June 2014Issue 8 Volume 11

unilifeManchesterMakes Us Proud

The free magazine for The University of Manchester

Message from the President

With well over 150 universities in the UK and many thousandsworldwide, it’s almost impossible for most people to determinewhat is different, special or even unique about any one university.

Contact usNews and story ideasMikaela Sitfordtel 0161 275 2112email uninews@manchester.ac.ukwww.manchester.ac.uk/staffnet/news

Events and listings informationPhilippa Adsheadtel 0161 275 2922email unievents@manchester.ac.uk

Ads Sarah Davenporttel 0161 275 2922email uniads@manchester.ac.uk

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his is compounded by the fact thatuniversities are not always as effective as they might be at disseminating what they doand what they are good at. Also many, like

ours, are huge with a diverse range of activities.

A small number of universities stand out because oftheir global prominence, quality and heritage. Eventhen, those outside the world of research or highereducation find it hard to put their finger on whatmakes them special.

We know from our application figures, from polling,our media profile and our own surveys that TheUniversity of Manchester already has a very strong‘brand’ - it is well known and respected. However,we are now operating in an increasingly competitiveglobal environment where we will have to workeven harder to maintain and build our reputation.

We can all act as ‘ambassadors’ for the University,frequently reminding people of the many

attractive features of our University. But we know thatmany of these features are shared by other institutionsaround the globe. The challenge is to identify a smallnumber of distinctive features or activities which canserve as powerful beacons or exemplars of what weare good at, to illustrate our broader excellence.

Distinctiveness was a significant topic of discussionat our recent Board of Governors’ Planning andAccountability conference. The question: “What isdistinctive about The University of Manchester, andwhat is the simple story that we can tell about ourUniversity?” was also asked by many participants inour External Stakeholder Survey last year, bymembers of our Global Leadership Board and ourLocal Enterprise Partnership.

All groups want simple and clear messages, not along list which is full of phrases that they find hardto understand or can’t easily relate to. The challengeis to tell a short story on our key strengths to ourmany external audiences.

Some will be obvious, but others will depend on theaudience. For a general audience, our messages mustalso be readily understood and clearly relevant to‘everyday life’. In short, the narrative must be accessibleand memorable, but based on strong evidence.

We have identified the following as importantfeatures of The University of Manchester:

Research strengths. Our research has huge scaleand diversity. A notable feature is the focus oninterdisciplinarity, which brings togethercomplementary strengths to address complexproblems. We also have a strong reputation forcommercialisation, growing partnerships withindustry, the health sector, cultural institutions andother organisations nationally and internationally.

Our graduates. Students graduating from ourUniversity are highly sought after and valued byleading employers. This is in part because of theiracademic achievements, but feedback tells us thatthat employers value the wider educationalexperience we provide. This can be through ouracademic courses, practical and research experience,

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Meeting our apprentices in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

With the Centre for New Writing team

NewsMichael Owen’s Marathon Mission

NewsPhysics takes flight – from Manchester to Thailand to Hollywood!

Contents2 Message from the President

4 News

8 Research

11 Features

18 What’s On

20 Making a Difference

Front cover: Solid oak, laser-engraved panel atthe Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, quotingManchester’s great and good

Photo by Shaw and Shaw

Research‘Lonely’ bacteria more likely to mutate

FeatureCelebrating our volunteering stars

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periods spent overseas or opportunities for a broadereducation such as social responsibility and grandethical challenges and through entrepreneurshiptraining, volunteering and Manchester Gold.

Social Responsibility. Can be summarised as‘making a difference to society’. We have nowdefined more precisely our focus in this area and thesignature programmes that will deliver our intendedoutcomes. We have long been proud of attractingmany students from disadvantaged backgrounds;and we are now focussing on their long term careergoals. We are working hard on interactions withlocal schools, long term unemployed on communityengagement and our research into global challenges.

Cultural Institutions play an important part indelivering on our commitment to social responsibilityand each is in itself distinctive. Jodrell Bank DiscoveryCentre, John Rylands Library, the ManchesterMuseum and the Whitworth Art Gallery have or areundergoing major extension or refurbishment. Whenthe fabulous new extension to the Whitworth Galleryis completed later this year, we expect to attract overa million visitors a year across our cultural institutions.

Location. We are located in a great city, oftenreferred to as the ‘Original Modern’. Manchester isthe home of the Industrial Revolution with anamazing history, but with a ‘can do’ and forwardlooking approach. We benefit greatly from our veryclose relationship with the City of Manchester andthe wider region. As an example, Manchester will bedesignated the ‘European City of Science’ for 2016.

Our campus. When our Campus Masterplan iscomplete, we will be one of the few universitiesoccupying a discrete campus within a major city. Thevast majority of our activities will then be co-locatedand clustered around Oxford Road. Soon we willhave more green spaces and trees and a new busand cycle priority route along Oxford Road -apparently we have the largest bicycle user group ofany university (over 1,000), which is perhapsanother distinctive feature!

There is much more that we could add to this list,such as our global reach, with more internationalstudents than any other UK university and manyglobal partnerships, our heritage, sporting activities(especially in Manchester), to name but a few.

These are all powerful and impressive features ofThe University of Manchester, however the list isalready too long for most people, and many ofthese features apply equally to our principalcompetitors around the globe.

Our challenge is to select what is truly outstanding,distinctive or unique about what we are doing hereand to find new and exciting ways of articulating orshowcasing that particular approach or activity sothat it grabs people’s attention and encourages themto take a look at what we are doing in more detail.

It is about what we put in the ‘shop window’,particularly our great new website(www.manchester.ac.uk). We have a great example with what we have achieved withgraphene, but we need a handful of other examples.I will be updating you on progress in coming months.

President and Vice-ChancellorProfessor Nancy Rothwell

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Visiting the Division of Communications and Marketing’s new office

News

Recognisinginnovative research The Dalton Nuclear Institute has beenawarded a Gold Medal by the Institute ofMaterials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).

The prize recognised the Institute’s lead in thedevelopment of academic research andinnovation in the field of advanced materialsand manufacturing for the nuclear sector andits specific contribution to nuclear plant lifeextension, decommissioning and wastemanagement projects.

Professor Paul O'Brien was also awarded thisyear’s IOM3 Platinum Medal in acknowledgmentof his international research reputation andglobal science ambassador services.

In addition, Professor Andrew Sherry, Directorof the Dalton Nuclear Institute, has beenchosen as a Recognising Inspirational Scientistsand Engineers (RISE) Renowned Fellow to markthe 20th anniversary of the Engineering andPhysical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Manchesterpharmacist landstrustee roleProfessor Karen Hassell, of the Faculty ofMedicine and Human Sciences, has beenapponted a Trustee of the Daphne Jackson Trust.

The Trust aims to return researchers to theircareers, helping retain a talented STEMworkforce by offering flexible fellowshipswith mentoring and training to allow womenand men to return to research after a careerbreak of two or more years, for family, caring or health reasons.

Professor Hassell, of the Manchester PharmacySchool, said: “I hope that my appointmentwill provide an opportunity for the Universityto work with the Trust in sponsoring moreFellows here at Manchester.”

The Faculty’s Institute of Population Health is also both sponsoring and hosting a Daphne Jackson Fellowship, the first time a Daphne Jackson Fellowship has beensponsored at the University.

Michael Owen’s Marathon Missionetired footballer Michael Owen has donated£25,681.20 to scientists from the Universityand Manchester Royal Eye Hospital afterrunning the London Marathon for the cause.

Michael, who played for Liverpool, Real Madrid,Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke Cityduring his career, finished the race in an impressive3 hours, 45 minutes and 43 seconds.

Michael was joined at a cheque presentation by one ofthe hospital’s patients two-year-old Olivia Dronsfield,who had three operations within the first six monthsof her life.

Michael said: “Manchester Royal Eye Hospital andscientists at The University of Manchester are doingfantastic work to develop new treatments forfamilies with genetic eye disorders, so I’m reallypleased to be able to support this cause. I hope mysupport will boost their quest to find moretreatments for patients like Olivia.”

