INSPIRING STUDY A Scottish cancer charity has chosen to partner with the University by establishing a scholarship for the Masters in Cancer Sciences postgraduate programme: the Christopher Douglas Smith Postgraduate Scholarship. Christopher Smith, brother of Colin, Clara and Caroline Smith, died of a rare form of bone cancer at the age of 17. Colin and Clara founded Unite Against Cancer in Christopher’s memory. The charity aims to fund world-class research to improve understanding of cancer and to find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer. The charity also seeks to raise awareness of cancer treatments, to raise funds to improve facilities for cancer patients, and to work in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the fight against cancer. The University’s postgraduate programme in Cancer Sciences enables students to work within a multidisciplinary environment of world-leading scientists and cancer specialists to address the latest challenges in cancer diagnosis, research and treatment. •• For further information about supporting cancer sciences, please contact Catherine McGrory, email: catherine.mcgrory@glasgow.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)141 330 8007.
INSPIRING SPORT Launched this year, the University’s bursaries for basketball aim to attract the best talent and support athletes in their quest to compete in basketball at the very highest level. As well as financial support, athletes will benefit from free access to the University’s sports facilities, strength & conditioning and nutritional support, sports mentoring advice and assistance with negotiating academic flexibility. A personal message from alumnus Sandy Sutherland (MA 1964) explains what motivated him to set up the Sandy Sutherland Bursary for Basketball. ‘In 1960 I was competing in the Scottish Schoolboys Championships at the former University athletics ground at Westerlands and, after watching my victory in the shot putt, the then Principal of the University of Glasgow, Sir Hector Hetherington, asked me if I was intending to go to university and if so where. To his horror I said “Edinburgh” as that was the only university to have accepted me, although I had applied to Glasgow as well. ‘The following week I received in the post my acceptance for Glasgow from another athletics fan, the late registrar George Richardson, and my decision was made for me – in fact I may even have been Glasgow’s first invited sports scholar, though no money was involved. I was able to repay that faith by enhancing the name of the University by winning both Scottish national and university titles in the black and gold colours and earning a double Blue in athletics and weightlifting.
Inspiring research The University is very proud of its links with alumnus Alf Wight, better known as Yorkshire vet and author James Herriot. This year is the 100th anniversary of his birth and we are sure that Alf would have been very proud of the success of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s James Herriot Scholarship Fund, named in his honour with the blessing of his family. The fund enables postgraduate students to either complete a Masters by Research degree or enhance their research in ways that would otherwise not have been possible. Our most recent scholar, Elspeth Waugh, has been chosen so that she can continue her research into canine lymphoma, which she hopes will provide results relevant to both human and canine medicine. ‘Funding for companion animal projects is very difficult to come by, and the money from the James Herriot Scholarship, along with some other funding, is allowing me to complete the final phase of my PhD. I could not do this work without the James Herriot Scholarship, so I am very grateful.’ •• For more information about our James Herriot Scholarship Fund, please contact Sarah Hunter, email: sarah.hunter@glasgow.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)141 330 7145.
‘Since then I have been attracted by the team ethos to another sport at which Glasgow excels, basketball, and, though I never played the game to any great level, I now want to encourage those alumni who did to follow my example and give generously to support the men’s and women’s teams so that they can grow and match Edinburgh as the leading club in the country. ‘A former women’s captain, Dr Fiona Goodchild (née Kidd), has set up a bursary in memory of her team-mate in the 1960s, Dr Anne Ferguson (née Glen), a renowned Scottish academic in medicine; while another friend of mine, US-based sports benefactor Gordon Josey, has matched my modest contribution.’ •• For more information on supporting student athletes contact Kate Richardson, email: kate.richardson@glasgow.ac.uk, tel: +44 (0)141 330 1867. 5