Reporter

Issue 569
November 2012

Advisory Group
Be part of a support
staff group that helps
address important
University issues.
Page 5

Arts research

Growing a
sustainable
future
How Leeds is creating a
sustainable future for our staff,
current and future students,
and the wider community.
Pages 7, 8 and 9

Creating the best

possible environment
for research.
Page 10

Clothworkers
Consort
A new name heralds
a bright future for a
University choir.
Page 14

02

Leader Column

Reporter 569

November 2012

Leader column

Reviewing our
strategy, highlighting
our strengths
Some of you have noticed that
Ive started to write a regular
feature on For Staff with my
reflections on the weeks events.
So much happens in the sector
and on campus that its easy to
write a couple of paragraphs each
week, whether its on our research
achievements, staff and student
news, or the activities and events
across the University that make
my job so enjoyable.
Two topics that have recently generated
important discussion across the University are
the review of our Strategy and the outcome of
our first cycle of undergraduate recruitment
under the new fees regime. Our strategy, your
say is the first phase of open consultation on
our strategy and Im delighted that so many
colleagues have already responded, both
in writing and in person. The first series of
open meetings was well attended with over
300 staff across all three sessions. Our main
objective was to involve and listen to people
right from the beginning of the process.
Members of the senior team and I enjoyed
the interesting, wide-ranging and sometimes
challenging discussions.
Its not too late to participate and Id be keen
to hear more from staff who found it difficult
to attend, particularly academic staff busy at
the start of the academic year. For those of
you who have recently joined the organisation,
now is the time to shape the future of this
University do have your say.
Initial feedback suggests that we should
continue to strive towards our strategic
ambition, but we have some important
questions to answer about how we implement
and deliver the strategy more effectively.
Our next steps are to consider all the feedback
and have our proposal for a revised strategy
ready to share with you and our Council
early in the new year.

In terms of undergraduate numbers, its

now clear that we have a shortfall of around
500 students against our plans, as we were
anticipating from about Easter onwards.
However, Leeds is not unique we believe that
many Russell Group universities are in a similar
position. Weve also seen a fall in both home/
EU and international taught postgraduate
student numbers, the former also reflecting a
national trend. The reason for the downturn in
international PGT is under further analysis
UKBA and changes to post-study work havent
helped, but there are a number of other factors
that are making competition for high-quality
international students much more challenging.
The good news is that both international
undergraduate and postgraduate research
recruitment remain buoyant.
Fortunately, our finances are in good shape,
in no small part to due to our previous hard
work in keeping our cost base under control,
and we are therefore able to cope with
a short-term fluctuation in fee income as a
result of the volatility and highly competitive
nature of the more marketised recruitment
cycle. The shortfall in student numbers does
have a financial impact against our plan,
but there was flexibility built in, and some
mitigating adjustments can be made, mostly
involving the delay of some of our proposed
local investments.
We recognise that the recruitment market is
changing and we will have to work hard to
ensure that applicants make Leeds their firm
choice, both undergraduate and postgraduate,
home/EU and International. A great deal of
work is underway involving the Deans, ProDeans for Student Education and Heads
of Schools, to make sure were all focused
on recruitment and that local admissions
teams feel supported. Were thinking through
each part of the recruitment process so its
managed to the highest possible level of
professionalism from the way we build our
external reputation to our communications
with prospective students, to the timeliness
of making offers and how we interact with
applicants after an offer is made, both at
home and overseas.

But other institutions will also be aiming to

improve and theres no room for complacency.
We need to be clear about our academic
excellence and highlight the strengths that
league tables, surveys and datasets dont
routinely measure. That means talking about
the quality of our interactions with students
in personal tutoring and LeedsforLife; our
outstanding Quality Assurance Agency
reports; the fact that we have the highest
number of National Teaching Fellows in the
UK; the world-leading research carried out
and our fantastic campus and facilities.
We should seek to promote our success
in all these areas.
The latest results from the National Student
Survey show that weve gone up in every
question for the second year in a row. That
says to me that our improvements are real,
consistent and likely to continue. Were above
our benchmark, which is fantastic, and to
have a 78% return from one of the largest
cohorts of students in the country is
excellent. Im delighted about the score
for Leeds University Union, which rated
us in the countrys top three student unions
its thoroughly deserved.
Were currently deep into the Academic
School and Performance Review meetings,
the objective of which is to ensure that
theres enough focus and attention on
driving academic excellence and School
academic performance to the maximum;
because ultimately that translates into
success across all areas.
I am grateful to the School senior management
teams, who have done a great job in preparing
for these meetings, and for demonstrating
enormous commitment to improving the
academic performance of their Schools.

November 2012

Reporter 569

News

News

Contents

Piano postcards auction

hits the right note

Valuing our people

A postcard designed by Sir

Paul McCartney as part of the
Universitys Piano Postcards
initiative raised an amazing 1,600
for two high-profile music charities
Nordoff Robbins and Live
Music Now.

Sustainability

A further 1,100 was raised by 15 more

postcards created by famous faces associated
with Yorkshire or the music world such as
singer Emili Sand, playwright Alan Bennett
and our own alumnus and Olympic Gold medal
winner Alistair Brownlee.
The University ran the charity auction to
mark the 2012 Leeds International Pianoforte
Competition, which, since its inception in 1961,
has launched the careers of some of the worlds
most pre-eminent pianists. This year it was
won by 24-year-old Federico Colli of Italy.
All the postcards were framed and displayed
to the public as part of an exhibition in the
Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery before being
auctioned on eBay.

Page 4

Inspire our students

Page 6

Page 7

Research and innovation

Page 10

In the news
Page 12

Honours
Page 13

Small ads
Page 14

Events
Page 15

FAQs
Page 16

Layla Bloom from the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery shows off the Piano Postcards.

News

Help improve our communications

Win 25 vouchers
The University is undertaking its first ever
survey to assess the effectiveness of our
internal communications activities.
We want know what you think about how
the Universitys leaders, managers and staff
communicate with one another, as well as
the channels we use for communications.
Its your opportunity to let us know what
works, what doesnt and what we should
focus on in the future.

The survey will go live on Monday 5 November.