Graeme Black, Professor of Genetics at the University,said: “Michael’s support will help us in our quest toimprove the outcomes for patients like Olivia, sothey can lead better and more fulfilling lives.”

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Celine is ourenergy champ

Manchester student has won a coveted paidsummer internship with global company,EDF Energy, in a national, high profilecompetition.

Chemical Engineering student Celine Dischampswas crowned the ‘Low Carbon Undergraduate ofthe Year’. In addition to the internship, her prizeincludes a visit to a nuclear power station in Franceand an exclusive lunch with an EDF Station Director.

Including Celine, Manchester had five finalists in the12 award categories – deemed by organisers,graduate recruitment media company TARGETjobs,an excellent result.

Celine said: “It has been an incredible experienceand I would highly recommend students to apply forthe awards next year. I have been given an amazing

Royal Society honour for ChemistA University Chemistry Professor has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of science.

Gareth Morris, Professor of Physical Chemistry in the School of Chemistry, has been awarded the prestigioushonour for his ground-breaking work in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

He said: “One of the joys of research is never quite knowing where things will lead – at different times ourwork has ended up being used in research on nanoscience, heart transplants, and quantum computing – but in a career full of surprises this has been one of the nicest.”

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Mr Susmito Biswas, Professor Graeme Black, Olivia Dronsfield and her mum, Professor Chris Lloyd and Michael Owen

opportunity and I am very proud to haverepresented my University.”

Deputy Director of the Division of Careers andEmployability Tammy Goldfeld said: “It wasincredibly rewarding to see so many Manchesterfinalists at the event and Celine receiving her award.We hope her experience will inspire other students.”

Celine Dischamps (centre) meets Sir Trevor McDonald

Professor Andrew Sherry

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Education, education…inspiration!ix members of University staff have beenpresented with Teaching Excellence Awards,which recognise their achievement inteaching, learning and the student experience.

Professor Clive Agnew, Vice-President, Teaching,Learning and Students, hosted the event.

These competitive awards celebrate significant andsustained commitment to excellence in teaching and learning and are decided by a panel drawn from across the University and chaired by ProfessorKersti Börjars, Associate Vice-President, Teaching,Learning and Students.

The 2014 Winners are John Pal, Manchester BusinessSchool, Professor David Schultz, School of Earth,Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Dr Colin Lumsden, Manchester Medical School, Dr Jill Barber, Manchester Pharmacy School, Dr Louise Walker, School of Mathematics, and Jennie Blake, University Libraries

• For more information and to see videos of thewinners talking about their work, visit:www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/teaching-and-learning/teachingawards

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(L-R) Award winners John Pal, Professor David Schultz, Dr Colin Lumsden, Dr Jill Barber, Dr Louise Walker and Jennie Blake

Osborne visits Alderley Parkhancellor George Osborne visited AlderleyPark to hear about the new vision for thefuture of AstraZeneca’s former research anddevelopment site.

Manchester Science Parks (MSP) shareholders –including the University – joined the MP and local,regional and national business and communityleaders at a celebratory launch event.

Manchester Science Parks, who with majorityshareholder Bruntwood acquired the 400 acre site in March, revealed its ambition to maintain top

quality bioscience as the cornerstone of itscommercial strategy.

The vision is supported by the University and MSP’sother public sector and academic partners, includingManchester Metropolitan University; Manchester,Salford and Cheshire East Councils and the CentralManchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

President and Vice-Chancellor Professor NancyRothwell said: “I am delighted to see the progressthat has been made in ensuring the future ofAlderley Park as a site of outstanding science.”

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(L-R) Chris Oglesby, George Osborne and Mene Pangalos

Versarien completesgraphene start-uppurchaseA major materials company has bought 85%of the shares of University start-up 2-DTech.

Versarien plc has taken over the graphenecompany and intends to invest £300,000 intwo research projects.

Clive Rowland, CEO of the University’sInnovation Group (UMI3), said: “I amdelighted that we have been able to agree this arrangement with Versarien, which takes 2-DTech to a new level andallows the University to share in the futuresuccess of the business.”

From the CabinetOffice to the FrontA new book tells the fascinating story of howthe 27th Earl of Crawford David Lindsay – theUniversity’s Chancellor from 1922-40 – tookthe unorthodox step of enlisting, aged 43, asa private in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

Lindsay, a distinguished political careeralready behind him, spent 14 months as amedical orderly on the Western Front – theonly cabinet minister to serve in the ranks inthe First World War.

‘Private Lord Crawford’s Great War Diaries:From Medical Orderly to Cabinet Minister’,edited by his grandson Christopher Arnander,gives a unique close-up view of the GreatWar though the eyes of a shrewd anduncommon participant.

• Published by Pen and Sword, ISBN:9781781593677, it is available from theSpectator Bookshop. Telephone: 08430 600033

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News

Museum has objects in minduseums have long believed that using theircollections can improve people’s mentalhealth and a new project at ManchesterMuseum is putting that into practice.

Damian Scully is a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Skillsfor the Future trainee. As part of his 18-monthDiploma in Culture and Heritage he has developedan innovative programme, Objects in Mind, tocreate unique museum experiences to enhancevisitors’ mental health.

Damian explains: “We consider what the peoplewho made it thought, what did the object mean tothem and how does that influence our viewpoint.”

Key to the progress that Damian has made is apartnership with colleagues in the Faculty of Medicaland Human Sciences. Yvonne Awenat is a ResearchFellow in the School of Psychological Sciences and an

important area of her work is around involving peoplein the design and implementation of research studies.

Yvonne says: “Objects in Mind fits into the ethos ofthe kind of work we’re doing here – conductingresearch that aims to improve the lives of peoplewith psychological distress and offeringopportunities to be involved in the research process,which can often help them make sense out of anexperience that they didn’t want, they didn’t likeand has been very difficult for them.”

Feedback included: “I loved the way Damian related the objects and displays to deeper meanings around history and ways of seeing mental health. The handling session was a fantastic interactive addition.”

• For more information contact Damian Scully ondamian.scully@manchester.ac.uk

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Our global scale volunteering!round 100 staff from across the Universitygot involved in Give and Gain Day, a globalinitiative run by Business in the Community(BITC), to support our social responsibility

agenda and contribute to professional developmentand team building.

Give and Gain brings together like-mindedorganisations to use their ideas, talents and resourcesto enhance their social responsibility impact through anational day of employee volunteering in 25 countriesas diverse as Spain, Iran, Nigeria and Guatemala.

The efforts of our five teams – from the Division of Communications and Marketing, the Office ofSocial Responsibility, Directorate of Human Resources,Directorate of Estates and Facilities, and Recruitmentand Admissions – can be seen on StaffNet.

Head of Human Resources at the Faculty of Engineeringand Physical Sciences Sue Field said: “It gave a senseof achievement through team working, contributingto projects that benefit our community, takingopportunities to work together and forge newworking relationships – and a great deal of fun!”

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An Objects in Mind handling session. Photo by Paul Cliff

Milena Cimmarrusti-Davila and Linda Callaghan of the Communications and Marketing team during Give and Gain Day

From Bugs to Drugs!Around 300 people fought a fictitious andfun-filled battle against the zombies whenManchester Pharmacy School hosted acommunity open day.

The educational event took children and theirfamilies on a journey through the differentstages of the drug development process.

They helped scientists as they looked to find,develop and market a cure for a new andhighly infectious – and of course fictitious! –microorganism that turns human beings intozombies if infected.

Organiser Dr David Allison said: “The eventwas a great success and one of manycomments that summed up the day was ‘an amazing day, keep up the good work’.”

In full make up

Frogs and bananasshowcase our impactOur researchers will be demonstrating theimpact of their work using topics as varied asbananas, frogs and fighting cancer as part ofUniversities Week, an annual event to open upa national conversation about the relevance andimpact of university research, from 9-15 June.

