Triangle, Shepherd and Wedderburn wishes all the winners and finalists every success and we look forward to supporting them throughout their development journey.”

Technology prize Awarded to alumnus Richard McAdam, founder of RS McAdam Technology Ltd.

Innovation and Enterprise Although the name is similar to this magazine, Bright Red Triangle exists to support students, graduates, and staff in a different way. It’s the University’s incubation hub for innovation and enterprise.

It supports start-ups and entrepreneurs through providing workspace, advice, workshops, events, and a consultancy programme. If you’ve got a great idea but need support to foster its development, or if you think you or your industry would benefit from participating as a consultant or partner, please be in touch, info@brightredtriangle.co.uk.

P18 I Behind the Tens lens

Behind the lens The Tens brand is making a name for itself as the feel-good sunglasses company.

It all began when three Edinburgh Napier students went on a road trip to the Scottish Highlands. The creators of Tens are alumni Marty Bell, Kris Reid, and Tom Welsh. The Red Triangle caught up with Kris for a chat about where the brand has come from and where it’s going.

How did all of you meet and how did you came up with the idea for Tens?

Marty and I have known each other since high school in Inverness and we moved together to attend university. I studied Marketing Management while Tom and Marty met through their course in Interactive Media Design. We all became close friends at Edinburgh Napier and were driving through the Highlands on a road trip when we came up with the idea for Tens. We joked about wanting to Photoshop the grey-skied views but quickly developed the joke into a concept. Our brand is focused on our unique orange and amber-hued lens. Some sunglass designs are more focused on how you look in them as opposed to how the world looks to the wearer. For us it’s just as much about how you feel when you’re wearing them as how you look in them.

You started with crowdfunding and then got a personal investment from Sir Richard Branson. What avenues has this opened for you and how has it enabled you to take Tens to the next level?

We chose the route of crowdfunding and spent months meticulously planning our campaign, which launched in May 2014. We set a goal of £9,400 to go towards our first order of sunglasses, which was met in under two hours! Our expectations were completely blown and in the eight-week campaign we raised over £370,000, all from an Edinburgh-based living room.

Sir Richard Branson became a fan of Tens as soon as he tried on a pair in 2015. He was taken aback by the lens experience, saying that the world “felt incredible”, and wanted to find out more so he got in touch. Fast forward to July 2016 and he became an investor. We were very excited to welcome him as his adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit is completely aligned with our brand.

We work closely with Richard and Virgin Management to find ways to elevate our business globally; we’re now stocked in-flight with Virgin Atlantic and our sunglasses are available at all Virgin Limited Edition luxury resorts. The last couple of years have been exciting times for us.

Tom Welsh, Sir Richard Branson, Marty Bell, and Kris Reid

Behing the Tens lens I P19

Your 2018 frames are 100% biodegradable and ‘sustainability’ now has its own tab on your website.

Have environmental concerns always been part of your brand ethos or has this been developed through an understanding of what is important to your customer? Or both...

A little bit of both! We want people to feel good about what they’re wearing and we want to feel good about what we’re making. It has been a challenging transition for us with higher costs and longer manufacturing lead times, but we’re proud that as a small company we’re making this move and we invite the bigger brands to follow suit.

The next step for us will be to make our lenses biodegradable. This is proving difficult so far as it means finding the right material that also achieves an identical lens tint; but we’re hoping we can manage it in the next couple of years. Our fulfilment suppliers have also been improving recently, including DPD who now offer a carbon neutral shipping rates.

As young entrepreneurs, what have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced? What advice would you give to our students and recent graduates who are looking to develop their own brands, businesses, or products?

As our ability to manage problems (of which there are plenty in the early stages of a start-up) has improved, the daily nature of running the business has become less daunting. With business growth comes more opportunities and that can be overwhelming at times; it’s important to step back and work out what your objectives are. It’s okay to say no sometimes. In the early stages of the business we were guilty of allowing our activity to be dictated by people coming to us with opportunities.

It’s sometimes best to stick to the plan you set out in the first place.

Get 15% off

with discount code EDINNAPIER

tens.co

My advice for students would be that launching a business does not need to be as drastic as some people think it sounds. I often hear people sharing their ideas and they feel the need to leave their jobs and invest all of their savings. There are lots of ways of limiting the risk, such as testing the concept as a side project in evenings and weekends or validating the concept via platforms such as crowdfunding. If it works then great, perhaps a full-time role can be considered and if not, no problem! Just work out why it didn’t work out and find the next idea.

Starting a business is essentially creating a product or service that you wish existed, then focusing on creating the company that you’d want to work for. Life running a start-up can be tough but it is much more enjoyable if it is something that you genuinely have a passion for.

P20 I Alumni and External Relations activity

SNAPSHOT OF This year the Alumni and External Engagement Team has delivered a number of fantastic alumni and university events. We wanted to share some of the highlights with you.

