Educational conversion for rugby stars Meet UCLan's new creatives ...
Educational conversion for rugby stars Meet UCLan's new creatives ...
Educational conversion for rugby stars Meet UCLan's new creatives ...
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Aspire<br />
The magazine from the<br />
University of Central Lancashire<br />
2010<br />
<strong>Educational</strong> <strong>conversion</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>rugby</strong> <strong>stars</strong><br />
<strong>Meet</strong> UCLan’s <strong>new</strong> <strong>creatives</strong><br />
New campus unveiled<br />
iPhone application is UK first<br />
ISSUE
Contents<br />
Aspire 2010<br />
New facilities 3<br />
Building blocks of learning<br />
Research 4<br />
Digging up the past<br />
Landmark in journalism celebrated<br />
Course innovation 8<br />
Powers of persuasion<br />
Calling all adrenaline junkies<br />
UCLanSport 12<br />
Countdown to 2012<br />
Eco-car first to chequered flag<br />
In the <strong>new</strong>s 14<br />
Howzat!<br />
Football pundit scores <strong>for</strong> charity<br />
International outlook 16<br />
Argentinean adventure<br />
Taste <strong>for</strong> language<br />
2 Aspire 2010<br />
4 11 12<br />
14 20 28<br />
Career focus 20<br />
Intern enters Public Office<br />
Business is looking up<br />
Student experience 22<br />
Postcard from South Africa<br />
iPhone application is UK first<br />
High achievers 26<br />
Fifty years of fashion celebrated<br />
Nursing a love of study...<strong>for</strong> free<br />
<strong>Meet</strong> UCLan’s <strong>new</strong> <strong>creatives</strong><br />
Alumni 31<br />
View from the top<br />
Campus roundup 32<br />
University choir hit high notes<br />
Shining Light<br />
Footballers net fitness reward
Building blocks of learning<br />
Sports centre and <strong>for</strong>ensics facility to boost student experience<br />
The University of Central Lancashire<br />
(UCLan) is creating two multi-million<br />
pound buildings housing state-of-the-art<br />
sports and <strong>for</strong>ensic science facilities.<br />
The £16 million sports centre will be<br />
home to top class sporting facilities and<br />
equipment to aid the development of<br />
UCLan’s sporting elite along with<br />
providing indoor, Olympic quality<br />
training areas in the run up to the<br />
London 2012 Olympics.<br />
A sprung timber sports hall, sunk into<br />
the centre of the plan, will be the main<br />
attraction. It will have more than 300<br />
retractable seats and a viewing gallery<br />
while it will also act as a multi-use space<br />
accommodating regional and national<br />
sporting events, conventions and<br />
exhibitions along with hosting academic<br />
examinations.<br />
The <strong>new</strong> complex will also be home to<br />
activity studios, squash courts, changing<br />
rooms and multi-functional spaces.<br />
A pre-school <strong>for</strong> 90 children will also be<br />
created on the site.<br />
Dr Adrian Ibbetson, Academic Director<br />
<strong>for</strong> Sport, said: “The centre will be a<br />
fantastic development <strong>for</strong> the University<br />
and will be a top-of-the-range facility<br />
which will serve the health and fitness<br />
needs of students and provide an<br />
excellent competition venue <strong>for</strong> our<br />
Students’ Union clubs. It will significantly<br />
impact on the student experience in<br />
terms of recreation, health, well-being<br />
and competitive sport.”<br />
And in a separate development extensive<br />
chemistry, analytical and fire research<br />
facilities, designed to accommodate<br />
more than 160 students across four<br />
laboratories, are being created in the<br />
£12.5 million JB Firth building.<br />
It is being named after renowned<br />
pioneer of <strong>for</strong>ensic science James Brierley<br />
Firth, who <strong>for</strong>med the North West’s first<br />
Forensic Science Laboratory in Preston<br />
and led the way <strong>for</strong> the creation of a<br />
regionalised <strong>for</strong>ensic science service <strong>for</strong><br />
the police.<br />
“As one of the first universities to offer<br />
<strong>for</strong>ensic science courses we look <strong>for</strong>ward<br />
to building on our heritage with the JB<br />
Firth extension project. We're very<br />
excited about the opportunities the <strong>new</strong><br />
facilities will bring to our students,”<br />
commented Dr Lee Chatfield, Head of<br />
New facilities<br />
the School of Forensic and Investigative<br />
Sciences. “We are also pleased to pay<br />
tribute to James Firth, who has made<br />
such a mark on both the local area and<br />
the world of <strong>for</strong>ensic science.”<br />
Aspire 2010 3
Research<br />
Digging up the past<br />
Dr Vicki Cummings<br />
Archaeology, School of Forensic<br />
and Investigative Science<br />
Mention archaeology to most people<br />
and their thoughts immediately turn to<br />
famous sights such as Stonehenge and<br />
Avebury stone circle, to name but two.<br />
But <strong>for</strong> Dr Vicki Cummings, Senior<br />
Lecturer in Archaeology at UCLan, the UK<br />
has so much more to offer in terms of<br />
developing our understanding of the past.<br />
“My main area of interest is prehistoric<br />
archaeology,” said Dr Cummings. “But I<br />
specialise in the Mesolithic (8000 to 4000<br />
BC) and Neolithic periods (4000 to 2500<br />
BC). My focus has been to investigate the<br />
Irish Sea zone as it has such a large<br />
number of well-preserved monuments<br />
and I have visited virtually all of the<br />
chambered tombs in this area.”<br />
The Mesolithic period was characterised<br />
by people hunting and gathering, while<br />
the Neolithic period saw the<br />
introduction of domesticated animals<br />
4 Aspire 2010<br />
and plants, pottery and the first<br />
monument construction. It’s these two<br />
periods that hold such a special interest<br />
<strong>for</strong> Dr Cummings. “I really do have a<br />
passion <strong>for</strong> monuments and lithics (stone<br />
tools),” she explains, “and want to<br />
develop more of an understanding of<br />
how people evolved from being huntergatherers<br />
to being farmers. The research<br />
I have been undertaking at various sites<br />
provides me with a great opportunity to<br />
further my knowledge and<br />
understanding of the past.<br />
“I decided to concentrate my ef<strong>for</strong>ts in<br />
the Irish Sea zone because there hasn’t<br />
really been that much research done<br />
there previously and there are some<br />
great monuments to examine. A lot of<br />
attention is focused on some of the<br />
well-known sites such as Stonehenge,<br />
which is only one, rather unique and not<br />
very representative site. But there really<br />
is just as much we can learn from other<br />
parts of the UK, so that’s what I decided<br />
to do,” she said.<br />
Dr Cummings’ work is centred mainly<br />
around the Bargrennan group of<br />
monuments in Dumfries and Galloway,<br />
south west Scotland – a group of<br />
chambered tombs, or cairns, found only<br />
in that area. These chambered cairns<br />
were built as burial monuments and<br />
consist of a cairn of stones inside which<br />
a sizeable chamber was constructed.
“I decided to concentrate my ef<strong>for</strong>ts in the Irish<br />
Sea zone because there hasn’t really been that<br />
much research done there previously and there<br />
are some great monuments to examine.”<br />
The Bargrennan group are currently<br />
undated, although it is thought that<br />
they were built somewhere in the<br />
Neolithic period.<br />
“During our excavations at Bargrennan<br />
and Cairnderry we were really excited to<br />
find a surprising amount of material,”<br />
said Dr Cummings. “Digs at a number<br />
of monuments in the area uncovered<br />
various interesting finds. A series of<br />
cremation pits were found around one<br />
particular monument, containing bone<br />
and charcoal, whilst some spectacular<br />
grave goods included two early Bronze<br />
Age battleaxes, which are rare objects<br />
and virtually never found in situ. Other<br />
items included an upturned collared urn<br />
and an accessory vessel. These objects, as<br />
well as radiocarbon dates from the pits,<br />
demonstrate that between 1900 and<br />
1500 BC people were using the outside<br />
of the monument <strong>for</strong> funerary activities.”<br />
Another aspect of Dr Cummings’ work is<br />
a technique known as field walking,<br />
which she undertook during a project<br />
started in Kintyre, Scotland, in 2006. “I<br />
am involved in a project to investigate<br />
the interactions of communities across<br />
the Irish Sea during the late Mesolithic<br />
and Neolithic periods,” she revealed,<br />
“and because Kintyre in Scotland is only<br />
12 miles from Ireland, it seemed the ideal<br />
area to investigate and field walking is<br />
the ideal technique to use.”<br />
Field walking involves collecting stone<br />
tools brought up during the ploughing<br />
of land and it’s an exercise that has paid<br />
Research<br />
rich dividends during the ongoing<br />
project. “We have uncovered a range of<br />
material from the Kintyre fields that<br />
cover a wide date range from the<br />
Mesolithic to the Bronze Age,” said<br />
Dr Cummings. “Good evidence of early<br />
Neolithic activity includes a leaf-shaped<br />
arrowhead and a number of scrapers,<br />
whilst occupation of coastal areas clearly<br />
continued in the later Neolithic and early<br />
Bronze ages. This is demonstrated<br />
through the finding of later scrapers,<br />
knives and a barbed and tanged<br />
arrowhead from this period,” she added.<br />
Although one of the main aims of the<br />
work in Scotland wasn’t achieved,<br />
Dr Cummings is really pleased with the<br />
findings uncovered so far. “We didn’t<br />
actually manage to date the sites at<br />
Cairnderry and Bargrennan, which is<br />
what we set out to do,” she said. “In<br />
archaeology you don’t always get the<br />
results you want, but we did find lots of<br />
good examples of settlement sites from<br />
the Mesolithic through to the Bronze<br />
Age, so we are pleased overall.”<br />
So what’s next <strong>for</strong> Dr Cummings? “More<br />
research on specific areas, as it really is a<br />
never-ending process. It’s vital that we<br />
keep research projects like this going<br />
because it’s the only way that we can<br />
better our understanding of what<br />
happened in the past. It’s not all about<br />
finding the ‘oldest’ or the ‘richest’ items,<br />
as the media often portray, but<br />
archaeology is the search to understand<br />
the whole of the past. All research<br />
projects contribute to that broader<br />
understanding, with each excavation like<br />
finding another piece of the jigsaw.<br />
The real result will be publications that<br />
students and other scholars can read to<br />
help develop their understanding too.”<br />
Aspire 2010 5
Research<br />
Landmark in<br />
journalism celebrated<br />
A BAFTA-winning journalist has been<br />
reunited with <strong>for</strong>mer tutors and<br />
students to help celebrate 50 years of<br />
journalism at UCLan.<br />
Richard Frediani, Head of News at ITV<br />
Granada, studied on UCLan’s<br />
Postgraduate Diploma in Radio and<br />
TV Journalism in 1989.<br />
At a launch event, celebrating the<br />
research produced by undergraduate<br />
students Joe Cawley (history) and<br />
Louise Steggles (journalism), the<br />
Preston-born alumnus declared the<br />
exhibition open by cutting a specially<br />
prepared cake.<br />
“It’s a great honour, as a <strong>for</strong>mer<br />
student and proud Prestonian, to<br />
open this exhibition,” said Richard.<br />
“The University is certainly in the<br />
premier league when it comes to<br />
journalism and I was very privileged to<br />
gain a place on the postgraduate<br />
course all those years ago.<br />
“To misquote Reggie Perrin’s boss: ‘I<br />
wouldn’t have got where I am today<br />
without UCLan’. And even now,<br />
without the current course, I wouldn’t<br />
have a source of future talent to<br />
employ on Granada Reports.<br />
“The poly, as it was then, provided me<br />
with an excellent grounding <strong>for</strong> my<br />
career. And, being in my home town<br />
of Preston, I was able to study and<br />
enjoy the excellent amenities as well.”<br />
Pictured: Mike Ward, Head, School of<br />
Journalism, Media and Communication,<br />
John Swindells, Mayor of Preston with Joe<br />
Cawley, Louise Steggles and Richard Frediani.<br />
6 Aspire 2010<br />
Energy matters<br />
UCLan has announced a £1 million, three-year partnership with<br />
BAE Systems to conduct research into energy management.<br />
The initiative recognises the need to better manage energy in the defence<br />
sector, which will cut emissions, reduce overall cost and secure supply.<br />
Research will focus on the development of intelligent energy management<br />
systems <strong>for</strong> use in the defence sector, initially on BAE Systems sites across<br />
the UK but with potential <strong>for</strong> wider use both in the defence industry and<br />
on military bases. Longer term, the research partners aim to extend these<br />
systems to other sectors to enhance the competitiveness of British industry.<br />
Malcolm McVicar, Vice-Chancellor at UCLan, commented: “This is a fantastic<br />
project and we are grateful to BAE Systems <strong>for</strong> investing this essential<br />
funding. Against the backdrop of climate change there is a pressing need<br />
to undertake intelligent research that identifies how energy systems should<br />
be planned, designed and operated in a sustainable fashion.<br />
“We hope the findings from this initiative will lead to a revolution in<br />
energy and sustainable development and become a demonstration project<br />
of progressive science and applied practice – establishing <strong>new</strong> agendas <strong>for</strong><br />
what is achievable.”<br />
Mathematics research adds up<br />
Three research grants, totalling more than £400,000, have been awarded to the<br />
Computational and Theoretical Physics research group led by Dr Andrei Zvelindovsky.<br />
The funding will boost mathematical research related to the concept of<br />
‘self-organisation’ of nano materials. Dr Zvelindovsky said: “Three grants bring not<br />
only a substantial amount of funding <strong>for</strong> mathematical research, but enormous<br />
prestige to the University.”<br />
The largest grant is from the EU programme in Nano-Science, and includes<br />
collaboration with the universities of Leiden in Holland, Aachen in Germany, and<br />
Jerusalem and Technion in Israel. The aim of the research is to create <strong>new</strong> memory<br />
devices with the size and flexibility of a postage stamp.