The Manchester theme is Ideas for Life,including the Ideas for Life Big Saturday,hosted by Manchester Museum on Saturday14 June from 11am-4pm.

Universities Week 2014 is run by UniversitiesUK with Research Councils UK, the HigherEducation Funding Council for England andthe National Coordinating Centre for PublicEngagement.

All the Ideas for Life events are free and open to all.

• For more information visit:www.universitiesweek.org.uk or followon Twitter @uni_week or Facebook atwww.facebook.com/uniweek

Meeting one of our frogs

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Students at Baan Ratchawiti Girls' Orphanage

Celebrating research into – and life after – stroke

ore than 250 people from Manchestercelebrated the launch of Science Stroke Art 2014 with an innovative event atManchester Town Hall to mark the start

of Action on Stroke Month.

Manchester alumnus Dr Chris Steele, a GP andresident doctor on ITV’s This Morning, hosted theevent, organised by the Stroke Association and theUniversity. It mixed music, poetry and visual art with talks about stroke research and the latest instroke treatment.

The event kicked off Science Stroke Art 2014, a series of interactive events that included theManchester Museum-hosted Creative Catalyst, a collective conversation of stroke survivors andcarers, clinicians, artists and cultural organisations.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “What wewant Science Stroke Art to do is raise awareness of

stroke and show that it is not just something thathappens to old people, but that young people canbe affected too. We also wanted to show thatstroke isn’t the end of a fulfilling life and to tellpeople about research into stroke.”

• For more information visit: www.stroke.org.uk

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Physics takes flight – from Manchesterto Thailand to Hollywood!

University academic has taken his work inanimal flight physics from Manchester toThailand – and now to Hollywood!

Ban Parslew has been building links between earlycareer researchers in Manchester and Thailand,teaching kids in a Thai orphanage how to flyquadcopters and gliders and working as a “bird consultant” on the Hollywood biblicalblockbuster ‘Noah’.

Ben, at the School of Mechanical, Aerospace andCivil Engineering (MACE), who used to work atKasetsart University in Thailand, has been involved in several projects with Thai universities.

They include the UK-Southeast Asia CollaborativeDevelopment award, which Ben received from theBritish Council to establish new research linksbetween UK and Thailand, and his visiting lecturerscholarship for King Mongkut's University, in whichhe runs a workshop on flight physics for students on the new robotics undergraduate course.

Another project was his ‘RoboShop’ robotics workshopin Bangkok, promoting collaboration between 12 UKand 12 Thai early career researchers. Funded through

the British Council’s Research Links programme, it involved MACE researchers Khristopher Kabbabeand Gareth Roberts holding a hands-on sessionwhere participants built their own flying robots.

Its outreach session – in which the team taughtstudents at Baan Ratchawiti Girls' Orphanage howto fly quadcopters and gliders – was covered by Thai Channel 3 news.

And now Ben features on the silver screen too – his name appears in the credits for Russell Crowe’slatest film, ‘Noah’, having worked with one of thefilm’s executive producers and animation team toimprove the realism of animated doves in the film.

Ben said: "I was really surprised when the producer firstcontacted me about Noah, especially because I wasalready a fan of his films. Working with their team was a fascinating experience - they were engaging andenthusiastic about the work, and incredibly professional.

“And I am just as proud of RoboShop – it opened updiscussion between all kinds of robotics researchers,with backgrounds in engineering, electronics,zoology and mathematics and established some keyareas for collaborative research.”

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Free scheme forabuse victimsWomen who have suffered domestic abusewill now be able to access free counsellingsupport, thanks to a collaboration betweenthe University and Stockport Without Abuse.

Kath Dunn-cham, Accommodation Managerat the Stockport Without Abuse refuge, andDr Terry Hanley, Course Director for thedoctoral training programme in counsellingpsychology at Manchester, identified the needfor an on-site counselling service at theStockport’s women’s refuge.

Chemists celebrate success

Four University of Manchester scientists have been honoured by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Professor David Leigh has been named theRoyal Society of Chemistry Pedler Awardwinner for “pioneering work on thebiologically inspired design and synthesis ofartificial molecular machines”.

Dr Cinzia Casiraghi has been named the Royal Society of Chemistry Marlow Awardwinner for 2014, while a third prize went to Professor David Procter who is the RoyalSociety of Chemistry Bader Award winner.

Finally, Professor Sabine Flitsch has beennamed the Royal Society of ChemistryInterdisciplinary Prize winner for 2014.

• A fifth member of the School of Chemistryand Head of the School of Materials,Professor Paul O'Brien, is also celebratingafter recently being awarded the Instituteof Materials, Minerals and Mining's(IoMMM's) prestigious Platinum Medal.

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Alumnus Dr Chris Steele

Dr Cinzia Casiraghi

Research

Newspaper vendor

Prejudice against Polesblamed on media

Targeting cells that resist chemotherapy

University researcher has found evidence which shows the media bears some of the blame for stirring up prejudice against migrant communities.

Alina Rzepnikowska has researched contacts between Polish migrants and the local population in the UK and Spain.

Whereas the British might blame the Poles for “driving down wages”, “stealing their jobs” and “squeezingpublic services”, there was little evidence of similar attitudes towards the Polish communities of Spain.

According to the PhD researcher, the British media often does not recognise the diverse economic and socialbackground of Polish migrants, and rarely gives them a voice.

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A way to sensitise cancer cells to chemotherapy making them more open to treatment has been identified.

Scientists from the University say their study paves the way for the development of drugs to target cells thathave become resistant to treatment.

The research team made the discovery whilst exploring the possible mechanisms behind resistance tochemotherapy drugs like Paclitaxel, often used to treat breast and colon cancer.

Double boost forarthritis researchTwo major new research centres at The University of Manchester aimed atimproving the lives of people with arthritiswere officially launched on May 19.

Leading medical research charity ArthritisResearch UK is investing almost £5 millionover the next five years into the centres ofgenetics and genomics, and epidemiology.

The event also celebrated 60 years ofepidemiological research at the university –funded largely by the charity – which hasmade a huge contribution to finding thecauses of inflammatory arthritis and thefactors that increase the risk of developing it.

Heart smartThe Martin Harris Centre for Music andDrama is the latest building on campus toinstall an Automated External Defibrillator(AED), a safe device which only delivers anelectric shock to the heart when it detects an appropriate arrhythmia and can be usedby a non-trained member of the public.

There are now 17 AEDs (or defibrillators)across the campus and the University urges all staff and students to familiarise themselveswith their locations. The University received aGold Cardiac Smart Award in 2013 for itsprovision of defibrillators and training morethan 500 staff in basic life support skills.

Fleet Street stillpacks a punchPrinted newspapers are still among the mostinfluential sources of information for seniorcivil servants, according to University research.

The findings are welcome news for Fleet Streetjournalists, battling against online competitorsand ever shrinking print ad revenues.

The results also explode the myth that Oxbridgeeducated civil servants tend to go back to theirold tutors for advice – only 11% claimed toaccess academic expertise through that route.

The survey of over 320 senior civil servants by theUniversity’s Policy@Manchester network revealedthat 61% used newspapers and weeklies to firstlearn about academic research. An even higher79% preferred briefings or reports, but just 27%used social media, 24% university websitesand 9% from University blogsites.

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A cell undergoing normal mitosis A cancer cell treated with chemotherapy drug Paclitaxel

E. coli bacteria in petri dish

‘Lonely’ bacteria more likely to mutate

onely microbes are more likely to mutate,resulting in higher rates of antibiotic resistance,according to scientists at the University.

The new discovery was made during researchinto mutation rates in E. Coli which was jointlyfunded by The Wellcome Trust and EPSRC.

The study found out that the rate of mutation variedaccording to how many of the bacteria there were.Surprisingly, they discovered that more bacteria gavefewer mutations.

Meanwhile more ‘lonely’ bacteria developed greaterresistance to the well-known antibiotic Rifampicin,used to treat tuberculosis.

