life magazine 2018

WLV

University of Wolverhampton alumni magazine

COMMONWEALTH PRIDE Graduate represents England TALKING BUSINESS Advice from Xbox pioneer THE JACKSON THREE Film maker’s new thriller THE PLASTICS PROBLEM How the University is helping

ISSUE 13 SUMMER 2018

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08 22 10 18

CONTENTS 04 06 08 10 12 14 18 21 22 26 28 29 30 32 34 37 38 40 42

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UNIVERSITY NEWS – ALUMNI NEWS – TOM AND THE JACKSON THREE – MAGICAL MIMI – A NEW TAKE ON APPRENTICESHIPS – THE PLASTIC PROBLEM – MEET OUR WOLF – AT THE HEART OF THE DOTCOM BOOM – VAL MEANS BUSINESS – A DAY IN THE LIFE – FRIENDS REUNITE – RETRACING FAMILY FOOTSTEPS – THE HIDDEN SIDE OF HOMELESSNESS – THREE MINUTES TO SAVE A LIFE – Q&A WITH YASHMIN MISTRY – HONG KONG ALUMNI CELEBRATIONS – TURKISH DELIGHT – MY LIFE: JOSIE’S OMG MOMENT – WLV ALUMNI – MEET YOUR TEAM –

LIFE. AT WOLVERHAMPTON. AFTER WOLVERHAMPTON. FOR LIFE. Welcome to the 2018 edition of WLV Life. In this issue, you’ll find University and alumni news, inspiring graduate features and much more.

It’s fantastic to hear about graduate achievements and we’re very excited to feature some amazing people who have made it big in the USA. If you want some insightful, straight-talking business advice, business consultant and author Val Wright pulls no punches in our interview on page 22.

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“WE HAVE A STRONG ALUMNI COMMUNITY AT THE UNIVERSITY AND ARE PROUD OF ALL OUR GRADUATES AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS. IT IS FANTASTIC TO HEAR ABOUT THE MANY SUCCESS STORIES THAT COME FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON.”

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Professor Geoff Layer Vice-Chancellor

Having been part of the launch team behind Xbox and worked with mega brands from Amazon to Microsoft, Val’s got experience and insight. She talks innovation, overcoming obstacles and pistol shrimps! It’s a must-read.

We also have Kaj Pederson (page 21), who carved out stateside success during the dotcom boom.

Back in the UK, we’re amazingly proud of Mimi-Isabella Cesar, a graduate and rhythmic gymnast who represented England in this year’s Commonwealth Games. Find out more on page 10.

The University of Wolverhampton has been at the forefront of tackling mental health issues. Nursing graduate and senior lecturer Clare Dickens is behind the award-winning Three Minutes to Save a Life, training staff members to recognise early warning signs in at-risk students. Find out more on page 32 and see the University’s permanent reminder of its commitment to mental health and wellbeing on page 18.

Our researchers are committed to finding innovative solutions to problems.

Plastic pollution is the scourge of modern times and reaching international crisis levels. We’ve got a special report on page 14 which shows how we’re helping and how you can do your bit, too.

We also have academic insight into the latest on homelessness (page 30), international updates, the uplifting story of a graduate who changed her life after a shocking cancer diagnosis (page 40) and news of a Michael Jackson tribute band film (page 8).

There are lots of lifelong friendships formed at the University of Wolverhampton, as well as life-changing experiences. Read about reunions and family visits on page 28 and 29, and if you’d like to organise your own, or you need any kind of support from your alumni team, find out about what’s available to you on pages 42 and 43.

As always, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us a line with news and views at: alumni@wlv.ac.uk Emma Pugh Editor

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The University of Wolverhampton has launched a new Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies – the first of its kind in the UK.

Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, course leader in Religious Studies in the School of Humanities and an internationally-recognised researcher in Sikhism who has published extensively on the Sikh and Panjabi community, has been appointed Director of the Centre.

The new Centre was officially launched by Dr Satinder Sartaaj, renowned Punjabi singer and poet, at a celebratory ceremony attended by members of the local community, University staff and students, as well as local dignitaries.

The Centre will offer PhDs and Master’s level courses in Sikh studies, as well as continuing professional development (CPD) courses for teachers and managers of diverse workforces such as national and local government, the NHS and the emergency services.

1. UK FIRST FOR UNIVERSITY SIKH CENTRE

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NEWS wlv.ac.uk/alumni

Anyone interested in getting involved with the new Centre should contact Dr Takhar: o.takhar@wlv.ac.uk and if you would like to make a charitable donation to the Centre contact Terry Gibson, Development Manager: t.gibson@wlv.ac.uk.

2. JOIN US FOR PUBLIC LECTURES The University of Wolverhampton Lecture Series offers everyone the opportunity to hear from expert researchers sharing their knowledge and expertise on a variety of subjects.

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Double Paralympic gold medallist Danielle Brown will be speaking on 12 June about the relationship between success and our mind-set.

Later this year, Professor John Traxler will be talking on the topic: ‘Mobiles and modernity – how digital technology changes everything’, on 17 October.

Full information and booking is available at: wlv.ac.uk/ lectureseries. We’d love to see you there.

3. SCIENCE CENTRE SHORTLISTED FOR AWARDS

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It will also offer training for granthis and gianis, individuals taking the religious lead in gurdwaras, short courses in religious literacy and language to address the loss of the Panjabi language in younger generations, as well as teaching in English to promote bilingualism and skills for life.

Opinderjit said: “The Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies will be based around a nationallyleading research hub, with largescale research projects into Sikh history, art and literature, diaspora, identity, inter-religious dialogue, culture, community and place, all within the context of a 21st century global society.

The Centre will be involved with the exchange of knowledge on an international platform using the links it has already established with Sikh Studies scholars across the globe.

“Our aspiration is to create a space for current and future generations in which they can feel comfortable in enquiring about their faith, its principles and ethos. The Centre will be a go-to place for any individuals

The University’s new Science Centre has been nominated in two categories in the region’s premier property and construction awards.

The £10.1m centre located at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park, which was completed late last year, has been nominated in two of the eight categories for the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards 2018, West Midlands.

Designed by Fairhursts Design Group and built by Clegg

Construction, the building has been nominated in the Design by Innovation category and the Regeneration category.

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or organisations wanting to know more about the Sikhs and their faith.”

The centre has high quality workshop, office and category 1 and 2 laboratory space over 4,000 square metres and offers specialist space for science, technology and engineering businesses, catering for the aerospace, automotive, building technology and life science sectors.

Nigel Babb, University of Wolverhampton Science Park Director, said: “We’re really proud to hear that the centre has been recognised in this way in such prestigious awards.”

4. LECTURER’S HOPE TO GET STORK PROJECT OFF THE GROUND A University of Wolverhampton lecturer is hoping to get a unique art project off the ground to raise awareness of migration and settlement in the UK. Gavin Rogers, senior lecturer in Fine Art, wants to bring a flock of migrant red stork sculptures to the West Midlands. His idea is based around the migration of storks from the East African Savannah towards Southern, Central and Eastern Europe.

He said: “Many people across mainland Europe welcome these multi-continental migrants each year as they are the bearers of good luck, life, health and vitality. Once nested, pairs of storks will return to the same nest every year for the rest of their lives.

“Interestingly, storks have not nested in the UK for over 600 years until, in 2014, a pair found their way to Great Yarmouth and they are now starting to settle in the UK in small numbers.”

The aim of the project is to bring all of the storks together in one place in Spring 2019 to coincide with the UK’s exit from the European Union.

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1. CELEBRATION IN THE CITY

ALUMNI

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More than 850 students celebrated their academic achievements at our spring graduations recently.

Nursing and postgraduate students attended ceremonies at the Grand Theatre and ended their special day with a drinks reception in the Harrison Learning Centre.

An honorary doctorate was presented to Wolverhamptonborn author Narinder Dhami on Wednesday, in recognition of her literary achievements.

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Narinder, who was educated at Wolverhampton Girls’ High School, is an award-winning children’s author, whose most famous and biggest-selling book was Bend It Like Beckham, a novelisation of the film.

Each year more than 7,000 students graduate from Wolverhampton at more than 30 ceremonies in the UK and overseas in areas where the University has international partnerships and we take pride in every single achievement.

We wish all our 2018 graduates the very best of luck – keep in touch.

The Graduate Outcome Survey (formerly Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education) is a postuniversity survey, completed by graduates, that asks the question – “what are you up to in your career?”

If you’ve graduated recently, expect contact from an external party either by phone or email 15 months after you’ve finished your course.

The survey aims to determine if you have found employment, what you do, where you do it and how much you’re earning.

