ISSUE EIGHT November/December 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
Advancing knowledge,
changing lives
Meet Professor Chris Elliott, winner of this year’s
Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize.
Full Story on page 06
03
04
11
Our Global Impact
Meet some of our leading researchers who feature in a
new impact publication.
Driving the knowledge economy
Director of Innovation Brian McCaul explains the role
universities play in driving the knowledge economy.
25 years’ service celebrations
We meet three members of staff celebrating 25 years’
service at the University.
12–14
Welcome to the november/
december edition of
Queen’s Now
This month’s edition is all about our impact on
society. We meet some of our leading researchers
whose work is having an impact and changing lives
around the world.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 –14
Queen’s Now is a Queen’s University
publication, compiled and published
by the Communications and External
Affairs Office.
The Editor
Claire Patterson
Communications and
External Affairs Office,
Lanyon South,
Queen’s University,
Belfast, BT7 1NN
T: 028 9097 5355
E: qneditor@qub.ac.uk
02
Professor
Patrick Johnston
President and Vice-Chancellor
This edition of Queen’s Now
celebrates the impact which Queen’s
is having on society at home and
across the world.
The evidence is all around us. Just think of
some of the events over the past few weeks,
such as the Research Impact Showcase in the
Whitla Hall. Occasions like this provide an
opportunity for us to open our doors to the
wider public, to let them see innovation and
discovery and to meet the men and women
involved.
If you have any comments you
would like to make about Queen’s
Now, please send them to
qneditor@qub.ac.uk
WELCOME
The colleagues who took part in that
showcase are featured in the new publication
in the DNA of Innovation series – Our Global
Impact on Society. In it you can read about
research in which many of you may already
be closely involved – advances in cancer
treatment and drug delivery, the study
of ancient civilisation as well as the smart
cities of the future, vital social issues such as
domestic violence and children’s rights... and
much more.
We’ve also just announced the winners in
the Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize Awards.
This exciting annual event, attended by
friends from the world of business, from
public life and the wider community, is an
opportunity to pay tribute to researchers
who demonstrate singular commitment,
innovation and achievement that are
increasing the reputation of Queen’s as a
globally-important university.
They represent the future – but let us not
forget the achievements of the past. We’ve
been holding an exhibition to celebrate
a landmark in modern science, made 50
years ago by one of our graduates, a local
man by the name of John Stewart Bell from
Tate’s Avenue, who became one of the most
important physicists of the 20th century.
His now-famous Bell’s Theorem showed
that Einstein’s views on quantum mechanics
were incorrect. By doing so, he advanced
scientific knowledge, paving the way for a
fast-developing area of modern physics –
quantum information technology, a field in
which CSIT is appropriately leading the way.
Bell was nominated and widely believed to
be a front-runner for the Nobel Prize before
his sudden death in 1990.
But what his achievements also show are
the opportunities that a university like ours
can provide and our ability to transform lives
through a world-class education.
However, the recently-announced budget
cuts threaten our capacity to make that kind
of impact in the future. I would urge you to
have your say on the proposals and submit
your comments on the draft budget during
the consultation period (which ends on 29
December) at http://www.northernireland.
gov.uk/budget
A strong and vibrant higher education sector
is critical to the success, not only of our
universities, but of Northern Ireland and all
its people.
Let’s keep making that impact.
QUEEN’S NOW 12—I4
NEWS
03
Our Global Impact
Thirty-two of the University’s leading researchers feature in a new publication which
highlights how the work taking place at Queen’s is having a global impact.
Our Global Impact on Society is the fourth volume of the popular DNA of Innovation
series which profiles the people behind some of the biggest scientific, medical,
technological and other breakthroughs to emerge from the University in recent times.
Professor Noemi Lois
Professor Yvonne Galligan
Here are some of the researchers who feature in the publication:
Improving the eye care of
people with diabetes
Professor Noemi Lois – Medicine,
Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences
Noemi is part of a team of researchers
working to transform the lives of people
with diabetes, particularly those with
diabetic retinopathy – one of the world’s
major sight-threatening illnesses.
Professor Weiru Liu
Dr Beatrice Smyth
Professor Sam Porter
Professor Paul Connolly
Changing attitudes
Professor Yvonne Galligan – Politics,
International Studies and Philosophy
Yvonne is one of the most respected
and influential voices on the relationship
between gender and democracy. Her
research on reforming political processes
has changed the attitudes of politicians,
political parties and government.