Dr Chris Knight, joint lead author on the study with Dr Rok Krašovec from The University of Manchester,said: “What we were looking for was a connectionbetween the environment and the ability of bacteriato develop the resistance to antibiotics. We discoveredthat the rate at which E. coli mutates depends uponhow many ‘friends’ it has around. It seems thatmore lonely organisms are more likely to mutate.”

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Mums-to-be at yoga

Yoga can keepmums-to-bestress free

esearchers have found practising yoga whilepregnant can reduce the risk of themdeveloping anxiety and depression.

Women who attended a yoga class a week for eightweeks had decreased anxiety.

Stress during pregnancy has been linked topremature birth, low birth weight and increaseddevelopmental and behavioural problems in thechild as a toddler and adolescent, as well as latermental health problems in the mother.

A high level of anxiety during pregnancy is linked withpostnatal depression, which in turn is associated withincreased risk of developing depression later in life.

Senior investigator Professor John Aplin said: “Theresults confirm what many who take part in yogahave suspected for a long time. There is alsoevidence yoga can reduce the need for pain reliefduring birth and the likelihood for delivery byemergency caesarean section.”

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New policy briefing toolkitA new toolkit to help researcherscommunicate effectively with policymakersand influencers has been released.

As part of work funded by the Economic andSocial Research Council’s (ESRC) ImpactAccelerator Account, the policy@manchesterinitiative has unveiled a policy briefing templatewith a guide to completing it effectively.

As part the project, researchers are also ableto access to the Dods database of MPs, Peers,Senior Civil Servants and Special Advisors.This allows searches for key national figureswho have specific policy interests, andprovides details of their key staff and contactinformation, which can be used to build adistribution list for a policy briefing.

Mussolini was nobuffoon, historianarguesBenito Mussolini was not the bumblingbuffoon portrayed in popular culture, but themost powerful force behind the rise ofEuropean fascism before World War Two.

Using archival material kept across Europe, Dr Christian Goeschel says the Italian fascist,as a senior partner to Hitler until the mid-1930s, was instrumental in the rise ofthe Nazi party in the pre-war years.

And many Italians, he says, are wrong todismiss the world’s first fascist dictator as anineffectual madman.

According to the historian, Mussolini and theFascists guided Hitler to power, offering himimportant strategic advice on, for example,enrolling the support of the middle classes.

Public think alcoholadverts breachregulationA majority of the UK general public perceivealcohol adverts to breach the AdvertisingStandards Authority's Broadcast Committeeof Advertising Practice (BCAP) Code,suggesting that the current regulatory systemfor UK television is inadequate.

Researchers from the School of PsychologicalSciences led by Professor David Frenchshowed 373 adults, aged 18-74 years, one ofseven adverts that had been broadcast oncommercial television channels.

Overall 75 per cent of the participants ratedthe adverts as breaching at least one rule fromthe BCAP Code rules in all seven adverts.

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Research

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A meeting with…Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly, our DeputyFacilities Manager at SPORTManchester, started at theUniversity in March 2013. He isresponsible for supporting theoverall management of oursports facilities including theArmitage Centre,Wythenshawe Sports Groundand the Boat House in Sale.

room, introduction of a new uniform and lots ofother things to make our facilities the best aspossible for students, staff and all visitors.

Who would be your ideal dinner party guests?Prince, Richard Pryor and Floyd Mayweather.

What would you say to your 16-year-oldself now?Don’t change a thing…maybe try and do even more!

Favourite book, film and TV programme? I’m not a massive reader, but the Mike Tysonautobiography is a great read. My favourite film is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original version). TV, I love 8 Out of 10 CatsDoes Countdown.

What is your earliest childhood memory?Riding my tricycle on the floor boards at home.

Any interesting hobbies?Boxing, music, hiking, basketball…well, they’reexciting to me at least!

What’s the best part of your job?I have a keen interest in facilities management andI’m also a huge lover of sport. My role provides mewith both an exciting career and a very enjoyableoccupation. It is great to know that our workdirectly contributes to the success of both ourstudent sport activities and the SPORT Manchesterservices we provide.

Any challenges?Every day is a challenge within facility managementwhich makes the job even more interesting – it alwayskeeps you on your toes!

How did you get to the role you have now? I was previously managing the extended andintegrated services at Failsworth School and SportsCollege. Managing all aspects of this smaller scaleoperation gave me a fantastic footing for movingupwards in my career. Whilst not looking for a jobat the time, a colleague showed me the job andsaid he thought it looked perfect for me... and therest is history.

Any future projects coming up?There are lots of exciting things being developedwithin SPORT Manchester including the installationof a Leisure Management System, a redevelopmentof the Armitage Centre reception area and staff

anchester scientists have used state-of-the-artimaging techniques to examine the cracks,fractures and breaks in the bones of a 150 million-year-old predatory dinosaur.

The researchers say their groundbreaking work –using synchrotron-imaging techniques – sheds newlight, literally, on the healing process that took placewhen these magnificent animals were still alive.

The research, published in the Royal Society journalInterface, took advantage of the fact that dinosaurbones occasionally preserve evidence of trauma,sickness and the subsequent signs of healing.

Diagnosis of such fossils used to rely on the grizzlyinspection of gnarled bones and healed fractures,often entailing slicing through a fossil to reveal itssecrets. But the synchrotron-based imaging, whichuses light brighter than 10 billion Suns, meant theteam could tease out the chemical ghosts lurkingwithin the preserved dinosaur bones.

Dr Phil Manning, one of the paper’s authors, said:“Using synchrotron imaging, we were able to detect astoundingly dilute traces of chemical

signatures that reveal not only the differencebetween normal and healed bone, but also how the damaged bone healed.”

Lead author Jennifer Anné added: “Bone does notform scar tissue, like a scratch to your skin, so thebody has to completely reform new bone followingthe same stages that occurred as the skeleton grewin the first place. This means we are able to teaseout the chemistry of bone development throughsuch pathological studies.”

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Revealing thehealing ofDino-sores

Graphene research stacks up to moreGraphene researchers have shown how they can control the properties of stacksof two-dimensional materials, opening up opportunities for previously-unimaginedelectronic devices.

The researchers create ‘heterostructures’ made up of 2D materials, capable ofdelivering novel functionality.

Writing in Nature Physics, the scientists demonstrate that layers in such stackscan interact strongly. PhD student Colin Woods said: “It was extremely excitingto see that the properties of graphene can change so dramatically by simplytwisting the two crystals only a fraction of a degree.”

Allosaurus by Jon Hoad

Feature

Celebrating our volunteering starsThe University celebrated thevolunteering achievements of its staff, students andalumni with a special awardsceremony and lunch inWhitworth Hall. This year’sjudging panel had aparticularly difficult task, as the number and quality ofnominations across a diverserange of volunteering activitywas possibly the highest ever.Here, UniLife meets thewinners in the Staff, Studentand Alumni categories, who allreceived a University donationto the groups they work with.

taff winner Lucy Swinton has spent everybirthday since she was 17 away from home,helping Romanian children and adults ingovernmental care who have intellectual or

physical disabilities.

Lucy, a Student Support Graduate Intern in theSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, is aDirector and the Oltenia Project Co-ordinator forThe Life Foundation. She joined the organisation in2008 as a volunteer on projects in Romania andIndia and took on the role of Oltenia ProjectCoordinator in 2011 during her first year as astudent at Manchester, becoming a Director of TheLife Foundation during her final year.

Lucy recruits, interviews and trains volunteers for the programme; is involved in developing theorganisation’s various projects; manages therecruitment and fundraising sub-committee; andorganises fundraising events.

Nominator Niko Wright said: “Lucy has dedicatedsignificant amounts of free time volunteeringalongside her A-levels, University degree and nowher job in order to support her causes.

“Since the age of 17, she has never spent herbirthday in this country, giving up many celebrations to devote more time to her projectswith unwavering enthusiasm.”

