Celebrate Our Staff – October 2019
Here we celebrate our colleagues’ achievements across the University this past month.
Dr Anna Hogg, who has been awarded the European Geosciences Union 2020 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award
Dr Anna Hogg, of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS) in the School of Earth and Environment, has been awarded the European Geosciences Union 2020 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award.
Winners are honoured for their important contributions to the Earth, planetary and space sciences. Anna will receive her prize at the EGU 2020 General Assembly in Vienna on 3-8 May.
Dr Hogg (pictured above), whose primary field of expertise is Earth Observation of the Polar regions, said: “I am stunned and incredibly grateful to be awarded the EGU Cryosphere division ECR prize this year.
“It is a privilege to work with such a brilliant community of colleagues and friends in this exciting area of research, where our results really do matter. I can’t wait to see what we discover next.”
We're celebrating a clutch of new Athena SWAN Charter awards across the University, recognising advancement of gender equality.
Following submissions made this April, schools across several Faculties have achieved awards, including Gold for the School of Medicine, the highest level achievable and a first for medical schools in England.
The Athena SWAN Charter is designed to recognise advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success for all. At Leeds, Faculties work towards achieving Athena SWAN recognition as part of the Leeds Gender Framework initiative, which is supported by the University's Equality Policy Unit and academic leadership from Professor Steve Scott.
Professor Scott said: “On behalf of the University leadership team, I’d like to give thanks to all those who have worked very hard to demonstrate, through the submission process, why these awards are merited.
“It’s an endorsement of our widespread progress in this area and a reminder of our commitment to achieving greater gender equality at Leeds. These awards indicate that we have made a lot of progress and that there is substantial good practice around the University, albeit there is lots still to do.
“I’d also like to extend that thank you to the hard work of colleagues whose submissions were not successful this time. The exercise has helped us better understand ourselves and we will support that work and learn from each other to achieve a successful award outcome next time.”
The Schools of Chemical and Process Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computing, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering have been granted a Silver award (submitted under the previous Faculty of Engineering structure) – the same level achieved by the Faculty of Environment.
Schools aligned to the former Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences have been re-awarded a Bronze.
Dr Sarah Batterman, an Associate Professor in the School of Geography, has won the prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize for climate-focused research.
The accolade is presented to Early Career Researchers who have made significant advances in their research and show promise as leaders.
Dr Batterman was awarded for her research into tropical forests and their ability to sequester carbon emissions.
She and her collaborators discovered that tropical legume trees – which are related to beans and form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria – bring new nitrogen into tropical forests through a process called nitrogen fixation, and supply more than half of the nitrogen needed to support tropical forest recovery following deforestation.
Her research aims to deepen understanding of the role of soil nutrients and biodiversity of tree species in allowing tropical forests to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Tropical forest ecosystems can help counterbalance human carbon emissions, helping to slow climate change.
Dr Batterman (pictured above) said: “I am honoured to receive this award. It will enable some exciting research about biodiversity, soil nutrients and the tropical carbon sink, and the ability of tropical forests to offset human carbon emissions.
“The Philip Leverhulme Prize will enable me to expand my research to bridge fundamental gaps in our knowledge base about the plant-microbiome connection and how small-scale relationships between plants and their microbial partners can stimulate forest recovery from disturbance and help tropical forests sequester more carbon.”
Dr Batterman’s work will inform policy makers, practitioners and the general public about the potential for carbon offsets in tropical regions, and how to build resilient forests to combat climate change.
Dr Ben Walmsley has been promoted to Professor of Cultural Engagement in the School of Performance and Cultural Industries.
Professor Walmsley’s research explores the value and impacts of the performing arts from the perspectives of audiences, and investigates the implications of this for arts managers and policymakers.
In his new role, Professor Walmsley will direct the Centre for Cultural Value – a new £2.5m national research centre funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to inject fresh energy into questions of cultural value by fostering a culture of research and evaluation in arts and cultural organisations across the UK.