A <strong>for</strong>ward-thinking initiative at UCLan<br />
is enabling undergraduate students to<br />
produce research of national and<br />
international standing that not only<br />
enhances their overall student<br />
experience but also provides a signpost<br />
to future career opportunities.<br />
Led by UCLan research staff, students<br />
have been drawn from subjects across<br />
the arts, sciences, health and business to<br />
work on 39 (up from 31 last year)<br />
different research projects <strong>for</strong> a period<br />
of up to 10 weeks.<br />
And at a recent academic poster<br />
presentation, the students unveiled<br />
their research findings on a wide range<br />
of subjects.<br />
Presenting the prizes <strong>for</strong> the best poster<br />
presentations was Professor Patrick<br />
McGhee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor<br />
(Academic), who said: “This initiative<br />
has been an outstanding success <strong>for</strong><br />
the University.<br />
“The programme has seen a growing<br />
number of both research staff and<br />
undergraduate students snap up the<br />
opportunities available, helping the<br />
University to establish a thriving research<br />
community across all academic areas.<br />
Research<br />
Undergraduates taste research future<br />
“Every project was superb in terms of<br />
depth, diversity and clarity but to<br />
identify the overall winners we wanted<br />
to pinpoint individuals who had gone<br />
the extra mile and demonstrated an<br />
excellent ability to verbally<br />
communicate their findings.”<br />
On this basis second year Pharmacy<br />
student Brendan Frazer was awarded<br />
a prize <strong>for</strong> his study entitled: ‘Catalytic<br />
synthesis of pharmaceutically important<br />
amides’. Brendan shared joint first prize<br />
with Laura Buckley <strong>for</strong> her project:<br />
‘Update of methods of suicide used by<br />
the elderly in England and Wales’.<br />
Laura’s work has already been published<br />
in two journals. “I’ve really enjoyed the<br />
whole experience and I would love to<br />
study <strong>for</strong> a PhD,” she explained.<br />
“Being able to impact the quality of<br />
people’s lives is hugely rewarding.”<br />
Alumni 2010 7
Course innovation<br />
Powers of persuasion<br />
UCLan students can now rediscover the lost art of rhetoric<br />
Undergraduate students studying on<br />
the BA (Hons) English Language and<br />
Linguistics programme can now choose<br />
a module that could help them become<br />
both articulate citizens and critical<br />
consumers of modern media<br />
communications – including politicians’<br />
speeches.<br />
‘Introduction to Rhetoric’ is taught by<br />
Dr Johan Siebers who also leads UCLan’s<br />
MA in Rhetoric - the only such course in<br />
the country.<br />
“The subject has a long history,”<br />
explained Dr Siebers. “Although it’s<br />
sometimes become synonymous with<br />
empty phrase-making, rhetoric, – the art<br />
of using language persuasively – played a<br />
central role in the Western educational<br />
system <strong>for</strong> centuries, but lost favour in<br />
Britain at the end of the Victorian era.<br />
The basic principles of giving a good<br />
speech, or really any communication,<br />
haven’t changed since they were<br />
<strong>for</strong>mulated by Aristotle and Quintilian<br />
two thousand years ago.”<br />
8 Aspire 2010<br />
In his Rhetoric (fourth century BC),<br />
Aristotle identified the three key<br />
elements of persuasion: ethos (the<br />
speaker’s personality and values); logos<br />
(the quality of the arguments used); and<br />
pathos (appealing to the emotions<br />
associated with a specific topic).<br />
The subject has, however, remained<br />
widely taught in the United States,<br />
where the spectacular success of Barack<br />
Obama has helped to put rhetoric firmly<br />
back on the map.<br />
“When it comes to giving an articulate<br />
and memorable speech, modern<br />
politicians could learn a lot from classical<br />
rhetoric,” added Dr Siebers. “Although<br />
memorising a speech isn’t a problem <strong>for</strong><br />
politicians with access to teleprompters,<br />
these ancient principles are just as<br />
relevant today, as is rhetoric itself. As a<br />
culture of eloquence – which means not<br />
only saying what needs to be said and<br />
saying it well, but also being able to put<br />
yourself in your audience’s shoes –<br />
rhetoric is a cornerstone of democracy.<br />
“As Barack Obama has shown, rhetoric is<br />
as important today as it was two<br />
thousand years ago. The success of the<br />
UK party leaders over the coming<br />
months and at the next general election<br />
will largely depend on their powers of<br />
persuasion.”<br />
Introduction to Rhetoric provides an<br />
overview of rhetorical theory and<br />
technique. It considers how rhetoric has<br />
developed from the practice of public<br />
speaking to an interpretive, and<br />
practical, framework <strong>for</strong> the analysis and<br />
production of communication and<br />
expression, and it considers the relation<br />
between rhetoric and ideas of science,<br />
civilisation and humanity. The module<br />
also provides the opportunity to practice<br />
rhetorical skills.<br />
The ten golden<br />
rules of political<br />
rhetoric<br />
1. Make your speech tell a story with<br />
a beginning, middle and end.<br />
2. Appeal to reason, but above all<br />
shared emotions and values.<br />
3. Take a strong stance on issues<br />
that matter to your audience.<br />
4. Make it personal: refer to I and<br />
you, we and they.<br />
5. Make your style vivid and varied.<br />
6. Use rhetorical devices, but don’t<br />
overdo them.<br />
7. Use carefully crafted soundbites<br />
<strong>for</strong> your take-home message.<br />
8. Be dramatic: vary intonation,<br />
use pauses and questions,<br />
talk into applause.<br />
9. Use body language to rein<strong>for</strong>ce<br />
your message.<br />
10. Make your words match your<br />
actions (and vice versa).
Calling all adrenaline junkies<br />
From September 2010 a pioneering <strong>new</strong> course to be run exclusively from UCLan’s<br />
Burnley Campus will equip students with the skills and knowledge required to<br />
manage and run their own adventure sports company.<br />
The <strong>new</strong> BA (Hons) in Adventure Sports Leadership follows specific academic and<br />
vocational guidelines to develop personal per<strong>for</strong>mance, instructional ability,<br />
leadership and entrepreneurship. Confirmed activities include mountain biking,<br />
kayaking, mountain walking, climbing and snow sports utilising local facilities.<br />
Primarily designed <strong>for</strong> local students, the course will provide a high quality<br />
university education alongside work experience and employment opportunities<br />
provided by the Adrenaline Gateway strategy.<br />
UCLan’s Burnley campus is working alongside organisations including the<br />
Rossendale Regeneration Board, KDCL and EDC Consultants to reinvent the local<br />
area, providing local employment and regeneration.<br />
Martin Brown, Director of UCLan’s Burnley Campus, said: “Transport infrastructure,<br />
combined with outstanding natural geography, existing facilities such as Ski<br />
Rossendale and regeneration areas all make ideal locations <strong>for</strong> sports designed to<br />
make your heart beat a little faster.”<br />
UCLan already has an enviable track record in outdoor and adventure sports and is<br />
rapidly becoming one of the top providers of sports education courses. Facilities<br />
include Llangollen’s Tyn Dwr Hall where future Adventure Sport Leadership<br />
students will be able to utilise facilities including mountain-biking, climbing,<br />
kayaking and canoeing.<br />
Dr Adrian Ibbetson, Academic Director <strong>for</strong> Sport at UCLan, said: “The British<br />
adventure sport industry is dominated by small businesses and sole traders, there<strong>for</strong>e<br />
managers must be multi-skilled at both the practical instructional and managerial<br />
skills needed to run a business. We’ve designed this course specifically to meet these<br />
needs, with the long-term goal that UCLan alumni will lead the field in the sector.”<br />
By 2020 it is expected that Pennine Lancashire will be trans<strong>for</strong>med with over one<br />
million more visitors a year coming to the area, spending an additional £15 million<br />
and creating at least 600 full time jobs.<br />
Course innovation<br />
Alfresco<br />
dining with<br />
a difference<br />
Around 200 students left the<br />
classroom <strong>for</strong> the park recently to<br />
experience a lesson with a difference.<br />
The students, from courses as diverse<br />
as Architecture, Architectural<br />
Technology, Graphic Design,<br />
Ceramics, Interior Design, and Textile<br />
Innovations were given a brief to<br />
design and construct alfresco dining<br />
shelters around a theme, using<br />
materials found from around the<br />
park. Ideas ranged from a Bedouin<br />
tent to a shelter shaped like a slice of<br />
birthday cake.<br />
Fiona Leinster-Evans, Project Officer<br />
<strong>for</strong> Architecture, said: “It’s important<br />
<strong>for</strong> our students to come out of the<br />
classroom and into the local area <strong>for</strong><br />
their first Architecture project. It’s an<br />
exciting <strong>new</strong> course that will create a<br />
focus <strong>for</strong> development in the Preston<br />
area and across the region.”<br />
Aspire 2010 9
Course innovation<br />
Cop that!<br />
Reward <strong>for</strong> pioneering course to get more bobbies on the beat<br />
A unique investigation into <strong>new</strong> ways to<br />
join the police <strong>for</strong>ce has won an award<br />
<strong>for</strong> UCLan and Lancashire Constabulary.<br />
The University, together with the<br />
Constabulary, has pioneered a brand <strong>new</strong><br />
Foundation Degree in Policing. Designed<br />
to be the ideal qualification <strong>for</strong> budding<br />
Special Constables, the foundation<br />
degree provides its graduates with a<br />
unique insight into the career they want<br />
and has been awarded the ‘North West<br />
Training Award <strong>for</strong> Partnership &<br />
Collaboration’ in the National Training<br />
Awards run by UK Skills.<br />
10 Aspire 2010<br />
It was hoped that after the two year<br />
course, the constabulary would have a<br />
pool of highly qualified people to pick<br />
from. And they weren’t disappointed.<br />
41 students joined the programme in<br />
2007 and two years on, 36 have been<br />
awarded the foundation degree.<br />
Normally only 10 percent of job<br />
applicants are successfully recruited.<br />
However, the Constabulary has been able<br />
to offer jobs to almost a third of the<br />
students. 10 students have become<br />
constables, with a further eight accepting<br />
other policing roles. Furthermore,<br />
11 graduates have continued their<br />
learning and are now studying a BSc<br />
qualification as a top-up degree .<br />
UCLan’s John Thompson, Course Leader<br />
<strong>for</strong> the Foundation Degree in Policing,<br />
said: “Students from the first cohort have<br />
not only provided 15000 hours as special<br />
constables during their studies, but 10<br />
are now regular officers patrolling the<br />
streets of Lancashire. Others await<br />
vacancies as Police Community Support<br />
Officers fulfilling the University’s mission<br />
to embed employability into learning.<br />
It is particularly gratifying to receive the<br />
award so soon into the life of the course<br />
and after only one graduation. We<br />
expect to go from strength to strength.”