After receiving the award, Lucy said: “I am incrediblygrateful to all my colleagues and friends andespecially to The Life Foundation Committee whoprovide fantastic support.

“The donation for The Life Foundation will make a massive difference in Romania – it will contributeto providing medical equipment for a child withuntreatable hydrocephalus, providing shoes foradults living in a government institution and tosupport the running of our centre in Oltenia.”

Alumni category winner Dr Carl Clowes wasrecognised for his voluntary activity since becominga general practitioner on the Llŷn peninsula in ruralNorth Wales. In the early 1970s, the health of thelocal population was affected by rural decline. Carl’sinitial response was to set up and chair a Villagers’Association to re-establish the village’s viability.

As the challenges increased, Carl recognised theneed for a more structured approach and in 1974Antur Aelhaearn was born as an Industrial andProvident Society. This was the UK’s first community co-operative, with each villager entitled to vote onlocal regeneration.

Carl’s commitment to the Llŷn peninsula hascontinued over the years, and the latest initiative in which he’s involved is Ynni Aelhaearn – the co-operative’s efforts to promote green energythrough the development of a community turbine.

Thomas Pacey won in the highly competitiveStudent category for his work with ChernobylChildren's Cancer Care Cardiff. This small charityprovides funding and volunteers to assist with therunning of a summer camp for disabled andterminally ill children in Belarus. An enthusiastic anddedicated volunteer, he’s spent time on the campevery year, also organising fundraising events tofinancially support these activities.

His dedication has seen Thomas appointed a Trusteeby the charity’s Board, taking on more responsibilityfor financial and governance decisions. He has alsodevised a volunteer training programme so that theyare fully prepared for camp life and develop their skills.

Nominator Rhiannon Heslop said: “Thomas is acreative, enthusiastic and caring volunteer who’salways coming up with fun activities for thechildren. He makes a difference to so many people’slives and most of the time he doesn't even noticethat he's doing it!”

President and Vice-Chancellor Prof Dame NancyRothwell said: “Each year, I’m ever more inspired bythe acts of generosity and time freely given by ourstaff, students and alumni to communities here inthe UK and around the world.”

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Lucy Swinton

(L-R) Thomas Pacey, Dr Carl Clowes, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, Lucy Swinton

Thomas Pacey

Feature

12

ManchesterMakes UsProud

ur reputation is a key factor in theUniversity’s success in the modernhigher education landscape where we have to compete for students

and research funding against formidablecompetition from across the world. If we areto achieve the ambitious goals contained inthe Manchester 2020 Strategic Plan, we needto promote and build on our reputation as anoutstanding place to study or carry out research.

Here, UniLife takes a look at the work goingon to build our reputation in this fiercelycompetitive environment…

A survey carried out last year amongst our keyexternal stakeholders revealed they felt that thereputation of our University was strong and growing.Our Nobel Prize winning discovery of graphene,Professor Brian Cox’s TV appearances and thePresident’s personal profile were identified as keystrengths, but other achievements from engineering,to medicine to humanities were also highlighted.

Without doubt, we have a lot to celebrate. Our research performance is one of the best in thecountry, and our students are increasingly satisfiedwith their experience here, as our improvingNational Student Survey results prove.

And our commitment to widening access and socialresponsibility is well illustrated by the fact that we

recruit more students from low participationneighbourhoods than Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial,LSE and UCL combined.

We continue to be the most popular university inthe UK for undergraduate study and we attractmore international students to study here than anyother British university.

And it is not just amongst our peers and prospectivestudents that we enjoy a strong reputation. A publicopinion poll conducted last year showed that morepeople thought that Manchester was one of Britain’s “top five” universities (alongside Oxford,Cambridge, Edinburgh and UCL) than any otherRussell Group institution.

One of the enabling goals of the Manchester 2020strategic plan is to build a ‘Reputation forExcellence’ to strengthen the power of our brand bycelebrating our achievements and distinctivenessand engaging staff, students, alumni and other keystakeholders as ambassadors for the University.

Colleagues in the Division of Communications andMarketing, working in partnership with staff fromright across the University, have a key role indelivering that enabling goal and building theUniversity’s reputation.

The team, led by Director Alan Ferns, has recentlybeen strengthened with the appointment of a newHead of University Marketing Terry Hudghton andHead of Communications Rachael McGraw, and by

closer links with those responsible for supportingcommunications and marketing in the Faculties.

As Alan Ferns says: “We have developed a verypowerful and effective reputation that has servedthe University well since the merger in 2004, but wenow need to ‘step up’ our game. We need tobecome more disciplined and effective in themessages we put out about the University anddevelop a more strategic and professional approachto our communications and marketing activities.That doesn’t mean spending more money, but itdoes mean using the resources and opportunitiesthat we have more effectively by co-ordinating andaligning the efforts of colleagues.”

New University websiteOn 30 April the Division of Communications andMarketing launched the new University website.

Nearly 12 months of planning and hard work wentinto ensuring the project was completed onschedule, and you can have a look at the results atwww.manchester.ac.uk

The end product guarantees an excellent userexperience on desktop, tablet or mobile, reinforcingthe University brand and enhancing our reputationfor excellence. It features a new streamlined sitestructure, a new design, a stunning range ofphotography and copy that has been optimised torank more highly in search engine results pages.

Our University has a long andillustrious history. It has been hometo many pioneering scholars andresearchers and it has helped toshape the modern world throughdiscovery, ideas and knowledge. It is on this rich heritage that ourreputation as a world-leadinguniversity has been built.

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Amazing imageryPowerful imagery forms the cornerstone of our new visual language. Working with an approved set ofphotographers to develop a recognisable style, we arecreating a range of vibrant images which consistentlyillustrate and reinforce our points of distinction.

The Communications and Marketing team has newfilm and imagery co-ordinator, who working withcolleagues in the Design Studio, was responsible for creating the new vibrant photography for thecorporate website. Over the coming months, in collaboration with colleagues in Faculties and theProfessional Support Services, the Design Team willbe auditing all of the photography and video withinmarketing and writing new guidelines for creatingand sharing images and video University-wide.

In the newsWe live in an era of 24-hour news and information.The internet and social media have revolutionisedhow people consume news and the way thatjournalists find stories has changed too – with them more likely to use Twitter than the traditionalpress release.

Manchester is part of the World 100 group andreceives monthly reports looking at the amount ofmedia coverage generated and the impact of thiscoverage. In March 2014, our University was ninth inthe world for the amount of media coverage as we

are consistently in the top six in the UK. The impactof this coverage is also analysed to see whether itsmessage is positive, negative or neutral, and againManchester performs particularly well compared toour competitor institutions.

This is achieved thanks to a small team of MediaRelations Officers who work with Faculties toidentify news stories – often focussed on our ground-breaking research.

Over the next few months the team will beinvestigating ways of better using social media to ensure that the University’s voice is heard loudand clear.

Communicating with our staffThe University has more than 11,000 staff workingin a huge variety of roles both on and off campus,making us one of the largest employers in the NorthWest. Each and every one of these people has thepotential to be an ambassador for our brand.

The Internal Communications team works hard toensure that our staff are kept up to date with thenews and information they need, not only to beable to do their jobs, but to ensure that they feelpart of the University.

The focus for the team’s work is based on thefindings of the Staff Survey carried out in 2013 whichrevealed that 92% of staff were proud to work at theUniversity and the 81% felt satisfied in their job.

The team is now working on providing better waysto give staff a voice through two-way communicationsand ensuring the University’s senior leadership isvisible and approachable – as demonstrated by therecent President’s Question Time which you canview at: www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/presidents-question-time

World Leading MindsWorking with Human Resources, we have justconcluded advertising for the second University staffrecruitment campaign ‘World Leading Minds’.

The first campaign took place in 2011/2012 andutilised both conventional and online media inpublications such as New Scientist, Nature, The Guardian, THE and the US Chronicle to advertise over 100 senior academic jobs.