The more engagement with the survey, the more accurate the results and statistics gained will be, so if you’re contacted please take time to participate.

The survey will look at: • How meaningful or important you feel your activity to be.

• Whether you’re using the skills from your qualification in your current activity.

• How you’re progressing towards your future goals.

The Graduate Outcome survey will also gather deeper insights into graduates pursuing nontraditional career paths, such as those developing creative portfolios, or setting up a business.

3. GRADUATE MIDWIFE ON ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE A University of Wolverhampton midwifery graduate shared her experiences on the hit TV programme, One Born Every Minute.

Shantelle Smith, who graduated with a BSc in Midwifery in 2015, featured in two episodes of the Channel 4 BAFTA-winning programme which highlights the drama and emotion of the maternity unit at Birmingham Women’s Hospital.

The 28-year-old, from south Birmingham, said: “At first I wasn’t sure about being on TV, but a woman came in who wanted to be filmed so I said yes. It was nerve-wracking but then I got used to the cameras and the production team were really nice.

“When I left school, I was a hairdresser and beautician – I knew I wanted to be a midwife but didn’t think I was ready as it’s such a big responsibility.

But having my daughter was a turning point and made me realise that was what I wanted to do. I love my job. Sometimes it’s hard and there are stressful times but when you get home you can think ‘I brought a new life into the world today’ and that’s amazing.”

4. TV’S GEORGE CLARKE VISITS ‘FANTASTIC’ SITE Acclaimed architect, TV presenter and honorary graduate George Clarke visited the £100 million Springfield regeneration project.

He took a tour of the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills Hub (ECMS) and the West Midlands University Technical College (WMUTC) at the site before hosting an evening reception in the University’s Chancellor’s Hall.

George Clarke is an architect, creative director of George Clarke + Partners, and a founder of TV production company Amazing Productions. He is the presenter of several successful series for television.

He said: “Everything that is happening here is fantastic.

Springfield gives young people a foundation to do something brilliant starting from a very young age and it’s a real inspiration to see the pathways that are being created.”

Since its purchase in 2014, the derelict site has been rejuvenated into a centre of excellence for construction and the built environment, delivering an unbeatable skills

pathway for construction education and training from the age of 14 to senior professionals.

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2. TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER

5. AWARD FOR CHILDREN’S WRITER A Muslim writer seeking to promote tolerance and peace has won an international award for her children’s book.

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Fawzia Gilani-Williams graduated from the University with a BEd in 1993 and is a writer and teacher.

Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam adapted by Fawzia and illustrated by Chiara Fedele was one of the winners of the annual Sydney Taylor Book Award, which recognises books for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience. It tells of two neighbours – one Jewish, one Muslim – who have always been best friends.

When they both fall on hard times, can they find a way to help each other?

2018 is the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Taylor Awards, making the award all the more special.

The book was published by Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing Group.

Fawzia has written several Eid stories and adapted traditional tales. She says she is motivated as a teacher to give visibility to students and that she is “humbled and thrilled about the award.”

6. MBA GRADUATES BENEFIT FROM FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Operations director at Jaguar Land Rover and University honorary graduate, Trevor Leeks, shared his business tips at a special event.

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The event, aimed at Master of Business Administration (MBA) and other business course graduates was part of an afternoon of free professional development held at the University’s Lord Swraj Paul Building in March.

It was a great success, providing business graduates with the opportunity to further their knowledge and skills and consider their next steps for professional development.

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Graduate feature

TOM AND THE JACKSON THREE Telling the stories of people from all walks of life is the motivation for filmmaker Tom Goudsmit. And his encounter with a Michael Jackson tribute act may be one of his most compelling pieces of work to date. He talks to Emma Pugh about this latest project, hooligans and life behind the camera.

Filmmaker Tom Goudsmit was in San Francisco working on a documentary about America’s Cup when a group of performers caught his eye.

“I was staying in a touristy part of the city and there were lots of street artists. One night, I noticed these three Michael Jackson impersonators, all performing together,” he says.

He went down to talk to them and couldn’t help wanting to find out their story. Chavail, Quintin and Malachi were all from small towns on the west coast of America, dreaming of making it big.

Tom had some free time in the evenings and started to film them and getting to know them. The trio had met through their shared love

of Michael Jackson and together formed the supergroup The Three Generations – The Michael J Experience, with each of them representing a different era from the singer’s career.

The resulting edited 12 minute film was shown at a few festivals and received a really positive reception.

So much so, that Tom decided to make a longer documentary following their quest for fame and fortune over the course of four years.

The result is Moonwalkers – the Legacy of Michael Jackson, which sees the tribute troupe search for success in Hollywood. They go on a road trip to LA where they aim to get noticed, find an agent, get paid and mix with the rich and famous.

They have a “crazy time and receive lots of attention”, and Tom is there to track their journey. “It’s been a lot of fun,” he says.

It’s also been a labour of love, with a successful crowd-funding campaign through Kickstarter to enable filming to finish. Tom has worked on many other projects over the last few years but has been dedicated to the Kickstarter for Moonwalkers fulltime since November last year.

Now the film is nearing completion in the year that would have been Michael Jackson’s 60th birthday and ahead of the 10 year anniversary of his death next year. This year is also

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the 35th anniversary of the iconic Moonwalk dance, first performed to the song Billie Jean (if you still haven’t mastered the moves, see YouTube for a tutorial from Chavail).

“The group’s story is uplifting and aspirational,” says Tom. “There is a sad element there, too, but ultimately it’s about their friendship and their lives, and it’s about hope.”

Tom studied Electronic Media (now Digital Media) at the University of Wolverhampton in 1999, where he gained a solid understanding of different media and made friends for life.

“I had a great time at Wolverhampton and it helped me decide what I wanted to do,” he says.

Graduate feature

– “I ENJOY MEETING PEOPLE. IT’S AMAZING HOW THEY’LL OPEN UP; BUT IT’S NOT TO YOU, IT’S TO THE OMNIPRESENT CAMERA. IT FEELS LIKE A SAFE PLACE FOR THEM TO UNLOAD, ALMOST LIKE THERAPY IN A WAY, AND I’M PRIVILEGED TO BE STANDING BEHIND IT.” –

After graduating, he took on different roles within the media before becoming a freelance director, working on everything from sports events to a BBC documentary about the infamous Cleveland kidnappings.

A film for the Guardian, I Predict a Riot, where he encountered escalating levels of football hooliganism, was a particularly memorable project. “I had no protective clothing, I’ve never had a fight in my life and everything kicked off really quickly, but it is fascinating to see that up close,” he says.

Filming has taken Tom all over the world, including America, India and Mozambique. A career highlight was working on the BAFTA-winning BBC series Just a Few Drinks, four short true stories made for the BBC.

The films show how an evening of drinking led to a sequence of events that changed the lives of four people, giving young people an insight into the effects of alcohol. On this, he worked with producer and director Tristan Anderson, who he has teamed up with again for Moonwalkers.

While he’s filmed celebrities, including music and sports stars, Tom prefers telling the real stories of everyday people.

“I enjoy meeting people. It’s amazing how they’ll open up; but it’s not to you, it’s to the omnipresent camera. It feels like a safe place for them to unload, almost like therapy in a way, and I’m privileged to be standing behind it.” tomgoudsmit.com @goudgod WLV Life Summer 2018

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Graduate feature

MAGICA Talented gymnast Mimi-Isabella Cesar flew the flag for Team England when she took part in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.

University of Wolverhampton graduate Mimi was one of three selected for the Team England’s rhythmic gymnastics team, as well as being a Team England ambassador for the Gold Coast 2018 Games in Queensland.

Mimi-Isabella, who made her Commonwealth Games debut at Glasgow 2014 and is a three-time British all-around medallist, has also just been awarded Alumni of the Year at the University’s WLV Sports Awards 2018. wlv.ac.uk/alumni

Mimi, from Sutton Coldfield, made the switch to rhythmic gymnasts after seeing the sport at an artistic gymnastics competition when she was younger. This year’s Commonwealth saw Mimi take part in both team and individual competitions. The rhythmic gymnastics squad competed at Coomera Indoor Sports Centre in front of a packed audience.

Mimi impressed the crowd with her hoop routine that was full of confidence and well performed

for a score of 11.050. She also performed multiple impressive butterfly leaps in her ball routine, a strong baton routine and put in a trademark dramatic performance with her ribbon work.

Sadly, the 2012 Junior British Champion didn’t win any medals on this occasion. The team came sixth overall with Cyprus, Malaysia and Australia taking gold, silver and bronze respectively. But Mimi was very proud to represent her country and says she was honoured to have

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my performances better, however I have come away really proud of myself.