Employability initiative turns <strong>new</strong> page<br />
Staff and students from across the<br />
University joined with authors and<br />
influential figures from the publishing<br />
industry to help launch a <strong>new</strong><br />
initiative that could help uncover the<br />
next JK Rowling.<br />
UCLan Publishing has been created to<br />
hone the talents of budding writers of<br />
the future and give them the<br />
opportunity to produce books,<br />
participate in top level author events and<br />
work with publishers, authors, librarians<br />
and booksellers.<br />
Debbie Williams, UCLan Publishing<br />
Manager, said: “We are very excited to<br />
launch UCLan Publishing which will see<br />
both undergraduates and postgraduate<br />
students working in tandem on a wide<br />
range of ‘real life’ projects. The initiative<br />
will also involve students from many<br />
areas including Photography and PR.”<br />
The launch of the UCLan Publishing Unit<br />
coincided with the unveiling of two<br />
brand <strong>new</strong> postgraduate programmes -<br />
MA Writing <strong>for</strong> Children and MA<br />
Publishing – the only courses of their<br />
type in the North of England.<br />
Debbie continued: “Some very exciting<br />
projects are planned <strong>for</strong> this year<br />
including the production of a Lancashire<br />
cookery book in collaboration with<br />
Heathcotes and the Lancashire Evening<br />
Post. The centre is also looking to<br />
produce a book containing letters, stories<br />
and pictures written by local school<br />
children, to a school in Africa. As part of<br />
the project it is hoped that UCLan<br />
students will be able to visit the UCLan<br />
Maasai Mara Centre in Kimana, Kenya.<br />
“We’re also planning a Children's Book<br />
Festival in June on the theme of<br />
crossover fiction and plan to set up a<br />
Lancashire branch of the Federation of<br />
Children's Book Groups.”<br />
Course innovation<br />
“I think this initiative is brilliant. It’s an ideal<br />
plat<strong>for</strong>m <strong>for</strong> students to link their passion<br />
<strong>for</strong> writing with a knowledge of the<br />
commercial side of the publishing business.”<br />
Children’s and adult author, Adele Geras<br />
At the launch of the centre Helen Day,<br />
Course Leader on the MA Writing <strong>for</strong><br />
Children programme, baked and<br />
decorated a pink fairy castle cake to<br />
resemble the cake in special guest Adele<br />
Geras’ book.<br />
Children’s and adult author Adele, who<br />
has written more than 90 books in her<br />
career, attended the launch. She said:<br />
“I think this initiative is brilliant. It’s an<br />
ideal plat<strong>for</strong>m <strong>for</strong> students to link their<br />
passion <strong>for</strong> writing with a knowledge of<br />
the commercial side of the publishing<br />
business. I know that the combination of<br />
passionate staff and creative students<br />
will make this venture a great success.”<br />
Aspire 2010 11
UCLanSport<br />
Countdown<br />
to 2012<br />
University to deliver gold<br />
standard of coaching excellence<br />
UCLan has won a major contract<br />
which could have a crucial influence<br />
on Britain’s medal haul at the 2012<br />
Olympics.<br />
Up against universities from across the<br />
country, UCLanSport won a<br />
competitive bid that will see it take<br />
the national lead in delivering the<br />
Government-inspired UK Coaching<br />
Certificate (UKCC) <strong>for</strong> five key sports.<br />
The UK Coaching Certificate ensures<br />
that sports are delivering the best<br />
available, athlete-centred coaching<br />
and in due course reap the rewards of<br />
sporting success, both in per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />
and recreational enjoyment of sport.<br />
Developed by sport, <strong>for</strong> sport, the<br />
UKCC is creating a UK-wide coaching<br />
infrastructure dedicated to the<br />
development of coaches to the highest<br />
level of quality and safety, ensuring<br />
that the UK becomes recognised as a<br />
world leader in coach development.<br />
Nigel Garratt, The Outdoors Division<br />
Leader from the School of Sport,<br />
Tourism and the Outdoors said: “This<br />
is a major coup <strong>for</strong> us. We’ll be rolling<br />
out the certificate at the top level<br />
(level four) <strong>for</strong> elite coaches within<br />
the sports of basketball, hockey,<br />
<strong>rugby</strong> league, squash and table<br />
tennis. These are world-class Olympic<br />
sports and as the countdown begins<br />
to 2012 (and the Rugby League World<br />
Cup in 2013) we’re all looking<br />
<strong>for</strong>ward to playing our part.”<br />
12 Aspire 2010<br />
Eco-car first to chequered flag<br />
Motor sports students win national competition<br />
An eco-friendly car created and driven<br />
by motor sport students at UCLan has<br />
won a national competition.<br />
The group of 38 BSc(Hons) Motor<br />
Sports Engineering students were<br />
celebrating after beating off stiff<br />
competition in the Class 1A machine to<br />
win the sustainability section of the<br />
Formula Student event.<br />
They spent 10 months designing and<br />
building the sustainable 250cc car,<br />
which is run on bio fuels and has been<br />
designed <strong>for</strong> minimum environmental<br />
impact. The car was then put to the test<br />
against universities from across the<br />
world in a race around the famous<br />
Silverstone circuit recently.<br />
Matt Nixon, Project Manager of the<br />
group, said: “It was fantastic to win<br />
because it’s a great reward <strong>for</strong> the<br />
amount of ef<strong>for</strong>t we’ve all put in.<br />
The project was the ultimate in seeing<br />
a task through from the ideas stage,<br />
the creation of the designs and the<br />
building of the car.”<br />
Super agent<br />
Liam Humberstone, Senior Lecturer in<br />
Motor Sports Engineering, said: “This is<br />
the first time we’ve entered a car in the<br />
sustainability section of the Formula<br />
Student competition and we’re<br />
delighted to have won the award. We<br />
give the students a blank piece of paper<br />
and this year they’ve managed to design<br />
and build three cars over a 10 month<br />
period at a cost of around £15,000.<br />
Some teams are spending £40,000 per<br />
car but because we have our own<br />
workshop facilities we can manufacture<br />
parts which would otherwise be very<br />
expensive to produce.”<br />
He added: “The students have gained<br />
some fantastic work experience and<br />
this makes them extremely popular<br />
with employers. Over 60 percent of our<br />
graduates take up positions within the<br />
motor sports industry while others<br />
build their careers within general<br />
engineering. The aerospace industry is<br />
one sector where our students’ talents<br />
are particularly in demand and this year<br />
we have several graduates who have<br />
landed positions at BAE Systems.”<br />
Former sports journalism student Luisa Gottardo has joined Power Goldberg Sports<br />
Management in London. Luisa, who also took part in the BBC TV programme<br />
Superagents in which she came runner-up, has been offered a full-time role and is<br />
now completing her training to become a fully-fledged sports agent.
<strong>Educational</strong> <strong>conversion</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>rugby</strong> <strong>stars</strong><br />
Six first team players from Wigan Warriors RLFC, including captain Sean O’Loughlin,<br />
will complete a strength and conditioning degree course at UCLan as part of the<br />
University’s relationship with the Super League club.<br />
Sean O’Loughlin, Pat Richards, Cameron Phelps, Sam and Joel Tomkins and reserve<br />
team player Stuart Howarth will all study part-time at UCLan <strong>for</strong> the degree. Warriors<br />
coaching staff Mick Turner and Mick Forshaw are already in the second year of<br />
studying the BSc(Hons) Strength and Conditioning and BA(Hons) Sports Coaching<br />
degrees at the University.<br />
<strong>UCLan's</strong> Division Leader of Sports Coaching and Development and the relationship<br />
manager with Wigan, Bryan Jones, commented: “The players will benefit from <strong>for</strong>mal<br />
education at the University and I am sure it will be invaluable in improving the<br />
players’ understanding of their own training and competition.”<br />
As part of the strength and conditioning degree the players’ understanding of their<br />
training will improve by studying anatomy and physiology, technique analysis and the<br />
principles and psychology of training.<br />
UCLan’s partnership with Wigan as the “official university of Wigan Warriors” has<br />
also benefited current sports students. Third year sports coaching student Russ<br />
MacFarlane is on placement at the club working closely with coach Brian Noble and<br />
UCLan has also offered sports science support to the first, reserve and academy teams.<br />
The sponsorship deal also means that Wigan Warriors have access to UCLan’s<br />
renowned sport science and per<strong>for</strong>mance analysis resources.<br />
Top of the league<br />
UCLan Sport<br />
UCLan’s Students’ Union sports clubs have been celebrating after seeing their teams come top of the student leagues<br />
and gain promotion to the top tier of BUCS (British Universities and College Sports).<br />
The top teams in <strong>rugby</strong> union, football, golf, and netball have been promoted and the women’s basketball<br />
team clinched a last minute 46-43 victory over Leeds Metropolitan University in the Northern Cup Conference.<br />
Kelly Burdett, Students’ Union Activities and Participation Officer, said: "This year we have seen<br />
an increase in the commitment and retention of our sporting enthusiasts. Students have<br />
joined and stayed and I think this factor has contributed to our excellent per<strong>for</strong>mances."<br />
Dr Adrian Ibbetson, UCLan’s Academic Director <strong>for</strong> Sport, said UCLan’s excellent<br />
facilities were a key factor in the sports clubs’ success. “It helps to have great facilities<br />
and at Preston Sports Arena we have some of the best in the UK. We have built on the<br />
progress we made last year, both individually and collectively our athletes are helping UCLan to establish a<br />
reputation as a rising star in student sport.”<br />
The growth in the quality of UCLan’s sporting facilities has enabled the University to gain the prestigious<br />
status of being accepted as a potential venue and training camp <strong>for</strong> the 2012 Olympics.<br />
Dr Ibbetson concluded: “We were delighted that the London Organisation Committee <strong>for</strong> the Olympic<br />
Games accepted our bid which could ultimately put Preston and UCLan on the world sporting map.<br />
These are certainly exciting times.”<br />
Aspire 2010 13
In the <strong>new</strong>s<br />
Drive to help<br />
disadvantaged<br />
students<br />
Over 30 companies from the North<br />
West and beyond have clubbed<br />
together to raise over £6,000 <strong>for</strong><br />
charity at UCLan’s first golf day.<br />
The budding golfers teed off in aid<br />
of the NSPCC and UCLan’s Harris<br />
Bursary Fund which enables some of<br />
Lancashire’s brightest but financially<br />
disadvantaged students to attend<br />
the University.<br />
A team from UCLan was the first<br />
onto the fairway led by the<br />
University Chancellor and Patron of<br />
the Harris Bursary Fund Sir Richard<br />
Evans CBE. Sir Richard explained the<br />
ethos behind the Fund: “Bright and<br />
capable students ought to have<br />
access to educational opportunities<br />
regardless of their social or economic<br />
background, and the Harris Bursary<br />
Fund has become an invaluable<br />
source of support to these students.<br />
Initiatives like this golf day help us to<br />
ensure that Lancashire’s students can<br />
reach their educational potential.”<br />
14 Aspire 2010<br />
Howzat!<br />
Indian cricket legend honoured by University<br />
The University’s Degree and Award Ceremonies represent the climax to every<br />
academic year. Nearly 5,000 graduates receive deserved recognition <strong>for</strong> all their<br />
hard work from the University, family and friends.<br />
During each ceremony the University confers Honorary Fellowships on<br />
distinguished citizens who have made significant contributions to their field or<br />
who have strong links with the region. Recently, the University awarded an<br />
Honorary Fellowship to <strong>for</strong>mer Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly <strong>for</strong> his<br />
contribution to the world of cricket. Acknowledged as India’s most successful<br />
cricket captain, Sourav led the Indian side in 49 test matches which included<br />
21 test wins.<br />
During a media call be<strong>for</strong>e the ceremony at UCLan’s Preston Sports Arena,<br />
Sourav swapped cricket whites <strong>for</strong> honorary gowns but still managed to bat with<br />
an assurance that characterised his test career.<br />
Canoe coaching on crest of a wave<br />
UCLan’s School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors has been recognised <strong>for</strong> its<br />
high level canoe coaching by becoming one of only a dozen Canoe Wales<br />
approved centres in North Wales.<br />
Along with the team at Pro-active Adventure at Tyn Dwr Hall, UCLan’s outdoor<br />
centre in Llangollen, North Wales, The Outdoors division of the School met the<br />
standards set by the British Canoe Union to ensure coaches hold current<br />
qualifications and that all equipment used is of a high standard.<br />
The Outdoors Division Leader Nigel Garratt, said: “Canoe Wales operates this<br />
approval scheme on behalf of the British Canoe Union. It means they have<br />
recognised our high level of coaching, resources, facilities and access to<br />
appropriate waters.”