You can access the 20-minute survey online at
www.survey.leeds.ac.uk/staff_communication
and its also available in paper format from the
Communications team just call 33996 to ask
for a copy.
You can choose whether or not to complete
the survey anonymously, but all completed
surveys where a name is given will be entered
into a prize draw to win one of eight 25
Marks & Spencer vouchers.

About the Reporter

The Reporter is the University of Leeds
staff magazine, produced eight times a
year. Over 8,500 copies are distributed
to staff across campus.
The Reporter is produced by the
Communications team.
Web: http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk
Email: [email protected]
Front cover shows a team from Residential
Services working with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
staff at the Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve.

03

04

Valuing our people

Reporter 569

November 2012

Valuing our people

Team Talk Plant Nematology Group

What does the team do?
The group carries out research into plant
parasitic nematodes. These are microscopic
worms that infect the roots of plants, causing
major crop losses worldwide. The chemicals
that have been used to control them are
harmful to the environment, and we are trying
to develop safer control methods. Were
interested in the biology of the nematode,
interactions between the nematode and the
plant, and how the plant responds to infection.
We look at these fundamental aspects and
translate the knowledge into strategic outputs
to develop technologies to control nematodes.
In the UK our work focuses on the nematode
problems associated with potato and we also
have projects looking at nematode pathogens
of rice, banana and cotton in India, Uganda
and China. Research-led teaching brings the
knowledge out of the lab to our undergraduate
and postgraduate students.

Tell us about some of the teams

most successful projects
Were the only group in the UK to have carried
out field trials of GM nematode resistance
technology. The lab has developed three
technologies that are delivered as GM traits,
which successfully offer resistance to plant
parasitic nematodes. The two most advanced
of these technologies are about to be trialled in
banana and plantain in Uganda and in brinjal
(aubergine) in India. The GM technology has
been closely monitored to show that the potato
plants have less effect on soil micro-organisms
than the chemical controls used previously.
Weve also shown the effectiveness of a nonGM technology known as bio-fumigation, which
involves ploughing green manures into the soil
to control nematode populations.

What particular challenges has

the team got coming up?
An exciting project gets underway this year
working with Chinese partners to produce a
nematode defence for cotton plants. We also
have a new collaboration with the University of
Southampton that should help us to understand
more about the neurobiology of the worms and
how chemicals affect them.

A diverse group (l-r): Jennie Hibbard,Mirela Coke, Fiona Moulton, Kate Warner, Bev Merry, Peter Urwin, Catherine Lilley,
Ritushree Jain, Sebastian Eves-van den Akker, Laura Jones, Grace Hoysted and Pete Thorpe.

What are the most rewarding

things about being in your team?

knowledge gained from these advances

allows research to progress more rapidly.

The team has great cultural diversity, with

members from places such as India, China
and Romania. We also host visitors from
collaborating groups in sub-Saharan Africa. This
affords the group a rich, rewarding diversity. Our
research enables our collaborators to use the
nematode resistance technology freely, in the
crops that they want to develop. It empowers
scientists in less-developed nations to build
their own research, in their own countries, to
serve the public good. The technologies are
devised to allow farmers to continue to use their
current cultivation methods, whilst improving
their crop production.

Were more aware than ever of the immediate

environmental impact of research and are
proud to be the highest scoring lab for
Green Impact.

Tell us something about your

work that would surprise people.
Nematodes are the most numerous
multicellular animals on earth! A handful of
soil will contain thousands of the microscopic
worms, many of them parasites of insects,
plants or animals.

How has your work changed

in recent years?
Improvements in sequencing technologies have
allowed us to be involved in the sequencing of
the genome of the potato cyst nematode, which
causes damage to potato crops. The increased

Who do you work with in

the University?
Outside the Faculty of Biological Sciences
weve worked with researchers in Food Science,
looking at the effects of stress, including
nematode infection, on fruit quality and
composition of tomatoes. Were about to start
a project collaborating with members of Earth
and Environment establishing the effects of
climate change on crops and pathogens.

Do you work in a University

lab and want to get involved
with Green Impact?
Last year a special award was launched
to suggest ways that lab users can
become greener and to recognise
existing best practice. If you and your
colleagues would like to rise to the
challenge of becoming more efficient
and changing your local environment,
email [email protected]

November 2012

Reporter 569

Valuing our people 05

Valuing our people

New officer on the University beat

The University recently welcomed
new police liaison officer PC Matt
Guy, who will be with us for the
next academic year.
PC Guy studied for a degree in Law and
Criminology at the University of Sheffield and
went on to achieve a Masters in International
Criminology. He took on a number of roles
from residential social worker to climbing shop
manager before becoming a police officer
eight years ago to make a difference, get
involved and in his own words, stick up for
people who could do with some support.
PC Guy helping out at one of this years graduation ceremonies.

Matts career in the police has been

community focused, his passion being

Revitalising the Support Staff

Advisory Group
Would you like to be part of a
group that helps address important
issues that concern the University?
University support staff are invited to nominate
themselves or a colleague to be part of the
Support Staff Advisory Group (SSAG).
SSAG was formed to give non-union, clerical,
technical and operational colleagues the
opportunity to raise any issues of concern
with the existing Staff Support Groups in the
University, says long-term member Moyra
Culbert. Its been in existence for 12 years
and, whilst its not empowered to make
decisions, the group has contributed to
debate on a number of issues and helped
bring about changes in areas such as staff
wellbeing, transport, parking, recognition
for long-service, and health and safety.
The group is now seeking to revitalise its
membership and refocus its approach to
find ways in which support staff can more
fully engage with the Universitys strategy.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Organisational
Effectiveness Professor Dawn Freshwater is
leading the changes to the group. Theres
great value in the work that SSAG does, and
I think it can be even more effective in future,
she says. We envisage the future group to be

made up of 14 nominated members nine

faculty representatives and five from the
services. Members would meet two or three
times a year to discuss strategic-level issues
which have been brought to their attention
by colleagues. As well as raising topics,
members would also be asked to take relevant
information back to their colleagues and
encourage two-way communications.
If you are interested in representing
your faculty or service on SSAG,
please contact Professor Freshwater on
[email protected] Alternatively,
you can talk informally to Robert Finch
(35242) or Moyra Culbert (33360) about
membership of the group.

in working with young people on crime

prevention initiatives, turning young offenders
away from crime and engaging them in
positive activities.
Matt says of his new role: Im truly excited
about working at the University. My job is to
help people with any problems they are having
and to develop a better, safer and happier
community for everyone. Im full of ideas
and enthusiasm so expect to see me around,
promoting our new schemes and events.
You can contact Matt via the University
Security Office on 0113 343 5495 or
e-mail [email protected]

Its party time!

