UniLife Vol 12: Issue 1 (6 October 2014)

6 October 2014 Issue 1 Volume 12

unilife The free magazine for The University of Manchester

Danielle lights up young minds

Message from the President On Wednesday, 22 October we will celebrate our University’s annual Foundation Day. This year’s event is special because it marks the tenth anniversary of The University of Manchester, founded from two excellent institutions the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and the Victoria University of Manchester (VUM), back in October 2004.

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e should be grateful for the vision of the Founders of our University who saw the opportunity to create something new and ambitious. They recognised the great complementarity between the two neighbouring universities in many areas of science and engineering, as well as the opportunity to create a major university which would challenge its global competitors. They rejected the less ambitious options of either better collaboration or a federated model, but instead took the bold step of full integration and the creation of a new university. This led to the foundation of The University of Manchester.

This ‘new’ university faced a number of challenges, but also many opportunities – new structures, new processes, new people and new ambition. Key to building this institution was the appointment of our inaugural President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Gilbert, who moved to Manchester from his position as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne – itself a very successful university, and one which we’re now partnering with.

Alan Gilbert set the agenda for the ‘new’ University, which was outlined in the ‘2015 Agenda’, a bold and ambitious vision which described our aims for the future and attracted much attention. It is now notable how many other universities in the UK and

Meeting the Student Communications and Marketing team

more widely have similar plans, I suppose that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

By numerous measures The University of Manchester (now no longer a ‘new’ university) has been a great success. Staff, students and external stakeholders embraced the new entity more rapidly than many expected. Our recent surveys of staff, student and external stakeholder views have generally been very positive, and we have much to celebrate.

The feature on pages 16 to 19 of this edition of UniLife highlight some of our key achievements from the past ten years which include: • a dramatic rise in our international profile (increased from 78th to 38th in the Shanghai Jiao Tong ranking of world universities, though this fails to measure research quality in many areas of the University) • transformation of our campus through investment of £750 million • major success in the national Research Assessment Exercise in 2008 • two of our staff won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010 for their discoveries on graphene, which has since attracted major investment

• a big increase in our undergraduate student satisfaction with their experience; in the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds (now exceeding our comparator universities in the South East collectively); and in international students (we have the largest population of international students of any UK university) • marked growth in industrial partnerships • the launch of social responsibility as a third goal • two Queen’s Awards for excellence in our applied research • our students have won University Challenge four times (and won the ‘Champion of Champions’ competition).

So, where is our University now, and what of the future?

I was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor in 2010, when Alan Gilbert became unwell and tragically died soon after. It seemed like a fairly bleak time – the country was in the midst of an economic crisis, there were major cuts to public funding, radical changes to undergraduate fees were on the horizon and there was significant unrest on university campuses as a result of the proposed fee changes.

Contact us News and story ideas Mikaela Sitford tel 0161 275 2112 email uninews@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/staffnet/news Deadline 15 October 2014 Events and listings information Philippa Adshead tel 0161 275 2922 email unievents@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 15 October 2014 Ads Sarah Davenport tel 0161 275 2922 email uniads@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 15 October 2014 Next issue 3 November 2014

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News Manchester lands new £60 million graphene innovation centre

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News Museum comes in from the cold

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With a personalised good luck postcard sent to prospective students

Touring the Whitworth Art Gallery rebuild

I was asked by more than one person: “Why on earth would you want to be a Vice-Chancellor just now?”

My answer was that I wanted to lead The University of Manchester because I was, and still am, passionate about this University. I joined this University in 1987 and found great support and enthusiasm, and I saw it then as I do now, as a really forward looking and ‘can do’ organisation, with great ambition.

We recognised in 2010, that with the massive external influences that the world faced early in the 21st century, 2015 (the original date of our goals), was too soon to realise all of our ambitions. Hence we developed the next stage of our plan, ‘Manchester 2020,’ which retained the original ambition of the ‘2015 Agenda’, but built on it with some new aspirations.

At the most recent Board of Governors’ Planning and Accountability conference earlier this year, I set out three core themes for discussion and action: ambition, focus and distinctiveness. Our Board reiterated its support for our ambition to be a great, rather than just a good university, recognising that to achieve this we must focus - even very large universities such as ours cannot possibly be outstanding in every area of activity.

The Board also agreed that with literally thousands of universities across the world and well over 100 in

the UK, we need to clearly explain what makes our research, our graduates, our activities, influence and contribution to society, truly distinctive. This is something which we will be focussing effort and resources on in the coming months.

As a University we also need to continually recognise the changing global landscape of higher education. Over the past ten years there has been a massive growth in the number of universities world-wide, with substantial investment being made in universities in some parts of the world.

Student’s expectations have also been changing towards more flexible delivery of distance and life-long learning. There’s also an increasing need to bring together diverse expertise from across multiple disciplines to solve global research questions, with the new opportunities and challenges of partnership, rather than competition, between universities globally and growing partnerships with private organisations.

We need to ensure that we don’t just adapt to these changes but we contribute to shape the future landscape of higher education.

Over the next year we will be developing a number of important plans to realise our ambitions. These will include focussing and strengthening our

research, particularly in light of the forthcoming REF results; building interdisciplinary programmes and the development of further partnerships; further enhancing our students’ satisfaction with their University experience; new approaches to undergraduate education to make our graduates truly distinctive; further focus of our social responsibility agenda; innovative approaches to distance learning and international partnerships; and a significant focus on the recruitment of academic staff.

We will execute our ambitious Campus Masterplan and develop a strategy for our North Campus; focus on our staff and their development and satisfaction with their careers; pay real attention to efficiency and effectiveness of University processes; and deliver significant additional discretionary funding.

We have much to celebrate in the first ten years of The University of Manchester. But this is no time to rest on our laurels. In order to meet, and I hope exceed, the successes of the last decade we will need to be smarter and more focussed. I have no doubt that we will be.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell President and Vice-Chancellor

Contents 2 4 10 16 22 24

Research New dinosaur unearthed

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Feature Celebrating Foundation Day

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Message from the President News Research Feature: Looking back on ten tremendous years What’s On Feature: Making a Difference

Cover: photo by Paul Wilkinson.

Courtesy of the Royal Institution of Great Britain

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News

Professor Richard Marais

Manchester Professor takes prestigious cancer research role The European Association of Cancer Research (EACR) has appointed Professor Richard Marais as its new President sitting from 2014 to 2016.

Richard is Director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute based at the University and a member of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre.

Founded in 1968, the European Association for Cancer Research has over 9,000 researcher members and aims to raise the profile of cancer research and cancer researchers in Europe and the need for sustained political and economic support.

As part of his role as President, Richard will take the lead role in organising the 24th EACR Biennial Congress, to be held in Manchester in July 2016.

Showcasing our policy prowess Leading thinkers from the world of politics and policy will be on campus during this year’s Policy Week – a high-profile showcase of our research-based knowledge and expertise.

Manchester Policy Week 2014 (3-7 November) will include lectures, debates and workshops organised by researchers from across the University, featuring high-profile figures and policy influencers.

Its theme is ‘Addressing Inequalities’ and will mark the launch of the Social Responsibility Signature Programme of the same name.

Highlights include an opening address from former government minister Lord Heseltine and a debate on inequality chaired by new Newsnight presenter Evan Davis, with Shadow Childcare Minister Lucy Powell MP and Professor Kate Pickett on the panel.