Football pundit scores<br />
<strong>for</strong> charity<br />
Hundreds of people turned out to hear a football legend<br />
recount tales of his illustrious career both on and off the<br />
football pitch.<br />
BBC Match of the Day and Radio Five Live pundit Mark Lawrenson took part in<br />
a lively question and answer session at UCLan. The event was staged to help raise<br />
funds <strong>for</strong> the Harris Bursary Fund, the University’s own charity which helps<br />
talented local students from disadvantaged backgrounds better themselves<br />
through education.<br />
Mark, from Preston, was made an Honorary Fellow at UCLan in 2003.<br />
In the <strong>new</strong>s<br />
New campus<br />
unveiled in<br />
Cumbria<br />
UCLan has unveiled its <strong>new</strong><br />
£5 million Westlakes campus which<br />
aims to support a <strong>new</strong> generation<br />
of students interested in following<br />
a career path within the<br />
nuclear/re<strong>new</strong>able energy industry.<br />
Forming the heart of the campus is<br />
the <strong>new</strong> Samuel Lindow building.<br />
Developed from the original<br />
Westlakes Research Institute, it has<br />
been extensively upgraded to<br />
include facilities <strong>for</strong> a <strong>new</strong> wet<br />
laboratory, a lecture theatre with<br />
3D capability and high per<strong>for</strong>mance<br />
computing facilities. The building<br />
will also house a dedicated business<br />
incubator and support centre,<br />
including desk space and facilities<br />
to support business start-ups.<br />
The <strong>new</strong>ly refurbished facility<br />
accommodates a wide range of<br />
higher education courses including<br />
certificates, foundation and<br />
honours degrees, masters and PhD<br />
courses all of which are being<br />
delivered locally and flexibly with<br />
opportunities <strong>for</strong> those in<br />
employment as well as full time<br />
students.<br />
Areas of research include<br />
environmental sciences, sustainable<br />
development, epidemiology and<br />
genetics.<br />
Aspire 2010 15
International outlook<br />
Argentinean adventure<br />
When it comes to University life<br />
salsa dancing isn’t the first thing<br />
that comes to mind.<br />
But <strong>for</strong> one UCLan student daily dance<br />
lessons were just part of an amazing<br />
cultural trip to Argentina. And it was all<br />
thanks to UCLan’s Student Travel Bursary.<br />
Second year student Rosa Lynch spent<br />
two weeks improving her Spanish<br />
language skills in the capital city of<br />
Buenos Aires after applying <strong>for</strong> funding<br />
to the popular scheme.<br />
The 20-year-old, who hails from London<br />
Colney, said: “It was the best experience I<br />
could have ever imagined. I improved my<br />
language skills massively, made some<br />
<strong>new</strong> friends, really got a feel <strong>for</strong> the<br />
country and found out what makes<br />
Argentinean people tick.”<br />
Rosa, who is a BSc(Hons) Police and<br />
Criminal Investigation undergraduate,<br />
spent a successful three months learning<br />
the very basics of Spanish in Costa Rica.<br />
But as part of her University experience<br />
she began studying Spanish as an<br />
elective. After learning more basic<br />
language skills she decided she wanted<br />
to experience life in a Spanish speaking<br />
16 Aspire 2010<br />
It’s a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a<br />
cultural trip of a lifetime which really<br />
helps with your studies and enriches the<br />
student experience.”<br />
country. She researched the venture<br />
thoroughly and decided to apply <strong>for</strong> a<br />
£1,500 UCLan Travel Bursary, then in its<br />
first year of operation.<br />
She said: “I was so thankful to be given<br />
the cash and be linked to a school out<br />
there. I lived with a family but they spoke<br />
a colloquial style of Spanish so it was<br />
difficult to get by at first as they didn’t<br />
speak a word of English. There was also a<br />
Portuguese student staying in the house<br />
but we both picked it up really quickly<br />
and enjoyed conversing with them.”<br />
Rosa attended school every day and<br />
worked on vocabulary and reading. But,<br />
as part of the daily routine, a one-on-one<br />
salsa lesson, lasting two hours, was<br />
included. “It was very surreal having<br />
dancing lessons as part of the day but<br />
you soon realise it’s a really popular<br />
pastime. Walking around the city people<br />
did seem very businesslike but you soon<br />
come to notice they are passionate about<br />
lots of things including parties and<br />
football.”<br />
The University’s travel initiative proved so<br />
popular last year that funding has now<br />
been doubled. This year 207 students<br />
applied <strong>for</strong> the money. The successful<br />
candidates will be heading to far flung<br />
locations such as Australia, Zambia,<br />
Nepal and the United States of America.<br />
Rosa, who hopes to make Chile or<br />
Venezuela her next port of call, added:<br />
“I would recommend every eligible<br />
student to apply. It’s a fantastic<br />
opportunity to enjoy a cultural trip of a<br />
lifetime which really helps with your<br />
studies and enriches the student<br />
experience.”
Travelling abroad?<br />
Below are some useful tips<br />
from UCLan’s Worldwise<br />
Learning Centre to help<br />
you on your way.<br />
◗ As a general rule learn a few local<br />
phrases and always try the local<br />
delicacies.<br />
◗ When travelling by train in France,<br />
don't <strong>for</strong>get to punch your ticket<br />
‘composter votre billet’ in the<br />
machines on the plat<strong>for</strong>ms be<strong>for</strong>e<br />
boarding.<br />
◗ In China don't expect the food to<br />
taste the same as it does in your<br />
home country. Authentic Chinese<br />
food is very different from its<br />
westernised counterpart. Prepare<br />
your mind and stomach to eat things<br />
you never k<strong>new</strong> existed.<br />
◗ In China it’s not customary to tip.<br />
◗ In Japan always wear clean socks!<br />
You will be expected to take your<br />
shoes off quite often, eg when<br />
entering a house, certain offices and<br />
sometimes when visiting the<br />
bathroom.<br />
◗ It is very unusual to find vegetarians<br />
in Japan, so don't expect vegetarian<br />
or vegan food to be available.<br />
◗ In Poland it is impolite to shake<br />
hands while wearing your gloves,<br />
no matter how cold it is.<br />
◗ In Germany, always expect public<br />
transport to be on time.<br />
◗ In Germany never cross the road<br />
when the light is red. You could be<br />
fined and will probably have to listen<br />
to criticism from other pedestrians.<br />
◗ Timekeeping in Italy is quite relaxed<br />
so don’t panic if the person you are<br />
meeting is late – half an hour is<br />
acceptable.<br />
◗ In Greece never say no when you are<br />
offered food as this could offend the<br />
person offering.<br />
◗ Many Russians consider it bad <strong>for</strong>m<br />
not to finish a bottle of vodka once it<br />
has been opened, no matter how<br />
few people there are left to finish it.<br />
◗ In Spain, meals are very important<br />
and can last a long time so if you are<br />
meeting <strong>for</strong> a business lunch, don’t<br />
make any plans <strong>for</strong> your afternoon.<br />
International outlook<br />
Travel Bursary facts<br />
◗ To be eligible, students must<br />
be UK residents and<br />
following full or part-time<br />
programmes that <strong>for</strong>m part<br />
of a degree award.<br />
◗ Funding is available <strong>for</strong><br />
UCLan students to experience<br />
an overseas work placement,<br />
study period or assignment.<br />
◗ The Travel Bursary aims to<br />
allow students to add a truly<br />
international aspect to<br />
their CV.<br />
◗ £200,000 was available <strong>for</strong><br />
2009/10 applicants.<br />
Pictures on this page, from top left:<br />
Rosa standing next to a statue of the<br />
Argentinean footballing legend Diego<br />
Maradona at the Boca Junior's stadium<br />
La Bombonera.<br />
Rosa outside La Bombonera stadium.<br />
The Argentineans' passion <strong>for</strong> football shines<br />
through in La Boca, Buenos Aires; the streets<br />
are lined with blue and gold buildings and<br />
statues.<br />
Rosa with a bear representing Argentina, the<br />
heart of which is a portrait of the famous<br />
tango singer Carlos Gardel. The bear was<br />
part of the 'United Buddy Bears' global tour;<br />
an art exhibition promoting peace, love,<br />
tolerance and international understanding.<br />
Argentinean soldiers marching through Plaza<br />
San Martin in Buenos Aires to welcome the<br />
Ambassador of Israel.<br />
Left: A cafe in La Boca with statues of Carlos<br />
Gardel, the most prominent figure in the<br />
history of tango, Eva Peron, and Diego<br />
Maradona.<br />
Aspire 2010 17
International outlook<br />
Vietnam<br />
venture<br />
UCLan and Hanoi<br />
University have opened<br />
an office dedicated to<br />
teaching UCLan courses<br />
and showcasing the<br />
University in the<br />
Vietnamese capital.<br />
The presence in Hanoi builds on<br />
UCLan’s strong international<br />
network, which includes offices in<br />
China, India, Pakistan and Cyprus.<br />
These offices promote UCLan’s<br />
brand and attract international<br />
students to study at UCLan in<br />
Preston as well as on UCLan<br />
courses delivered through<br />
partners across the world.<br />
Malcolm McVicar, Vice-Chancellor<br />
of UCLan, said: “Expanding<br />
UCLan’s international reach to<br />
Vietnam will allow our worldleading<br />
research and education<br />
programmes to gain exposure in<br />
a rapidly growing economy.”<br />
18 Aspire 2010<br />
Taste <strong>for</strong> language<br />
All things European were celebrated by local youngsters when they arrived at<br />
UCLan <strong>for</strong> a day dedicated to the continent.<br />
More than 200 school and college pupils from across the North West entered into<br />
the spirit of the event at UCLan’s European Day of Languages. The children learnt<br />
and sampled different lifestyles from across the world, including culture,<br />
languages and job opportunities abroad.<br />
Silke Engelbart, Subject Leader <strong>for</strong> German from the School of Languages and<br />
International Studies, said: "It was a fantastic opportunity to show these young<br />
people how interesting <strong>for</strong>eign languages are and what can be achieved by<br />
learning another language.<br />
“We’ve been running this event <strong>for</strong> a number of years and it’s always extremely<br />
popular. We offered a wide range of taster sessions, including Polish, Spanish and<br />
French, while from further afield Arabic, Japanese and Chinese.”<br />
Thanks to UCLan’s international students, the pupils sampled internation cuisine,<br />
music and culture. A <strong>new</strong> section this year included a presentation by final year<br />
students, who shared their experience of having studied abroad in countries<br />
including Mexico, China and Japan.