Tickets are now on sale for this years

Staff Christmas Party, which will be
on Friday 14 December from 6pm
until late.
Held in the Universitys Refectory, the
party is always a fantastic event, with
dancing, great food and drink, and a
festive atmosphere. Come and enjoy:
a delicious three-course Christmas
dinner (veggie option available)
made by colleagues from our
own catering department
a disco featuring live band Vibetown
and DJ for your evenings entertainment.
exclusive use of the Terrace Bar.
Tickets for this years party cost
just 25. Partners are also welcome
to come to the event. For more details
or to book, visit www.meetinleeds.co.uk/
staffchristmasparty, email xmasparty@
leeds.ac.uk or call Natasha Rahanu
on 36106.

06

Inspire our students

Reporter 569

November 2012

Inspire our students

Inspire our students

Student survey shows

more improvement

Changing Lives,
Changing Times

Students rehearse for the performance

of Changing Lives, Changing times.

The University continues to

improve performance in the
National Student Survey (NSS),
with 87% of our final year
students saying they are satisfied
with their experience at Leeds
our highest score since the
survey began in 2005.
Our scores in NSS 2012 improved in all seven
categories, with the greatest increase in
Assessment and Feedback (up 4 percentage
points), followed by Academic Support and
Personal Development (both up 3 percentage
points). We did exceptionally well in a new
category introduced this year: Satisfaction
with Students Union. Our score of 90%
significantly ahead of the 66% sector average
is the third highest in the country.
Our improved score for overall satisfaction
ensured that we maintained the position in
the top third of the national ranking that we
achieved last year. 78% of eligible students
completed the survey, giving us one of the
highest response rates in the sector.

Leeds University Union was given a 90% satisfaction

rating by our final year students.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Student Education

Professor Vivien Jones said: Colleagues across
the University and in Leeds University Union
(LUU) have continued to work hard to ensure
our students have an excellent experience.
With six out of seven category scores putting
us ahead of the sector average, the results
show that their efforts have been worth it. I was
particularly pleased to see that across every
School students were satisfied with the quality
of teaching, and delighted that LUU achieved
such a high score.
As ever, there is room for improvement and,
despite a significant increase in our score for
Assessment and Feedback, this is still an area
where we need to do better. We also need
to continue to improve our performance on
Academic Support and Personal Development,
and these will be a priority for action plans
this year.

New Library goes to planning

Plans for the new undergraduate Library
are expected to be submitted to Leeds
City Council for planning approval at the
end of October.
We hope to give full details of the new
flagship building, which will be accessible

from Woodhouse Lane and Hillary

Place, in the December issue of the
Reporter. A public display of the plans
and a consultation meeting are expected
to be announced shortly, so look out
for details on the For Staff intranet
www.leeds.ac.uk/forstaff/

Changing Lives, Changing Times a

collaboration between the Universitys
Centre for Disability Studies, School of
Performance and Cultural Industries and
two performing arts schools in Leeds
has paved the way for improved disability
awareness to spread across the UK.
Culminating in a musical theatre
performance, which also served as a
prelude to National Disability History
Month, pupils from Cockburn School and
Cathedral Academy of Performing Arts
took to the stage in a show stimulated by
the real life stories of disabled people born
in the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s.
The project is based on research into
how life has changed for young disabled
people between World War II and the
present day. Funded by the Economic and
Social Research Council, the 12-month
project will increase disability awareness
and stimulate historical understanding
in secondary schools through the use of
performance techniques.
The project team, led by Dr Sonali Shah
(Centre for Disability Studies) worked with
the schools to practise and evaluate methods
for the construction of a Theatre-in-Education
Learning Resource Pack for secondary
schools. The pack aims to encourage
students to look at historical stories in
creative ways and invites them to find ways
of challenging traditional representations of
disability. Targeted at children and young
people in post-16 education, it can be used
in various areas of the curriculum, such as
GCSE drama, personal, social and health
education and history.
You can read more about the project at
www.disability-histories.leeds.ac.uk

November 2012

Reporter 569

Sustainability 07

Sustainability

Rio conference sets the

sustainability agenda
Thousands of participants
from governments, the private
sector and non-governmental
organisations gathered in Rio de
Janeiro earlier this year for the
UN Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20).
As well as commemorating the 20th
anniversary of the landmark 1992 Earth
Summit, the task in hand was for the
international community to reinvigorate the
global commitment to sustainable development.
Dr James Van Alstine from the School of Earth
and Environments Sustainability Research
Institute (SRI) attended the summit as an
Earth Negotiations Bulletin writer. He assessed
its outcome in a forthcoming paper for the

Environmental Politics journal and produced

an SRI working paper Rio+20: A sign of
the times, or ecology as spectacle which is
available at goo.gl/O1K4j
Rio+20 focused primarily on two themes:
developing a green economy that will foster
sustainable development and poverty
eradication; and reforming the global
environmental governance framework to
improve communication and co-ordination

amongst international environmental

institutions, says Dr Alstine. Disappointingly,
the summit largely failed to further promote the
idea of sustainable development but it did take
the decision to develop universal Sustainable
Development Goals, which may help define
the future development agenda.

Sustainability

Sustainability

Embedding sustainability education

We want to
hear from you!

Together, the staff-student Education for

Sustainable Development Network (ESDN)
and the Curriculum Enhancement Project
(CEP) are helping to fulfil the Universitys
commitment to promoting a co-ordinated
approach to sustainability education.
As relevant research and teaching is developed
based on different perspectives of sustainability,
the ESDN facilitates cross-disciplinary links and
the sharing of experiences between academics.
The work of the network also ensures that this
educational provision has a practical as well as
an intellectual dimension, harnessing academic
insights into sustainable development to inform
all aspects of University activity.
ESDN is also helping to increase study
opportunities and broaden the intellectual
horizons of students through the Creating
Sustainable Futures strand of the CEP. From
September 2014, students will have the
opportunity to select from modules that
address key issues such as sustainability

as an environmental challenge and

environmentally-sound and socially-just
economic development.
There are currently around 50 sustainabilityrelevant elective modules on offer across
the University. As the Creating Sustainable
Futures strand develops and is trialled
throughout its first academic year, the
ESDN will have an important role to play
in supporting the strand leader to pursue
opportunities for new developments.
An institutional approach, embodied by the
mutually reinforcing effect of the CEP and the
ESDN, is of great value to the University, giving
coherence to the development of education
for sustainable development. Future work
will include working in partnership with the
Sustainability Team and Leeds University
Union to foster the notion of the campus as a
laboratory to promote practical engagement
with sustainable development concepts.