For the full programme and to book for events, visit: www.policy.manchester.ac.uk/week.

You can also follow @UoMPolicy and #mcrpolicyweek on Twitter for regular updates.

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George Osborne and Kostya Novoselov

Manchester lands £60 million graphene investment centre

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uring a visit to the University's graphene laboratories, Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced funding for the creation of a £60 million Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) here on campus.

The facility will be critical in the development of commercial applications and in maintaining the UK’s world-leading position in graphene and related 2-D materials.

The GEIC will be partially funded by £15 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF), £5 million from the Technology Strategy Board and £30 million from Masdar, the Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company owned by Mubadala which focuses on advancing the development, commercialisation and deployment of clean technologies and solutions.

• Read all about it in our Campus Masterplan supplement.

Unique images bring fossil insects back to life

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A ground breaking new book is aiming to raise the profile of insect fossils through stunning photographs and unique illustrations.

Fossil Insects, by Dr David Penney and James E Jepson, details the incredible preservation and diversity of fossilised insects from around the world. And the ancient insects have been brought to life in the book through illustrations created by Richard Bizley.

• To buy the book, visit: www.siriscientificpress.co.uk/ Pages/default.aspx

Professor Danielle George

Making sparks fly

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rofessor Danielle George is to deliver the 2014 CHRISTMAS LECTURES at the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

bulb, a telephone and a motor – and demonstrate how viewers can adapt, transform and ‘hack’ them to do extraordinary things.

Danielle will present a demonstration packed, three-part series called ‘Sparks will fly: How to hack your home’, which will air on BBC FOUR this Christmas.

Danielle said: “I want young people to realise that that they have the power to change the world right from their bedroom, kitchen table or garden shed.”

The Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering, who specialises in radio frequency and microwave communications, will reveal how viewers can change the world from their very own home by taking control of the devices we use every day. She will take three great British inventions – a light

Filmed in front of a live audience in the iconic theatre at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, the original science events for children were started by Michael Faraday in 1825 and have long been seen as a favourite British Christmas tradition.

Obituary: Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw

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ame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, former member of Court and Deputy President of UMIST for ten years, has died aged 101.

The University has risen three places to 38th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2014, finishing 5th in the UK and 7th in Europe.

The respected league table is based on research prowess and compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Professor Luke Georghiou, Vice-President of Research and Innovation, said: "Since 2004 we have sustained the largest increase of any university on this index. Credit belongs to all of those colleagues whose excellent research underpins our position."

Secrets of the skin To celebrate 21 years since its inception, the Manchester Centre for Dermatology Research has produced a supplement, ‘Secrets of the Skin’, included in this edition of UniLife.

One of Manchester’s most well-known mathematicians and politicians, Dame Kathleen held honorary degrees from the Victoria University of Manchester, the University of Lancaster and Liverpool University.

The Centre is internationally acknowledged for ground breaking research into areas as diverse as the management of chronic skin conditions, the brain-skin axis and the mechanisms of skin ageing as well as providing high quality NHS clinical care at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.

She had been a long-standing friend and supporter of mathematics at Manchester, and had showed strong interest and support for the new University of Manchester and the vision behind 'Manchester 2020'.

Its work is important – almost 60% of the UK population experience a skin complaint in a given 12 month period and they are the most frequent reason people consult their GP.

Dame Kathleen took her BA and DPhil – both in mathematics – in Oxford and combined mathematics research with politics. She was Lord Mayor of Manchester and an advisor on education to Margaret Thatcher's Government.

She also had a formidable reputation as an astronomer and the observatory at the University of Lancaster bears her name. The School of Mathematics runs an annual public lecture in Dame Kathleen's honour.

University climbs international league table

Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw

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News University launches John Rylands Research Institute The John Rylands Research Institute is officially launched this month, bringing together the world-class expertise from the Faculty of Humanities and The University of Manchester Library.

Professor Peter E Pormann, Director of the Institute, said: “The Institute will bring together library and academic staff from inside and outside the University to explore our breath-taking Special Collections. Experienced curators and conservators look after this national treasure of global importance, which has rich, untapped potential for research and discovery.”

One of our Student Ambassadors

Our biggest and busiest Welcome Week yet

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elcome Week 2014 has been the University’s biggest and busiest one yet with more students attending events than ever.

Last year the Start of Year Fair attracted 6,500 people in two days. The fair’s first day this year attracted 4,800!

More than 200 Student Ambassadors, many other student mentors and of course University staff wearing their Ask Me badges helped our new students navigate their new home.

Student Communications and Marketing Manager Pete Morris said: “A big thank you to everyone involved!”

Patrick Hackett

Gruelling cycle challenge for The Christie Patrick Hackett, from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, has returned from a gruelling 1,000-mile cycle challenge from Bilbao to Manchester to raise money for The Christie Hospital.

Patrick cycled an average of 90 miles-a-day over 11 days, non-stop.

Web Project Manager Patric said: “I was blown away by the generosity of people – the total stands at just under £1,500!”

• To donate visit: www.justgiving.com/patrick-hackett

(l-r) Professor Nancy Rothwell, Professor Aneez Esmail, Professor Jim O’Neill and Professor Chris Orme

A picture of inspiration

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taff, students and the local community gathered on campus for the unveiling of a mural commemorating economist Arthur Lewis, which has been placed on the outside of the building named in his honour.

The mural was unveiled by Jim O’Neill, Honorary Professor of Economics, who also delivered the Arthur Lewis Centenary Lecture.

The mural was created to inspire and inform those who walk past the building on a daily basis, including the many children who attend schools close to the University.

Also unveiled inside the building was a portrait of Lewis by Conor Collins. Composed of 3,150 handpainted dots, it is best seen at a distance or as a photo taken on a camera phone Lewis was a founder of development economics and when he joined the University in 1948, at just 33,

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Conor Collins’ portrait

became Britain’s first black professor. In 1979 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

He also became a lead campaigner to improve the socio-economic status of the Afro-Caribbean community of Manchester, a large proportion of whom lived in Hulme and Moss Side.

Insight into sustainability Students have been building a new campus in a sustainability challenge pilot for the Ethical Grand Challenges Programme, which aims to develop socially responsible graduates.

The 170 first years were drawn from five programmes - Midwifery, Petroleum Engineering, Zoology, IT for Business Management, and Religions and Theology.

They gained an insight into the challenge of balancing environmental, economic and social factors in order to build a sustainable future by developing ‘Campus East’ in the fictitious ‘University of Millchester’.

A future owner of the Tundra, credit Lyumila Lipatova

Museum comes in from the cold

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anchester Museum is showing the UK’s first exhibition on Siberia – complete with a 42,000 year old rare baby mammoth.

with museums from Russia has been a great opportunity to look beyond the stereotypical view and reveal the true Siberia.”

The exhibition ‘Siberia: At the Edge of the World’ combines some unique specimens such as the baby mammoth, preserved in the permafrost, with stunning artefacts, rare objects and photographs.

The exhibition is also part of the British Council’s UK – Russia Year of Culture 2014, fostering improved cultural links and understanding between these two countries.

The Museum’s exhibition curator, Dr Dmitri Logunov, said: “We are really excited to bring the marvels of Siberia to the UK for the first time. Collaborating

‘Siberia: At the Edge of the World’ runs until 1 March 2015. Admission is free. #MMSiberia

The challenge was created by the Student Development and Community Engagement Division, working in collaboration with academics from Manchester Business School, the School of Environment, Education and Development and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. Staff across the University also helped produce videos and played characters in the simulation.