Worldwise Learning Centre maps way <strong>for</strong>ward<br />
Samba drumming and a Japanese sword<br />
presentation heralded the launch of<br />
UCLan’s <strong>new</strong> Worldwise Learning Centre,<br />
an initiative to promote understanding<br />
of world cultures and languages both at<br />
the University and across the North West.<br />
Sir Francis Kennedy, <strong>for</strong>mer Chancellor of<br />
UCLan, unveiled the official plaque to an<br />
audience of UCLan students and staff,<br />
representatives from international<br />
embassies, international organisations<br />
and senior officers from local businesses<br />
and public services.<br />
Together with <strong>UCLan's</strong> Worldwise<br />
International Cultures and Languages<br />
Portal, the Centre represents a <strong>new</strong> drive<br />
to support ‘internationalisation <strong>for</strong> all’<br />
across the University, including students,<br />
staff and external stakeholders.<br />
“In the last six years the progress made<br />
by the University to embrace languages<br />
and internationalisation has been<br />
tremendous,” said Sir Francis.<br />
“Education and the knowledge of a<br />
<strong>for</strong>eign language are key factors in<br />
cultural integration. This <strong>new</strong> centre will<br />
“In the last six years the progress made by the<br />
University to embrace languages and<br />
internationalisation has been tremendous.”<br />
act as a focal point to help deliver that<br />
goal both in the University, Preston and<br />
across the North West.”<br />
A preview of Worldwise events also took<br />
place including a Chinese calligraphy<br />
corner from the Confucius Institute,<br />
briefing sessions on international<br />
business relations and an interactive<br />
Worldwise quiz.<br />
Valeriy Smolienko, Languages 2012<br />
Coordinator at the School of Languages<br />
and International Studies, added: “We’re<br />
thrilled to be launching the centre,<br />
which will give students and the local<br />
community the opportunity and<br />
resource to learn more about the wider<br />
world, explore <strong>new</strong> cultures and learn<br />
<strong>new</strong> languages.”<br />
International outlook<br />
Aspire 2010 19
Career focus<br />
Intern enters<br />
Public Office<br />
Preston MP, Mark Hendrick, has<br />
taken part in UCLan’s Internship<br />
Scheme, offering a graduate an<br />
eight week work experience<br />
placement, based at his Preston<br />
Constituency office.<br />
The scheme offers graduates real<br />
work experience and the chance to<br />
improve their CV. UCLan was<br />
successful in gaining funding from<br />
the Economic Challenge Investment<br />
fund to provide paid placements <strong>for</strong><br />
over 200 graduates.<br />
The successful intern, Laura Crabb,<br />
a BA(Hons) Public Relations student,<br />
said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my<br />
internship. The experience has<br />
enabled me to put the skills and<br />
knowledge gained from my degree<br />
into a working environment.”<br />
Mr Hendrick added: “It is<br />
encouraging to see that UCLan has<br />
devised a programme which is<br />
helping graduates to gain real work<br />
experience. I was more than happy<br />
to take part. It is important to give<br />
graduates an opportunity to kick<br />
start their careers.”<br />
Steve Bell, Project Manager,<br />
Knowledge Transfer Services at<br />
UCLan said: “The Graduate Internship<br />
programme is a great opportunity <strong>for</strong><br />
graduates to work with local<br />
businesses. They can benefit from the<br />
experience of working alongside<br />
skilled people with good industrial<br />
expertise and knowledge.”<br />
20 Aspire 2010<br />
Business is looking up<br />
Self-employment is a real career option <strong>for</strong> graduates today. And if you’ve<br />
always wanted to follow in the footsteps of entrepreneurs like Sir Alan Sugar<br />
then UCLan is certainly the place to be.<br />
According to the latest Higher Education – Business and Community Interaction<br />
Survey (HEBCIS) UCLan is the top University in the North West and among the<br />
top five across England <strong>for</strong> producing student start-up businesses.<br />
The study recognised that businesses set up by UCLan students contribute more<br />
than £17 million to the local economy.<br />
The research, produced in partnership with the Department <strong>for</strong> Business,<br />
Innovation and Skills and Higher Education Funding Council <strong>for</strong> England,<br />
recognised UCLan graduates as leaders in enterprise. Over the past year, 126<br />
student businesses have been set-up; more than six times greater than UCLan’s<br />
nearest regional competitor.<br />
The survey also revealed that UCLan is the most business-friendly university in<br />
the North West, providing more enterprise support than any other university in<br />
the region and ranks in the top 10 nationally in 10 other categories .<br />
Bede Mullen, Director of UCLan’s Knowledge Transfer Service, commented:<br />
“Supporting <strong>new</strong> business start-ups in the North West is vital to driving growth<br />
in the region. As such, we’re delighted that UCLan is playing such a crucial role<br />
in the development of the regional economy by providing <strong>new</strong> and established<br />
businesses with the support they need to develop and grow.”<br />
UCLan ranks second nationally <strong>for</strong> the number of student start-up businesses<br />
that it supports, which totals more than 300 companies. Many of these firms<br />
are housed within the UCLan’s cutting-edge business incubator, the Media<br />
Factory, a full-service office facility that offers young entrepreneurs mentoring,<br />
advice clinics, networking opportunities and many other services.
‘Cabbin Frenzy’ was the inspiring title<br />
behind a mobile computer game<br />
thought up by UCLan and Lancaster<br />
University students who competed<br />
together in the recent ‘Mobile Bullets’<br />
mobile games design competition.<br />
Two teams of students competed to<br />
produce the best marketable<br />
entertainment application <strong>for</strong> the Apple<br />
iPhone. The main aim of the competition<br />
was to give the students the chance to<br />
produce a game that will be taken to<br />
market by the organising companies.<br />
Peter Melling, Director of Globigames<br />
and Black Bull studios, based in Preston,<br />
said: “This is a competition with no<br />
losers. We, the businesses, get a game<br />
we can market and sell while helping to<br />
develop talent within the region. The<br />
students get this great experience and<br />
something to showcase when they are<br />
applying <strong>for</strong> jobs.<br />
The students, within their two teams,<br />
worked on the game development <strong>for</strong><br />
three months, with mentoring and<br />
advice from representatives of the<br />
supporting organisations and sponsors.<br />
Both teams were required to give a 30<br />
minute pitch on their game concept,<br />
mechanics, proposed marketing strategy<br />
and a demonstration of their game to a<br />
judging panel made up of local industry<br />
experts. Following the pitch the teams<br />
took part in a Dragon’s Den style grilling<br />
from the judging panel to fully assess the<br />
standard of the games.<br />
Career focus<br />
Games developers press employability buttons<br />
David Verwer, from Shiny Development<br />
and joint organiser of the project, was<br />
very pleased with the outcome of the<br />
competition: “I have been so impressed<br />
with the quality of the games that have<br />
come out of this competition. The<br />
industry can look <strong>for</strong>ward to a highly<br />
talented next generation of games<br />
developers.”<br />
The students were highly enthusiastic<br />
about the experience. Daniel Startin,<br />
group leader of the winning team Big<br />
Blue Square, said: “As a designer your<br />
imagination is flying high but working<br />
with a programmer means you have to<br />
be more realistic in your designs. This has<br />
been a real teamwork experience and is<br />
already influencing my ideas as I go into<br />
the final year of my course.”<br />
Alumni 2010 21
Student experience<br />
Postcard from South Africa<br />
Second year BSc(Hons) Astrophysics<br />
students have taken part in a trip of<br />
a lifetime through a four-week<br />
astronomy field trip to the southern<br />
skies of South Africa.<br />
During their stay the three students,<br />
Clare Wilde, Kelly Hambleton and Daniel<br />
Holdsworth wrote a regular column <strong>for</strong><br />
the Lancashire Evening Post reporting on<br />
their never-to-be-<strong>for</strong>gotten experiences.<br />
Here are some of the highlights.<br />
2 June 2009, Cape Town/Sutherland,<br />
Northern Cape.<br />
Seeing the South African skies <strong>for</strong> the<br />
first time was breathtaking. The clarity of<br />
the Milky Way and the sheer number of<br />
<strong>stars</strong> made us feel a more significant part<br />
of the Galaxy. It was amazing to be able<br />
to see other galaxies with the naked eye,<br />
22 Aspire 2010<br />
and Omega Centauri, the remnant of a<br />
galaxy that had been swallowed by our<br />
own billions of years ago.<br />
On arriving in Cape Town we<br />
encountered a friendly and welcoming<br />
environment where people showed a<br />
refreshing outlook and attitude. The city<br />
demonstrated an exciting and<br />
multicultural ambiance.<br />
Exploring the Cape Town area we<br />
discovered a vast variety of wildlife; it<br />
was surreal to see baboons scampering<br />
across the road! The visit to the penguin<br />
colony was particularly enchanting as it<br />
was breeding season and there were<br />
chicks everywhere. And on seeing<br />
ostriches close at hand we truly k<strong>new</strong> we<br />
were in South Africa.<br />
9 June 2009, Sutherland, Northern Cape.<br />
From the impressive sight of SALT<br />
(Southern African Large Telescope) to the<br />
enchanting children of Sutherland High<br />
School, this second week has been<br />
awe-inspiring.<br />
The main purpose of our trip to<br />
Sutherland was to observe the southern<br />
skies. We used high-powered telescopes<br />
to look at the chemical composition of<br />
red dwarf <strong>stars</strong> and the varying amount<br />
of light they emit. Achieving our first<br />
spectrum was a highlight of the<br />
observations, putting the theory we<br />
learnt at UCLan into practice.<br />
The immense size of SALT can only really<br />
be understood by viewing it in person;<br />
it is unlike anything we have ever seen<br />
be<strong>for</strong>e. It’s not only the size, but also the
precision of each of the individual<br />
components that make it truly<br />
spectacular.<br />
Sutherland is the coldest town in South<br />
Africa, situated in the Karoo desert at an<br />
altitude of 1,800 metres. The town itself<br />
is a huge contrast to the advanced<br />
technological standards of the<br />
observatory. In some areas the conditions<br />
are extremely poor with few amenities.<br />
The impact of SALT has encouraged a<br />
large increase in local business ventures<br />
and reduced the unemployment rate,<br />
even though it still stands at 70 percent.<br />
Visiting South Africa has given us<br />
invaluable experience with telescopes<br />
and astronomy. It has also opened our<br />
minds to the need to redress the lack of<br />
opportunities and the huge differences<br />
in living conditions, not only <strong>for</strong> South<br />
Africa but across the world.<br />
17 June 2009, Sutherland, Northern<br />
Cape/Cape Town, Western Cape.<br />
Our trip to Robben Island was both<br />
moving and thought provoking. Seeing<br />
the harsh living conditions that Nelson<br />
Mandela, and those who served time<br />
with him, endured <strong>for</strong> so long was<br />
beyond belief.<br />
The final night’s observing in Sutherland<br />
was the most successful and exhilarating<br />
night of them all. We achieved a full 12<br />
hours of observations, after which we<br />
watched the sun rise over the Karoo<br />
mountains. Prior to this we hiked down<br />
the Ouberg Pass, which looks out over<br />
the Karoo desert. This was a perfect<br />
ending to our time in Sutherland.<br />
At Table View beach we dipped our toes<br />
into the cold winter Atlantic Ocean,<br />
much to the amusement of the locals!<br />
Later in the evening we assisted at an<br />
open evening held in the SAAO<br />
auditorium and McLean telescope, as<br />
part of a series of special events <strong>for</strong> the<br />