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been selected as a Team England Athletics Ambassador.

She says: “The Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast 2018 was the most amazing experience of my life and comes a close second to being my favourite competition to date (my favourite competition actually being the World University games in Taipei 20170.

“I was more prepared for the Commonwealth Games then I have ever been for any competition.

I felt really good about my competition;, as all athletes are, I’m a perfectionist, so of course there are ways that I could have made

“Of course my aim was to come away with a medal and to stand on the podium I dreamt about it every day leading up to the competition.

My sport however is very subjective and although I am proud of my performances I feel my scores did not reflect how I performed which is disappointing.

“This has left me extremely motivated to compete at another big games, with the Birmingham 2022 Games being completely in my sights for my long term goals.

A hometown games would be AMAZING! At the moment I am having some rest and recovery time and looking towards the future and how I can make my journey within the next four years the best it possibly can be.

“Coming back from the games and attending the University sports awards was lovely and it was such a great surprise to win the Alumni of the Year Award. Knowing it is a new award and being honoured to be the first person to achieve it, I am excited to see what the future holds with my relationship with the Alumni Team and I hope to inspire many other students.”

She may have missed out on medals on this occasion, but Mimi made the University and her home city incredibly proud and we’re all looking forward to seeing what she does next.

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A NEW TAKE ON APPRENTICESHIPS For those whom the term “apprentice” conjures up stereotypical images of young school leavers, or even desperate TV hopefuls vying for the attention of Lord Sugar, it’s time for a major rethink.

Higher and Degree Level apprenticeships are being undertaken by employees of all ages to aid professional and technical skills, with employer-led offerings upskilling workforces and having a hugely positive impact on business productivity.

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“IF SOMEBODY ASKED ME, ‘IS IT WORTH GETTING INVOLVED IN A HIGHER LEVEL APPRENTICESHIP?’, I’D DEFINITELY SAY IT IS. IT WILL GIVE YOU ALL SORTS OF EXPERIENCE, THE ACADEMIC BACKGROUND, BUT ALSO [WORKING] WITH AN EMPLOYER AND GETTING THAT SUPPORT… I THINK ONLY GOOD THINGS CAN COME OF IT.”

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Stephen Tracey Construction Manager Wates Living Space

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The University of Wolverhampton is playing an important role in these developments via its Apprenticeship Hub, a one-stop destination providing access to valuable resources and support, including details on available programmes which cover a variety of trades and professions.

The University invested £500,000 in the Hub, which includes a funding contribution of over £150,000 from the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Having been awarded £250,000 funding from the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) in 2017 to develop this important area, more than 150 apprentices are already studying for Higher and Degree Level qualifications at the University.

An additional £460,000 was also secured to deliver training for Degree Apprenticeships to non-levy paying companies. The allocation of money was approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and means that the University can widen its support for local businesses looking to upskill their workforce.

Retail manager Robert Evans, who runs seven Beacon Centre shops, including a café and a warehouse, across the Black Country, is studying the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA), BA (Hons) Business Management.

Designed for professional managers who take lead responsibility for people, projects, operations and/or services to deliver long-term organisational success, it covers all aspects of business and includes mentoring, training support and face-to-face and distance learning.

Robert says: “Even though I’ve got lots of work experience, I haven’t got any qualifications that match my level of practical experience. Becoming a Chartered Manager is my ultimate goal which is why this Degree Apprenticeship fits so well with my ambition – I learn really well from actually doing something.”

In addition to the CMDA, the University currently offers a Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Management (pathways for Civil Engineering and Built Environment), Chartered Legal Executive Apprenticeship, Nursing Associate Foundation Degree Science Apprenticeship and the following Degree Apprenticeships: • Chartered Manager • Chartered Surveyor • Healthcare Science Practitioner • Manufacturing Engineer • Product Design and Development Engineer.

Future Higher and Degree Apprenticeships will include Digital Technologies, Social Work, Nursing and Paramedic Science.

Michele Roberts, Head of the Apprenticeship Hub, says the University differentiates itself from other providers by focusing on technical and professional higher levels skills and working closely with employers to develop their current and future workforce needs.

“Our apprenticeships are proving very successful. We are helping workforces to upskill and this is working very well.”

At the time of going to press, the University was preparing to showcase its apprenticeship success stories at the House of Lords.

Companies interested in Degree Apprenticeships should contact the Apprenticeship Hub on: 01902 321 000 or email: enquiries@wlv.ac.uk.

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“MY AMBITION FOR THE FUTURE IS TO BRING THE SKILLS WITH ME THAT I’VE GAINED FROM THE COURSE. I’D SAY: GO FOR IT! IT CAN ONLY BENEFIT YOU AND YOUR ORGANISATION.” Andy Nicholls Construction Management apprentice and Property Supervisor, Wolverhampton Homes

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Research feature

THE

PLASTIC PROBLEM

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Research feature

As plastics pollution reaches crisis levels, scientists are working to find a solution. The University of Wolverhampton has received national acclaim for its innovative work. Emma Pugh finds out more.

Plastic is everywhere; packaging, coffee cups, bags, bottles... the list goes on. Since the 1950s, humans have produced a massive 8.3bn tonnes of plastic – enough to cover the UK ankle-deep more than 10 times over*.

With the majority ending up in landfill or polluting the world’s continents and oceans, the plastics problem is a global environmental crisis.

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SINCE THE 1950S, HUMANS HAVE PRODUCED A MASSIVE 8.3BN TONNES OF PLASTIC – ENOUGH TO COVER THE UK ANKLE-DEEP MORE THAN 10 TIMES OVER*.

– But despite widespread publicity about its negative impact, people’s thirst for the convenience of plastic bottled water and soft drinks shows no signs of abating. Earlier this year, the Guardian revealed that a million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. This number is expected to jump another 20 per cent by 2021. While most plastic bottles are made from recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (Pet), it is impossible to keep pace with soaring demand.

A massive £778 million was spent on clearing plastic litter and enforcing laws in 2015/16** in the UK alone. * Source: Greenpeace ** Source: House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report 2017 WLV Life Summer 2018

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400 million 40%

of plastic produced is single-use.

80 million 7 million 100,000

tonnes of plastic enters the world’s oceans each year.

cardboard coffee cups are thrown away every day.

animals in the sea are killed by plastic each year.

by 2050 43%

tonnes of plastic are produced each year.

experts think that the amount of plastic in the ocean will weigh more than the amount of fish in the ocean.

of plastic bottles are not recycled in the UK.

*Source – BBC (bbc.co.uk) Thanks to work by University of Wolverhampton scientists, there is now potential for old water bottles and other plastic waste to be turned into high value materials.

Working with international partners, the University is pioneering its ‘King Midas’ approach, making different types of biodegradable polymers for use in agriculture, medicine and general household items.

Plastic waste is being converted into a pliable wax-like substance to which other elements can be added, turning it into a high-value, biodegradable form of bioplastic.

Campaigns by Greenpeace and Sky Ocean Rescue are helping to raise awareness, and the Government has proposed people pay a deposit when they buy drinks bottles and cans in a bid to boost recycling and cut waste, but innovative solutions are still desperately needed. wlv.ac.uk/alumni

Dr Iza Radecka, Reader in Biotechnology at the University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, and her colleague, Professor in Synthetic/Polymer Chemistry, Marek Kowalczuk, are currently carrying out tests on the substance.

They are looking at possible uses, including an environmentallyfriendly form of mulch for farming, as ‘scaffolding’ on which to grow human cells and for items such as pens or bags.

“Mountains of plastic waste, including carrier bags, packaging and medical plastic wastes are buried in landfill sites around the world each year,” said Dr Radecka. “Synthetic plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, and biodegradable plastic from three months to one year depending on environment.

“Unfortunately, plastics produced by the petrochemical industry are not biodegradable and therefore accumulate in the environment at a rate of more than 25 million tonnes per year. This continues to pose a growing challenge for authorities at both the local and national level.

“Waste Polyethylene (PE) is a potential carbon source that could

YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR PERSONAL PLASTIC FOOTPRINT

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FIVE WAYS

It might sound obvious but plastic is so widely used that many of us don’t always stop and think.

Here are some quick wins:

1 Carry a reusable bottle A great way to cut plastic use – and save money. More free water stations are springing up across the UK.

2 And a reusable coffee cup Fewer than one in 400 are recycled and many cafes now offer discounts for those who bring their own.

3 Say no to plastic straws be utilised to make value-added biopolymers, particularly as it is the most commonly produced plastic, making up over 29 per cent of worldwide plastic manufacture, while only 10 per cent of it is recycled.