• To find out how your students can get involved contact jane.ratchford@manchester.ac.uk

Royal Society Fellowships for graphene researchers Two University graphene and 2D materials scientists have been awarded Royal Society Research Fellowships.

Dr Rahul Nair and Dr Roman Gorbachev have both been selected in the scheme which aims to give scientists with the potential to become leaders in their chosen fields the opportunity to build an independent research career.

Dr Nair leads research into graphene oxide membranes. One potential application could be providing safe drinking water by filtering clean water from dirty water.

Scholarship students from ‘Manchester Access Programme’

New record for alumni support

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record number of alumni are supporting the University, according to figures released by the Division of Development and Alumni Relations.

In the financial year 2013/14, 4,601 alumni chose to support the University by making philanthropic gifts.

Many supported the regular giving programme, and these small, regular gifts added up to a record amount of £550,219, bringing the total donated to this programme to £1,375,713 since 2011.

As a result, the 2014/15 academic year will see more than 700 students attend the University on donor-funded undergraduate or postgraduate scholarships, representing a 15% increase on last year.

Dr Gorbachev works with graphene and related 2D materials, combining the one-atom material with others to create multi-layered stacks, called heterostructures.

These stacks can be created to have specific properties – allowing for designer materials tailored to the specifications of individual companies or researchers.

And £300,000 has been directed towards University research into global issues such as cancer, dementia and poverty.

• To support University students or research, visit: www.manchester.ac.uk/donate

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News Gold Medal for Dalton Nuclear Institute The University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute has been awarded the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) Gold Medal.

The prize, one of IOM3’s Premier Awards, recognised Dalton Nuclear Institute’s lead in the development of academic research and innovation in the field of advanced materials and manufacturing for the nuclear sector and its specific contribution to nuclear plant life extension, decommissioning and waste management projects.

Professor Paul O'Brien was also awarded this year’s IOM3 Platinum Medal in acknowledgment of his international research reputation and global science ambassador services.

Winners of the Distinguished Achievement Awards

Celebrating distinguished achievement

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he University has presented its Distinguished Achievement Awards to recognise outstanding performances and significant contributions across the University.

Midwifery and Social Work; Professor Jill Rubery, Manchester Business School; Professor David Leys, Faculty of Life Sciences (FLS); Professor Lin Li, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering.

The winners were:

Postgraduate Students of the Year Dr Christopher Miller, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences; Denis Volkov, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures; Dr Charlotte Brassey, FLS; Andrew Welfle, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering.

Alex Waddington

Professional Support Services, Library and Cultural Institutions Small Team Winner: Student Support and Guidance Team – School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. Large Team Winner: Research Excellence Framework Administration Team – pan-University membership.

Alex’s tough charity hike for Dad

Individual Award Winners: Karen Badat, Senior International Officer, Directorate for the Student Experience; Mike Hughes, Laboratory Technician, School of Chemistry; Rosie Jones, Learning Commons Development Manager, Library.

Alex Waddington walked through the night in rain, fog and slippery conditions – and a T-shirt conceived by his University colleague that impressed so many it raised even more funds – on a charity hike in memory of his dad.

Alex, Editorial and Engagement Manager at Policy@Manchester, raised £4,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and Strathcarron Hospice near Glasgow on the 56 mile-hike around the Peak District. It involved a total of 7,000ft of ascent – and Alex made it in 21 hours and 50 minutes.

Alex has raised even more money by selling 40 copies of his ‘Never Mind the Bullock’ T-shirt, conceived by Graham Jackson in the Careers Service when he heard that frisky cows were a hazard.

Alex, whose walking partner was Student Communications and Marketing Manager Pete Morris, said “The compassion and care Macmillan and Strathcarron showed my dad and our family was something I will never forget. I wanted to say thank you and help ensure they can continue their great work.”

• To donate visit: www.virginmoneygiving.com/ alexwaddington

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Researchers of the Year Professor Dame Tina Lavender, School of Nursing,

Undergraduate Students of the Year Miriam Leach, Manchester Medical School; Ibrahim Olabi, School of Law; Hayley Leung, FLS; Jessica Hart, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Teachers of the Year Harsha Parmar, Manchester Pharmacy School Dr Paul Middleditch, School of Social Sciences,; Professor Graham Pavitt, FLS; Dr Richard Neville, School of Computer Science.

Disabled Staff Network scores a first

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he University’s Disabled Staff Network Group welcomed more than 80 delegates to the first ever national conference for the UK’s disabled workforce.

Held in the user-friendly Atrium of the A V Hill Building, ‘What Are We Hiding?’ explored the double theme of hidden disabilities and the hidden contribution of disabled employees to the nation’s economy.

Gill Cockburn, Disability Adviser at the University of Bradford, Delegates at the Disabled Staff commented: “It was an amazing Network Conference conference with a brilliant programme. I can confidently say that it was the best conference I have attended during my 15 years in this role.”

• To find out more about the Network’s work, visit: http://man.ac.uk/pn08fW

Jan Wilkinson

Architecture models in the exhibition

University Librarian receives honorary degree Jan Wilkinson, University Librarian and Director of The John Rylands Library, has received an honorary degree from the University of Leicester for her services to HE Librarianship and Information Science.

Jan said: “My feelings about this honour are of both surprise and pride. I am delighted that Leicester University has chosen to acknowledge the difference our libraries can make to university life and success. I very much see this as another award for the Library and our profession.”

Welcome to a model world

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rchitecture staff, students and alumni were welcomed to the opening of a new exhibition on campus celebrating 45 years of the models created in the Architecture Model Workshop and showcasing decades of work by former students.

The exhibition was created by the workshop technicians Jim Backhouse and Scott Miller.

Scott – who joined the School of Environment, Education and Development in 2013 – was tasked with archiving the model collection which had before been gathering dust in a storeroom. He recognised

the remarkable academic and aesthetic value of the models, as well as the huge effort that had gone into producing them, and the idea for a celebratory exhibition was born.

• The exhibition is on the 1st floor of Humanities Bridgeford Street. It is free and open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

A meeting with…

Jennie Blake Learning Development Officer Jennie Blake started working at the University in September 2009, as a Research Associate for the HEARing Student Voices project within the Teaching and Learning Support Office. She spends most of her time helping to develop the My Learning Essentials Open Training Programme (MLE), part of the Library’s skills support offer.

What’s the best part of your job?

The students! Manchester has an incredibly enthusiastic and thoughtful student body. I enjoy being part of a programme that helps students progress and makes a difference to their experience at university.

Any challenges?

MLE launched in 2013, so we aren’t yet wellknown and we are also supporting a large student body. Our blended learning model (which won a Blackboard Catalyst Award) allows us to push popular topics online where everyone can access them.

How did you get to the role you have now?

During my time with the TLSO, I felt that I really learned a significant amount about

the support that students were looking for, so seeing the opportunity to build a programme that addressed those issues was really exciting.

Any future projects coming up?

A colleague and I are looking to set up a study looking at the facilitative model we use in our workshops.

Who would be your ideal dinner party guests?

People who have interesting stories to tell – Nellie Bly would be amazing (the pen name of Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, the ground-breaking American reporter known for a record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days and faking insanity to expose a mental institution from within).