January The Hong Kong Alumni Association trip to the Monetary Authority and Ink Workshops

February

March

Edinburgh Napier Knights vs. Glasgow Tigers American football match and alumni hospitality event

Alumni panel events for The School of Arts & Creative Industries Employability Week

2003 Adult Nursing Reunion

Hong Kong graduations and alumni events

School Engagement Programme’s rugby aspiration events

Shanghai alumni event Professorial Lecture by Xiaodong Liu Public lecture: PTSD and the Military Family – The Lived Experience

July Summer alumni parties in London Sunday Herald Awards

August Edinburgh festivals and the A Club alumni and stakeholder events Edinburgh Book Festival event, The Restless Sea

September Alumni vs. Student Football Match Masterclass by Visiting Professor, Neil Rackham Screening of the film, Do Not Bend: The photographic life of Bill Jay

April

2018 May

June

New York Tartan Day parade and alumni brunch

Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Awards

Human Resources Management alumni event

Professorial Lecture by Noel Jordan

Dublin alumni event

Hong Kong graduations

New York Alumni Chapter theatre trip

Edinburgh graduations

Event to celebrate and thank those that host student placements Professorial Lecture by Mick Rae

October

November

My Future Graduate Career Fair

Screening of the film, A couple of Down & Outs

Professorial Lecture by Jill Stavert

Singapore graduations and alumni event

Around the World in 80 Days - Chancellor Talk with Mark Beaumont

The unveiling of the Scottish War Poet’s Memorial at Makars’ Court

Ada Lovelace Lecture with Sharon Moore, MBE

Play for Peace: A Concert for Cooperation

MSc Criminology placement and employer event

Postgraduate Information Evening

Edinburgh graduations

December MBA Alumni Drinks Night Festive Break

DON’T MISS ANY INVITATIONS FOR 2019!

Make sure your communication consent and contact information is up-to-date by visiting napier.ac.uk/alumni or emailing alumni@napier.ac.uk. If you are interested in organising a reunion, please be in touch as we can help you spread the word.

P22 I Honorary Graduates 2017/18

HONORARY GRADUATES 2017/18 At our autumn 2017 and summer 2018 graduation ceremonies, we celebrated individuals whose achievements are worthy of special recognition. At the ceremonies, their words of wisdom and reflection inspired our most recent graduates.

OCTOBER 2017

Professor Sally Brown Honorary Doctorate of Education

Dr Louise MacDonald, OBE Honorary Doctorate of the University

In recognition of her dedication to higher education, learning and teaching, which has seen her publish 35 books and educate people across the globe, Sally was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Education.

In recognition of her dedication to volunteering and community enterprise, through her work as Chief Executive of Young Scot, Louise was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of the University.

JUNE 2018

Dr Jim Haynes Honorary Doctorate of Arts

Dr Lorraine Kelly, OBE Honorary Doctorate of Arts

As creator of Britain’s first paperback bookshop, The Paperback, and as cofounder of the 1962 writers’ conference and the Traverse Theatre, Jim was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Arts.

In recognition of her long and wellestablished career in journalism and television presenting, and her service to charitable work, Lorraine was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Arts.

Dr Neil Rackham Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration In recognition of his outstanding contribution to sales education in the United States and in the United Kingdom, Neil was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration.

Edinburgh Napier University merchandise shop I P23

Buy a hoodie, support a student Profits from the Edinburgh Napier University merchandise shop go toward supporting student projects, so there’s even more reason to wear your University pride on your sleeve.

Check out the merchandise shop

SHOP.NAPIER.AC.UK

Published by: Marketing & External Relations, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Campus, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN. t: +44 (0) 131 455 4716 f: +44 (0) 131 455 6190 e: alumni@napier.ac.uk Editor: Anna Dickens

Contributors: Anna Dickens and staff at Edinburgh Napier Photography: Allan Shedlock, Edinburgh Napier Staff and Alumni

Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Marketing & External Relations or Edinburgh Napier University. ©Edinburgh Napier University 2018. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way or filed in an information system without the consent of the publisher. Edinburgh Napier is a registered Scottish charity.

Registration number SC018373.

Edinburgh Napier Development Trust is a registered Scottish charity. Registration number SC030725. M&C ref. 3203.

Throwbacks from our archive.

#EdNapierLife

Share your memories and pictures from your time at Edinburgh Napier on social media.

1993 Bill McLaren, Rugby commentator filmed at Sighhill campus.

1980s Sighthill exteriors September

1994 The Shack (student bar and club) January

1984 Using an Apple Mac in a word processing class 1999 Health and Safety evacuation at Sighthill

@EdNapierAlumni

@EdNapierAlumni

@EdinburghNapierUniversityAlumni