The Sustainable Development team

are interested in hearing about research
being conducted in the University that
relates to sustainability.
Whether youre part of a multi-disciplinary
institute or working independently, they
want to know about it. Your experience
could be used to showcase the fantastic
research going on at Leeds or help to
shape our sustainability strategy for the
coming year.
If you think your research could make a
great case study, contact Sam McCarthy
on [email protected]

08

Sustainability

Reporter 569

November 2012

Sustainability

Travel Survey
The Universitys third annual
travel survey received responses
from nearly 7,000 staff and
students, and recorded some
very positive results.
A key focus of the survey is to obtain Scope
3 emissions for staff, broken down into
Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, resulting
from staff commutes and University-related
business travel.

staff to replace driving to work with walking

or cycling.

The results compare favourably with 2011,

with the average 23.39kg of GHG equivalent
in commuting shrinking to 20.92kg and a drop
in the number of miles travelled on University
business from 700,000 miles to 620,000
miles in the month to which the survey related.
However, despite some progress, the survey
shows there is significant potential to improve
current levels of car sharing and persuade

The Sustainable Transport team have

been working on this area, and have installed
a further 150 new cycle stands around
campus for people wishing to cut their
emissions and cycle into work. Looking
out for your safety, the team will also be
providing lights and reflective slap bands,
along with other safety advice, throughout
November via the UTravelActive scheme.

To find out more about the Universitys

commitment to sustainable travel, visit
goo.gl/Ln4OD

Sustainability

Bulbs for bees

Look out for a colourful surprise next spring,
when some 3,000 crocus and snowdrop
bulbs burst into life across campus.
October saw the Sustainability Team, Grounds
and Gardens team and staff and student
volunteers come together and get their hands
dirty in a mass planting of bulbs in support
of the Biodiversity Action Plan.

The provision of a good variety of flowers

throughout the year, in particular in early
spring and late summer/autumn is one
of the main actions in the Plan to improve
the habitat for invertebrates, particularly
bees, on campus.
Also part of the Plan are the wildflower
patches dotted around campus, with the
main area outside the Earth and Environment
building and another small area in front
of the Edward Boyle Library.
Aside from the aesthetic beauty of wildflower
areas, they encourage insects which in turn
encourage a greater variety of bird species.
The Sustainability Team also plan to put up
30 bird boxes later this year which will be
numbered and monitored.

November 2012

Reporter 569

Sustainability 09

Sustainability

Sustainability news round up

Residences live it green

Residential Services Team (RS) is encouraging
an increased awareness of environmental
issues by publishing the Living it Green Guide
and spreading the word about the Universitys
other sustainability initiatives.
The Living it Green Guide gives information
and advice on reducing environmental impact
in University-managed residences and is a
branch of the Living it Green initiative. Staff and
students, along with conference delegates and
contractors involved in residential operations
are advised about the little things that can
make a BIG difference and encouraged to
reduce their environmental impact. This ranges
from day-to-day tasks like switching off heating,
lights, and electrical appliances before leaving
offices and flats, to pointing students in the
direction of environmental groups and societies
within Leeds University Union.
Staff and students have also been provided
with information about the Yorkshire Wildlife
Trust (YWT), of which the University is a
corporate member. Staff from Residential
Services headed down to the Kirkstall Valley
Nature Reserve where they worked alongside
YWT staff, raking and collecting hay to increase
soil fertility and allow the local meadow to thrive
and regenerate and thereby continue to sustain
and attract wildlife. Further opportunities for
staff and students to engage with the Trust
will take place across 2012/13.

Green Impact

Waste not, want not

Green Impact, the Universitys environmental

accreditation scheme, has been re-launched
in a bid to encourage students and colleagues
to take an active role in reducing their
environmental footprint.

New waste removal contracts promise to raise

the Universitys recycling and recovery rate
and lessen our environmental impact.
A new hazardous waste contract managed
by Health and Safety Services (HSS) will
see a larger percentage of waste reused than
previously, with a 75% target set. HSS are
also helping Cleaning Services to manage
a new healthcare waste contract which aims
to reduce incineration. Finally, a new skip
contract will enable the Sustainability team to
track progress and set targets to ensure that as
little of our waste as possible is sent to landfill.
A minimum of 90% recovery has been set.

The aim is to showcase positive changes in

environmental practice at students unions,
universities and community organisations
across the UK. Teams can work towards a
Bronze, Silver or Gold award by signing onto
an online workbook and fulfilling criteria by
making small, local changes such as
switching off at the end of the work day
or arranging for office heating and cooling
systems to match usage.
One team who managed to achieve Gold last
year was Student Administration. Rosie Dowen
from their Green Impact team offers the advice
of have fun and start small, saying the best
part is to feel like youre making a difference.
Now in its third year at the University, the
Sustainable Development team are hoping
this will be the best yet for Green Impact!
For more information about Green Impact
and how you can get involved please contact
Sam McCarthy at [email protected]
It All Adds Up update
Its just over a year since the It All Adds Up
campaign began, when the giant numbers
appearing around campus grabbed peoples
attention. It certainly got people thinking
about energy use and carbon production,
and was very successful, with savings of
around 42,000 and 245 tonnes of CO2
recorded in the shutdown periods alone.
The second phase of the campaign will
launch this month, so look out for some
surprises on campus!

Sign up to Leeds Goes Green

One of the wildflower areas on campus.

Do you want to discuss sustainability on

campus and beyond with your fellow staff
and students? Would you like to collaborate
on existing sustainability projects, organise
events or just be kept up to date with whats
going on? Sign up for information about
the Leeds Goes Green staff and student
forum at goo.gl/UDQ0l and get involved
with sustainability at the University.