Developing big data analytics
and autonomous systems
Professor Weiru Liu – Electronics,
Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science
Weiru’s research focuses on the next
generation of big-data analytics and
autonomous systems which will make
a difference in health, business and
education, and improve the quality of
lives by providing a better-connected
future.
Improving care for the most
vulnerable
Professor Sam Porter – Nursing and
Midwifery
From enhancing understanding of
palliative care to uncovering the benefits
of music therapy for vulnerable children
and adolescents, Sam’s research is
improving care for many groups within
society.
Exploring new ways to power
our future
Dr Beatrice Smyth, Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering
Beatrice is identifying alternative sources
of energy for the future. Her research
focuses on the potential of biogas, in
particular grass, slurry and household and
garden waste.
Helping young children to
respect diversity
Professor Paul Connolly, Education
Paul is internationally recognised for his
research on diversity and inequality in
early childhood. His work on promoting
respect for ethnic diversity is having a
positive influence on the lives of children
throughout Northern Ireland and
beyond.
QUEEN’S NOW 12—I4
NEWS
04
Where business begins
It was recently announced that
Northern Ireland has the second
fastest growing regional Knowledge
Economy in the UK.
This month, we meet Brian McCaul,
Director of Innovation, to find out
about the role universities play in
driving this growth.
How long have you worked at
Queen’s and what is your role?
I’ve worked at Queen’s for just over six
months and have two roles: Director
of Innovation and Chief Executive
Officer of the University’s tech-transfer
company QUBIS ltd.
What does your role involve?
My role entails the whole gamut
of activities around discovering
innovations, protecting intellectual
property and helping academics to
commercialise their research outputs,
either through turning them into
something that’s useful for existing
businesses or creating new businesses
around the innovations.
Visit the Staff Gateway site, to
watch a profile video of Brian.
www.qub.ac.uk/home/ceao/
StaffGateway/OurStaff/
Why is it important for research to
be commercialised?
First of all there aren’t very many
third-of-a-billion-pound technology
businesses in Northern Ireland and
Queen’s is one of the those; so we’re
quite important in terms of the health
of the economy. But uniquely amongst
those we have an explicit mission to
create new businesses and to help
existing businesses innovate and
grow. Because the Northern Ireland
economy lags behind the rest of the
UK and compared to the Republic of
Ireland in many aspects, this role is all
the more important, and Queen’s has
had made significant impact in this
respect. There is a desperate need
to rebalance the NI economy and
to create high tech and high growth
jobs. Our company formation and
licensing activity plays a vital role in this
rebalancing effort.
What role do our universities play
in Northern Ireland’s growing
knowledge economy?
Universities play an absolutely
critical role in the growth of the
regional knowledge economy. We
are involved at a number of levels in
terms of helping existing businesses
innovate through knowledge transfer
partnerships, through collaborations,
through the provision of students and
so on, but also even more directly in
terms of licensing intellectual property
and innovations into companies
and creating new businesses. We’ve
got a strong track record in terms
of developing new high-growth
innovative start-ups and also in helping
existing companies to grow. Queen’s
has created 66 spin-out companies to
date, generating 1,500 high value jobs.
What’s the best bit about your job?
The best bit is the constant exposure
to new ideas, new innovations and
exciting discoveries. It’s quite a
privilege really to be exposed to that
on a day-to-day basis.
QUEEN’S NOW 12—I4
NEWS
05
AARON HUTTON, CARRICKFERGUS
Studying Pharmacy at Queen’s University
Pictured receiving the Award with Derek Baker, Permanent Secretary for the Department for
Employment and Learning, are: Professor Stan Scott and Lesley Moreland from EEECS.
School receives Health and
Wellbeing Award
The School of Electronics, Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science
has received an Investors in People
(IiP) Health and Wellbeing Good
Practice Award.
The Award, which focuses on
employee engagement, is over and
above the IiP Accreditation which the
School received last year.
Launched in March 2010, the aim
of the award is to help improve
performance by focusing on health
and wellbeing, and fostering a happy,
healthy workforce.
The assessors praised the School for
the range of policies it has in place
to support the health and wellbeing
of staff, and noted that the School is
regarded by employees as a good
place to work in terms of flexibility,
work location and the nature of their
work. They also found evidence of
a strong commitment to health and
wellbeing, learning and development
and career development. Assessors
recognised that some excellent
work has been done in support of
work-life balance, with staff members
welcoming the extent to which their
domestic/personal circumstances have
been accommodated.