What would you say to your 16-year-old self now?

Never make an assumption about how your future (or even the next few years) will turn out and always be open to opportunities and adventure.

Favourite book, film and TV programme?

TV is either ‘Black Books’ or ‘Yes, Prime Minister’.

Books: Carol Dweck’s ‘Mindset’ had a massive impact on me and I read the Lord of the Rings every year around Christmas.

What is your earliest childhood memory?

I was always looking for somewhere to read where no one could find me, and I have a vivid memory of climbing to the top of a tree with a Nancy Drew novel and staying up there till ordered down by my father.

Any interesting hobbies?

Besides reading and chasing after a toddler, I spend a lot of time horseback riding to refocus and clear my mind, just thinking about what I am doing in the moment.

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Research New lab launch A recently established collaborative research group celebrated the launch of its new laboratory the University’s Photon Science Institute.

The PHAROS (PHoton Analysis by Remote Observation Suite) Laboratory forms the centrepiece of the collaboration between The University of Manchester’s Laser Processing Research Centre (LPRC) and the National Nuclear Laboratory’s (NNL’s) Environmental Characterisation Team.

Its research focusses on the development of at-adistance, laser-based characterisation instrumentation techniques to monitor nuclear industry environments, such as during the decommissioning of nuclear plants.

The launch of the lab – funded by NNL’s Signature Research Programme, the Dean’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Award Scheme, and the Royal Society – included demonstrations of some of the laboratory’s equipment.

Imitation a potential tool for Parkinson’s Two University researchers have been awarded an ESRC grant to investigate whether observing and imitating another person’s movement may be effective in facilitating movement in Parkinson’s Disease.

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive neurological condition that affects the brain, causing tremors, shaking, slower movement and stiffness, for which there is no cure. One person in every 500 has Parkinson’s, around 127,000 people in the UK. Dr Ellen Poliakoff, of the School of Psychological Sciences, and Dr Emma Gowen, of the Faculty of Life Sciences, who run the Body Eyes and Movement (BEAM) lab, will be working with collaborators from Lancaster and Southampton and a representative with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr Rahul Nair

Graphene paints a corrosion-free future

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thin layer of graphene paint can make impermeable and chemically resistant coatings which could be used for packaging to keep food fresh for longer and protect metal structures against corrosion, new findings show.

Graphene oxide is a form of graphene that could have a significant impact on the chemical, pharmaceutical and electronic industries. Applied as paint, it could provide an ultra-

strong, non-corrosive coating for a wide range of industrial applications and can paint various surfaces ranging from glass to metals to even conventional bricks.

In an article in Nature Communications, the team, led

by Dr Rahul Nair and Nobel laureate Sir Andre Geim, demonstrate that glassware or copper plates covered with graphene paint can be used as containers for strongly corrosive acids.

Further graphene research recently published includes: • How sandwiching layers of graphene with white graphite could produce designer materials capable of creating high-frequency electronic devices.

• Electrons that break the rules and move perpendicular to the applied electric field could be the key to delivering next generation, low-energy computers.

New agreement signed with National Grid

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he University and National Grid have signed an agreement that reaffirms their commitment to supporting energy system innovation.

Building on a relationship that was first established in 2002, the agreement between the two organisations sets out areas for future collaboration centred on research, education and facilities.

The National Grid Power Systems Research Centre, based at the University, houses the largest and best equipped high voltage laboratory of any UK university.

More than 45 academics and 150 researchers are involved in research that supports the delivery of reliable and sustainable supplies of energy in increasing quantities while also meeting the desire for reduced environmental impact.

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David Wright of National Grid and Professor Colin Bailey

More than £3 million has been invested in facilities over the past year as the University develops real-time platforms capable of assessing the impact

of energy storage, protection, communication and sensing technologies in the energy system.

A black rhino

Hormone analysis helps identify horny rhinos

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esearchers from the University, Chester Zoo and the University of Liverpool have carried out a six-year study on captive black rhinos across 11 European institutions.

By studying faecal samples, the team found that females who had never bred were more likely to exhibit irregular oestrous cycles. Behavioural

observations identified that non-breeding females don't necessarily show when they are ready to mate.

The study also found they are heavier than those that have bred.

The results of the study have been published in the Journal of General and Comparative Endocrinology.

Call to widen debate on climate change Environmental scientists are being urged to broaden the advice they give on global climate change, say experts who are also frustrated that decision makers are not taking enough action.

Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change, the University researchers argue that scientists are expressing a strong desire to fix the problems highlighted by their studies into human-induced climate change.

However, lead author and Professor of Geography Noel Castree says: “We are grateful that environmental scientists alert us to the impact that people are having on our planet like shifting climatic zones and rising sea levels.

“But knowing how to respond to these impacts requires a broader skill-set than natural science alone provides. It requires honest recognition of, and mature discussion about, the different values that can guide humans towards a different, better future.”

Body clock could aid obesity treatments University scientists have discovered that the body clock plays an important role in body fat.

Their findings are helping develop new ways of treating obesity and the fatal diseases linked to being overweight.

Is there life on Mars?

A tiny fragment of a Martian meteorite 1.3 billion years old is helping to make the case for life on Mars.

The finding of a ‘cell-like’ structure came about as a result of collaboration between scientists here and in Greece. They discovered that although it probably wasn’t a cell, it did once hold water that had been heated, probably as a result of an asteroid impact.

This adds to increasing evidence that Mars has all the conditions for life to have formed and evolved.

Mars © Photo by NASA/JPL/MSSS

The researchers, led by Professor David Ray, not only looked at the role of the clock in fat tissue in mice, but also collected samples from patients undergoing weight loss surgery. Fat and blood samples taken both before and after surgery allowed the researchers to compare their biochemistry.

Professor Ray says: “Our research could open up a novel way to treat obesity without surgery.

There is the potential for drug development that could stop so many people dying of obesity related diseases.”

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Research Insulin hope for pancreatitis patients University researchers have discovered that insulin can protect the cells of the pancreas from acute pancreatitis – a disease for which there is currently no treatment.

Acute pancreatitis involves the pancreas digesting itself, resulting in severe abdominal pain, vomiting and systemic inflammation. Every year in the UK around 20,000 patients are diagnosed with the disease resulting in 1,000 deaths. There is no immediate cure and treatment is restricted to intravenous fluid and nutritional support.

Dr Jason Bruce, from the Faculty of Life Sciences, who led the research, said: “The major causes of pancreatitis include bile acid reflux from gall stones and excessive alcohol intake combined with a high fat diet.

“When alcohol and fat accumulate inside pancreatic acinar cells — the cells that secrete digestive enzymes into the gut — the resulting small molecules called metabolites deplete cellular energy levels and increase cellular calcium. This causes uncontrolled and catastrophic cell death and the cells burst, releasing their toxic enzymes which digest the pancreas and surrounding tissue.”

Dr Bruce’s research shows that insulin, which is normally released from the beta cells of the pancreas, prevents these toxic effects of alcohol and fatty acid metabolites.

A supernova © Photo by NASA, ESA AND The Hubble Heritage team STScl/AURA

Spectacular supernova’s mysteries revealed

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odrell Bank scientists are helping to solve the mystery of what caused a spectacular supernova in a galaxy 11 million light years away.

The supernova, a giant explosion of a star, was discovered earlier this year. The new results

show the merger of two white dwarf stars is the most likely cause.