International Year of Astronomy.<br />
We completed our outreach work with<br />
a visit to a local school and science centre<br />
on National Youth Day. The children<br />
were enthralled by what they could see<br />
and asked us highly advanced questions<br />
<strong>for</strong> their age, which both impressed us<br />
and tested our knowledge. Seeing the<br />
southern skies both through large<br />
telescopes and with young children were<br />
two very different, yet profound<br />
experiences.<br />
22 June 2009, Eastern Cape,<br />
Province/Cape Town, Western Cape.<br />
The final week of our field trip has not<br />
only involved data analysis but saw us<br />
venturing out into the Eastern Cape.<br />
Retrieving the key in<strong>for</strong>mation contained<br />
within our raw astronomical data was<br />
Student experience<br />
highly rewarding. This, combined with<br />
seeing wild elephants <strong>for</strong> the first time,<br />
gave us a perfect final week.<br />
Our journey to the Eastern Cape took<br />
us through the pristine <strong>for</strong>est of<br />
Tsitsikamma National Park where we<br />
spent a night in a log cabin in Storms<br />
River Mouth rest camp. Here the sky was<br />
so clear, due to the lack of light<br />
pollution, meaning that the Milky Way<br />
and the two nearest galaxies were<br />
astoundingly bright.<br />
We return to the UK today having<br />
encountered many aspects of South<br />
African culture. Not only have we gained<br />
invaluable experience in working with<br />
large telescopes but have also seen life in<br />
South Africa. From learning about the<br />
preservation of native wildlife to<br />
understanding the hardships of many<br />
South African people, we have made an<br />
un<strong>for</strong>gettable and momentous journey.<br />
Aspire 2010 23
Student experience<br />
Heated arguments in courtroom drama<br />
A group of A-Level law students from Runshaw College arrived at UCLan recently<br />
to show off their legal skills to some of Lancashire’s leading lawyers.<br />
The six teams of students took part in the final of the Leyland college’s mock trial<br />
competition, a contest which tested the pupils’ ability to participate in a simulated<br />
criminal trial including witness handling and cross-examination against a<br />
background of complex legal issues.<br />
As well as gaining a taste of the unique courtroom atmosphere, the competitors<br />
were able to put theory into practice and experience the excitement of a legal<br />
hearing. The whole event was also recorded on video so that the students could<br />
subsequently analyse their per<strong>for</strong>mances.<br />
iPhone application is UK first<br />
UCLan has become the first UK University to launch its own iPhone application.<br />
The service provides <strong>new</strong> and returning students with the latest in<strong>for</strong>mation from the Students’ Union, entertainment<br />
listings and maps of the University campus and Preston City Centre. The application builds on UCLan’s established reputation<br />
<strong>for</strong> offering innovative remote and off-site services to its 35,000 students and staff members.<br />
Director of Learning and In<strong>for</strong>mation Services Michael Ahern said: “The <strong>new</strong> iPhone application illustrates our commitment<br />
to provide in<strong>for</strong>mation and services to our students in a way that is convenient <strong>for</strong> them. Students today lead very busy lives<br />
– balancing study, part-time work and social activities. The iPhone application demonstrates how UCLan is increasingly able<br />
to support its students in a way that recognises their busy lifestyles, and ensures they are able to get the most from the<br />
latest advancements in technology.”<br />
The application makes use of many existing UCLan services. These include fast<br />
webmail access, a comprehensive library catalogue, staff directory, a list of<br />
campus facilities and the option <strong>for</strong> students to top up their printing<br />
accounts. Students can also use the facility to book a meeting room<br />
in any of the University libraries.<br />
Further plans to enhance the application include making use of the iPhone’s<br />
location functionality to improve the search of services across campus and the<br />
development of an innovative <strong>new</strong>s service. The application can be downloaded free from<br />
the Apple application store and is compatible with both the iPhone and iPod touch.<br />
24 Aspire 2010<br />
Eastern Fashion<br />
in East Lancs<br />
UCLan’s fashion students studying<br />
on the BA(Hons) Eastern Fashion<br />
Design have joined together with<br />
the local Burnley community to<br />
explore the concept of ‘handmade<br />
in Burnley’.<br />
A series of workshop at the<br />
Burnley Campus, saw the students<br />
producing hand-made items<br />
including silk scarves using<br />
traditional techniques such as<br />
geometric floral designs.<br />
Khadija Vallimulla, a 40-year-old,<br />
self taught fashion designer from<br />
Blackburn, commented: “I think<br />
the courses are a brilliant idea and<br />
a unique opportunity <strong>for</strong> Asian<br />
women to come out of their<br />
homes and share their ideas,<br />
inspirations and talents.”
I am a Senior Lecturer in Occupational<br />
Psychology, mainly teaching workplace<br />
psychology subjects to second and third<br />
year undergraduate students as well as<br />
those studying at Masters Level. I also<br />
go into companies and organisations on<br />
a consultancy basis to advise in areas<br />
like stress and anger management.<br />
07:30<br />
Monday morning and another week in<br />
the life of a psychology lecturer at<br />
UCLan. I always arrive at work very early<br />
(7.30am), not because I am so excited to<br />
get started (though that too!) but in<br />
order to beat the traffic. Once I arrive,<br />
the computer gets switched on be<strong>for</strong>e I<br />
even take off my coat. Then, it’s time to<br />
manage my email, which includes<br />
printing documents (<strong>for</strong> example, journal<br />
manuscripts that are sent to me to<br />
review), or sending ‘hard’ stuff out in<br />
response to email requests (such as books<br />
in my role as Book Reviews Editor <strong>for</strong> a<br />
management journal). Anything that<br />
involves electronic work, such as sending<br />
out lecture notes to students or<br />
responding to student queries, I have<br />
probably dealt with remotely at home<br />
the evening be<strong>for</strong>e.<br />
09:00<br />
It’s my first lecture of the week, Stress<br />
and Wellbeing in the Workplace. I just<br />
have time to check my Powerpoint slides<br />
and any other materials I need be<strong>for</strong>e<br />
making my way to the classroom. This<br />
third year module is a nice small group<br />
of about 20, enabling me to do lots of<br />
interactive groupwork rather than just<br />
stand and lecture. On other occasions I<br />
can be lecturing up to 300 students so I<br />
like the opportunity to interact with<br />
small groups when I can.<br />
11:00<br />
Finish the session, back to ‘base’. I start<br />
preparing lecture material <strong>for</strong><br />
<strong>for</strong>thcoming lectures – this usually means<br />
updating material and making sure all<br />
handouts, case studies and exercises are to<br />
hand. Lectures I prepare include sessions<br />
on group decision-making, training,<br />
leadership and personality testing.<br />
A day in the life<br />
A day in the life of Sandi Mann, School of Psychology<br />
14:00<br />
Somehow I have managed to grab a<br />
sandwich be<strong>for</strong>e a project meeting with<br />
one of my third year students. He is not<br />
sure what topic to pursue and we discuss<br />
some of the areas where I’m currently<br />
research active, such as workplace<br />
boredom (which is not at all boring to<br />
study!), stress, anger and gossip. We<br />
decide that a good starting place <strong>for</strong> him<br />
would be to look at where he can get<br />
access to participants in any study he will<br />
undertake; his mum works in the NHS<br />
and he decides to ask her about her job<br />
and whether he could gain access to<br />
carry out some research.<br />
14:30<br />
I put a ‘radio interview in progress’ sign<br />
on my door and speak to thousands of<br />
Lancashire listeners via an interview on<br />
BBC Radio Lancashire (about anger). I do<br />
lots of media interviews as I strongly<br />
believe in the value of getting psychology<br />
out to the general public. Some<br />
interviews (eg national radio) require a<br />
studio setting but UCLan is great because<br />
we have studio facilities in the School of<br />
Journalism, Media & Communication.<br />
15:00<br />
I respond to more emails. A lot of<br />
students ask me about a piece of<br />
coursework they’ve just been given. It’s an<br />
essay on emotions and they have three<br />
weeks to write it. I gave a lecture on the<br />
topic and they have guidance notes to<br />
help with their own reading (including<br />
journal articles and where to find them).<br />
Many still have questions which is fine,<br />
after all, that is what I’m here <strong>for</strong>.<br />
16:00<br />
It’s been a varied day. I’m ready to scoot<br />
off <strong>for</strong> the hour-long journey home. This<br />
is where my second work shift begins<br />
once I’ve collected the kids from school.<br />
Aspire 2010 25
High achievers<br />
Raquel pictured with Deputy Vice-Chancellor<br />
Professor Patrick McGhee<br />
Midwifery graduate<br />
claims prestigious prize<br />
Raquel Warren is celebrating after<br />
being named the UCLan Student of<br />
the Year.<br />
The Blackpool-based student was the<br />
Vice-Chancellor’s choice <strong>for</strong> the<br />
prestigious award which recognises<br />
outstanding academic achievement.<br />
The BA(Hons) Midwifery graduate,<br />
who obtained a first class degree,<br />
was nominated <strong>for</strong> the prize after<br />
achieving consistent grades within<br />
the first class category <strong>for</strong> every one<br />
of her modules with an average<br />
mark of 79 percent.<br />
During her course she also achieved<br />
all the Nursing and Midwifery<br />
Council (NMC) competencies and<br />
clinical practice <strong>for</strong> Registration on<br />
the Midwifery part of the<br />
Professional Register which made her<br />
success even more outstanding.<br />
26 Aspire 2010<br />
Memorable recognition from familiar face<br />
A pharmacy student from UCLan was delighted to receive an academic award,<br />
especially when the prize giver was his <strong>for</strong>mer supermarket boss.<br />
Mature student Zaheer Akbar was rewarded <strong>for</strong> his ef<strong>for</strong>ts with the Lloyds Prize<br />
<strong>for</strong> Best Student in year two Pharmacy Practice. When he arrived to pick up his<br />
certificate and prize of £100, Zaheer was surprised to see his <strong>for</strong>mer Sainsbury’s<br />
manager handing out the award.<br />
The successful student said: “I used to be the stock control manager <strong>for</strong><br />
Sainsbury’s in Lancaster be<strong>for</strong>e I decided I wanted a change of job to pursue my<br />
dream career. The store manager at that time was Des Devlin so when he walked<br />
in as the area manager <strong>for</strong> Lloyds Pharmacy it was a great surprise.<br />
“I was absolutely delighted to hear I’d won this award. I didn’t know anything<br />
about it until I was told the per<strong>for</strong>mance in my assignments and exams had<br />
merited the prize.”<br />
Zaheer, who wants to work in hospital or community pharmacy when he’s<br />
completed the degree, added: “The course is absolutely fantastic and I love every<br />
aspect of it.”<br />
Fellow student Arlene O'Connell received the McNeil Products Pharmacy Practice<br />
Prize from Professor Tony D’Emanuele, Head, School of Pharmacy and<br />
Pharmaceutical Science, <strong>for</strong> her achievements throughout the year.<br />
Fifty years of fashion celebrated<br />
The University’s award-winning fashion team has strengthened its international links<br />
with two establishments in India.<br />
To celebrate the partnerships with Design and Innovation Academy and Manav Rachna<br />
International University, both in Delhi, UCLan’s International Fashion Institute created the<br />
East meets West Fashion Show. It also launched the celebrations of 50 years of fashion at<br />
UCLan and the publication of a <strong>new</strong> Fashion Journal entitled Future in Progress.