Member of Queen’s Badminton Club
and Motor Club Society
Campaign highly commended at
marketing awards
The Marketing and Recruitment
team have been highly commended
at the CIM Ireland Marketing
Excellence Awards.
The team was recognised in the
‘Marketing with Impact’ category
for the Queen’s ‘Experience More’
NI outdoor Advertising Campaign
to encourage more students to
come to Queen’s. The campaign
focused on the social experience
of student life at the University and
featured the ten Queen’s Scholars on
48-sheet posters, adshels, postcards
to schools, radio advertising and
Instagram and Twitter competitions.
The CIM Ireland Marketing Excellence
Awards celebrate, recognise
and reward the best marketing
achievements across various industry
sectors in Ireland.
The commendation is the latest
accolade for the ‘Experience More’
campaign which picked up a
Bronze Award in the Best Student
Recruitment Campaign category at
the Heist Awards 2014.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – 14
Advancing
Knowledge,
Changing Lives
SPOTLIGHT
Professor Chris Elliott from the
Institute for Global Food Security,
School of Biological Sciences, is
the winner of this year’s ViceChancellor’s Impact Prize.
After last year’s horse meat scandal,
the Director of the Institute for Global
Food Security was tasked with leading
the most thorough review of food
systems ever conducted in the UK.
The Elliott Review was published in
September.
We meet Professor Elliott to find out
more about the impact of his research.
Can you tell us about your research?
My research focuses on detecting
contamination of the food supply
chain and determining how to prevent
further contamination incidents. The
causes can be due to man-made or
natural toxins and can be deliberate
(fraud) or accidental.
COVER
STORY
What were the main issues identified
in the Elliott Review?
Getting to terms with the size and
complexity of the UK food system was
a challenge. Nearly 4 million people
are employed in the industry with a
turnover of well over £100 billion. In
addition, we import nearly 50% of all
the food we consume and much of this
comes via very complex supply chains.
What impact do you think the Elliott
Review will have?
The review called for a complete
change in the culture of the UK
06
food industry in terms of preventing
further fraud and spotting criminals
penetrating our food system. The
government were also urged to make
changes to how issues about the UK’s
food integrity are managed. The long
term impact is aimed at making the
UK’s food supply the highest integrity
system in the world.
What inspired you to get into this
field?
My passion in life has always been
biology and I have had the opportunity
to work on many different areas within
biological sciences during my career.
Protecting food supplies seemed an
important area to concentrate on.
What are the biggest challenges and
rewards of your work?
My research depends on having a
very high quality scientific laboratory
and superb scientists to work in it. To
keep this funded is always a struggle.
Having a positive impact on the local
and international food industries is
highly rewarding.
How does it feel to have won the
Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize?
This is one of the greatest honours
to have been bestowed on me and
I am deeply grateful to the immense
support I have received from all my
colleagues right across the University.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – 14
SPOTLIGHT
Res
ea
ct
pa
m
making a
s
r
ni
he
c
r
Congratulations to all colleagues shortlisted for this year’s Vice-Chancellor’s Impact
Prize. They included:
Professor David Archard (PISP)
Provision of ethical advice on fertility treatment and embryo research
Professor Sakir Sezer (EEECS)
Development of new technology which aims to make the internet a safer place
Dr Mohamed Sonebi (SPACE)
Low carbon Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) that is sustainable and durable
Professor Mark Lawler (MDBS)
Addressing inequalities in cancer care across Europe
Professor Liam Murray (MDBS)
Established the Northern Ireland Barrett’s Oesophagus Register
Dr Gavin Duffy (Education)
Social and educational impact of schools collaborating together
Dr Carmel Kelly (Nursing and Midwifery)
HIV & Pregnancy – ‘Prepared to Care’ eLearning resource
07
Meet the category winners of
the Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Prize
Dr Gary Menary
Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
Gary is the winner of the ‘Advancing
Technologies’ category.
His work is at the cutting edge of
research into the complex field of
stretch blow moulding, a process used
to make plastic bottles for the soft
drinks and bottled water industries. As
a result of his research, the bottles are
lighter and stronger.
Gary’s research has led to multinational
companies, Danone and Procter &
Gamble, saving more than 20,000
tonnes of plastic and ten million dollars
in less than four years by using new
technology developed at Queen’s –
and his research continues.