“Bacterial polymers such as Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a group of biocompatible, environmentally neutral, biodegradable plastics that can be produced by certain bacteria. The structure of the PHAs can be adapted for a wide range of medical applications, especially implants, including heart valve, vascular, bone, and cartilage tissue engineering, as well as nerve conduit tissue engineering.”

Wolverhampton and Birmingham before deciding to do a Master’s in Microbiology and Biotechnology.

I was then offered a PhD-student researcher position in the Biotechnology department. I have had several publications in journals and books in the field of recycling and the future applications of biodegradable plastics. I believe this area of study is extremely important and it is up to us to simultaneously clean and establish sustainable processes that can maintain our planet for future generations.”

Think when you order a drink and use paper ones at home if needed.

4 Buy loose fruit and veg Many supermarkets use excessive packaging. Bananas come in their own wrappers!

5 Carry a shopping bag According to Greenpeace, usage has dropped by 85 per cent since the plastic bag charge was introduced but there’s still more work to be done.

University of Wolverhampton alumnus Brian Johnston, pictured here second from right, is part of Dr Radecka’s research team.

He says: “After graduating from my biological sciences BSc, I worked as a teacher for several years in WLV Life Summer 2018

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Campus developments

MEET OUR WOLF

Wolverhampton’s Wolves in Wolves tour (as featured in the last edition of WLV Life) proved to be a popular attraction, with visitors following the decorative wolf sculptures around the city.

Now the University is delighted to have a wolf of its very own!

The Support Life wolf, decorated in a colourful jigsaw design, is dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health awareness. It was donated to the University as academics launched a new suicide prevention group.

The wolf was created by University of Wolverhampton art graduate Alex Vann who said he was ‘delighted’ his work had found its way back to campus. Alex said: “I studied art at the University of Wolverhampton and I hope people who are suffering with their own mental health will get some comfort from the vocabulary and imagery depicted.

– “THE WOLF IS VERY SYMBOLIC AND A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE UNIVERSITY’S COMMITMENT TO POSITIVE MENTAL WELLBEING AND HEALTH PROMOTION GENERALLY.” – Alex explained the design for the Support Life wolf came about after he got involved with mental health workshops and met vulnerable people.

He added: “The NHS ‘five ways to wellbeing’ are picked out in the vibrant orange pieces and various other images and words are used to support these. Also shown is the board game ‘Snakes and Ladders’ which refers to how life can be full of ups and downs.”

Dr Danielle McFeeters, of the psychology team, says: “The wolf is very symbolic and a visual representation of the University’s commitment to positive mental wellbeing and health promotion generally. We also hope that it will encourage people to be more mindful of their own mental health with a view to potentially promoting help-seeking.”

Wolves in Wolves was the largest public art exhibition and trail to have ever taken place in the city, with 30 locally made wolf sculptures prowling the centre for more than 11 weeks.

The sculptures raised more than £35,000 at auction for various local charities.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE We know our alumni have a wealth of diverse experience so please come on board and be part of WLV Online Mentoring:

wlv.aluminate.net

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POSTGRADUATE OPEN EVENING THURSDAY 28 JUNE 2018 5pm – 7pm wlv.ac.uk/enquiries wlv.ac.uk/alumni

/uniwolverhampton

@wlv_uni

#leadthepack

Stateside success

This set me on a path of being at the forefront of many changes for the software and technology industry that ultimately led me to Silicon Valley.

Here, I was at the heart of the dotcom boom and growth of the Internet’s transformation of our society.

I left with my degree ready to embark on my path in the professional world.

Many of the skills and capabilities that I learned in my extra-curricular activities were just as important to my development as those lessons learned in my undergraduate studies. In fact, the one constant that you can depend on in the world after graduation is that everything changes.

AT THE HEART OF THE

DOTCOM BOOM Kaj Pederson is one of our stateside success stories. He headed to Silicon Valley at the height of the dotcom boom and is now vice-president of a successful software start-up company. He tells WLV Life about how the University of Wolverhampton helped him carve out his career path.

“I was very much enamoured by computers and programming, in what was a nascent time for the microcomputer enthusiast. So, as I was living in the area at the time, I started to look at my options. The University – then Polytechnic – had a good reputation amongst people I spoke to about computer science and I received an unconditional offer.

The facilities were certainly ahead of their time, although I suspect many of the current computer science students will find it archaic [hearing what they used to be]. We were still taught the value of paper-tape and punch card technologies back then, because many in the industry were still loading their data using these methods.

The idea of being able to tie this degree to a year of experience, through the sandwich year, was also compelling. The early eighties were a particularly tough time for the UK in terms of the economy, and work was not easy to come by for

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MY ROLE IS TO TRY AND PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND INSPIRING LEADERSHIP – anyone. Therefore, being able to study in an upcoming field and get at least a year’s experience would help with job prospects after graduation.

I was fortunate enough to see this play out, as I was hired by British Coal’s IT department for my industry-experience during my sandwich year. My success during this placement meant that I was offered a job with them a year later, after I graduated.

I have been an entrepreneur for many years in the US and currently I am working as the vice-president of operations with a company called Atlas Informatics, a software start-up based in Seattle.

Simply put, my role is to support the team’s focus on building amazing products by making sure that we are delivering value faster, more efficiently and with less waste. I do this by making sure we keep the lights on; and those lights remain on by taking care of the company’s strategy, finance, legal, corporate, HR/recruiting and product development needs. This I accomplish by working with smart, adaptive and execution-focused people who can collaborate on delivering software that people love to use.

My role is to try and provide effective and inspiring leadership, (identifying opportunities to leverage crossprogramme strengths) to take advantage of new opportunities and to address organisational challenges.

My degree helped me get a foothold in the software industry at a time when this was still considered more of an administrative role. The University was ahead of its time when it came to the skills we were taught around microcomputing, software and database management systems. It also taught me that you cannot rest on your laurels and that education is an ongoing commitment for the rest of your life.

The University of Wolverhampton gave me great memories, excellent friends, challenging the status quo and taking the path least travelled by those around me.”

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Graduate feature wlv.ac.uk/alumni

Graduate feature

VAL MEANS BUSINESS University of Wolverhampton business graduate Val Wright is an internationally acclaimed innovation expert.

She was on the small team that created the fastest selling device of all time, Kinect for Xbox, which won a Guinness Book of World Record selling over 20 million devices.

Val’s global clients include Starbucks, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Financial Times, and DreamWorks Animation. Her corporate experience includes tenures during dramatic growth periods at Amazon, BMW, Microsoft, Harrods, Marconi, and Sema Group.

Her latest book, Thoughtfully Ruthless, won Best Business Book in the New York City Big Book Awards.

Emma Pugh finds out more.

Could you tell us about the concept of your latest book, Thoughtfully Ruthless?

Thoughtfully Ruthless lays out the secret to rapid business growth by showing you how to magically invent more time, catapult your energy, and boost the productivity of your resources. I have worked with leaders of all stripes — from doctors to musicians to global senior executives — to help them unlock their potential and achieve the next level of success.

My experiences have shown time and time again that it’s not the economy, or the market conditions, or the competition that’s holding your business back. The secret to exponential growth lies within how leaders ruthlessly manage their time, energy, and resources in parallel.

Leaders need to know how to be ruthless in a thoughtful way. This book shows you how to become that kind of leader.

The principles in Thoughtfully Ruthless go beyond the boardroom; as a mother of three small children, I exemplify being thoughtfully ruthless. This is not about work-life balance; you need to throw away the scales because they constantly cause you to evaluate and question your choices. This is about creating one life that you lead in a thoughtfully ruthless way, and I share proven techniques to increase discretionary time, boost and maintain your energy, and the ability to make the most of the resources around you.

You’ve worked with so many big names.

How do you adapt to such a diverse client range?

I don’t believe in fluffy work that floats in the clouds of pontification, circular reflection, or naming everyone a specific colour, animal, or shape in the name of team building. I approach my work by asking “so what?” a lot. I start by asking an executive what real business impact they want to change. Once we agree on the destination, there may be several ways we get there, from what I call ‘behind the curtain’ executive advice for a board, CEO, or their executive team, an immersive piece of work galvanizing a team to accelerate business results, or designing and running an experience for the top 100 executives at the company. I’m continuously looking for repeatable success and sharing it within a company, or across my various clients who love to know about an innovation program that created Kinect for Xbox, or just if all the stories about Amazon are fact or fiction and what is transferable to their unique business.

There has been a lot of media coverage around pay inequality and sexism in the workplace. Have you had to overcome more obstacles as a woman in business?

I’ve observed life in the male-dominated worlds of gaming, car manufacturing and technology, working with many leading companies including Xbox, BMW, and Amazon, and in almost every executive team I work with, I’m the only woman present (aside from an occasional woman in the legal or HR seats).