The second campaign ran in the first quarter of2014 and mirrored the first in terms of its brandingand design but this time also extensively used socialmedia and blogging groups as well as significantGoogle AdWords spend to attack the USA market.

The results were spectacular – to date 20,069 (42.5%)of the campaign microsite visitors came from USA and 21% of applications to date. This has increasedthe University’s profile with US academia.

For more information or to get in touch, visit:www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/services/communications-marketing

Feature

14

rofessor Pierre-Richard Agénor is in thebusiness of saving banks from themselves.

In the wake of the world financial crisis, hiscutting-edge research is redefining the agenda onfinancial regulation and helping central banks leadthe way in promoting economic stability.

As Manchester’s Hallsworth Professor ofInternational Macroeconomics and DevelopmentEconomics, his academic credentials are impeccable.

But the complex theoretical models he and hiscollaborators have developed are no abstract ‘ivorytower’ vision. They are having a significant impact notonly on academic research but also in the real world.

Indeed, the path-breaking work, focussing onmiddle-income countries like Brazil and Turkey, has received immediate worldwide attention andbegun to influence high-level debate in majorinternational institutions.

“Since the global financial crisis central banks havehad to completely rethink what they do,” saidProfessor Agénor. “Until then financial regulationwas very much focussed on individual institutions.

“It became increasingly clear that central banksneeded to take a macroprudential approach –focussing more on risks to the financial system as awhole. If you allow banks to concentrate on their ownbusiness they tend to amplify cyclical fluctuations.

“When they are doing well and times are good, theyare too optimistic and lend too much. When there’sa downturn they get spooked and cut lending too

far; put the brakes on, as it were. The effect of allthat is to exacerbate changes in the economy.

“My work has focussed on building theoreticalmodels to understand how policies work in terms ofidentifying weaknesses in the system and promotingfinancial stability. Should policies be combined?Could monetary policy do more? Should centralbanks be more concerned with the bigger picture?

“The conclusion we reached was very much yes.”

The findings led to proposing a new monetary policyregime for middle-income countries in which thecentral bank is explicitly responsible for financialstability – helping prevent crises like bank runs – andmonetary and macroprudential policies are set jointly.

They also have implications for other nations andProfessor Agénor has already been awarded fundingby the Economic and Social Research Council to leada major research project on financial regulation inlow-income countries.

While his areas of research are unusually wide –gender equality, international finance, povertyreduction, growth theory and labour markets – he’s very clear that it’s how they affect policy thatultimately counts.

“Policymakers want to know what my models willtell them – not how many equations they have,” he says. “It’s important to speak their language. You have to live in the real world.”

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Saving the banks – from themselves

Professor Pierre-Richard Agénor

The Research Excellence Framework –the new system for assessing the qualityof research in UK higher educationinstitutions – asks us to show the impactthat our research has on the world. HereUniLife looks at how our researchersreally are changing the world…

Outside the former Bank of England building on King Street

Feature

Putting a goodword in forManchesterThe University’s new LearningThrough Research programmeteaches our undergraduatestudents about their subject byhaving them look at – or do –research. This will not onlyenhance our students’ learning experience, it willimprove their employability by increasing the scope of their studies and skills base. Here UniLife meets one of the academics showing ourstudents a new way of learning…

anchester’s linguistics students havecaptured the nation’s imagination – by using YouTube and the Beckhams toanswer dynamic new questions about

Britain’s dialects.

In studies that could never have been done 10 yearsago, they have been exploring how the way peoplespeak changes over the course of a lifetime.

They analyse pre-recordings of public figures -celebrities or politicians - to pinpoint a range ofsubtle differences.

And their findings on football icon David Beckhamand his fashion designer wife Victoria means theirground-breaking work has already featured in a raftof national newspapers.

“This is a new and really dynamic research question inlinguistics - whether people can change the way theytalk across their lifetime, and if so how and why,” says English Linguistics lecturer Dr Laurel Mackenzie.

“People have always speculated but it’s been difficultto scientifically evaluate without the right sort of data.

“YouTube has been a godsend, a positive treasuretrove of information. With two recordings ofsomeone at different points in time you can go wild.

“It has suddenly become much easier to get the kindof data we need, to find it online and to store it.”

The research into the Beckhams was particularlyfascinating, comparing David’s latest recorded interviewswith his first as a 16-year-old cockney kid thrust into the spotlight and listening to

Essex girl Victoria as a Spice Girl and again as asuccessful designer.

“We looked at how at the beginning David droppedhis Hs and she ‘swallowed’ her Ls,” said Dr Mackenzie.

“We did a proper scientific quantitative study,counting how many times they did it before theymoved to the US and how many after. The rate goes down.

“We don’t know why; whether it was sub-conscious,whether they want to sound posher or moreAmerican. You can’t tease those apart in this case.But it stands up to rigorous scientific scrutiny.”

It isn’t the first time her students’ work has made itinto the pages of the press.

Their quantitative research into the UK’s linguisticfeatures also hit the headlines after students lookedat people’s choice of words for items like bread rollsand trainers.

And by mapping their study into certain wordpronunciations they found that the line betweenNorth and South variations has moved further Northover the past 50 years – but still very much exists.

“They really got their hands dirty doing all this work,”says Dr Mackenzie. “It’s unusual for undergraduates to be able to contribute so much, especially in terms ofquantitative studies but it shows them how researchworks and how difficult it can sometimes be.”

She says she is delighted by the high profileresponse - but not nearly as excited as the students themselves.

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Dr Laurel Mackenzie

M

“They are thrilled,” she says. “I’ve seen theminclude it in personal statement applications forMasters programmes and jobs and put it on theirCVs. It’s a nice reminder that what we do asacademics is relevant to the greater public.

“It proves we’re not just stuck in an ivory towerporing over a book. We’re actually telling peopleabout the world around them.”

Graduate Naomi Proszynska, who worked on theBeckham project, said it had taught her skills thatshe would now use in her working life. “DrMackenzie gave us the tools required, but after thatshe left us to research and write our reportsindependently. That’s something that hasimportance out in the real world.”

A map of how the UK names its bread

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Feature

Mimas: at the leading edge of data As Mimas prepares to moveto a new home withtechnology charity Jisc,UniLife looks back on a 30-year relationship with the University, as well asforward, as it continues tolead the way in providingpioneering services to higherand further education.

orn out of the University’s RegionalComputing Centre, Mimas – now a Centre ofExcellence – has grown from supportingaround 100 researchers in their use of census

data, to developing a significant number of the UK’sresearch information assets, including Copac, Zetocand The Archives Hub, with hundreds of thousandsof users across the UK.

Its strong focus on research and development, itspeople – a collection of 69 experts in areas such astechnical development, information and datamanagement, understanding user’s needs and itscollaborations with organisations, universities andcolleges across the UK, all account for Mimas’success today.

From Punch Cards to Augmented RealityDuring its 30 year history, technology has changedbeyond recognition, but Mimas’ purpose hasremained the same – to make data and informationavailable for education and research in the best waypossible. Indeed it developed some of the first web-based interfaces to data resources andcontinues to develop innovative technologies andservices, such as Augmented Reality and mobilelearning, which meet current and future user needs.

Working with the UniversityIn its time at the University, Mimas has developedstrong relationships with colleagues in academicdepartments, research centres, and the Library.

An example of this is the ‘Mapping the Museum’project, an initiative with The Manchester Museum.

Here augmented reality (AR) - the technique ofenhancing materials with 3D models, digital mediaand overlaid virtual imagery through smartphonesand tablets - and 3D mapping is being used tovisualise the spatial distribution of amphibians andreptiles in the Vivarium, so helping people engagewith this collection in new ways.

And there’s the potential to expand this innovativework to other areas of the Museum such as theAncient Worlds and Living Worlds galleries.

Moving forward, with Mimas part of Jisc, theUniversity will continue to be a key partner.