Professor Stuart Elborn
MDBS
Dr Gareth Conway
EEECS
Stuart is the winner of the ‘Supporting
Health’ category.
Gareth is the winner of the ‘Early
Career Researcher’ category.
His research has made a major
contribution to global understanding
and treatment of lung disease in cystic
fibrosis.
His research involves the development
of new wearable wireless technology
that enables health care professionals
to monitor patients more frequently
and more reliably from a distance.
His Queen’s research centre is the
leading UK centre for clinical trials.
As a result, new therapies have been
developed, leading to dramatic
improvements in survival and quality of
life for people living with this disease.
In particular, he and his team have
developed a drug to benefit sufferers
affected by the ‘celtic gene’ – a genetic
mutation of cystic fibrosis which is
particularly common in Ireland.
Gareth has collaborated with an
industry partner to develop the new
technology – known as Wireless
Medical Vital Sign Monitors.
The new technology is now in trials in
hospitals in the UK and USA – and it
could have a transformative effect on
patient care in the future.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – I4
RESEARCH
08
MY RESEARCH
Dr Sean PyneO’Donnell
oecology
School of Geography, Archaeology and Palae
My research
My research studies past environmental change and archaeology,
especially during periods of major change such as at the end of
the last ice age. I specialise in dating and comparing the relative
timings of these changes between different areas of the globe.
One useful tool for this is volcanic ash layers which provide precise
time markers which can be used to tie together these areas even
when separated by hundreds or thousands of kilometres.
My latest research study
My latest research examines the sustainability and long-term
resilience of cultures in resource-restricted environments, with
dating methods and volcanic ash layers being used to estimate
when cultural changes occurred. I am also exploring the
geographical limits to which volcanic ash layers are a useful and
practicable dating method.
£1.5 million
slavery grant
Professor Jean Allain from
the School of Law is part of a
four-person team which has
been awarded a £1.5 million
research grant from the Arts and
Humanities Research Council,
under their ‘Care for the Future’
scheme.
The five-year grant will bring to
the fore the usable past of the
anti-slavery movement, translating
it into an effective tool to deal with
contemporary cases of human
exploitation, including trafficking,
slavery and forced labour.
Professor Allain is the leading
legal scholar on issues of human
exploitation and is the author of
The Slavery Conventions (2008);
The Legal Understanding of Slavery
(2012), and Slavery in International
Law (2013) and the forthcoming
The Law of Slavery (2015). His
work on the definition of slavery
underpins much of the scholarship
on contemporary slavery both within
the courtroom and beyond.
Along with Professor Allain, the
investigators on the grant are:
Professor Kevin Bales, the leading
scholar and activist dealing
with modern slavery; Professor
John Oldfield, Director of WISE,
Wilberforce Institute for the study
of Slavery and Emancipation, at the
University of Hull; and Professor
Zoe Trodd, holder of the Chair of
American Literature at the University
of Nottingham.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – 14
STAFF WELLBEING
09
Staff Wellbeing… Mental Health
In this new regular feature, we
take a look at some of the Staff
Wellbeing initiatives taking place
in the University. This month the
focus is on Mental Health.
According to the Mental Health
Foundation, about a quarter of the
UK population will experience some
kind of mental health problem in
the course of a year, with mixed
anxiety and depression the most
common mental disorders.
Promoting positive mental health
Staff Wellbeing at Queen’s is
committed to promoting positive
mental health and a number of
mental health promotion events
took place through the initiative in
2014.
A free confidential Staff Counselling
Service is available and a new
dedicated training programme for
all staff and managers has been
launched.
Wellbeing Training
Half-day training programmes on
‘Improving Personal Resilience’
and ‘Manager Wellbeing’ were
launched during 2014 and the
feedback has been positive.
The ‘Improving Personal Resilience’
training is recommended for all
staff. It can help staff to recognise
their own personal capacity for
overcoming adversity, challenge
negative thinking and emotional
patterns, gain an understanding of
emotional resilience and learn how
to promote and develop personal
resilience in the workplace.
The ‘Manager Wellbeing’ training
equips managers with the skills to
identify and understand their own
personal stressors, recognise the
importance that early intervention
plays in dealing with issues in the
workplace, deal with potentially
difficult conversations and
situations, and identify how to best
prevent and manage stress in the
workplace.
Book online now to attend courses
in 2015 through iTrent Self-Service.