The new research used vast networks of radio telescopes including the seven telescopes of e-MERLIN operated from the Jodrell Bank Observatory.

Alzheimer’s funding boost A dementia researcher based at the University and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has landed a £30,000 award from Alzheimer’s Research UK for a pioneering research project.

Dr Richard Unwin will study thousands of proteins in the brain to build a molecular map of what happens in Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity, funding £22 million of dementia research across the UK including half a million pounds at the University.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 500,000 people in the UK. With no treatments currently available to slow or stop Alzheimer’s, only to help with symptoms, there is an urgent need for research to understand what’s happening in the brain in the disease and how it can be stopped.

Dr Unwin, who works at the Centre for Advanced Discovery and Experimental Therapeutics (CADET), said: “Understanding what’s going wrong in the brain in Alzheimer’s at a molecular level will open up major opportunities for finding new treatments that are so urgently needed.”

The papyrus fragment

One of world’s earliest Christian charms found

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1,500 year-old papyrus fragment found in the John Rylands Library has been identified as one the world’s earliest surviving Christian charms.

The remarkable document contains some of the earliest documented references to the Last Supper and ‘manna from heaven’. It is the earliest surviving document to use the Christian Eucharist liturgy as a protective charm.

The Greek ‘amulet’ was found amongst thousands of fragments of unpublished historical documents kept in the Library’s vaults.

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A model of Dreadnoughtus schrani

New giant dinosaur unearthed

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University researcher was on the team that unearthed a new dinosaur, one of the most complete examples of gigantic titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs ever discovered.

Dr Victoria Egerton, from the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, helped in the excavation of the

Dreadnoughtus schrani, in Southern Patagonia, Argentina.

Titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs were large-bodied herbivores, abundant in the southern continents around 66–100 million years ago. The group includes some of the biggest creatures ever to walk the Earth.

The new specimen weighed around 59.3 metric tonnes, was

approximately 26 metres long and still growing at the time of its death.

Dr Egerton said: “This is an incredible discovery because it is pushing the boundary of size, in terms of both mass and length, we expect terrestrial animals can achieve. Animals such as this help us to further understand ecosystems of the past.”

Call to revise diabetes diagnosis The current way of diagnosing type-2 diabetes using blood glucose levels needs to be revised, research by University scientists and colleagues from King’s College London suggests.

The findings show the current method of diagnosis means patients are diagnosed too late so that their blood vessels may already be damaged.

Type 2 diabetes affects over 90% of all adults with diabetes.

Researchers examined biochemical markers in the blood before glucose became elevated – so before the patients reached the pre-diabetes stage – and found changes in types of blood fat particles appear to be good indicators of developing type-2 diabetes.

New tool to probe cancer’s molecular make-up Scientists have shown how to better identify and measure vital molecules that control cell behaviour – paving the way for improved tools for diagnosis, prediction and monitoring of cancer.

The Peak District © Photo by Neale Clark / Robert Harding / REX

Hazardous waste-eating bacteria discovered

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iny single-cell organisms discovered living underground could help with the problem of nuclear waste disposal, say University researchers. Microbes that can survive in the very harsh conditions expected in radioactive waste disposal sites were found in the Peak District.

Professor Jonathan Lloyd, of the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, said: “We are very interested in these Peak District microorganisms. Nuclear waste will remain buried deep underground for many thousands of years so there is plenty of time for the bacteria to become adapted to the conditions.

Our next step will be to see what impact they have on radioactive materials.”

Researchers from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute based at the University – part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre – and the Institute of Cancer Research, London, looked at protein kinases, molecules that control various aspects of cellular function.

Dr Claus Jørgensen explained: “Protein kinases regulate how cells communicate. When these molecules are deregulated it corresponds to cells ‘hearing voices’ with a resulting change in their behaviour. Doctors need a way to spot changes in kinase levels in individual tumours so they can see how they respond to treatments and match patients to the treatment that works best for them.”

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Feature

The University of Manchester holds a special place in history. Our origins as England’s first civic university are closely linked to Manchester’s development as the world’s first industrial city. We were formed at the birth of the modern world and our founders invested us with progressive principles and a desire to improve people's lives through research and teaching. Throughout our history we have led the way and helped shape the modern world through discovery, ideas and knowledge. Here UniLife looks at how we are working hard to preserve our heritage in a series of features, starting with our commemoration of the University’s role in World War I.

Professor Thomas Frederick Tout

Soldiers’ letter to Professor Tout

The University’s Roll of Service

Remembering our fallen heroes…and our inspiring role B y December 1918 Manchester University’s GS Baldwin has been wounded, gassed and ‘blown up bodily three times’…

The University’s Medical School played a key role in improving treatments for the terrible injuries being sustained by soldiers at the front.

Yet his poignant letter to history professor Thomas Tout wonders only ‘how and when to take up the threads he dropped in 1914.’

John Stopford, a future Vice Chancellor, studied gunshot wounds of peripheral nerves and later ran a nerve injury follow-up clinic.

Robert Harold Bedford faces the battlefields of France yet longs ‘to sit in the biggest library and read every book cover to cover’.

T H Pear, a young professor of psychology, collaborated on work on the effects of shell shock.

Soldier Herbert Eckersley’s last letter speaks of hope that he will soon be back in Manchester and working on his thesis. Two weeks later he is dead – killed in action near Ypres in 1917.

The Faculty of Science gained a proud reputation for its work and the Department of Public Health and Bacteriology was a major force in trying to battle the diseases and infections of the time.

More than 600 staff and students from the University were tragically killed in the First World War.

Armed forces and government ministries seized upon the expertise of The Municipal School of Technology, which later became UMIST.

And as they faced the horrors many could only dream of returning to the normality of student life

Electrical and mechanical engineers developed a deep-sea hydrophone to counter the submarine threat to shipping. A high frequency alternator to power aircraft radios was designed and

But those who stayed behind in Manchester also made huge contributions to the war effort.

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manufactured, and aircraft building materials were routinely tested in the Textiles Department.

A new type of gas furnace was designed to increase the rate at which shells could be machined.

The School also found a way of stretching the nation’s bread supply by incorporating more brewers’ malt into wartime loaves.

Women too began to play their part. Many volunteered for agricultural work or transported men on the often painful journey from London Road station (now Piccadilly) to the city’s hospitals.

The wives of staff also made and sent ‘comforts’ to soldiers abroad.

To mark those achievements and commemorate the fallen, the University has now published a special website.

It includes a real-time roll call of all the names – each one announced in the month they died exactly one hundred years ago.

(L-R) Douglas Lowe, Jonathan Fairman, Elsa Lee, Stuart Anderson, and David Schultz

Heads in the clouds – minds bright as sunlight

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he University’s new Learning Through Research programme teaches our undergraduate students about their subject by having them look at – or do – research. This will not only enhance our students’ learning experience, it will improve their employability by increasing the scope of their studies and skills base. Here UniLife meets one of the academics showing our students a new way of learning…

Professor David Schultz has a vision. He wants his meteorology students to have the same Eureka! moments that inspired his own research.

ManUniCast – his innovative weather and airquality forecasting model – means that’s now within their grasp.

A team is already scouring the archives to rediscover their lost stories and bring them to life.

One alumnus has visited and photographed every single grave of those from the Municipal School of Technology who died.

Not only does the teaching tool enhance their critical thinking, it enables them to answer questions that would have been impossible previously. It also makes them markedly more employable when they graduate.