In collaboration with a broad range of partners, ranging from the British Library and the BBC to The Audience Agency, the National Theatre, Coventry 2021 and the Museums Association, the Centre will build bridges between academia and the cultural sector and make academic research more accessible.
Professor Walmsley (pictured above) said: “I am delighted that my decade’s worth of research into audiences and cultural leadership has been recognised in this promotion and through my appointment as Director of the first ever Centre for Cultural Value.
“The Centre offers an ideal opportunity to work alongside the arts and cultural sector to promote a culture of learning and research, and make a real difference to external perceptions of the value and impacts of arts and culture on people’s everyday lives.”
The Centre for Cultural Value opened on 1 October and will launch to the public in spring 2020.
Alan Haywood, Professor Palaeoclimate Modelling, has been appointed Pro-Dean for Research and Innovation for the Faculty of Environment.
The Pro-Dean supports the Dean of Faculty in providing leadership and direction, with particular responsibility for developing and delivering a research, innovation and impact strategy consistent with the Faculty Academic Plan and the University Strategy.
Professor Haywood (pictured above) said: “I will have an amazing opportunity to play a key role in the promotion, facilitation and monitoring of research and innovation of the highest quality throughout the Faculty.
“The Faculty is a world leader in environmental research and superbly well placed – capitalising on established expertise and recent appointments – to tackle the major disciplinary and multi-disciplinary grand challenges, and to translate this knowledge successfully into the public, economic development and policy domain.”
Helen Bowman, Jo Bates and Andy Richardson (pictured above), of the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC), have won the Partner of the Year award with Leeds City Council (LCC).
A new partnership was formed in 2018 as the University was sub-contracted to provide leadership and management apprenticeship opportunities to more than 40 managers from across all directorates in LCC regarding the Chartered Managers Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA).
Dr Paul Smith, Higher and Degree Apprenticeships Manager with LLC, said: “Since the launch of the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme in partnership with Leeds City Council in November 2018, the CMDA team within the Lifelong Learning Centre has worked hard to build a strong and sustainable relationship.
“The team has developed a high-quality programme, which provides an outstanding student education that the council is very pleased with. The award is recognition of the excellent work and commitment that has gone into the programme and the partnership to date. We are all very proud of this award in the Lifelong Learning Centre.”
LCC, in the award citation, said: “The level of support the University has provided to apprentices, from the offset, has been phenomenal!
“All the staff members associated with the Lifelong Learning Centre are fantastic, and in particular Jo, Andy and Helen have really gone above and beyond.
“The quality of the content of the course is outstanding, with many apprentices reporting how their confidence levels have increased massively since commencing the apprenticeship. In addition, the University has opened its arms to the apprentices and ensured that staff feel welcome on campus and able to tap into the University’s resources in the same way as any other student.”
Christina Lovelock, Business Analysis Manager from Development and Projects within IT Services, has been appointed as chair of the review of the national Apprenticeship Standard in Business Analysis, working with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE).
The apprenticeship standard is one of the Government digital trailblazer standards, which is now two years old and needs to be reviewed and updated based on the experiences of apprentices, employers and training providers.
Christina (pictured above) said: “I am delighted to be leading the standard review, as I have been involved with this apprenticeship from its inception.
“I am very proud to have two members of my team at Leeds undertaking this apprenticeship at the moment, as it provides an excellent entry route into the Business Analysis profession.”
Christina is a leader in the professional community, and her first book – Delivering Business Analysis – was published by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, in September 2019. It was launched at the international Business Analysis Conference Europe 2019, which welcomed more than 500 delegates from all over the world.
The book was co-authored with Dr Debra Paul, Managing Director of the specialist business analysis training company, AssistKD, and lecturer at Henley Business School.
Professor Kevin Roberts, Brotherton Professor of Chemical Engineering in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering, has been announced as a new Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
He has been recognised for his internationally leading-edge and pioneering work, being cited for his high quality research and technology transfer work associated with developments in the engineering science of solution phase crystallisation – a key step in the manufacture of many speciality chemicals.