We meet…
Dr Denis Todd
Dr Todd is the University’s
Occupational Health Physician and is
involved in the Manager Wellbeing
training.
What is your opinion on mental
wellbeing in the workplace?
There is a wealth of evidence to show
that work is good for our health in many
ways, physical and mental. We can, and
do, influence the mental wellbeing of
those we interact with and this influence
can be positive or negative. Most of
us are aware of increasing demands
at work and it is more important than
ever that we ensure that the way we
work with colleagues is supportive of
good mental health and that we use
the opportunities that our working
environment creates to enhance our
own mental wellbeing and that of
others.
What advice would you give to staff
on how to promote positive mental
health?
I would recommend attending the
Improving Personal Resilience training
and practicing the five steps to mental
wellbeing as promoted by the NHS
(www.nhs.uk): connect, be active, keep
learning, give to others and take notice.
Aside from the training, what other
support is available at Queen’s to
staff with mental health problems?
There are lots of support mechanisms
in place including the Occupational
Health Service and Staff Wellbeing
initiatives and events, as well as from the
Staff Counselling service, your manager,
Personnel, Equal Opportunities and the
Trade Unions.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – 14
ENVIRONMENTAL
Researchers win
Green Gown
Award
Technology developed by Queen’s which has the
potential to transform millions of lives overnight
has won a national sustainability award.
Researchers in the School of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering won the Research and Development
category of the EAUC Green Gown Awards for their
project which will enhance the solar disinfection of
water (SODIS).
Changing
Behaviours
commitment to advancing knowledge and changing
lives.”
Now in their tenth year, the Green Gown Awards,
sponsored by the CISCO and BT education
partnership, recognise the exceptional sustainability
initiatives being undertaken by universities and
colleges across the UK.
Over 5.6 million people in 30 countries use the
SODIS method, but lack any UV indicator technology
necessary to ensure 100 per cent success. Funded
by Invest NI, research led by Professor Andrew Mills
and Dr Katherine Lawrie from Queen’s has developed
UV dosimeter labels which change colour when the
disinfection is complete.
The School Manager and Head of
School of Electronics, Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science
are the latest members of staff to
swap the car for a more sustainable
form of travel.
Head of School Professor Stan
Scott has swapped his car for public
transport and now uses the Park
and Ride facility from Sprucefield,
while School Manager Allister Lee
has given up his annual car parking
permit in favour of pedal power.
Professor Mills said: “The labels will enhance the
uptake of the SODIS method by the 768 million
people that still rely on unimproved water supplies,
significantly improving their quality of lives.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Patrick Johnston said: “This
project is yet another example of the life-changing
research taking place at Queen’s. It further illustrates
our position as a global leader in research and our
10
Explaining why he cycles, Allister said:
“I cycle almost every day and find it a
less stressful and healthier means of
starting the day.”
Dr Katherine Lawrie collecting the award from Simon
Kerridge (ARMA) and Simon Reeve (R)
Allister is one of almost 350 members
of staff to avail of the University’s
cycle to work scheme (Cycle+) which
allows staff to obtain a bicycle and
safety equipment for less than normal
cost by way of ‘salary sacrifice’.
If you are interested in availing of the
Cycle + scheme and would like to
find out more, visit http://www.qub.
ac.uk/sites/CyclePlus/
For further information on using
public transport, including details
of the Annual Commuter Travel
card, visit http://www.qub.ac.uk/
directorates/EstatesDirectorate/
Sustainability/TransportTravel/
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – 14
twenty
five
years’
service
Twenty-nine members of staff are celebrating 25 years’
service at the University. We meet three of them to
find out more.
PEOPLE
11
Martyn Boyd
Photographer
Adeline Kell
Nursing and Midwifery
Professor Janice Carruthers
Modern Languages
I joined Queen’s on 14 February 1989
as a Photographic Technician within
the Department of Archaeology.
I started Queen’s School of Medicine
in February 1989 on a two-year
contract. Funded by the NI Leukaemia
Research Fund, the post involved
gathering information to establish
a register of where certain types of
disorders occurred and how they
were broken down by area, age and
sex. The original two-year contract
became nineteen years.
I was appointed as a Lecturer in
French back in 1989. It was my first
post and I had only recently started
my PhD.
I am now the Photographer in
Marketing and Domestic Recruitment.
I do most of the photography for
University websites and for a range of
Queen’s publications. I also manage
and produce most of the content for
the University’s online picture library,
Imagebank, and archive and manage
all of our digital photographic assets.