More information www.mimas.ac.uk

AR or Mapping the Museum -http://teamscarlet.wordpress.com

Vivarium Collection -http://frogblogmanchester.com

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Leaf frog behind the scenes of the Vivarium at The Manchester Museum

Virtual Vivarium app, developed using Google Earth

'Fabulous Frogs' app: Splendid and Native,interactive AR tool targeted at 7 – 11 year olds

Listings

InternationalSociety

Visit some of the most beautiful andinteresting locations around England,Scotland and Wales. There are visits takingplace almost every weekend throughoutthe year.

Sat 7 JunAlton Towers

Sun 8 JunPeak District visiting Chatsworth Housewith its Food and Drink Fair

Sat 14 JunYorkshire Dales visiting IngletonWaterfalls Walk and White Scar Caves

Sun 15 JunNorth Wales visiting PortmeirionVillage with a ride on the WelshHighland Railway to Caernarfon

Sat 21 JunRobin Hood’s Bay and Scarborough

Sun 22 JunNorth Wales visiting Bodnant Gardensand Penrhyn Castle

Sat 28 JunWhitby

Sun 29 JunLiverpool

Sat 5 JulSouth Lake District visiting Bowness-on-Windermere with a boat ride onLake Windermere

Sun 6 JulBlackpool

Sat 12 Jul to Sun 13 JulOvernight Trip to Bath and Stonehenge

Sat 12 JulYork

Sun 13 JulNorth Wales visiting Caernarfon Castleand Portmeirion Village

Sat 19 JulNorth Wales visiting Conwy Castle andLlandudno

Sun 20 JulStratford-upon-Avon

Sat 26 JulChester and Cheshire Oaks

Sun 27 JulThe Lake District with a ride on theLakeside and Haverthwaite Railwayand a cruise on Lake Windermere

Sat 2 AugStratford-upon-Avon

Sat 9 AugYork

Sat 16 Aug Whitby

Sat 23 AugLiverpool

Sat 30 AugSouth Lake District visiting Bowness-on-Windermere with a boat ride onLake Windermere

Opening times Mon-Fri 9.30am – 7pm (during term time)Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5pm (during vacation)

Small World Café opening timesMon-Fri 11am – 3pm

327 Oxford Road (next to Krobar)0161 275 4959 email int.soc@manchester.ac.ukwww.internationalsociety.org.uk

What’s On

18

ManchesterMuseum

EXHIBITIONS

All exhibitions at Manchester Museum areFREE

From the War of Nature until 7 Sept

Whitworth Park: Pleasure, Play andPolitics until 5 October

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Available Sat and Sun 10am or 2pm –bookings one month in advance.New! Children’s Birthday Parties

Tues 10 and 24 Jun, 10.30am, 11.30amand 1pm, FREEBaby Explorers Sensory play and interactive story sessionsfor babies who aren’t walking yet.

Sat 14 Jun, 11am-4pm, FREEBig Saturday: Ideas for LifeFamily day of discovery for Universities Week.

Fri 27 Jun, 10.30am and 11.30am (booking essential)Magic CarpetStory making and activity sessions fortoddlers up to 5 yrs and theirfamilies/carers.

THINGS TO DO

Tues 10 Jun, 7.30pmCabinets of Curiosities: How disabilitywas kept in a boxLive performance exploring the history ofdisability.

TALKS, TOURS AND WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS

Every Weds and Thurs, 1pm, FREETaster Tours

Fri 6 Jun, 1pm, FREELunchtime exhibition talk: From theWar of Nature

Weds 4 Jun, 1pm-2pm, FREECollection Bites: Designed by Nature,Made by Hand

Fri 20 Jun 1pm-2pm Taster Urban Naturalist: On theAllotment

Tues 24 Jun, 6pm-8pm, FREE

Whitworth Park CommunityArchaeology and History ProjectMeet the exhibition’s project team as they share the fascinating discoveries fromtheir dig.

Sat 28 Jun, 2pm-4pmUrban Naturalist: Geology Garden

Opening times Open: Tues-Sat 10am-5pmSun-Mon (and Bank Holidays) 11am-4pm

FREE admission

The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 2648www.manchester.ac.uk/museum Follow us on Twitter @McrMuseum www.facebook.com/ManchesterMuseum

Children’s marbles, found on Whitworth Park dig. Photo credit Manchester Museum

The Whitworth Art Gallery

Re-opening 25 October 2014The Whitworth Art Gallery has started anew and exciting chapter in its history. A major building project is now takingplace to transform and extend the 120-year-old gallery, doubling its publicareas whilst reducing its carbon footprintand improving facilities for visitors.

This new development by architects MUMA will re-connect the 19th centurybuilding with Whitworth Park through anelegant contemporary extension. The newWhitworth will bring you more art, moreactivities, more events and more space. It will be all things our many visitors havealways loved about the Whitworth.

We look forward to welcoming you backon Saturday 25 October 2014.

Visit our website for details of ourforthcoming outreach events…..

Whitworth Art GalleryOxford Road, Manchester0161 275 7450email whitworth@manchester.ac.ukwww.manchester.ac.uk/whitworth

Chaplaincies

St Peter’s House Chaplaincy Sunday, 11am Holy Communion12.45pm Lunch (1st Sun)Sunday, 5.30pm Student Service (term-time only)Wednesday 12.15pm Eucharist, followedby free soup lunch (term-time only)

RC Chaplaincy Avila House Mass Times (term-time only)Sun, 7pm (in the Holy Name Church) nextdoor to the ChaplaincyMon, Tues, Thurs and Friday, 5.30pm in theChaplaincy ChapelWeds, 1.05pm in the Chaplaincy Chapel

The Jewish Student Centre andSynagogue07817 250 557Email Rabbi Ephraim Guttentag:ephraim@mychaplaincy.co.uk

Muslim Chaplaincy South Campus Mosque, McDougall CentreJammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 1.15pm Honorary Imam: Imam Habeeb,h_chatti@hotmail.com

North Campus MosqueBasement of Joule Library, Sackville StreetBuilding Jammaat (Group Prayer) DailyJuma Prayer Friday 12.30pm

The role of Volunteer Muslim Chaplain is toprovide pastoral support, guidance and alistening ear to Muslim staff and students.Chaplains’ contact details are available inthe prayer rooms or via St Peter’s House.

Gig Guide

John RylandsLibrary (Deansgate)

EXHIBITIONS

Until 22 JunBus Stop Stories

Until 29 JunAftermath (exhibition to mark thecentenary of the IWW)

Until 3 AugThe Space Between: exhibition ofartworks by Anthony McCarthy

Until 26 OctImprinting the Imagination

17 Jul – 21 DecCommunities in Communication –Languages & Cultures in the LowCountries, 1450-1530

FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES

Thurs 5 Jun, 3 Jul, 7 Aug and 4 Sep,10.30am-11.30am (booking essential)Toddler Tales

Thurs 28 Aug, 12pm-4pmSummer Fun Day

THINGS TO DO

Weds 4 Jun, 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pmWhimsical Wednesday Workshop:Decoupage

Sat 7 Jul and Sun 14 Sep, 11am-4pmPrinting Press Demonstrations

Weds 30 Jul, 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pmWhimsical Wednesday Workshop:Hama Beading

Weds 20 Aug, 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pmWhimsical Wednesday Workshop: Book Making

Weds 10 Sep, 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pmWhimsical Wednesday Workshop:Printmaking

TOURS

Booking required for all tours.