University Historian and Heritage Manager Dr James Hopkins believes the website will become an important historical archive.

“I had to build it,” says Professor Schultz, who teaches a third-year meteorology course on the environmental science programme.

“It’s inspiring our students and alumni to do work that has never been done before,” he said.

“I wanted to give my students access to meteorological model output because that’s how environmental predictions – meteorology, air quality, hydrology (flooding) or ecological modelling – are done in the modern world.

They are all based around the same principle.

“They are doing some amazing things. We are looking beyond basic biographical detail and looking at the whole picture.

“This is us rediscovering the important role the University played during the war and showcasing it over the full four years of the centenary.”

• To read the stories – or add your own stories and images to the website - visit: www.manchester.ac.uk/ww1 • Or you can enjoy the University’s heritage today by visiting our collections and taking tours of the historic buildings on campus. For more information, visit: www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/historyheritage/

“Now, our students will now know how to use them.”

The concept of ManUniCast flourished after Professor Schultz won funding from the Higher Education Academy, and enthusiastic collaboration from expert academics Dr Jonathan Fairman and Dr Douglas Lowe.

When eLearning technologists Stuart Anderson, Elsa Lee and Reo Seo-Zindy came on board to design and develop a user-friendly web interface, it was finally brought into glorious life.

and air-quality forecasts every day,” says Professor Schultz.

“I call it our toy model, but it’s comparable to what the Met Office uses, and Manchester is the only place to have anything like it.

“Students will be leaving Manchester, getting jobs and using all kinds of ecological and climate models.

“If they have never had experience with these models before, they end up either trusting them too much or too little, whereas the truth actually lies somewhere in between.”

The output is freely available at www.manunicast.com, so even the general public has access to it online – prompting ‘hits’ from as far afield as New York.

And they have launched a new, free user-friendly mobile app for real-time weather and air-quality forecasts. The ManUniCast iPhone and iPad app is available at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/manunicastweather-air-quality/id905281887 The learning tool also archives the data, which means students doing case studies can use the portal to refer to weather events in the past.

“They can choose a day they got stuck in a rainstorm at the beach and consult a past ManUniCast forecast to look at why that happened,” says Dr Fairman.

Dr Lowe highlights its ability to layer graphics so students can see the relationship between different variables.

“Students are doing their own research and writing it up, improving their critical thinking skills,” adds Professor Schultz.

“My research papers are inspired by weather that I’ve lived through and been curious about.

“I’m hoping to give the students the same kind of Eureka! moments I had, rather than being told: ‘Here’s your assignment go off and do it.’”

“ManUnicast is a high-quality research model, which means students can see real-time weather

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Foundation Day feature

Looking back at ten tremendous years The University is celebrating ten years since its foundation this month. Brought together from two excellent institutions – the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and the Victoria University of Manchester (VUM) – the University has enjoyed many successes. Here UniLife looks back through a lens…

Clockwise from top: Jodrell Bank LIVE; Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov who won the Nobel Prize for their discovery of graphene; the Queen attends the launch of The University of Manchester in 2004; our teams have won University Challenge four times in eight years and also won the Champion of Champions; our ambitious £1 billion, ten-year Campus Masterplan.

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Foundation Day feature

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Previous page, clockwise from top: Awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize twice; innovative graphene research and commercialisation; our School Governors Initiative has seen the largest and fastest recruitment of governors in the UK; our inaugural President Professor Alan Gilbert; iconic appointments such as Professor of Public History Michael Wood; Welcome Week sees the start of an amazing student experience here; Professor Brian Cox is widening the appeal of physics and astronomy.

This page, clockwise from top: There has been a big increase in our undergraduate student satisfaction, in the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and in international students; reaching out to the local community with exciting open days; we have seen a dramatic rise in our international profile as we increased from 78th to 38th in the Shanghai Jiao Tong ranking of world universities; the Queen greets the crowds at the 2004 launch; Stan the T-rex arrived ten years ago; the Manchester 2015 strategic plan; The Works’ 1,000th employee Chris Livingston.

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Feature

The Salford waterways

Water feat!

The Research Excellence Framework – the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions – asks us to show the impact that our research has on the world. Here UniLife looks at how our researchers really are changing the world…

When the Manchester Ship Canal (MSC) opened in 1894, it was one of the busiest waterways in Europe.

But no more. The Salford waterways now present a very different picture – thanks to University research.

Dr Keith White and his team at the Faculty of Life Sciences have established the cause and extent of water pollution in the upper MSC and Salford Quays. And this has led to evidence-based restoration programmes that have rejuvenated the waterway and surrounding areas.

The improvement in water quality was the essential first step in the development of Salford Quays, a development which has seen approximately 2,000 homes being built and the arrival of 900 businesses employing over 35,000 people.

Dr White’s research has been translated into practical solutions for the clean-up of

It had taken six years to build and cost £15 million – the equivalent to £1.65 billion today – and was the largest river navigation canal in the world, enabling the newly created Port of Manchester to become Britain's third busiest port despite the city being about 64 km inland.

In late 1898 the Manchester City, at 7,698 gross tons, became the largest vessel to reach the terminal docks. Carrying cattle and general cargo, it was met by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and a large welcoming crowd. The amount of freight carried by the canal peaked in 1958 at 18 million long tons (20 million short tons).

However this thriving economy also meant the waterways soon became polluted by industrial discharges, sewage overflows, and surface water runoff, including from the River Irwell which forms the headwaters of the Ship Canal.

Salmon disappeared from the River Irwell in the 1850s and rowing races were abandoned in the 1970s. Despite the real estate value of the docks being estimated at £550 million, development was prevented by unpleasant odours, bubbling gas, and sediment rafts.

Dr Keith Whte (left) discusses his work with students

contaminated waterways. This quick and effective change has been achieved alongside the spin-out company APEM Ltd (Aquatic Pollution and Environmental Monitoring).

Founded at the University in the 1980s, APEM is now one of the largest independent aquatic science consultancies in Europe. Its continuing commercial activities relating to water quality management are underpinned by Dr White’s research.

As Dr White puts it: “The work at Manchester has not only contributed to our understanding of the response of freshwater ecosystems to pollution but also to urban regeneration – leaving a permanent legacy of environmental and economic improvements for future generations.”

Listings Whitworth Art Gallery The Whitworth Art Gallery has started a new and exciting chapter in its history. A major building project is now taking place to transform and extend the 120-year-old gallery, doubling its public areas whilst reducing its carbon footprint and improving facilities for visitors.

This new development by architects MUMA will re-connect the 19th century building with Whitworth Park through an elegant contemporary extension. The new Whitworth will bring you more art, more activities, more events and more space. It will be all things our many visitors have always loved about the Whitworth.

We look forward to welcoming you back in the Spring.

Visit our website for details of our forthcoming outreach events…..

Whitworth Art Gallery Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 7450 email whitworth@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/whitworth

International Society

What’s On

Manchester Museum EXHIBITIONS

All exhibitions at The Manchester Museum are FREE Siberia: At the Edge of the World until March 2015 FAMILY ACTIVITIES Most activities are free and drop-in, some activities may need to be booked and may cost. Suitable for all ages.

Every Sat and Sun, 11am-4pm Discovery Centre Drop into the Discovery Centre for drawing and other art activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and pick up one of our free Museum activity sheets.