Sara’s ‘Fresh Start’ to aid<br />
community cohesion<br />
A <strong>for</strong>mer nursing student who decided to switch her career direction has<br />
graduated from the University with flying colours.<br />
Sara Ali gained a first class degree in Active Citizenship and Volunteer<br />
Development having been helped by UCLan’s Fresh Start scheme which gives<br />
specialist advice to students wishing to change courses.<br />
Sara explained: “After realising that studying <strong>for</strong> a nursing diploma was the<br />
wrong career choice <strong>for</strong> me I chose to enrol on the BA (Hons) in Active Citizenship<br />
and Volunteer Development which complemented previous voluntary and youth<br />
work experience I had undertaken.”<br />
Throughout the process, Sara sought advice from the Fresh Start scheme, which is<br />
dedicated to giving guidance to students considering a change of career<br />
direction. Those who feel they have taken the wrong course, or who have been<br />
affected by personal or financial issues, can come to Fresh Start <strong>for</strong> advice on<br />
getting back into their studies.<br />
“The Fresh Start team were really helpful because they advised me to think about<br />
my future career and how it could relate to previous work experience within the<br />
voluntary sector. They helped me to make the right choice and point me in a<br />
career direction which I have already found to be extremely rewarding.”<br />
During her course Sara was given the opportunity to participate in an international<br />
leadership conference at Stan<strong>for</strong>d University in the USA which involved delivering<br />
leadership activities to American students. After returning from the States, Sara<br />
delivered a similar leadership conference in the UK to British students.<br />
“I am passionate about working in the community, and with marginalised groups,<br />
and having gained a first class degree I am now studying <strong>for</strong> a Masters in<br />
Community Leadership which is being taught at UCLan’s <strong>new</strong> campus in Burnley.”<br />
High achievers<br />
Nursing a love<br />
of study...<strong>for</strong> free<br />
First class graduate gains<br />
pioneering UCLan scholarship<br />
High-flying undergraduates at<br />
UCLan can now study postgraduate<br />
courses <strong>for</strong> free.<br />
The Gilbertson Excellence<br />
Scholarship, worth up to £3,390<br />
(the cost of a standard<br />
postgraduate programme at UCLan)<br />
is available to all UK and EU<br />
students who achieved a first class<br />
honours degree at UCLan.<br />
One student taking advantage of<br />
the scheme is Lorraine Bellis who<br />
achieved a first class in the BSc<br />
Community Specialist Practitioner<br />
programme.<br />
The scholarship funding has<br />
enabled Lorraine to progress onto<br />
UCLan’s MSc Advanced Practice in<br />
Health and Social Care.<br />
Speaking about her scholarship,<br />
Lorraine said: “I was absolutely<br />
amazed when I found out but very<br />
pleased too.<br />
“The BSc changed the way I<br />
thought and I learnt so much,<br />
I loved it! I had a great mentor in<br />
practice and on completion of the<br />
course I realised I had to move<br />
<strong>for</strong>ward due to everything I had<br />
learned and jumped at the chance<br />
to study on the MSc.”<br />
Aspire 2010 27
High achievers<br />
<strong>Meet</strong> UCLan’s <strong>new</strong> <strong>creatives</strong><br />
A funky caterpillar, images of<br />
two cultures merged into one<br />
and more than 110 pairs of<br />
electric blue tights were<br />
among the eye-catching<br />
pieces on display at this year’s<br />
Arts Festival.<br />
The impressive collection, displayed<br />
across campus, is the major exhibition<br />
<strong>for</strong> UCLan’s final year students studying<br />
creative subjects.<br />
Fine art, fashion, graphic design,<br />
journalism, product design,<br />
photography, ceramics, illustration,<br />
games design, textiles, animation,<br />
advertising, interior design, film<br />
production and fashion promotion were<br />
some of the subjects involved.<br />
Ryan Parry, a BSc(Hons) Product Design<br />
student, created a novel approach to<br />
persuading youngsters to grow green<br />
fingers from an early age. He created a<br />
Caterpod, a set of innovative hydroponic<br />
vegetable growth orbs characterised as a<br />
caterpillar to enable children to grow<br />
their own plants.<br />
28 Aspire 2010<br />
“Art, design and per<strong>for</strong>ming arts courses<br />
at the University rank amongst the best<br />
in the UK and our students continue to<br />
gain prestigious national awards<br />
including our success at the recent<br />
London Graduate Fashion Show.”<br />
He said: “Ideally I would like to promote<br />
my product in conjunction with schemes<br />
like the Government’s five-a-day and<br />
Change4Life campaigns because they<br />
look appealing to kids and do a great<br />
job at encouraging organic fruit and<br />
vegetable growth.”<br />
Natanya Wallwork-Blyth created an<br />
innovative installation made solely of<br />
bright blue Primark tights. The work<br />
spanned approximately 10 metres in<br />
width and created a plant-like structure<br />
meant to demonstrate organic growth<br />
and the economic efficiency of<br />
re-useable materials.<br />
The BA(Hons) Fine Art student<br />
commented: “I have thoroughly<br />
enjoyed my degree and my final project<br />
was truly the icing on the cake. I<br />
enrolled at UCLan as a passionate<br />
painter, but the degree structure<br />
allowed me to branch out into ceramics,<br />
sculpture and installations. ”<br />
Striking paintings representing the<br />
perceptions of British Muslims in today’s
society were created by BA(Hons) Fine<br />
Art student Nazmin Abdullah. One piece<br />
of her work saw a delicate female figure<br />
in a prayer stance while wrapped in a<br />
Union Jack hijab.<br />
“I wanted to focus on cultural identity<br />
because I was brought up in England<br />
although I’m a Muslim,” she said. “I<br />
decided the most identifiable symbols to<br />
use were the Union Jack and the hijab<br />
so I could then juxtapose the two to<br />
create the strongest images possible.”<br />
BA(Hons) Fine Art student Ruth Orrell<br />
based her project around her family’s<br />
history of whippet racing. The 30-yearold<br />
full-time mum presented a sculpture<br />
consisting of life-size racing greyhounds<br />
made of a wire structure, with a paper<br />
mache shell to demonstrate the strong<br />
relationship that exists between humans<br />
and animals.<br />
Ruth, who is keen to produce further<br />
sculptures to expand the set, said: “I am<br />
extremely pleased with the results of my<br />
final project. I hope to get a studio locally<br />
and run art workshops <strong>for</strong> primary school<br />
children and my degree has provided me<br />
with a great grounding <strong>for</strong> this.”<br />
Road safety was the poignant message<br />
shining through in a floral tribute<br />
created by mature student Jane Souyave.<br />
The local student created a 30mph sign<br />
from flowers which represented the<br />
colours of traffic lights.<br />
“Floral tributes are the most popular gift<br />
left at the scene of a road tragedy,” the<br />
Masters student said. “What I did is<br />
create something which people can<br />
High achievers<br />
The Degree Shows are a great opportunity<br />
to see excellent, original work in a vast<br />
range of creative disciplines.”<br />
relate to in terms of the look of a speed<br />
sign but at the same time realise the<br />
flowers will die, just like the people<br />
involved in the accidents.”<br />
Professor John Joughin, Dean of the<br />
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social<br />
Sciences, said: "Art, design and<br />
per<strong>for</strong>ming arts courses at the University<br />
rank amongst the best in the UK and<br />
our students continue to gain<br />
prestigious national awards including<br />
our success at the recent London<br />
Graduate Fashion Show. The Degree<br />
Shows are a great opportunity to see<br />
excellent, original work in a vast range<br />
of creative disciplines.”<br />
Aspire 2010 29
High achievers<br />
Gone in 60 seconds<br />
UCLan student scoops national award at Virgin Shorts competition<br />
A budding film maker from the UCLan<br />
has beaten off competition from<br />
thousands of entrants nationwide to win<br />
a major award.<br />
Michael Mann, a second year BA(Hons)<br />
Film Production and Media Production<br />
Technology student, took top prize in the<br />
best film on a mobile phone category of<br />
the Virgin Media Shorts competition.<br />
The 20-year-old produced and directed<br />
Rush 60, a minute long film inspired by a<br />
real life event.<br />
He said: “The story involved me making<br />
my way from Manchester to UCLan in<br />
Preston. When I turned up at my halls of<br />
residence I realised my door keys were<br />
still in Manchester. I wasn’t happy to say<br />
the least. When I saw the competition<br />
advertised I thought this experience<br />
would make a good subject <strong>for</strong> a short<br />
video and it’s turned out to be a<br />
winning idea.”<br />
30 Aspire 2010<br />
Michael has previously entered a similar<br />
competition <strong>for</strong> a film created on his<br />
mobile but was unsuccessful. This time<br />
around, with some minor assistance from<br />
his girlfriend with filming, he succeeded.<br />
The undergraduate, who comes from<br />
Glossop, said: “I was so happy when a<br />
lecturer came into my experimental film<br />
class and announced to the whole<br />
group that I’d won the award. When<br />
you enter competitions you always hope<br />
you’ll be chosen as the best but it<br />
doesn’t often happen. I’m really thrilled<br />
because I just love making films and<br />
have done since college.”<br />
Michael, who wants to become an editor<br />
when he graduates, received his prize at<br />
a star-studded awards ceremony in<br />
London along with celebrities such as<br />
actor and writer Noel Clarke and Johnny<br />
Vaughan.<br />
To view Michael’s winning work visit<br />
http://www.virginmediashorts.co.uk/winners/<br />
Michael Mann (in the middle) receiving his Virgin<br />
Shorts award at the official ceremony.