Discover one of the Universitys

best kept secrets
The Hidden Caf is on a mission to become
LUUs first sustainable caf. On the lower floor of
the Leeds University Union building, the caf has
been refurbished and provides a peaceful place
to get a bite to eat. With locally sourced food,
Fairtrade tea and coffee, recycled furniture
and compostable cups and food trays, you can
take a break and go green at the same time!

Leeds student cracks the carbon

footprint of University purchasing
Student James Townsend has been working
with the Universitys purchasing team to
calculate climate change impact linked to
University procurement.
James, who is studying for an MSc
Sustainability (Climate Change), used a
model developed by Professor John Barrett
(School of Earth and Environment) which
shows that approximately 50% of University
climate change impact can be attributed to
our purchasing decisions. The findings from
the six-month project will be used to inform
future purchasing and is a great example
of how students and academics are helping
to guide our approach to sustainability.

Bird boxes being made on campus.

10

Research and innovation

Reporter 569

November 2012

Research and innovation

Fostering a research
environment in Arts
The Leeds Humanities Research
Institute (LHRI) is launching a
new set of activities in 2012-13,
following a strategic review by
the Faculty of Arts.
Our aim is to help foster the best possible
environment for research in the Faculty of
Arts, explains Dr Matthew Treherne, Director
of the LHRI. This means creating a context for
intellectual collaboration and debate; preparing
researchers to gain external funding; and
making sure that grant holders are supported
as effectively as possible.
Four new LHRI research themes on the topics
of Home, Community and Belonging, Cultural
Exchange, Medical Humanities and Cultures
of Ownership/Ownership of Culture will
provide a stimulus for new collaborations. LHRIfunded Graduate Research Groups are enabling
postgraduates to work together to develop
research programmes at the cutting edge of

Elaine Wilson (Faculty Research Manager), Jasjit Singh

(Research Fellow) and Dr Matthew Treherne.

knowledge. The LHRI also offers pump-priming

support to enable researchers to prepare for
major research bids, and aims to build strong
relationships with funding bodies.
Post-doctoral research in the Faculty is a
further priority for the LHRI, which runs a
programme of social and cultural events
for post-doctoral researchers. A shortterm post-doctoral fellowship scheme will
launch this year to bring the most promising

International

Leeds workshop for Overseas Offices

The International Office played host to the
second Leeds Overseas Offices Workshop
in Leeds this September with representatives
attending from our teams in Japan, China,
Nigeria, India and Malaysia.
The Workshop provided the representatives
with the opportunity to spend time as a
team and share best practice and common
challenges. It also allowed them to ensure
their own activities are in line with Leeds
strategic developments, whilst being a
platform for overseas staff to brief the
University on developments and events in
their own respective markets.
Members attended a number of sessions
which ranged from recruitment discussions
with faculty marketing managers to an
introduction to key strategy themes by
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Vivien Jones.

Also on the agenda was an introduction to

IRS colleagues and the sector hubs to build
an understanding of the Universitys research
and innovation agenda and how overseas
teams might contribute to identifying
opportunities in this area.
During their time in Leeds, they were
introduced to our newest buildings and
campus developments such as the Liberty
Building and the Marks & Spencers
Archive and fortunately they had the luck of
experiencing the best weather this autumn
had to offer.
Dr Judith Lamie, International Director, said:
The workshop was a great success and
an excellent reminder of how valuable the
overseas teams are in promoting all aspects
of Leeds.

Our aim is to help

foster the best possible
environment for research
in the Faculty of Arts.
Dr Matthew Treherne, Director of LHRI

researchers to Leeds, to contribute to our

research activities and develop applications
for externally funded fellowships. Together
with the Universitys post-doctoral initiative,
these activities ensure that our post-doctoral
researchers make the most of their time at
Leeds, and that our applications for externally
funded fellowships are as strong as possible,
continues Dr Treherne.
At the same time, the LHRI is helping to
broaden access to the Facultys research.
The Students as Scholars scheme offers
mentoring to Arts students as they attend
research seminars in the Faculty. And new
impetus is being given to Arts researchers
work with external partners, through the
Institutes collaboration with the transformation
project, Arts Engaged, led by Professor
Stuart Murray (School of English). As Matthew
Treherne explains: The five post-doctoral
fellows employed by the project are emblematic
of the vibrant, collaborative research culture
which the LHRI exists to support.

November 2012

Reporter 569

Research and innovation 11

Research and innovation

Join the debate

A new blog has been launched,
aimed at helping to foster
debate about how security and
justice contribute to building
sustainable societies.
The blog, which will include comment
pieces and video content, hopes to engage
with policy-makers, practitioners and the wider
public, and be used by academics across the
University to share their research and expertise.
Professor Adam Crawford (School of Law),
director of the Building Sustainable Societies
Security and Justice research group which
has launched the initiative, is encouraging
academics to use the site as a way of
maximising the impact of their research.
We hope this will be a valuable platform to
contribute to the national and international
debate, says Professor Crawford. It is an
opportunity to share new research findings
and opinions from scholars working across
the social sciences and other disciplines.

The first series of blogs, focusing on current

changes in policing and the advent of Police
and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), has been
launched ahead of a key conference in January
2013, which will examine the role of PCCs
60 days into their term following the elections
on 15 November.
Visit www.bss.leeds.ac.uk to contribute to the
debate, or contact Gill Sayers on g.sayers@
leeds.ac.uk For more information about the
conference contact [email protected]

Research and innovation

The Sector Hubs: now online and in print

By Professor David Hogg, Pro-Vice-Chancellor
for Research and Innovation
As one of the largest research-intensive
universities in the UK, Leeds engages in
world-class research across an exceptionally
diverse range of disciplines. This breadth
of knowledge and expertise underpins our
commitment to work with partners from all
sectors, ensuring our research has direct
economic and societal benefit.
The launch of Gateways to knowledge is
your chance to find out more about how
potential partners can work with the University
via our new Higher Education Innovation
Fund-backed Sector Hub approach,
focusing on 14 industrial/commercial sectors.