Here are the four lessons I’ve learned to jump any obstacles thrown my way: • Focus on business results This applies to both men and women when talking to women: talk business insights, not fashion or family commentary when talking to women.

Men don’t approach other men and say “nice shoes” or “how are the kids?”

They talk about the latest products, what they just read on Recode or the results of the last board retreat. Don’t tell me you like my dress. I don’t care.

Or if I do, I don’t want to hear it from you. We work together. You’re not here to find your next BFF. • Match the mannerisms of your male counterparts A highly-successful female executive told me this last week: “I’m continually in executive meetings where my executive male peers speak in parallel, they are loud, aggressive, and dominate conversations.” I told her: “Beat them at their own game.”

Speak louder, don’t drop out of the parallel talk, find new ways to take over.

Grab a pen and notepad and frame a discussion with a diagram, physically command your space, stand when everyone else is sitting. If anyone crosses the inappropriate line, name it and confront it the first time it happens; if nothing changes, speak up and be prepared to walk right out of the door.

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Graduate feature

Read an extract from Thoughtfully Ruthless by Val Wright: WHO IS THOUGHTFUL? WHO IS RUTHLESS?

• Pay attention to the music of your voice Ladies, you can train your voice to talk several octaves lower. Listen to sports coaches. Learn not to ‘uptalk’, inserting that uptick at the end of sentences turning your statements into questions.

This bad habit makes you sound uncertain, not confident.

Video yourself and listen. Watch the movie In a World, in which the character played by Lake Bell teaches women to speak with confidence and power.

• Be brilliant at demonstrating your brilliance One of the key factors that differentiates the highest-performing leaders is that they are not just brilliant at creating results, they are also brilliant at demonstrating their brilliance. Don’t be the world’s best-kept secret while others beat you to promotions and new opportunities.

We all have our own version of <insert latest shamed prominent figure’s name>.

Instead of sharing those stories (and I have plenty), I want to share these lessons, because you all, we all, have far more power to change than you realise.

Let’s work today to redefine what will be written in future history books.

What are the organisational/leadership priorities for success in these volatile times?

I speak at many executive conferences and events so I get to hear what is top of mind for executives across many industries, countries, and functions.

These are the Wright Growth Priorities for any business leader: 1. Know when to fire yourself. You know when you are no longer the right person for what the business needs so get ahead and make the change before someone else does.

2. Create silence and space for your team daily. Amazon does this at the start of every single meeting, you need daily, weekly, and monthly silence.

3. Keep your blinkers on. Just like a racehorse needs them, you need them so you are not distracted by the latest wlv.ac.uk/alumni

If I were to ask you to think of a thoughtful leader, it would likely be easy for you. A thoughtful leader knows everyone’s name and wants to be liked by everyone. And everyone does like such a leader, until it is decision time, when the thoughtful leader sees a fast-approaching wall and slams the brakes on hard and stalls.

Tough decisions often paralyze thoughtful leaders.

Now think of a ruthless leader. I’m sure you can think of one or two. You may already be scowling. A ruthless leader appears not to care about the implications of their actions and will regularly put their needs in front of others, either consciously or unconsciously. Ruthless leaders are not always liked, but they are often respected.

CAN YOU NAME ONE? The far more interesting question is whether you can name a thoughtfully ruthless leader. They are neither too thoughtful nor too ruthless but intentionally spend their time, energy, and resources to reach their goals. They are the ones who have catapulted themselves ahead of their peers and the competition.

You may be pleased to hear this is not like a permanent tattoo.

It is a state of mind, a learnable (and forgettable) trait, so there is hope. The impact of being too thoughtful or too ruthless will either put the brakes on your company’s results, drive your employees crazy, or drive yourself insane.

I have worked alongside some of the top leaders in the world’s most innovative companies, and I have seen the brilliant, the mediocre, and the downright cringe-inducing actions of leaders. Those actions have left either a shambolic wake or phenomenal results that redefined how we play and interact with technology.

competitor, political change, or external distraction that can knock you and your team to the floor.

4. Bring the voice of youth into your decisions, product creation, and future strategic choices. Look in the collective mirror of your executive team and make sure you are listening to your future customers and employees.

5. Create and play with the possibilities of the future. Kinect wouldn’t have sold 20 million devices if we hadn’t have created a unique immersive and innovative way of getting ideas emerging from disparate silo-ed groups with a unique innovation program.

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“YOU ARE THE SINGLE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY AND POTENTIAL BARRIER TO GROWING YOUR BUSINESS” –

The thoughtfully ruthless leader has confidence, happiness, and clarity on their life priorities that nothing and no one is permitted to interfere with.

HOW THOUGHTFULLY RUTHLESS ARE YOU? By now, you may have a picture in your head of how thoughtfully ruthless you are. In my work with CEOs, leaders, and entrepreneurs, I developed a leadership assessment that I use at the start of many of my partnerships. For complimentary access go to www. valwrightconsulting.com/thoughtfullyruthless. Follow the directions, and see where you fall on the thoughtfully ruthless spectrum.

Copyright 2016 by Val Wright Consulting. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Thoughtfully RuthlessSM is a trademark of Val Wright Consulting LLC and cannot be used without permission.

Have you found the American approach to business different to that of the UK? The greatest difference is the approach to how brilliant you are at demonstrating your brilliance. I share a story in Thoughtfully Ruthless about how when Xbox relocated me from England to Seattle, I arrived in the US and was sitting down for my first performance review and I was expecting it to be amazing because everyone kept telling me I was ‘awesome’. I was shocked when I got an average rating.

I soon learned that I wasn’t shining a spotlight on my achievements in the same volume and frequency as my US

Graduate feature

Thoughtfully ruthless leaders do not leave their business results to chance. Every decision is deliberate and every moment is purposeful. They do not worry whether everyone will like them or agree with them. Making people happy isn’t one of their goals; yet, they attract and retain happy people because of their relentless focus and predictable business success. Many leaders focus on the market conditions or the competition as reasons for lack of growth. Yet the single biggest variant is the leader and how they prioritize their time and energy personally, with their leadership team and with the rest of the organization.

It’s easy to get sucked into the current issues of today’s customers, products, and financial results, but leaders who know how to dedicate time to looking ahead one to three years will outpace their competition.

benefit. The pistol shrimp uses his large claws to dig caves for the watchman goby and the goby keeps the shrimp safe from predators. Companies need to build similar symbiotic relationships between creative, technical, and business minds. This is what I call the Innovation Trifecta® which occurs when there is a mutually beneficial connection between very different parts of your business.

Too often when marketing people are talking to their technical colleagues, it’s like they have landed in Japan and they are trying to speak French.

The Innovation Trifecta: How to Catapult Innovation by Creating a Symbiotic Relationship between Creative, Business, and Technical Minds is my next book and explores this with stories, tools, and practical advice.

What is the best advice you have given and received?

I’d love everyone to realise my most quoted piece of advice: You are the single greatest opportunity and potential barrier to growing your business, as you want to. Once you realise that, anything is possible.

Five years ago I quit my corporate career at Amazon and launched my own business. Someone told me to go and hire an advisor. Within days I had met Alan Weiss, whose prolific success in consulting (including writing over 70 books!) leads me to call him the David Beckham of consulting. It’s a privilege to call him my business advisor and coach. Elite athletes have experts around them advising, coaching, and teaching, so do the highest-performing leaders.

colleagues. I learned the hard way, but cultural differences aside, British leaders can still improve how they change from being a best kept secret, to someone who takes the appropriate credit for the real achievements they have made.

What will your next book be about and why?

A pistol shrimp is nearly blind. It cannot see when its predators are nearby and wouldn’t last long if it didn’t create a symbiotic relationship with the watchman goby fish. When we had a marine aquarium these were our favourite two inhabitants because you see two very unlikely creatures working together for mutual WLV Life Summer 2018

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Day in the life

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

PAUL GRIFFITHS Paul Griffiths studied Sports Studies BSc followed by an MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Science. He is co-founder of Aspire Sports which engages children and young people in physical activity through innovative service delivery, training and resources, including PE support in schools, active holiday camps and weekend sports sessions. From early yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; physical development programmes to a dedicated football development centre, Aspire is committed to getting the younger generation moving and helping teachers, parents and organisations change attitudes towards physical activity.

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Day in the life “I start the day with 15-20 minutes of Pilates, stretching and mindfulness. It gets me into a positive mindset and I think it’s important to practise what you preach. It also helps me relax before a busy day and I like to have a bit of family time with my wife Danielle and four-yearold daughter Eva before I leave for work.

