alumni news
Dressing the stars
Tomorrow’s doctors
Setting professional standards
Janet Jackson and Kelly Rowland are just some of the Hollywood stars dressed for the red carpet by graduate Brian O’Callaghan. Brian, a former critical fine art practice student, holds the prestigious position of VIP and celebrity consultant for the House of Versace. Based in Milan, he coordinates the dressing of stars in Versace for high profile events, including the Oscars, Golden Globe Awards and Festival de Cannes. Most recently, Brian dressed Kelly Rowland in Cannes, Patrick and Jillian Dempsey at the Oscars 2008 and Janet Jackson in Milan for menswear fashion week.
2008 was a landmark year for the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) as the first cohort of 94 doctors celebrated their graduation success.
A genuinely twenty-first century medical school, BSMS stands at the forefront of medical education and medical research. As a new school, BSMS has been able to combine the best of the old and new in its teaching with a modern dissection room and with state-ofthe-art imaging facilities. Amy Reimoser, 28, from Littlehampton, is one of the first
Also celebrating graduation was new doctor, Joanna Smith, who was awarded the Alasdair Smith prize for overall performance. She says, “I really have enjoyed the work. The attitude of support, encouragement and positivity at BSMS has been fantastic. I’ve been taught by excellent teachers and clinicians, and have found that medicine really is the right career for me.”
Change management is the process of controlling changes to the infrastructure or any aspect of services, in a controlled manner. Built by change management professionals for change management professionals, the institute aims to set the standards of professional practice and consistency around change management across Europe and provide a wealth of resources and services including courses, seminars and access to the latest research and thinking. Eager for their profession to be recognised on a national scale, the alumni groups worked with Business School academics to establish the institute. Visit www.changeinpractice.co.uk for more information.
News in brief Against all odds
A wise counsel
Behind the scenes
Success with Stein
It’s with determination that Richard Gregory graduated with a degree in environmental sciences in summer 2008. Two years ago, Richard had a near fatal accident leaving him in a coma for ten days and suffering brain injuries. Then a second year student, Richard’s studying came to a halt as recuperated with psychiatrists, neuropsychologists and brain injury support groups. Against all the odds and with much support, four months after the accident, he returned to complete his final year. Now working for Brighton & Hove City Council, Richard continues to attend brain injury support groups and is working towards a full recovery.
Sir Michael Checkland, an independent member of the university’s Board of Governors from 2000–2007, was honoured at the summer graduation. Chairman of the Board during 2002–2006, his leadership was exemplary and the university benefited enormously from his wise counsel. Possibly best known for his role as director general of the BBC, a post he held between 1987 and 1993, Sir Michael has enjoyed a highly successful career in broadcasting. On receiving his commendation, he praised the university for extending higher education, not just to school leavers but for people studying part-time and retraining.
Architecture graduate, Joseph Hodges, has landed a dream job working behind the scenes on hit TV show, 24. The production designer worked on season seven of 24 along with a 24 TV movie mostly shot in South Africa and starring Emmy Award winner, Kiefer Sutherland and Academy Award winner, Jon Voight. Joseph was nominated for Achievement in Production Design for the TV movie at the 2007 Art Directors Awards.
A partnership between The Seafood Restaurant and the university has assisted in Rick Stein’s range of handmade preserves and chutneys being stocked in top-end department store, Selfridges. Stein chose to draw on the expert knowledge offered by the university’s School of Service Management, on a retail and merchandising project to drive the offer forward. Over the past year retail marketing graduate, Filip Jicinsky, has worked on re-launching the online shop, improving logistics, sourcing new products and working with the marketing manager on the redesign of their label products.
His previous production design credits include the films Star Trek, The Shawshank Redemption, Dracula, Tank Girl, Kiss the Girls, The Big Tease and Rocket Man.
The Brighton Effect | February 2009
BSMS was founded as a result of a highly successful collaboration between the NHS and the universities of Brighton and Sussex and is currently the most popular undergraduate medical school in the country in terms of applications.
graduates. She spent her elective in Durban, South Africa. “It was an amazing experience, seeing the array of problems that stem from having poor or no antenatal care and I got loads of hands-on practice at looking after babies. My month of travelling around such a beautiful country, from Cape Town to Kruger National Park, made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience never to be forgotten.”
The Institute of Change Management (IoCM), based within the university’s Business School, joins just two other organisations in the world committed to leading in the development of the profession.
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Brian has forged a successful career in fashion since his graduation in 2004. He worked first as assistant to Isabella Blow, former fashion director at Tatler, before working for the singer Bryan Ferry, where he archived Ferry’s extensive photography collection.
Graduates from the university’s MA Change Management Programme have helped to drive forward Europe’s first professional body dedicated exclusively to managers charged with organisational change.