Supported by over 6m of investment, the

Sector Hubs provide a more focused and
strategic approach to the way we work with
industry and other external partners. They also
enable us to address increasingly complex
problems requiring multidisciplinary approaches
that combine our major research strengths.
The Hub approach is challenge driven, applying
research excellence to issues of national and
international importance. Above all it ensures
our research is relevant to industry and external
partners because by collaborating we can
focus on developing practical solutions to real
needs based on world-class research.
The Hubs are broad enough to encourage and
stimulate genuine cross-sector development,
working together to present a co-ordinated
presence to partners and users, with shared
intelligence and best practice.

This model ensures dedicated innovation

support is in place to match each sectors
specific requirements, from academic lead
and vision to dedicated business development
contacts with key account responsibility.
We are committed to building productive
relationships with Hub users and partners,
using effective engagement and feedback to
guide operational activity. Real impact and
effective delivery through collaboration are
fundamental to the success of the Sector
Hub approach.
Visit www.leeds.ac.uk/sectorhubs For further
information or to request a copy of Gateways
to knowledge please contact Impact and
Innovation Manager Owen Adams 0113 34
30912 or [email protected]

12

In the news

Reporter 569

November 2012

In the news
The comments of Dr Victoria Honeyman
(School of Politics and International Studies)
on the booing of the Prime Minister and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer at a Paralympic
Games medal ceremony were widely reported,
in both local and national press across the
US, including on ABC News and on National
Public Radio.
Dr Kevin Houston (School of Mathematics)
may have discovered the secret of the
clanging, opening chord of the 1964
Beatles hit, A Hard Days Night, which
has proved so hard for musicians to
replicate. Dr Houston used sophisticated
software to split the chord into its
component frequencies and reveal which
notes were most prominent. His findings
were reported by the London Evening
Standard, Mail on Sunday, Scotsman,
Belfast Telegraph, Daily Star, Sydney
Morning Herald, Brisbane Times, Canberra
Times, Yahoo! India, North Korea Times,
Toronto Telegraph, and Boston Standard.
They were also reported in around 200
other local UK news publications.

A study of the quantity and geographical reach

of rainfall generated by extensive tropical
vegetation, led by Dr Dominick Spracklen and
co-authored by Dr Stephen Arnold (School of
Earth and Environment), was widely reported
in the UK and internationally, including in the
Daily Mail, France 24, International Business
Times, ABC de Sevilla, and Europa Press. Dr
Spracklen explained: Our study implies that
deforestation of the Amazon and Congo forests
could have catastrophic consequences for the
people living thousands of kilometres away in
surrounding countries.

Rings from just eight lowland cedar trees in

Bolivia have provided a century-long record
of rainfall patterns across the entire Amazon
basin, according to research by Dr Roel
Brienen and Professor Manuel Gloor, which
was reported by BBC News, the BBC World
Service in Spain, ABC in Spain, and in the
Epoch Times.

The US media showed great interest in

research by Charlotte Evans (School of Food
Science and Nutrition), which found that
schemes to encourage healthy eating among
schoolchildren had limited success, on average
only increasing intake of fruit and vegetables
by a quarter of a portion. The research
was reported in the Los Angeles Times,
Sun Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, and by
Reuters Health.
Both the UK and international press gave
widespread coverage to a report into Chinese
investment in the European Union, launched
by Professor Jeremy Clegg and Dr Hinrich Voss
(both of Leeds University Business School).
The report examined why such investment
had been limited to date and how it might
develop in the future. It was covered by the
Guardian, Reuters, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! News
Singapore, International Business Times,
The US Daily, Reuters Latin America,
Spanish Peoples Daily (China), Liberal
(Mexico), Economic Times of India, Jiangsu
Broadcasting Corporation, Chicago Tribune,
and the Yorkshire Post.
Professor Stephen Westland (Acting Dean
of the Faculty of Performance, Visual
Arts and Communication) appeared in a
BBC1 documentary about the history of
the colour film industry, Race for Colour.
Professor Westland explained how the eye
perceives a whole range of colours using a
basic palette of red, green and blue light.

A study by Drs David Grainger and Esme

Hanna (School of Sociology and Social Policy)
into changing family relationships in the
UK found that cohabiting couples are, for
the first time, as likely to have children as
those who marry. This finding was reported
by the Guardian, Telegraph, Daily Mail, and
BBC Radio 2.

Research by PhD student Marco-Felipe King,

supervised by Dr Catherine Noakes (School of
Civil Engineering, Institute for Pathogen Control
Engineering) has suggested that superbugs
could spread through hospitals by air currents.
BBC News, BBC Online, Times of India,
BBC World Service in Spain, and El Nacional
(Dominican Republic) all reported Mr Kings
findings.

Researchers led by Professor Paola Caselli

(School of Physics and Astronomy) have
discovered that there is enough water vapour to
fill the Earths oceans more than 2,000 times in
a gas and dust cloud, which is about to collapse
into a new Sun-like star within the Taurus
constellation. The discovery has been reported
by Yahoo! India, Toronto Telegraph, North
Korea Times, El Mundo, COSMOS Magazine
(Australia), and La Repubblica (Italy).
Dr Paul Taylor (Institute of Communications
Studies) discussed the definition of being
grown up with Jenni Murray and others on
BBC Radio 4s Womans Hour. He explained:
We should stay in touch with our inner
child ... all I really want from my girlfriend
for Christmas is matching his and hers tiger
pants so that I can eat sticky ribs and pretend
I caught an antelope.
The Guardian reported on a study by Professor
Ian Kirkpatrick and Dr Gianluca Veronesi
(Leeds University Business School), which
suggested that more involvement from
clinicians on the boards of English NHS acute
trusts led to better hospital performance.
As well as in an article in the body of the
newspaper, the study also featured in the
Today in Healthcare supplement.

November 2012

Reporter 569

Honours 13

Honours
Professor Stephen Alford (School of History) has
been appointed Chair in Early Modern History.
His main research interests include: politics,
political thought and monarchy in Britain in
the 16th and early 17th centuries; empire,
exploration, navigation, trade and the City
of London in the 16th and early 17th
centuries; and espionage and intelligence
in early-modern Europe.
Professor Alford held posts as a British Academy
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cambridge,
Ehrman Senior Research Fellow in History, and
Senior Lecturer in History, both at Kings College,
Cambridge. His book Burghley: William Cecil at
the Court of Elizabeth I received much critical
acclaim and was short-listed for the Marsh Prize
in Biography. His recently published book
on espionage in Elizabethan England and
beyond The Watchers: A Secret History
of the Reign of Elizabeth I also received
positive press attention.
The Worshipful Company of Dyers of The
City of London has awarded Dr Richard S
Blackburn (Centre for Technical Textiles,
School of Design) the Freedom of the
Company and the Freedom of The City of
London in Guildhall. Dr Blackburn became
a Freeman of The City in early October
and, on the same day, he returned to
Dyers Hall to become a Liveryman of the
Company and was clothed with the Livery.
The Dyers Company has had long
associations with the University, primarily
through the Department of Colour
Chemistry (now Colour Science), and a
representative from the Dyers Company
of London sits on the University Court.