His combined experimental and computational modelling approach across the length scales – from molecules to large-scale production – sustained over four decades, has had huge impact, particularly on industries manufacturing organic solids, such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, personal products and petrochemicals.
As an example, new digital design capabilities developed by his group at Leeds are now widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, and these have greatly enhanced our understanding of the solid-state and surface properties of new medicines, considerably speeding up development of new drugs.
Professor Roberts (pictured above) said: “It an enormous honour to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and I see this not just as recognition of myself but also of all the highly talented researchers and industrial colleagues globally that I have had the privilege and pleasure to work with during my academic career.”
Professor Peter Buckley OBE has been awarded the 3rd EIASM Interdisciplinary Leader Award.
The award, issued by the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM), acknowledges individuals who have made exemplary contributions in interdisciplinary research.
Professor Buckley (pictured above) accepted the award at the University of Economics, Prague (VSE) in September. EIASM recognises that interdisciplinarity is needed to ensure that theory-building, empirical research, education and institution-building in management integrate knowledge and progress in an era of increasing specialisation.
Professor Buckley said: “This award is especially gratifying as it places my work on International Business firmly as an interdisciplinary advance.”
Award-winning playwright, screenwriter and University of Leeds Programme Director, Garry Lyons, has been appointed to the Theatre Royal Wakefield Board of Directors.
Mr Lyons, Director of the postgraduate programme in Writing for Performance and Publication in the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at Leeds, has more than 40 years’ experience in the arts and media industries and has written for theatres throughout the UK, including the National Theatre, and extensively for television and radio.
His links to Theatre Royal Wakefield begin in 1987, when one of his earliest plays – Irish Night – was staged there. Since then, he has written scripts for The Bill, Heartbeat and Soldier Soldier. He also wrote five seasons of The Worst Witch franchise for ITV, which was BAFTA-nominated and screened in 60 countries. His most recent play, The Last Seam, was presented at Theatre Royal Wakefield’s Walker Studio in autumn 2018.
On his appointment, Gill Galdins, Chair of the Board, said: “On behalf of everyone at Theatre Royal Wakefield, we are delighted to welcome Garry to the Board. His experience, energy and expertise will help us in fulfilling our mission at Theatre Royal Wakefield; to develop new creative opportunities and experiences and encourage high quality engagement across a broad sector of the Performing Arts.”
Mr Lyons (pictured above) said: “Theatre Royal Wakefield is going through an exciting period of development and success, with the opening of The Walker Studio, the residency of the John Godber Company, the expansion of its youth theatre and community programmes and a lot more. I’m greatly looking forward to being a part of it.”
Professor Frank Finlay, Leeds’ Cultural Institute Director and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, said: “Boards of trustees play an essential role in the life of arts and cultural organisations, and it is always great to hear that University colleagues are able to contribute their experience and expertise. I wish Garry all the very best.”
Robert Maltby, Emeritus Professor in Classics (Faculty of Arts), has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Democritus University of Thrace in Greece.
After an initial post at the University of Sheffield, Professor Maltby came to Leeds in 1987 as a Lecturer in Latin and was promoted to a Personal Chair in 2000. He became Emeritus in 2010.
Professor Maltby said: “One of the highlights of my career in Leeds was the running of the ERASMUS staff and student exchanges between Leeds and Milan (Universitá Cattolica) and Leeds and Thessaloniki.
“A number of Greek and Italian students, who visited us on the undergraduate exchange, stayed on to do doctoral degrees with us. Many of my former doctoral students now work in the Greek higher education system, including the Professor of Latin at Athens.
“These exchanges have led to close personal friendships with our opposite numbers in Greece and Italy, which continue to this day. I continue some collaboration with them in teaching and research. My Latin course book has been translated into Greek by my colleagues there, so that – even at a distance – my teaching of Latin to Greek students continues.