View from the top<br />
Ben Briggs graduated from UCLan in<br />
2003 with a BA(Hons) in Journalism and<br />
English Literature and, just six years<br />
later, he has worked his way up the<br />
competitive ladder and been appointed<br />
as the <strong>new</strong> editor of Lancashire Business<br />
View magazine – quite an<br />
accomplishment <strong>for</strong> anyone, especially<br />
a 27-year-old.<br />
Aged 21 and a fresh-faced graduate,<br />
Ben took up an administrative role at the<br />
Farmers Guardian, Preston. His big break<br />
arrived when somebody called in sick one<br />
day and he was given a chance to shine.<br />
Ben was sent to the Lake District <strong>for</strong> a<br />
National Trust launch and subsequently<br />
proved himself; he could be trusted with<br />
more than data-inputting! The big<br />
cheeses thought ‘doesn’t he have a<br />
journalism degree? Maybe this guy can<br />
actually write too!’ Ben said: “The best<br />
piece of advice I could ever give to a<br />
graduate is to take every opportunity<br />
that arises. You never know when you<br />
will get your big break.”<br />
After two and a half years honing his<br />
skills with the Farmers Guardian, Ben was<br />
ready <strong>for</strong> some tough, hard-nosed<br />
reporting and applied <strong>for</strong> a job with the<br />
Lancashire Telegraph. “Being a daily<br />
paper it taught me the skill of spotting<br />
stories where you might not expect<br />
them,” he explained. “And it made me a<br />
vastly better <strong>new</strong>s writer and reporter.”<br />
This was it, he definitely had the taste<br />
<strong>for</strong> the industry and now he was<br />
working <strong>for</strong> the local <strong>new</strong>spaper he’d<br />
grown up reading. Ben decided to take<br />
his shorthand, National Council <strong>for</strong><br />
Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and<br />
National Certificate Exams (NCE) so he<br />
could become a fully qualified senior<br />
reporter and was quickly promoted to<br />
the post of business reporter and later<br />
business editor. The onset of the global<br />
credit crunch allowed Ben to<br />
demonstrate his clout as a hard-hitting<br />
business editor and it wasn’t long be<strong>for</strong>e<br />
Alumni<br />
“The best piece of advice I could ever give to a<br />
graduate is to take every opportunity that arises.<br />
You never know when you will get your big break.”<br />
his talent was spotted by the acting<br />
editor of Lancashire Business View<br />
Magazine. Ben saw the recession as an<br />
opportune moment and his smart<br />
reporting on the worst of the credit<br />
crunch caught the attention of the<br />
county’s leading business magazine,<br />
Lancashire Business View.<br />
In July 2009, Ben became the editor of<br />
the glossy magazine and has achieved<br />
great success with his first few issues. Ben<br />
believes his biggest success has been to<br />
earn the respect of senior journalists who<br />
have helped him along the way.<br />
If you decide to enrol at UCLan and<br />
want to follow in Ben’s footsteps here is<br />
his advice <strong>for</strong> you: “If you want to<br />
become a journalist make sure you have<br />
as many skills under your belt as possible.<br />
If you’re in print journalism passing your<br />
NCTJ, NCE and shorthand exams are<br />
vital. You should also learn as many<br />
multimedia skills as possible such as<br />
knowing how to produce pod casts and<br />
videos <strong>for</strong> the web. Media is changing at<br />
such a fast pace and you need to stay<br />
ahead of the game.”<br />
Aspire 2010 31
Campus roundup<br />
High achievers<br />
More than 15 students from across the North<br />
West were recognised by UCLan <strong>for</strong> their<br />
academic achievements over the course of the<br />
last academic year.<br />
North West based college students from UCLan’s sector<br />
leading partnership initiative were awarded the<br />
prestigious Tim Curtis and Partnership Award at a<br />
lavish ceremony.<br />
The event, which is now in its 23rd year, took place at the<br />
city’s Harris Park. Guest of honour Sally Naden, UCLan<br />
journalism alumna and BBC Radio Lancashire presenter,<br />
handed over the certificates and prizes to the winners<br />
while their family and friends looked on.<br />
The winning recipients, a mix of full and part-time<br />
students, demonstrated outstanding progress in their<br />
academic studies.<br />
The awards provide a lasting tribute to Tim Curtis, a<br />
<strong>for</strong>mer Deputy Director of the University, who was<br />
instrumental in establishing UCLan’s Partnership College<br />
Network and who believed in ‘taking learning to the<br />
learners’.<br />
Alan Roff, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, said: “Tim Curtis<br />
initiated academic opportunities <strong>for</strong> thousands of<br />
students to reach their full potential. The awards are a<br />
fantastic occasion to celebrate the success of our partner<br />
college students while honouring the memory of a man<br />
whose academic legacy survives to this day."<br />
Each year approximately 4,500 higher education students<br />
are based in the partner colleges. Once they have<br />
reached their awards in college, a selection choose to<br />
continue their studies at UCLan either to top-up their<br />
course or to study <strong>for</strong> a higher qualification.<br />
32 Aspire 2010<br />
University choir hit high notes<br />
UCLan’s Chamber Choir, comprising 26 students from the<br />
University’s BA(Hons) Music Theatre, are singing from the<br />
rooftops after claiming a top musical award.<br />
The talented students scooped the title of Good<br />
Housekeeping Choir of the Year 2009, overcoming stiff<br />
competition from other choirs located across the UK.<br />
Choir Director Mark Goggins said: “It’s a fantastic<br />
achievement <strong>for</strong> the choir especially as 10 <strong>new</strong> members<br />
only joined at the start of term. All the hard work has<br />
definitely paid off.<br />
“It was really exciting <strong>for</strong> us all when they announced the<br />
decision, it felt like our X Factor moment and it was<br />
completely exhilarating. The standard of the competition<br />
was so high but we had every confidence in our ability<br />
and it’s a great boost <strong>for</strong> everybody involved.”<br />
UCLan climbs green league<br />
UCLan’s impressive green credentials have once again<br />
been confirmed via the People and Planet’s Green<br />
League, which measures the environmental management<br />
and per<strong>for</strong>mance amongst universities across the UK.<br />
UCLan was placed in fourth place out of 126 institutions<br />
overall with the award of ‘First – Solid Environmental<br />
Per<strong>for</strong>mance’. The University has improved its position in<br />
the influential table by one place compared with last<br />
year’s table and is reward <strong>for</strong> the steps taken over the<br />
past 12 months.<br />
Paul Morris, UCLan’s Director of Facilities Management,<br />
said: “This year we have increased recycling by 20<br />
percent, continued to install micro generation to trial<br />
<strong>new</strong> technologies and been awarded the Carbon Trust<br />
Standard <strong>for</strong> our carbon reduction achievements.”
Shining Light<br />
Solar trackers are first in UK<br />
UCLan is the shining light of UK higher education<br />
institutions with its latest installation.<br />
Students, staff and visitors in the centre of campus have been<br />
unable to miss the two solar tracker devices, which were<br />
recently installed outside UCLan’s Allen building.<br />
UCLan is the first UK University to install the devices, which<br />
are the size of a double garage door on top of a mast.<br />
To produce electricity the panels track the motion of the sun<br />
across the sky. ensuring the maximum amount of sunlight<br />
strikes them over the course of a day.<br />
Len Lewis, Executive Director of Operations at UCLan, said:<br />
“The trackers are a valuable addition to the re<strong>new</strong>able<br />
energy programme at the University. Being readily accessible<br />
and visually exciting, they are attracting a lot more attention<br />
from students, staff and members of the public than roof<br />
mounted systems, and help demonstrate how these<br />
technologies can be integrated in an urban setting.”<br />
The trackers are 40 percent more efficient than standard<br />
solar panels and can gather electricity even when it is cloudy.<br />
Campus roundup<br />
Scary movies no<br />
match <strong>for</strong> lavender<br />
Smelling lavender be<strong>for</strong>e watching a scary movie might<br />
calm the nerves - but only if you are a woman, a study from<br />
UCLan has found. The opposite is true <strong>for</strong> men, who should<br />
avoid the smell altogether unless they crave a more<br />
unsettling experience.<br />
The study, led by Belinda Hornby, Senior Psychology<br />
Technician at UCLan, involved giving volunteers either oral<br />
capsules containing lavender or a placebo. Their<br />
physiological responses to neutral, scary and light-hearted<br />
film clips were then observed. The study clearly showed that<br />
women who took lavender had an increased heart rate<br />
variation - an indicator of a more relaxed state - during all<br />
three films. But men displayed more symptoms of stress -<br />
including sweaty palms - during the scary film if they<br />
had taken a capsule containing lavender.<br />
"Lavender odour is commonly used to<br />
alleviate mild anxiety; but there have<br />
been few reliable investigations of its<br />
efficacy to date because double-blind<br />
studies are<br />
difficult to<br />
conduct with<br />
odours," explained<br />
Belinda. "There<strong>for</strong>e,<br />
we decided to allow<br />
volunteers to ingest<br />
rather than inhale<br />
lavender as it would be<br />
impossible to provide a<br />
placebo if people could smell<br />
what they were taking."<br />
Footballers net fitness reward<br />
By graduate intern, David Quinn<br />
Burnley FC youth team have turned to UCLan’s sports scientists in a bid to<br />
perfect their fitness levels. And at a specially organised fitness assessment<br />
day, organised by Dr Chris Edmundson from the Centre <strong>for</strong> Applied Sport<br />
and Exercise Sciences (CASES), the whole youth squad took part in a series<br />
of laboratory tests to measure strength, fitness and balance.<br />
Terry Pashley, Youth Team Head Coach at Burnley FC, said: “We’re delighted<br />
to be working with the University on this fitness programme. It’s a great<br />
opportunity to bring our youth team squad into a different environment<br />
where they’ve been put through their paces by leading experts in the field.<br />
The facilities here are top notch and each member of the squad has gained<br />
a great deal from the variety of fitness tests undertaken.”<br />
Aspire 2010 33
A day in the life<br />
A day in the life of Bill McCoid,<br />
School of Journalism Media & Communication<br />
34 Aspire 2010<br />
08:00<br />
I am the Course Leader in Screenwriting<br />
<strong>for</strong> Film and Television but I don’t have<br />
any lectures today so it’s a chance to get<br />
things done. Drop my daughter, Annie, at<br />
school and then drive in from Southport.<br />
08:45<br />
Walk in with Sarah Evans our <strong>new</strong><br />
Screenwriting Lecturer. We are<br />
overhauling the course and Sarah is<br />
doing a great job of convincing our<br />
second year students the virtues of being<br />
able to write <strong>for</strong> radio.<br />
09:00<br />
In the office and a quick catch up on my<br />
emails.<br />
10:00<br />
Need to have a meeting regarding our<br />
<strong>new</strong> MA in Scriptwriting. The validation<br />
documents have to be in soon and there<br />
are a few issues to be addressed.<br />
10:30<br />
Re-schedule a visit to Granada TV with<br />
our third year screenwriters <strong>for</strong> early<br />
December.<br />
11:00<br />
Today we have a visit from a children’s<br />
writer Lucy Danielle Raby. She is with our<br />
students <strong>for</strong> a two day intensive<br />
workshop. Yesterday, she told them all<br />
about her career and what she thinks<br />
they need to do to become professional<br />
writers. Today she is holding an ideas<br />
workshop with them all day. It’s an<br />
intensive affair and all involved seem to<br />
be enjoying themselves. Lucy has also<br />
given me a CD packed full of scripts<br />
which I can put on our shared web space,<br />
when I get the time.<br />
12:00<br />
I share the same office area as the<br />
photographers so I ask if they can take a<br />
photo of Lucy in action with our<br />
students. By the end of the day Darren<br />
Elliot has taken the photos, cropped<br />
them and left a CD on my desk.<br />
13:00<br />
I phone a very well known writer and it<br />
looks like he is willing to come here to<br />
do a talk, possibly in May when we are<br />
having our very own film festival.<br />
14:30<br />
Sarah talks about her plans to bring in an<br />
experienced radio producer and writer<br />
<strong>for</strong> a guest lecture. I think it sounds<br />
great. I need to get hold of some DVDs<br />
of Alan Bennett monologues. They are a<br />
good vehicle <strong>for</strong> our students.<br />
15:30<br />
I am currently promoting Car Park, a<br />
feature length film which I wrote and<br />
directed. I phone the UCLan press office<br />
and 30 minutes later I’ve been invited on<br />
tomorrow’s BBC Radio Lancashire<br />
breakfast show. I am naturally a behindthe-scenes<br />
person but a film can die of<br />
obscurity so at the moment I am talking<br />
and sending out press releases. The radio<br />
people also want me to come up with a<br />
list of movies with weepy endings.<br />
17:30<br />
Get home and my eldest daughter,<br />
Lorna, has been chosen <strong>for</strong> the school<br />
football team. I’m made up. Plus they<br />
seem quite excited that dad will be on<br />
the radio. Tomorrow I’ll be up at 5.00am<br />
to make the radio interview but I’m<br />
actually quite enjoying it.
Flying through the <strong>stars</strong><br />
UCLan professor joins star gazing legends <strong>for</strong><br />
astronomy celebration<br />
A UCLan astronomer has joined a host of famous star gazers to<br />
celebrate the International Year of Astronomy.<br />
Professor Brad Gibson, Chairman of Theoretical Astrophysics at<br />
UCLan’s Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, was approached alongside<br />
Patrick Moore, Stephen Hawking and Brian May to take part in<br />
the Royal Albert Hall’s Explorers of the Universe exhibition.<br />
More than 40 of the UK’s major astronomy experts were<br />
approached <strong>for</strong> the photography exhibition which highlights<br />
those at the <strong>for</strong>efront of astrophysics research. Galactic<br />
archaeologist Brad was captured by photographer Max<br />
Alexander ‘flying’. The 44 portraits will soon be touring the<br />
country at various venues.<br />
Professor Gibson said: “It’s a fantastic honour <strong>for</strong> me to be<br />
involved in this project, especially to be named in the same<br />
breath as world greats of the industry like Patrick Moore and<br />
Stephen Hawking.<br />
“The exhibition is a fun way of raising the awareness of<br />
astronomy and appeals to all ages. My students have also<br />
benefitted because I took down a group of them to the<br />
celebration reception where they met some of the big names.”<br />
Alumni 2010 35
Aspire 2010<br />
University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE<br />
Tel: 01772 201201 Email: cenquiries@uclan.ac.uk www.uclan.ac.uk<br />
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