Dr Susan Hamer was awarded the eHealth

Insider Chief Clinical Information Officer award
for clinical IT leadership. Dr Hamer is the
Organisational and Workforce Development
Director for the Clinical Research Network
(Faculty of Medicine and Health). The
eHealth Insider awards recognise excellence
in healthcare IT across organisations and
projects in the public and private sector.
Dr Hamer says: Im so proud to receive this
award for our clinical leadership programme; for
me it has acknowledged the potential of senior
nurses to be actively involved in developing
innovative technology enabled practice. It was a
real privilege to receive the award and was only
possible due to a team of nurses from across
the NHS who helped facilitate the sessions.

A team of Leeds researchers led by

Dr Philip Holland (School of Medicine,
Leeds Institute of Medical Education) has
won the Medipex-NHS Innovation Award
2012 for Software and Telehealth for
UpBete, which provides online support
for diabetic children.
UpBete is designed to promote selfmanagement of diabetes, community
knowledge sharing, and public education
and outreach. The UpBete website received
over 1,000 visitors in six months and
feedback has been extremely positive.

This is a rare honour for an academic,

particularly one with no ancestors who
were Liverymen, says Dr Blackburn.
I was very surprised and incredibly
honoured to be recognised in this way.
Dr Hamer

PhD student and teaching assistant Christiaan

De Beukelaer (Institute of Communications
Studies) has won the Cultural Policy Research
Award 2012 for the best innovative research
proposal in applied, comparative, cross-cultural
research in Europe. His project, Developing
Culture and Culturing Development: A critical
analysis of the link between cultural industries
and sustainable human development in the
Global South, was selected from 24 highquality applications from 12 European countries
by an international panel.

Professor Alford

The Yorkshire Finance Director of the

Year Awards honoured the Universitys
Finance Director Jane Madeley, who
received the award for Best Finance
Director of a Public Sector Organisation.
The awards seek to recognise the key
contribution and exceptional performance
of the regions top Finance Directors
and their ability to adapt to changing
market conditions.

UpBetes development was initially funded

by the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic
Health Authority Innovation Fund and
was a collaboration between the Leeds
Teaching Hospitals Trust, NHS Leeds,
the Leeds Institute of Medical Education
and MyKnowledgeMap Ltd.

Correction
Sir Mark Elder did not receive an honorary
degree as reported in the last issue of the
Reporter. The award will now be conferred
upon Sir Mark in summer 2013.

14

News Small Ads

Reporter 569

November 2012

News

Name change ushers in new era for choir

The Clothworkers Consort of Leeds,
formerly Leeds University Liturgical
Choir, is hoping that their new name
will enable them to develop a more
professional external profile and
build their reputation as one of
the UKs premier university choirs.
It was the choirs 10th anniversary in
2011-12 and we wanted to mark the next
phase in our development, so a new name
seemed appropriate, explains Assistant Director
Dr Stephen Muir. Our new title recognises the
contribution that the Clothworkers Company
has made to music in the University, most
conspicuously the Clothworkers Centenary
Concert Hall, where we rehearse.

Established after the Leeds-Bretton Hall

Merger in 2001 by the School of Musics
Professor Philip Wilby and Drs Muir and
Bryan White, the Clothworkers Consort
has grown to be one of the finest choral
ensembles in the North. The 24-strong
choir is made up of both staff and students.
Were seeking to develop and professionalise
our activities further, and contribute to the
world-class ambitions of the University,
continues Dr Muir. Weve been taken on by
a professional agency, Ellison & Strmsholm
International Artists Management, which will
mean more prestigious bookings, and next
May we are making a recording for Divine
Art Records. It is a cycle of poems by
Robert Louis Stevenson, set to music for
the Clothworkers Consort by Bradford-based
composer Philip Henderson, titled Under
the wide and starry sky. It charts Stevensons
life during his final years in Samoa, drawing
its name from his famous poem Requiem.

The choir is regularly asked to participate in

professional events. Weve recorded three CDs,
undertaken a number of successful foreign
tours, and are proud to be the most high-profile,
active musical ambassadors for the University
at a national and international level.
The name change and association with the
Clothworkers Company will be celebrated in
a special concert for Advent and Christmas
at the Leeds Universities Catholic Chaplaincys
beautiful chapel on 7 December. For details of
this and other events, visit www.ccl.leeds.ac.uk

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leeds.ac.uk The charge is 7 for 10 words or part
thereof (University members) or 10 (general public).
The deadline for the next issue is 14 November 2012 at
4pm. Advertisers are independent from the University.
The University makes no warranty or representation as
to (a) the accuracy of ads or (b) the quality of goods or
services advertised. To the full extent allowed by the law
the University excludes all liability.
Contact Emma Morris on (0)113 343 8373
or [email protected]

November 2012

Reporter 569

Events 15

Events

Austerity and
Invention: Illustration
between the Wars
Lovers of art and the book are
invited to the Stanley & Audrey
Burton Gallery, to view a magical
mixture of styles and imagery
from the 1920s and 1930s.

Make Your Mark

The sequel to Fancy and Imagination:

Aubrey Beardsley and the Book Illustrators,
the exhibition features original drawings,
watercolours, prints and book illustrations
from the Leeds University Library Special
Collections and other Yorkshire collections.

The next event in the Make Your Mark

Networking Series bringing business and
higher education together at the University
takes place on Friday 23 November at
11.45-14.00 in the Yorkshire Bank Lecture
Theatre, Leeds University Business School.