I’m passionate about what I do and I absolutely look forward to each day. One of the best things about running your own business is that each day is different.

I always start by looking at my schedule and making a note of three things I want to achieve that day, which helps me stay focused. After that, it might be a team meeting, checking what’s happening, reviewing upcoming opportunities and working on current projects.

I might shadow customer meetings or meet with clients. I work closely with the marketing team and collaborate with other organisations around the country.

We’re always evolving and innovating, which is what makes us different. We started from my dining room table with an M&S credit card, and have expanded to having a team of 72 employees, including 20 apprentices, one of whom came full circle as he attended a holiday programme with us a decade ago.

At the moment, we’re working on new programmes and concepts surrounding active learning. One of the new innovations is Mighty Maths,

which uses physical activity to support attentiveness, cognitive function and retention of key concepts in maths.

Getting children active is still a massive issue and we’re determined to bring it into as many aspects of their life and learning as we can.

We also have a charitable arm to the business, both in the UK and Africa and set up Aspire to Africa in 2010. After university, I went travelling and spent time in South Africa which stayed with

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“ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS IS THAT EACH DAY IS DIFFERENT.”

When I get home in the evenings, I like to have quality time with my family.

Danielle also studied at the University of Wolverhampton but we didn’t meet until later. She was a primary school teacher but now works with me part-time in the business, helping with tutoring and delivery. She’s currently helping us to write a new early years’ physical development programme.

I play golf when I can and like to end the day with a run or some HIITs work at home. Keeping physically active is so important and you can’t take anything for granted.” aspire-sports.co.uk

– me, so when I had the opportunity to give something back, I wanted to do something. We work with Buyuni One Primary School in Tanzania and go out there for two weeks every August. There are opportunities for our staff, teachers and students to participate and we’ve helped with the infrastructure of the school; refurbishment, clean water and electricity. We’re constantly fundraising to do more.

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Looking back

FRIENDS REUNITE Old friends got together to reminisce about their University of Wolverhampton student days after 30 years.

A group of graduates held their reunion at the University earlier this year and these photographs show them then and now.

The friends studied a variety of courses from Media, Science and Computing but were all good friends throughout their time at University.

They shared some photos from back in the day – including a visit to a theme park.

Jasbir Singh Uppal, who is now head of recruitment at the University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, said: “My best memory was graduation day.

During my time as a student, many of my fellow students became close friends and we spent countless pleasant moments not only in classrooms but also in cafés and the Students’ Union.

“Meeting my fellow students with their families was a proud moment to celebrate our success and achievement.

wlv.ac.uk/alumni

“The then Polytechnic and now University maintains its student focus and provides an excellent learning environment for all students to succeed. As a student, I also found the staff approachable and willing to go the extra mile to help and I have embedded this in my approach over the years which keeps me here at the University of Wolverhampton.”

Jas graduated from the University in 1982. He started teaching in further education and moved to higher education – the University of Wolverhampton – in September 1997.

Want to organise a reunion with friends from your student days?

We can help! Get in touch at: alumni@wlv.ac.uk

Looking back

RETRACING FAMILY FOOTSTEPS Visiting the University of Wolverhampton was an emotional experience for a mother and son who wanted to look back on some family history.

Shweta Varma had always wanted to see where her father, Bameshwar Prasad, had studied engineering in the 1960s and had spoken about so fondly, so her son Vighnesh arranged for a visit.

“My mother had always wanted to visit the University where her father had studied. This, in turn, made me want to make her dream come true,” said Vighnesh. “I study in the UK, so when my mum had a chance to visit me, I booked tickets to Wolverhampton and we came to visit.”

They were welcomed by the University’s alumni manager David Wedge, who spoke to them about the University and showed them around, giving them a campus tour and answering their questions.

“It was great to meet Mr Prasad’s family. We’re always happy to hear from anyone with a connection to the University and we were delighted that they came to visit us and tell us about Mr Prasad’s experiences here,” said David.

Vighnesh said: “While the whole infrastructure of the campus has changed over time, the essence of where my maternal grandfather has studied still remains the same.”

Vighnesh with David Wedge

His grandfather was a huge fan of the Wolves and he used to do daily odd jobs to buy tickets to watch matches. During his time in Wolverhampton, he also learned to play the violin.

Bameshwar Prasad lived and worked in Birmingham after graduating before returning to India.

“Once he returned to his native land, he was heartily welcomed; in those days, it was considered to be huge when someone became an engineer,” said Vighnesh. “He was the first engineer from his native place, and had studied in England so people had so much respect for him. He got a job in Tata Steel based in Jamshedpur and rose to the rank of general manager, winning many awards throughout his career.”

Mr Prasad passed away in 1995 and was survived by three children and his wife, the late Mrs Usha Prasad.

Vighnesh, who says his grandfather inspired him to come and study in the UK, says: “Overall, it was a really joyful and emotional trip and I thank everyone at the University for such a wonderful experience.”

Pictures show Vighnesh and his mother and old photographs of his grandfather from the 60s, including where he lived.

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Expert eye

SEX FOR RENT: THE HIDDEN SIDE OF HOMELESSNESS Kate Moss is Professor of Social Justice at the University of Wolverhampton. Her research covers social policy of homelessness; women’s homelessness and human rights. Here, she highlights the growing ‘invisible’ problem of ‘sex for rent’.

Homeless women often inhabit ‘invisible’ spaces – using strategies such as ‘sofa surfing’ and complex spatial patterns of avoiding engagement with outreach services or other groups of rough sleepers. The use of these strategies to reduce certain risks can actually open new avenues of risk such as exchanging sexual acts for a place to sleep.

These are discussed in some of the literature on homeless women and my own research highlighted that the risk of women rough sleepers becoming exposed to sexual violence and exploitation as a result of these strategies should become a priority area of policy focus.

Other academics report that as a masculinist space, the street presents a variety of dangers to homeless women in which their involvement in sex work can be both a consequence of this as well as part of a complex survival strategy that they develop in order to avoid other forms of criminal victimisation. This type of activity is on the whole invisible because it takes place in private places.

More recently acknowledged is the phenomenon of sex for rent which is also all but invisible. The homeless support charity Shelter reports that 28 per cent of females who find themselves sleeping rough have had unwanted sex to get a bed for the night. This often plays out through ads and listings for accommodation on media sites such as Craigslist, Gumtree and Spareroom where free accommodation is offered

in exchange for sex. Some examples that have been live on websites include: “Please send a recent picture with reply that would make me want to pick you (at the very least topless).

This is necessary because of fakes and time-wasters. Sorry. NO PICTURE, NO ANSWER. Thanks. (Leeds)”

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“AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY — SPARE ROOM WITH EN-SUITE OR ROOMSHARE FOR GIRL (OR TWO) TO RENT TOTALLY FREE IF OFFERING FUN AND NAUGHTY TIMES IN RETURN. PROVIDE PICTURES AND AGE. (LONDON)” – For vulnerable women these are ‘exploitative’ advertisements. The act of soliciting sex on a public forum is, of course, illegal, but these listings seem to slip through the net on a regular basis and the police have neither the time nor the resources to investigate them.

Another problem is that consent lies at the heart of every rape and sexual assault incident and, according to the Sexual Offences Act (2003), consent is given only when a person has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. The question is – are the most vulnerable women really free to make such choices?

Additionally these types of living arrangements are facilitated by people knowing that they can exploit the housing crisis. While there is an argument to say that some people may enter an arrangement like this and feel perfectly happy with it, you still have no capacity for setting boundaries.

How do you police that? You can’t.

A woman may initially agree to her landlord’s terms out of sheer desperation, then find herself trapped — not only economically, but mentally and physically too — and pressurised into sexual acts that she’s uncomfortable with. Homeless women who may have been victims of domestic violence, or have substance abuse or mental health issues, are the obvious category likely to respond to this type of advertisement. It’s definitely a gender-based problem targeting those who are already vulnerable.

Raising the profile of this hard-to-reach and little-understood group of women is the first step and absolutely needs to continue, if the lives of vulnerable women are to be changed for the better. After all, while female homelessness may be out of sight, it certainly needn’t be out of mind. wlv.ac.uk/research

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Expert eye WLV Life Summer 2018

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Graduate feature

THREE MINUTES TO SAVE A LIFE A pioneering nursing graduate is changing the way the University and wider region approaches people at risk of suicide and self-harm, writes Vickie Warren.