Mon 2 Jun, Tues 17 Jun, Thurs 17 Jul, Tues29 Jul, 5 Aug and Thurs 14 Aug, 3pm-4pmUnusual Views: Library Tours forPhotographers

Tues 3 Jun, 3pm-4pm, Thurs 12 Jun, 11am-12pm,Fri 20 Jun, Sat 28 Jun, 12 Jul, 26 Jul, Fri 1 Aug and Sat 9 Aug, 3pm-4pm(booking essential)Explorer Tour

Weds 11 Jun, 11am-11.30amBus Stop Stories: Curator talk

Sat 14 Jun, 2pm-4pmBus Stop Stories: PhotographerWorkshop

Thurs 19 Jun, 17 Jul, 21 Aug and 18 Sep,3pm-4pm (booking essential)Tours and Treasures

Sat 9 Aug and 20 Sep, 11am-12pm(booking essential)Tour of the Library in French

Sat 6 Sep, 11am-12pm (booking essential)Dragon Tour

Every Fri at 3pm (arrive early to ensure a place)Library Tour

For further details of our events, please visitour website

FREE ADMISSION

Public opening times: Sun-Mon 12-5pm,Tues-Sat 10am-5pmReader opening times: Mon-Weds, Fri-Sat10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-7pm

The John Rylands Library 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH Visitor/Event Enquiries: 0161 306 0555General/Reader Enquiries: 0161 275 3764 Email: jrul.visitors@manchester.ac.ukEmail: jrul.special-collections@manchester.ac.ukwww.library.manchester.ac.uk/specialcollections/

Jodrell BankDiscovery Centre

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre offers a greatday out for all the family. Come and explorethe planets using our model of the SolarSystem. Find answers to the wonders of the Universe, listen to the sounds of the Big Bang and discover what the scientistsare researching ‘Live’ in our interactiveSpace Pavilion. The glass-walled café offersspectacular views of the iconic Lovelltelescope and fantastic homemade cakes!

EVENTS

Sun 15 JunRocket Racing – Father’s Day

Sun 29 JunFamily Pop-up Planetarium Shows

Information:Live from Jodrell Bank websitewww.livefromjodrellbank.com

Tickets: http://ow.ly/hQCFU Tickets include entry to the DiscoveryCentre.

Opening times10am-5pm

For more information and prices please visitour website Jodrell Bank Discovery CentreMacclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DL01477 571 766www.jodrellbank.net

Tues 3 Jun Gary Clarke Jr - £12.50

Sat 7 Jun The Polyphonic Spree -£17.50

Mon 9 Jun Pond - £11

Thurs 12 Jun George Ezra + Port Isla +Dancing Years - £12.50

The Pierces - £15

Fri 13 Jun The M’Goo Project +Misty’s Big Adventure +The Retainers - £8

Weds 18 Jun Brave Black Sea - £12

Andy Jordan - £8

Thurs 19 Jun Jurassic 5 + Ugly Duckling- £25 (This show has movedfrom the Apollo. Originaltickets remain valid)

Tues 24 Jun Gareth Gates + Jai McDowall - £17.50

Weds 2 Jul Bam Margera’s FuckFaceUnstoppable - £15

Fri 4 Jul Extreme – PornograffittiLive Tour + Leogun -£28.50

Sat 5 Jul Ska Face - £7

Mon 7 Jul Sebastian Bach - £18.50

Weds 9 Jul In Hindsight - £10

Sat 12 Jul The Ocean - £10

Fri 1 Aug Athlete - £18.50

Thurs 7 Aug Anberlin - £12

Weds 27 Aug Evergreen Terrace + TheHuman Project - £13

Fri 12 Sep The Magic Numbers - £15

Thurs 18 Sep Azealia Banks - £18.50(Rescheduled from Wed 26Mar, Original tickets remainvalid)

Johnette Napolitano (ofConcrete Blonde) - £17.50(Rescheduled from Tues 10Apr, Original tickets remainvalid)

Fri 19 Sep Sleaford Mods - £7.50

Mon 22 Sep The Axis of Awesome:Viva La Vida Loca LasVegas - £16.50

Thurs 25 Sep Vance Joy + Eva Stone -£10

Fri 26 Sep The Fray - £20

Sat 27 Sep Evile – Album LaunchShow - £5

Mon 29 Sep Lewis Watson - £11

Tickets fromStudents’ Union, Oxford RoadPiccadilly Box Office @ easy Internet Café (c/c) 0871 2200260Royal Court (Liverpool) 0151 709 4321 (c/c)Students’ UnionOxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL0161 275 2930 www.manchesteracademy.net

Manchester Academy 1, 2 and 3

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The Martin HarrisCentre for Musicand Drama

FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTS

Tues 3 Jun, 1.10pm-2pmEstival 2014: Contemporary Works

Weds 4 Jun, 1.10pm-2pmMUMS Grade One Orchestra

Thurs 5 Jun, 1.10pm-2pmEstival 2014: University of ManchesterBrass Band

Fri 6 Jun, 1.10pm-2pmEstival 2014: Vocal Showcase

EVENING CONCERTS

Tues 3 Jun, 7.30pm-9pm, £10/£6/£3Estival 2014: Manchester University Big Band

Weds 4 Jun, 7.30pm-9pm, £10/£6/£3Estival 2014: Manchester UniversityWind Orchestra

Thurs 5 Jun, 5pm-7pm, £7/£4/£2Estival 2014: Ad Solem and The CosmoSingers

Thurs 5 Jun, 7.30pm-9pm, £10/£6/£3Estival 2014: MUMS Chamber Orchestraand Wind Ensembles

Fri 6 Jun, 7.30pm-9pm, £10/£6/£3Estival 2014: MUMS SymphonyOrchestra

Tues 1 Jul, Weds 2 Jul and Thurs 3 Jul,7.30pm-9.30pm, £5/£2.50One Education Presents “Annual MusicShowcase”

EVENTS

Sat 14 Jun, 10am-9pmRNCM Gold Medal Competition

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and DramaBridgeford Street, Manchester, M13 9PL0161 275 8951 email boxoffice@manchester.ac.ukwww.manchester.ac.uk/martinharriscentre

Feature

The University’s strategic planManchester 2020 lists one of ourgoals as contributing to the socialand economic success of thelocal, national and internationalcommunity. Our newengagement campaign toencourage staff to highlight howthey are ‘making a difference’ tosociety was launched featuringcampus installations and a newblog. Here UniLife looks at acolleague we can be proud of…

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rom chatting over tea and cake to running the Manchester 10k, Amanda Labella ismaking a difference.

Amanda, PA to Dr Teresa Anderson, Director of theJodrell Bank Discovery Centre, hosts Contact theElderly Tea Parties – regular Sunday afternoon teaparties for people over 75, who live with little or nosocial support.

“The tea parties are lovely for both the guests andmy family,” Amanda says. “My children get involvedand help bake cakes and serve tea and coffee toeveryone, which they really enjoy.

“Some of our guests haven’t seen anyone since thelast meeting a few weeks before and this makes yourealise how lonely some elderly people are in ourcommunity.

“A couple of hours out on a Sunday afternoonmakes a huge difference to their lives and I urgeanyone who has a little time to take part andsupport the elderly people within our community.”

Amanda also ran the Manchester 10k in memory ofLucas Garrity, whose family are members of JodrellBank's annual membership scheme and whoAmanda has met at several of its events, the last

time when the Olympic torch relay visited theUniversity site and scaled the iconic Lovell Telescope.

Lucas was among the host of schoolchildren whogreeted the torch – carried by comedian and charityfundraiser John Bishop – along with President andVice Chancellor Professor Nancy Rothwell.

Just a month later, Lucas became ill. His fatherDamyon contacted Amanda a few months later tolet her know he had an aggressive and inoperablebrain tumour. He died not long after his seventhbirthday last year.

Amanda recalls: “I last saw Lucas as a happy,healthy six year old, running around with his brotherZac and my two children.

“He was a brave, cheerful little boy who never lost his big, beautiful smile despite his illness and I wantedto remember him, while supporting Brainstrust, the charity that continues to work so hard to find acure for the brain tumour that Lucas suffered withand supports families such as the Garritys.”

• To donate to Amanda’s run visit:www.justgiving.com/Amanda-Labella

• Or to help Contact the Elderly visit:www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk

Amanda Labella (front, in red dress) with Lucas Garrity (holding torch), John Bishop and friends

From theteapot to thefinishing line…

F