Illustrators featured include internationallyrenowned artists William Heath Robinson and

Kay Nielsen, lesser-known Yorkshire artists
Thomas Blakeley MacKenzie and Albert
Wainwright, and increasingly successful
women artists, such as FISH. Original
sketches and artwork for the beloved
classic, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur
Ransome are also on display.

From government to banking, media to

technology and manufacturing to retail,
how companies and organisations conduct
themselves has come under intense scrutiny
in recent years. Given the current tough
economic climate we all face, it is surely
more important than ever that organisations
make headlines for the right reasons.

The exhibition runs until 1 December

2012. Gallery is open from Mon-Sat,
10-5pm and admission is free. Full event
details can be found on the gallery website
www.leeds.ac.uk/gallery/events.htm
Why did Germany fight to the end in 1945?
All colleagues and members of the public are
invited to attend a lecture by Sir Ian Kershaw,
a world-renowned authority on the history of
Nazi Germany, on Wednesday 14 November
at 5pm in Conference Auditorium 1.
The lecture Why did Germany fight to the
end in 1945? is sponsored by the School
of History and the Faculty of Arts.
Sir Ian, who was recently made an honorary
Doctor of Letters by the University, was
Professor of Modern History at the University
of Sheffield until his retirement in 2008. He is
most celebrated for his two-volume biography
of Hitler, subtitled Hubris, 1889-1936, and
Nemesis, 1936-45. Other works include
Fateful Choices. Ten Decisions that Changed
the World, and his most recent book, The
End. Hitlers Germany, 1944-45.

The Goldfish Bowl by Phyllis Austin (1922). Private collection. The Estate of Anne Harriet Fish/Photo: Norman Taylor, 2012.

Marks & Spencer Company Secretary Amanda

Mellor talks about how Britains most iconic
retailer places doing the right thing at the heart
of its business model. Speaking about the
challenges facing companies in the wake of
recent events, Amanda will explain why good
governance, trust and ethics remain vital to
business success.
Refreshments will be provided and a networking
reception will take place after the session.
Admission is free but places are limited;
register at [email protected]
British Academy Raleigh Lecture
at the University
The Reverend Professor Judith M Brown
(University of Oxford) will give a lecture on
The Making and Breaking of States: the End
of Empire in India Revisited on Wednesday 5
December at 5.306.45pm in the Rupert
Beckett Lecture Theatre.
By revisiting perhaps the greatest imperial ending
the end of British imperial rule in India in 1947
we can investigate issues which may prove
helpful in probing the dynamics of other phases of
turbulence in the structures and nature of states.

The lecture is given in association with the

Leeds Humanities Research Institute and
will be followed by a reception in the School
of History. Registration is not required and
attendance is free. Contact Elaine Wilson
at [email protected]
Professor Brown is also delivering the
lecture in London on Tuesday 27 November
at the British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House
Terrace at 6.00pm7.15pm. Details are at
goo.gl/ONAC3
2012 Bolton Lecture in Astronomy
This years lecture Of Suns and Other
Worlds will be delivered by Professor Michael
Thompson on Thursday 29 November at
5.30pm in the Conference Auditorium.
Professor Thompson is Director of the Higher
Altitude Observatory in Boulder, Colorado, and
runs the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory in Hawaii.
He will discuss how fragile our own existence
around the Sun might be in light of space
weather, and what we are learning about
planets and suns elsewhere in the Galaxy.
Presented by the School of Physics and
Astronomy, the lecture is free and open to
all. Visit www.physics.leeds.ac.uk/home/
bolton-lecture.html Parties of more than
five people should contact Sarah Gardner at
[email protected]

16

FAQs

Reporter 569

November 2012

FAQs

Louise Ellis, Head of Sustainability

Tell us about your role.
The Head of Sustainability is a new and exciting
role, both for me and the University. The main
objective of the role is to develop and deliver
an integrated approach to sustainability across
the whole University activity. Its grown out of
the great work which has already been done by
the sustainability team and others around the
organisation and gives us a great springboard
to further develop this agenda.

What drew you to this area

of work?
As a teenager I was interested in the
environment and this led to me studying
environmental science as an undergraduate
in the early nineties. Through my career Ive
further developed my interest and knowledge
expanding into the broader sustainability field
and, more specifically, how organisations
and business address and adapt to this.
Sustainability allows me to work in an area
which is challenging and constantly evolving,
addressing issues which question the way things
are and work. This role in particular draws
together my experience in the private sector
and my academic role. Its come along at a
time when as an organisation the University
can make a real impact on how the sector
develops both nationally and internationally.

In terms of sustainability, what

do you hope the University will
achieve over the next few years?
I hope that we will be, and will be seen to be,
addressing the issue fully, challenging the
perceptions of what it means to be green and
socially responsible. Well be leading the sector
in driving change, enhancing the way we do
things with sustainability as one of the key
areas that makes us distinct.

What do you think are the biggest

challenges youll face in helping
the University to become more
sustainable?
I think one of the biggest challenges is also one
of our biggest strengths: that is our diversity.
As an organisation we do lots of different
things, encompassing the excellent broad
range of research and student education and
the activities which allow this to take place on
a day-to-day basis. This means that we can be
innovative in our approach to sustainability but
also means we need to ensure that all elements
are captured in our approach.

Tell us about some of your

research.
Ive been working in the field of corporate
sustainability and also looking at the interface
between business and policy. Im currently
finishing off papers around corporate response
to climate change and sustainability and the
Olympics. Going forward my emphasis will
be the implementation side of the University,
however, I think there will be a lot of lessonlearnt work which we can disseminate to the
wider academic and practitioner communities.

Which four people dead or alive

would you invite for dinner?
This is a hard one and would change depending
on when you asked me, there are so many
people who are probably more inspirational than
those I have chosen but youve only given me
four spaces!

David Attenborough maybe a little predictable

but his films were instrumental in my
understanding of the natural world as a kid and
I would love to hear more about his experience
off camera; Gro Harlem Brundtland because
her work has had such an impact on how
sustainable development is viewed by so many
different people and organisations; Chris Hoy
because he is awesome in his dedication and
sportsmanship; and my Grandma she was an
amazingly strong yet gentle woman and it would
be a great way to share with her a taste of my
adult life.

Whats your most frequently asked

question?
At the moment week one in a new role!
what is your job all about? But more generally,
What is sustainability?

What are your main interests

outside of work?
I love playing cricket and baking.