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The unique programme, Three Minutes to Save a Life, trains staff members to recognise early warning signs in at-risk students and explains how they can escalate concerns proportionately and compassionately. The award-winning scheme, which has now been delivered to more than 750 staff, students, healthcare workers and police officers, is recognised as a beacon of best practice throughout the higher education sector and beyond. Alumna Clare, now senior lecturer in mental health at the University of Wolverhampton, was recently recognised for her foresight, empathy and dedication when she was shortlisted for the prestigious national Nursing Times’ Nurse of the Year award.

Wolverhampton-born Clare is incredibly passionate about her subject, and says it was an honour to be recognised in the Nurse of the Year awards.

“It really hit home when we were at the awards surrounded by people at the top of their game and as passionate about their field as I am, and to be among them was a privilege,” she says.

Clare was accompanied by her colleague, senior lecturer in mental health, Dr Stuart Guy, and consultant psychiatrist Dr Alys Cole-King who have both been instrumental in shaping the programme, which previously won the Outstanding Support for Students award at the Times Higher Education Awards 2016.

Clare and Stuart deliver the approach together, which she says is an important part of the strategy: “It is very much a two-person approach – it has to be, as we go on a journey with the participants when we do the training. The impact of suicide is present in everyone’s lives – it’s kneaded into the bread of our communities. Everyone has been

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“NURSES ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND YOU CAN’T QUANTIFY THAT.” – touched in some way – the statistics show that 18 people die a day from suicide.Over the course of a month that’s the equivalent of a jumbo jet full of people – it’s an epidemic.”

Clare, who is part of the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, credits the University for tackling this subject when it was – and still is – a taboo.

“We are really brave at the University of Wolverhampton – some universities would have been nervous about tackling this but we have been pro-active as it is the right thing to do,” Clare explains.

“And the brilliant thing about the approach is that we’re not precious about it – we want to extend it so mental health is thought about more in the workplace. We are currently in the process of piloting a scheme at a local school, a prison and training people working in food banks.”

For Clare, developing the Three Minutes to Save a Life programme has been a long-term goal and one that she has nurtured throughout her relationship with the University. Having declared on her first day at nursery school “I will be a nurse”, Clare stayed true to her word and at the age of 17 had an interview with the then School of Health at New

Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, to start her nursing training. Having completed this in 2004, she went on to study a Master’s degree in applied mental health and is currently studying for her Doctorate in health and wellbeing.

Graduate feature

Spending an hour talking about suicide sounds like a depressing way to start the day, but listening to Clare Dickens talk about her area of expertise is anything but.

Her commitment and compassion for people at risk of suicide led to her developing a ground-breaking approach which is genuinely saving lives and transforming the way organisations such as universities, prisons and hospitals approach mental health.

Her memories of training to be a nurse are peppered with what she calls ‘sparks from heaven’ when the need for more compassionate mental health strategies came sharply into focus.

While completing work experience at West Park Rehabilitation Centre in Wolverhampton at age just 15, she was struck by the exemplary physical care provided to people who had experienced brain injuries, strokes and amputations but also by the lack of time available for nurses to be compassionate and talk to patients. She also experienced a suicide on a ward while she was still a student nurse, and witnessed the complex reactions of the staff to the tragedy.

Clare is very aware of the challenging national picture facing nurses, including the withdrawal of bursaries, and some of the negative accounts of the profession, such as the Stafford Hospital scandal. But she is passionate about the importance of training student nurses to be critical thinkers, compassionate and open to new ways of approaching the role.

“Nursing as an identity is taking quite a bashing. I’ve always been proud to be a nurse and we have a sense of belonging to a rewarding profession. And even with the bursaries being taken away, we still have a high level of interest although there is an additional barrier to overcome,” she says.

“But 100% of our nursing graduates leave with a job, and this is a global profession. Our third year students go on placements in the healthcare settings where they have jobs to make that transition easier as well.

“My advice to people considering nursing is don’t be perturbed by the current narrative around healthcare and the NHS. There are nurses up and down the country as we speak saving lives and making a difference at every stage of people’s existence.

“Nurses are making a difference and you can’t quantify that.”

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Graduate feature

Q&A WITH YASHMIN MISTRY Successful lawyer and alumna Yashmin Mistry is flying high as a partner and practice group leader at leading London law firm, JPC Law. The awardwinning solicitor came back to Wolverhampton to share her experiences with students and chatted to WLV Life about her career so far, her memories of University and her advice to those following in her footsteps.

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“MY TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON REALLY HELPED TO SHAPE MY FUTURE. IT WAS A STEPPING STONE TO WHERE I AM TODAY, BOTH IN MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE.”

Graduate feature

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What are your memories of studying at the University?

Seeing the School of Arts building again brings back so many memories! I made lots of friends here who I am still in touch with. Another great memory is the days and evenings spent at The Varsity (now converted) – we had some great nights there!

How did your time at Wolverhampton help your career?

My time at the University of Wolverhampton really helped to shape my future. It was a stepping stone to where I am today, both in my personal and professional life.

What do you enjoy about your current role as partner and property practice group leader at JPC Law? What I find most enjoyable is the challenge. I practise in a really niche area of law which is technical and fast-paced which I love. I have also just recently been approached to assist the Law Commission with research into leasehold reform which really excites me as it gives me the opportunity to utilise my practical experience and knowledge from practice to potentially shape the future of leasehold law in the future!

The economic and political world is also changing, especially with Brexit which will invariably have an impact on the legal sector. Things are changing which keeps us all on our toes.

Having spent a day at the University meeting our staff and students, what are your impressions of it today?

I graduated in 2001 and over the last 17 years the University has completely

changed – for the better. Our old Law building, now called the Arthur Storer Building, is still there but there are lots of modern buildings and new technology. It looks like a really fun place to be. Whilst I was here, I was delighted to be able to attend the Law student awards ceremony and it was evident that the lecturers are doing more from a practical point of view to help students find employment once they’ve graduated which was really interesting to hear about and I really think will be invaluable for students and their individual transitions into the working environment.

What advice would you offer to students?

The most important bit of advice I can give is to take every opportunity you get and never say no. This way you will find something you are passionate about, love doing and enjoy getting up for every day. You never know where one phone call or email is going to lead you. It won’t always be plain sailing but if you try something and you don’t like it there could be something else just around the corner, so grab every opportunity that comes your way. And never give up!

What advice would you offer to graduates about getting involved with the University?

University is an experience we are so lucky to be able to have. It’s not just about what degree you walk away with but the whole experience of meeting new people and trying new things and living on your own. We were here and took lifelong friendships and lessons from our experience that have helped to make us who we are so I hope

we inspire others to see what can be achieved not just from going to University, but by the whole University experience.

What are your hobbies?

I like fast cars and motorbikes so I love going to the Grand Prix! And of course I love travel and holidays!

And what are your ambitions?

To keep enjoying what I do and to hopefully show others that you don’t necessarily need to be super brainy to enter the legal profession. Law is about much more than which university you went to – it’s about problem solving and thinking outside the box.

Yashmin’s top tips for interviews: – Research the company – Research the interviewers – Clean up your social media accounts – Be commercially aware – Don’t make unrealistic claims about your experience or expertise – Ask at least one question – anything!

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Alumni Reunion for all Law Graduates

THURSDAY 11 OCTOBER 6PM

If you studied Law at the University of Wolverhampton, you are invited to join us for a special reunion event.

Reminisce with friends and tutors over a dinner featuring guest speakers, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram and Suzanne Llewellyn, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the West Midlands region.

Following a welcome at the Lord Swraj Paul Building, pictured, there will be a tour of the old and new Law Schools before the sit-down meal in our prestigious Chancellor’s Hall.

Book your place – email: alumni@wlv.ac.uk

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International

MAKING MORE MEMORIES WITH HONG KONG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EVENTS We have alumni associations and connections across the world. Here’s a taste of what our Hong Kong members have been up to over the last year: A cosy Michelin star restaurant called Ye Shanghai located at the waterfront of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong was the venue for a memorable graduation dinner and reunion.

The evening started off with a wine tasting hour with a corner sponsored by a local wine seller set aside for the occasion. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, welcomed everybody and there was an address from Dr Louis Ma, Director of our partner institution SCOPE, City University of Hong Kong.

Professor Layer announced that our Hong Kong programme had received an ‘outstanding’ review from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors during an official accreditation visit.

Another popular event was the Christmas Happy Hour held at Bar Six

with more than 100 alumni from over 20 overseas universities and three continents joining this event. The event was jointly organised by The Federation of Australian Alumni Associations and Canadian University Association (Hong Kong).

The evening included a mix of graduates from all walks of life, including corporate bankers, private-practice lawyers, university professors and advertising agents, coming both from and outside Hong Kong. It provided an opportunity to make new friends and to meet up with old classmates.

Both occasions provided great fun and the Hong Kong Alumni Association has made a fantastic effort in putting together special events for its members.