“I am honoured that our collaboration has been recognised in this way by the Democritus University of Thrace and hope that such valuable links between Leeds and European universities will continue to be safeguarded and developed into the future.”
Dr Amrit Daffu-O'Reilly, Dr Deborah Antcliff, Dr Amy Russell and Dr Julia Csikar (pictured above), from the Faculty of Medicine and Health, have been successful in their applications for the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) Internship.
During the next year, they will learn about the work of NICE, including translation of knowledge into health policy. It will be a great opportunity to gain mentorship from Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive of NICE and Director of Health and Social Care.
Dr Amrit Daffu-O’Reilly is a Research Fellow based at the School of Healthcare, while Dr Deborah Antcliff is a Health Education England/National Institute for Health Research Integrated Clinical Academic (HEE/NIHR ICA) Clinical Lectureship researcher also based at the School of Healthcare, as well as the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group (Greater Manchester).
Dr Amy Russell is a Senior Research Fellow in the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, while Dr Julia Csikar is a Lecturer in Dental Public Health.
Dr Mark Tock, has been appointed the new Operations Director at Nexus, the University’s innovation centre.
Bringing 15 years’ experience in the innovation and start-up sectors, Dr Tock joins Nexus from Nottingham University Innovation Park (UNIP) where, as Operations Director, he was responsible for the development and running of the Park.
An Applied Biological Scientist by training, Mark holds a PhD in Biology (Genetics) from Leeds, an MBA specialising in entrepreneurship and innovation management from Edinburgh Management School and a PG Cert for Business Incubation, Coaching, and Mentoring from the University of Huddersfield.
He has led a number of incubation and science park projects, including the University of Sheffield’s Bio Incubator and Liverpool Innovation Park, and has provided advisory and mentoring support to developing incubators in Malaysia and China. He is also director and company secretary at the UK Science Park Association.
Alongside his team, Mark will now be responsible for managing the Nexus building, as well as ensuring that the community has a supportive, inspiring and productive environment in which to succeed and grow together.
He said: “Nexus and the wider Leeds City Region has developed a justifiable reputation as the place to grow a successful technology business, so I’m incredibly excited to be joining such a thriving innovation ecosystem.
“I have a real passion for helping entrepreneurs translate world-leading research into real world impacts, which aligns perfectly with Nexus’ ambitions. I look forward to getting to know our community and welcoming new members through our doors in the coming months.”
Dr Martin Stow, Nexus Director, said: “Mark is incredibly well-respected and has a proven track record of helping start-ups and SMEs grow. Having held positions at some of the UK’s leading incubators and science parks, he shares our commitment to connecting businesses with academia to spark innovation. His experience will be invaluable, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Nexus.”
Nexus has been recognised for its design excellence at the Yorkshire Insider Property Industry Awards 2019 (pictured above).
The annual accolades celebrate the major deals and developments from across the region, as well as the teams of planners, lawyers and architects that made them possible.
Designed by Associated Architects on behalf of the University, the award judges’ comments included: “The Nexus project represents an investment in building relationships between the private sector and academia, and there has already been a good take-up of office space.”
Steve Gilley, Director of Estates and Facilities, said: “Every construction project presents different challenges for us.
“We aim to provide buildings that offer solutions to new ways of working for our students, staff and business partners. Taking these ideas and developing our requirements into a well-designed building is the task we set our external architects and consultants. I’m grateful for the great partnership with Associated Architects, who have been behind Nexus, and am delighted their work has been acknowledged at these prestigious regional property awards.”
James Hall, Director of Associated Architects, said: “We have really enjoyed working on this project and are pleased it has been recognised. A strong ambition to set new standards by the University has enabled us to develop an innovative building that responds to this challenging location and provides a new University ‘front door’.”
Please contact Internal Communications if you or one of your colleagues would like to appear in this monthly feature. This is open to all staff – professional and academic.
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