Available Sat and Sun 10am or 2pm – bookings one month in advance New! Children’s Birthday Parties Tues 14 and 28 Oct, 10.30am, 11.30am and 1pm, FREE (booking essential) Baby Explorers Sensory play and interactive story sessions for babies who aren't walking yet.

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Sat 25 Oct, 11am-4pm Big Saturday: Science Spectacular (part of Manchester Science Festival) Mon 27-Fri 31 Oct, 11am-1pm Ice Age Science: Mammoths, Mega Boulders and Microscopes (part of Manchester Science Festival) Mon 27-Fri 31 Oct, 11am-4pm Woolly Animals (part of Manchester Science Festival) Tues 28 Oct, 11am-4pm The Hitchhikers Guide to the Solar System (part of Manchester Science Festival) Wed 29 Oct, 1pm-3.30pm LEGO Mindstorm NXT Programming (part of Manchester Science Festival) Fri 31 Oct, 10.30am-12.30pm Magic Carpet: Frogs, a Tadpoles Tale TALKS, TOURS AND WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS Most activities are free and drop-in, some activities may need to be booked and may cost.

Every Wednesday & Thursday, 1pm Taster Tours Thurs 16 Oct, 3pm Manchester Museum Tour - Natures Library

Fri 17 Oct, 7pm Cave Hunting 140 Years On Thurs 23 Oct, 3pm Manchester Museum Tour – Evolution Thurs 23 Oct, 2pm-4pm Old Wives Tales? (part of Manchester Science Festival) Sat 25 Oct, 2pm-4pm Urban Naturalist: Bats Mon 27 Oct, 1pm-2pm CT Scanning the Manchester Mummies (part of Manchester Science Festival)

Visit some of the most beautiful and interesting locations around England, Scotland and Wales. There are visits taking place almost every weekend throughout the year.

Sat 11 Oct North Wales visiting Anglesey with full day guided tour Sat 11 Oct Overnight trip: Bath with a visit to Stonehenge Sun 12 Oct Central Lake District visiting Ambleside and Aira Force Waterfall Sat 18 Oct York Sat 18 Oct Overnight trip: Edinburgh Sun 19 Oct North Wales Castles visiting Caernarfon Castle and Penrhyn Castle Sat 25 Oct Alton Towers – Halloween Scarefest!

Sat 25 Oct Overnight trip: Bath with a visit to Stonehenge Sun 26 Oct North Wales visiting Chirk Castle and Erddig

Thurs 30 Oct, 3pm Manchester Museum Tour - Building

Sat 1 Nov Blackpool and the famous Blackpool Illuminations

Thurs 30 Oct, 2pm-3pm Rock Drop: Geology Identification Session

Sun 2 Nov North Wales visiting the Ffestiniog Railway and Portmeirion Village

Opening times Open: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Sun-Mon (and Bank Holidays) 11am-4pm FREE admission The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 2648 www.manchester.ac.uk/museum Follow us on Twitter @McrMuseum www.facebook.com/ ManchesterMuseum

Opening times Mon-Fri 9.30am – 7pm (during term time) Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5pm (during vacation) Small World Café opening times Mon-Fri 11am – 3pm 327 Oxford Road (next to Krobar) 0161 275 4959 email int.soc@manchester.ac.uk www.internationalsociety.org.uk

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre offers a great day out for all the family. Come and explore the planets using our model of the Solar System. Find answers to the wonders the Universe, listen to the sounds of the Big Bang and discover what the scientists are researching ‘Live’ in our interactive Space Pavilion. The glass-walled café offers spectacular views of the iconic Lovell telescope and fantastic homemade cakes!

The John Rylands Library (Deansgate)

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama

EXHIBITIONS

LITERATURE

Imprinting the Imagination until 26 Oct Giving it Wigan: Norman Nicholson at 100 until 14 Dec

Mon 6 Oct, 6.30pm, £8/£6 In Conversation: Sebastian Barry and Colm Tóibin

Communities in Communication until 21 Dec

Sat 11 Oct, 3pm, £8/£6 Peter Blake – Under Milk Wood

Echo and Narcissus until 9 Jan

EVENTS

FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

Sun 12 Oct, 6.30pm, £8/£6 In Conversation: Martin Amis with Nick Laird

Sun 12 Oct National Fungi Day

Sat 18 Oct-Sun 2 Nov Bug Hunt (part of Manchester Science Festival)

Mon 13 Oct, 6.30pm, £6/£4 Suzannah Dunn and Maria McCann – The History Girls

Mon 27 Oct, 2pm-4pm Collection Protection – the Science of Conservation

Tues 14 Oct, 6pm, £6/£4 In Conversation: Ian McGuire with Adam Begley

Fri 31 Oct, 1pm-4pm Bugs and Pests

Fri 17 Oct, 6pm, £6/£4 Alan Gillis and Tom Pickard

Sat 1 Nov, 12pm Here be Dragons!

WE WELCOME

Thurs 23 Oct Lovell Lecture – Rosetta – A, B, C, I or J? Mon 27 Oct – Fri 31 Oct Strange Science Mon 27 Oct – Fri 31 Oct Spectacular Stars Science Show Information: Live from Jodrell Bank website Tickets: http://ow.ly/hQCFU Tickets include entry to the Discovery Centre.

Opening times 10am-5pm For more information and prices please visit our website Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DL 01477 571 766 www.jodrellbank.net

Chaplaincies St Peter’s House Chaplaincy Sunday, 11am Holy Communion 12.45pm Lunch (1st Sun) Sunday, 5.30pm Student Service (term-time only) Wednesday 12.15pm Eucharist, followed by free soup lunch (term-time only) RC Chaplaincy Avila House Mass Times (term-time only) Sun, 7pm (in the Holy Name Church) next door to the Chaplaincy Mon, Tues, Thurs and Friday, 5.30pm in the Chaplaincy Chapel Weds, 1.05pm in the Chaplaincy Chapel The Jewish Student Centre and Synagogue 07817 250 557 Email Rabbi Ephraim Guttentag: ephraim@mychaplaincy.co.uk Muslim Chaplaincy South Campus Mosque, McDougall Centre Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 1.15pm Honorary Imam - Imam Habeeb: h_chatti@hotmail.com North Campus Mosque Basement of Joule Library, Sackville Street Building Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 12.30pm The role of Volunteer Muslim Chaplain is to provide pastoral support, guidance and a listening ear to Muslim staff and students.

Chaplains’ contact details are available in the prayer rooms or via St Peter’s House.