International University of Wolverhampton graduates will be celebrating this summer with ceremonies taking place in July including: CINEC, Colombo, Sri Lanka; Podar World College, Mumbai, India; and Merryland College, Biratnagar, Nepal.

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International

TURKISH DELIGHT The unique quality of Lütfiye Ozipek’s voice shone through when she studied music at the University of Wolverhampton. Course leaders praised her dedication and ability to adapt to different styles.

The 28-year-old from North Cyprus, is now set for stardom after winning the Turkish equivalent of hit TV show The Voice.

On the winning night, she sang a version of a rock song called Duyanlara Duymayanlara by Halil Sezai when she appeared as one of two finalists on O Ses Turkiye (The Voice). She wowed the judges with her incredible genredefying vocals.

When the show’s presenter and producer Acun Ilıcalı announced that she’d won the competition, it left Turkish Cypriots everywhere beaming with pride, with thousands taking to social media to praise the talented star from Lefkoşa.

Her talent was recognised from her first appearance. Her mentor Gökhan, who was the first to turn in the blind auditions pressing his buzzer after just eight seconds of hearing Lütfiye sing Roxanne, said it had been ‘a long time since I’ve heard such a good rock vocal on the show’.

wlv.ac.uk/alumni

Lütfiye graduated with a Popular Music degree at the School of Performing Arts based at Walsall Campus in 2013 and returned to North Cyprus soon afterwards. She went on to perform live,

–

“I WANT CHILDREN IN NORTH CYPRUS TO LEARN ABOUT POP MUSIC.” – singing a mixture of jazz, pop and indie covers and her own songs. Passionate about nurturing young talent, she became a vocal coach to supplement her income, helping to develop upcoming Turkish Cypriot talent. At the time of the contest,

she was hoping to record an album of songs she had written.

She says: “I want children in North Cyprus to learn about pop music.

I want to be able to give this type of education, because I have received such an education.”

Since winning the show, Lütfiye has met the North Cypriot President, Mustafa Akinci and First Lady, Meral Akinci.

Steve Cooper, course leader and senior lecturer in Popular Music at the University, says: “Lütfiye was an excellent and highly engaged student during her three years studying at the University of Wolverhampton. She threw herself into performance, singing in many varied styles such as rock, jazz, blues and soul.

“Whatever the style though, her voice was always distinctive and had a unique quality which has been recognised in her achievement in winning The Voice. We wish her continued success.”

International WLV Life Summer 2018

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My Life

MY LIFE JOSIEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OMG MOMENT In 2009, when Josie Hadley was diagnosed with breast cancer, which had spread to her lymph nodes, she accepted it with the positive attitude that prevails throughout everything she does. Since then, she has completed a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, set up her own business and gained recognition for her expertise.

WLV Life finds out how Josie was determined to overcome the challenges she faced.

wlv.ac.uk/alumni

My Life

“The name makes people laugh and it’s memorable,” she smiles. The business has grown and is thriving, with diverse clients ranging from a butcher (Josie has been vegetarian for 30 years!) to a golf club.

OMG! is now in its third year and was runner-up for Best New Business in the Black Country Chamber of Commerce 2016 awards. Josie returned to the awards the following year, as a judge in the social media category. “It’s been a fantastic journey and when I look back, I’m modestly proud of what I’ve achieved.”

Still holding the University in great affection, Josie wouldn’t rule out a return in the future. Only this time, she’d like to try lecturing. “I’ve qualified to do social media training now, which I enjoy and it’s great to have another ambition for the future,” she says. “I’ve got both academic qualifications and life experience.”

Cancer-free and full of enthusiasm, life is looking good for Josie.

Josie Hadley doesn’t take life for granted. 18 months of gruelling chemotherapy and herceptin treatment was tough but she took it in her stride and is grateful that it saved her life.

Josie had already been a student at the University of Wolverhampton when she did her Business Studies top-up BA, enjoying her course and graduating in 1998.

“I’m open about my cancer and I’m happy to talk about it. I got through it and I’m here today,” she says.

Her career had subsequently taken a backseat while she focused on family life, but now her boys were older, she thought about what she really wanted to do – and promptly enrolled on a Human Resource Management MA at the University at the age of 43.

She had a lumpectomy and 19 lymph nodes removed, resulting in permanent loss of feeling, and the chemo caused pain and the loss of her hair and nails, amongst a myriad of other symptoms. At one point, she didn’t get out of bed for six weeks.

But there was no feeling sorry for herself.

“My Nan, who was alive at the time, had suffered rheumatoid arthritis for over 20 years. How could I complain when she was in agony with no cure, and I knew I was going to get better? I took it all in my stride. I had to; I had two young sons [then seven and nine] and dying was not an option for me. I’d been given an 80 per cent survival rate so I stayed positive and I never thought, ‘why me?’”

The treatment was gruelling but it was successful. While in remission, Josie faced more challenging times with a divorce in 2011. It was the following year, when she was made redundant from her job as a part-time receptionist, that Josie re-evaluated her life and decided to make some changes.

“I absolutely loved it,” she said. “The other students were all international and much younger than me but it didn’t matter at all. I made some unlikely friendships with people I’d never have met otherwise and it was fantastic. I also met a small group of women who, like me, were reinventing themselves as their children were grown up. It was brilliant.”

Graduating in April 2015, Josie went on to work at consultancy firm, The HR Dept Wolverhampton, and found social media under her remit. She never looked back. “I’d discovered my passion,” she says. After a happy year with the company, she decided to go it alone and set up OMG! (Online Marketing Growth Ltd), specialising in social media for SMEs.

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“I MADE SOME UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS WITH PEOPLE I’D NEVER HAVE MET OTHERWISE AND IT WAS FANTASTIC. I ALSO MET A SMALL GROUP OF WOMEN WHO, LIKE ME, WERE REINVENTING THEMSELVES AS THEIR CHILDREN WERE GROWN UP. IT WAS BRILLIANT.” – WLV Life Summer 2018

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WLV Alumni

WLV ALUMNI HERE FOR YOU As part of our alumni community, you’ll find support, advice and a host of benefits.

Whether it’s careers advice and professional development opportunities, keeping up-to-date with what’s happened at University since you left or help organising a reunion, WLV Alumni Association is here for you.

Alumni benefits include: – Postgraduate loyalty discount: save 20 per cent off certain taught postgraduate courses if you have completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Wolverhampton.* – A packed programme of events – join us for networking, social, reunions and more.

– Special discounts on and off campus.

– Career mentoring opportunities.

See: wlv.ac.uk/alumni for full details and much more!

wlv.ac.uk/alumni

*Terms and conditions apply

WLV Alumni

MEET YOUR ALUMNI TEAM Introducing you to the people who have your best interests at heart – meet the WLV Alumni team!

Claire Tilt

Terry Gibson

Job title: Head of Alumni and Development

Job title: Development Manager

Role summary: I head up strategy, and sit on External Relations department leadership team, with a specific focus on fundraising for Springfield Campus.

Best part of working at the University: Being part of an institution that is changing lives, upskilling and contributing to the transformation of the West Midlands and beyond.

Can’t live without: A gin and tonic (slimline of course!)

Role summary: I’m a charity fundraiser for the University.

I work with the UWR racing team to help them with sponsors, I’ve helped to launch a Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies, found charitable funding for brain tumour and pancreatic cancer research, and worked with donors to offer scholarships to talented students.

Best part of working at the University: The diversity of the projects I get involved in. No two days are ever the same.

Kimberly Forlini-Softley Job title: Database Manager Role summary: I manage the alumni database.

Best part of working at the University: The campus.

Can’t live without: Too many to name…

Music, my Xbox, the work of Mark Millar, my dog Akira, bacon, iced coffee, Moschino runway shows, etc.

David Wedge Job title: Alumni Relations Manager Role summary: Creating opportunities for our alumni, helping them stay in touch, receive professional support, and give back via our volunteer schemes.

Best part of working at the University: Meeting so many interesting and nice people.

Can’t live without: Sunshine, sport and holidays.

Can’t live without: Books, films, Xbox and wine. Sometimes simultaneously!

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JOIN THOUSANDS OF

FELLOW ALUMNI IN OUR ONLINE

COMMUNITY

Keep up-to-date with the latest news and events, stay in touch with friends, and network with professionals via our social networks: /wlvalumni @wlv_alumni wlv.ac.uk/linkedin

Alumni and Development University of Wolverhampton The Wulfruna Building Wulfruna Street Wolverhampton WV1 1LY

Tel: +44 (0) 1902 323 056 Email: alumni@wlv.ac.uk wlv.ac.uk/alumni

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