THINGS TO DO Wed 22 Oct Book Folding Thurs 23 Oct, 6pm Dice World (part of Manchester Science Festival) Tues 28 Oct, 11am and1pm, booking essential Mini Collection Encounters (part of Manchester Science Festival) Wed 29 Oct, 2pm The Science of Conservation Thurs 30 Oct, 11am and 1pm, booking essential Mini Collection Encounters (part of Manchester Science Festival) Thurs 30 Oct, 6pm Ancient Egyptian Mummies and Modern Science (part of Manchester Science Festival) Thurs 30 Oct, 7.30pm, booking essential The Mummy (part of Manchester Science Festival) Fri 31 Oct, 11am-12pm Morbid Miscellany Halloween Horrors TOURS Booking required for all tours Every Friday, 3pm Introductory Tour Thurs 16 Oct, 3pm Tours and Treasures Sat 18 Oct, 11am Tour en Français - French language only tour Thurs 23 Oct, 3pm Explorer Tour FREE ADMISSION Public opening times: Sun-Mon 12-5pm, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Reader opening times: Mon-Weds, Fri-Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-7pm The John Rylands Library 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH Telephone: 0161 275 3764 Email: jrul.specialcollections@manchester.ac.uk Visitor and Event Enquiries Telephone: 0161 306 0555 Email: jrul.visitors@manchester.ac.uk

Thurs 30 and Fri 31 Oct, 7pm, £6/£4 One Hand Clapping Sat 1 Nov, 2pm, FREE Hungry: A play about food, nutrition and obesity FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Thurs 9 Oct, 1.10pm Shakespeare á la Russe: Voice and Piano Thurs 16 Oct, 1.10pm Quatuor Danel Fri 17 Oct, 1.10pm Piano Showcase Thurs 23 Oct, 1.10pm Bach to the Future – Fenella Humphreys EVENING CONCERTS Fri 17 Oct, 7.30pm, £14/£9/£3 Quatuor Danel Sat 18 Oct, 7.30pm, £10.50/£6.50/£3 MUMS Symphony Orchestra Sat 25 Oct, 6pm-7pm and 7.30pm8.30pm, £8.50/£5.50/£3 Sun 26 Oct, 2pm-3pm, £8.50/£5.50/£3 Sines and Square Festival – Analogue Electronics and Modular Synthesis The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Bridgeford Street, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 8951 email boxoffice@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/ martinharriscentre

Gig Guide Mon 6 Oct Wed 8 Oct Thurs 9 Oct Fri 10 Oct Sat 11 Oct

Sun 12 Oct

Maine + Lydia + Nick Santino - £13.50 Dirty Youth - £8 Crucified Barbara - £10 Neighbourhood - £12.50 SOLD OUT Miles & Erica (Of The Wonder Stuff) - £10 Kids In Glass Houses - £14 Indian Mill + The Recreation + Mountain Song + Jack The Rapper + Alfie Eastwick - £7 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - £13.50

Wed 15 Oct

Wheatus + MC Frontalot + Gabrielle Sterbenz + Late Cambrian - £13 Opeth - £21.50 Skinny Molly - £12.50 Thurs 16 Oct Kid Ink - £15 Anti Nowhere League - £12 Patent Pending + Hype Theory - £10 Fri 17 Oct Clean Bandit + Years and Years - £15 Jess Glynne - £8 Pearl Scam + In Bloom UK - £9 Sat 18 Oct Sanchez + Sandra Cross + Don Campbell - £27.50 TOAST – A Tribute To Oasis + DJ Clint Boon - £12 The Orb present ‘adventures beyond the ultraworld + UFOrb’ LIVE + Dr Alex Paterson presents ‘orb in dub’ + Fini Tribe + DJ Doctor D - £17 Mutineers - £8.50 – CANCELLED refunds available from point of sale Sun 19 Oct Hold Steady - £16 We Are The Ocean - £10 Mon 20 Oct Bury Tomorrow - £11 Tues 21 Oct Alestorm + Lagerstein + Redrum + Rainbowdragoneyes - £13 Wed 22 Oct Wolf Alice - £9.50 Heather Peace - £22 Fri 24 Oct Herbaliser - £15 Sat 25 Oct Katy B + Becky Hill - £16 Holly Johnson - £24.50 Toyah - £18 Soil + American Head Charge + HED PE + 8 Foot Sativa - £17 Sun 26 Oct Rixton - £13.50 Poets of The Fall - £16 Chevelle - £13 Mon 27 Oct Fuse ODG - £12 Tues 28 Oct Twin Atlantic - £15 Klaxons + Thumpers - £13.50 Prime Circle - £16 Wed 29 Oct Escape The Fate – Download Freezes Over + Glamour Of The Kill + New Years Day - £14 Thurs 30 Oct Kenny Wayne Shepherd + Laurence Jones - £22 Bernie Torme + Aziz - £12 Francis Dunnery Band - £20 Fri 31 Oct Asking Alexandria + Ghost Inside + Crown Empire + Secrets - £16.50 SOLD OUT Living Colour - £18.50 Big Country - £20 Haken + Leprous + Maschine - £16 Sat 1 Nov illumiNaughty – Sin City!

– 1200 Mics / Tim Healey / Askillz / Afrodite Growling Machines Neuroplasm / Iration Steppas Soundsystem / Broken Eye - £19 Sun 2 Nov Gong - £17.50 – CANCELLED refunds available from point of sale Tickets from Students' Union, Oxford Road Piccadilly Box Office @ easy Internet Café (c/c) 0871 2200260 Royal Court (Liverpool) 0151 709 4321 (c/c) Students’ Union Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 2930 www.manchesteracademy.net

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Feature The University’s strategic plan Manchester 2020 lists one of our goals as contributing to the social and economic success of the local, national and international community. Our new engagement campaign to encourage staff to highlight how they are ‘making a difference’ to society was launched featuring campus installations and a new blog. Here UniLife looks at a colleague we can be proud of…

Dr Michael Donmall

Magic from an Aladdin’s Cave D r Michael Donmall is a great example of the University’s unique third goal social responsibility in both his work and his home life, and in both the local and international community.

A Reader in Health Sciences and Director of the National Drug Evidence Centre (NDEC), Institute of Population Health, he is also UK Expert at the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction, Lisbon and has been an advisor at the United Nations.

Mike at Emmaus Mossley

NDEC is responsible to Government departments for national statistics on substance misuse treatment. In a career spanning 30 years, Mike has carried out innovative work in developing treatment information systems across the UK and Europe, and for utilising these data in treatment and policyrelated research. In 2006, he edited the Global Toolkit on the measurement of drug treatment demand for the United Nations.

our social enterprises including the local food bank and canal restoration project. We also maintain a Solidary Fund that supports national and international projects such as WaterAid, a schools project in Upendo, Tanzania and the disaster relief charity Shelter Box. As well as a stable home, Emmaus provides a purpose in life. Supporting others in need, gives companions even more confidence and meaningful lives.

Mike is also a trustee of the homelessness charity Emmaus, in Mossley, near Greenfield, Saddleworth, where he lives.

“For example, our workshop offers training in the manufacture of furniture from re-cycled wood and from the renovation of old furniture.

The charity was founded in 1949 in Paris, part of an international movement giving formerly homeless and socially excluded people an opportunity to help themselves and rebuild their lives. It has now spread to 44 countries and there are now 24 communities in the UK.

“These goods are either sold in our shop to generate income to sustain the project or are given to families in need for a nominal cost. These families are usually referred to us by agencies such as Social Services, the Probation Service or various housing projects.”

Emmaus Mossley offers a home and work to 24 ‘Companions’ and finances itself by collecting and selling donated goods such as furniture, bric-a-brac, antiques, electrical appliances, clothing, books and toys.

He adds: “I have been a trustee at Emmaus for five years and find it tremendously inspiring, both personally and professionally, to see what people can achieve in their lives when we are there to help each other.”

But this description does very little justice to the Aladdin’s Cave of retro treasures that have been lovingly and skilfully restored.

You can support Emmaus by shopping at its ‘secondhand superstore’ in Longlands Mill, Queen Street, off Manchester Road, Mossley.

Mike explains: “People who live in the Emmaus Mossley community participate in many activities of

And for more information, visit: www.emmausmossley.org.uk/

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