I also provide a general photography
service to the University.
My highlights over the years include:
getting our first professional digital
camera in 2001, a Nikon D1x and
setting off into a brave new world of
photography; seeing my photography
printed on huge advertising hoardings
around Belfast and across GB in a
recruitment campaign in 2013; and
seeing my work printed in the DNA
of Innovation series of publications.
Does getting my hands on one of the
Apollo Lunar mission cameras count??
Having worked in the Cancer Registry,
I am now in the Clinical Allocations
office in the School of Nursing and
Midwifery where I provide clerical
support to the Allocations team
who plan all student placements
throughout the five Healthcare Trusts.
My first post involved visiting almost
every hospital in Northern Ireland
to collect information from medical
record departments and laboratories
and working with dedicated people
in these areas. My geographical
knowledge of all these hospital sites
is very useful in my present post when
the students are being sent out on
placement and I am asked how far it is
from A to B!
I’m now Professor of French
Linguistics and Head of the School
of Modern Languages. Research
and education remain at the core
of my job; in both domains, my
work centres on the contemporary
French language, using linguistic
theory and data analysis to look
at language variation and change.
External research collaborations are
increasingly important for me; at the
moment, I’m really enjoying working
on a publication with a colleague in
Toulouse.
Over the past 25 years there are so
many moments I could mention...
Seeing my first PhD student graduate,
being appointed to a Chair, seeing
particular students graduate
successfully who have overcome real
personal difficulties, helping to win
the AHRC Block Grant Partnership....
And a highlight I mustn’t forget
to mention: attending a certain
research seminar in Irish and Celtic
Studies back in 1995 which led to a
particularly productive collaboration
— marriage!
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – 14
PEOPLE
12
Academic
appointed
to Arts
Council
Dr Leon Litvack from the School of English
has been appointed to the Board of the Arts
Council NI by the Culture Minister Carál Ní
Chuilín.
Dr Litvack, who is a Reader in Victorian Studies, has
extensive experience in the administration of arts
and culture programmes.
As a Trustee at the Charles Dickens Museum in
London, he led the institution’s successful bid
for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £3.1 million
to complete the refurbishment of its premises
in Doughty Street, London. In 2012, he ran a
successful arts and culture festival in Northern
Ireland known as ‘Dickens 2012 NI’ to mark the
two hundredth birthday of Charles Dickens; the
events he organised were attended by thirty
thousand people. Dr Litvack currently sits on the
Board of Trustees and Audit Committee of National
Museums NI.
Welcoming the appointments, DCAL Minister
Carál Ní Chuilín said: “The Board has an important
role to play in the development of plans to allow
all of us, particularly those from disadvantaged
backgrounds, opportunities to experience and
become involved with arts.”
Lecturer receives
National Teaching Award
A Queen’s lecturer who has been involved
in pioneering innovative teaching methods
with carers and service users has been
named among the most outstanding
teachers in the UK.
Dr Joe Duffy from the School of Sociology,
Social Policy and Social Work is one of only
two winners from Northern Ireland to be
awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by
the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Joe
picked up his award, and £10,000 towards his
own professional development, at a ceremony
at Liverpool Cathedral.
Joe teaches mainly in the area of law for social
workers and co-ordinates the Service User and
Carer Group at Queen’s.
This groundbreaking scheme brings in
members of the public, for example, someone
with a mental illness or the parent of a child
with a disability, to talk to students about the
experience of having a social worker. Joe is
also particularly interested in the contribution
that people affected by the Troubles can make
to students’ understanding of the complex
role of social workers in a post-conflict society.
The 2014 National Teaching Fellowship
winners were selected from 180 nominations
across England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Academics and teachers were nominated
by their institutions and submissions had to
show evidence of three criteria: individual
excellence, raising the profile of excellence
and developing excellence.
Caption
Dr Joe Duffy receiving his National
Teaching Fellowship Award from Rama
Thirunamachandran, Vice-Chancellor of
Canterbury Christ Church University.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – I4
PEOPLE
Inclusive
Employment
Scheme
Earlier this year, Queen’s launched
a unique placement programme
for people with a disability.
The Queen’s Inclusive Employment
Scheme, which is supported by the
Department for Employment and
Learning, aims to give individuals the
opportunity to regain skills, learn new
skills and enhance their employment
opportunities.
The placements range from clerical
work to technical and manual work
and span a range of Schools and
Directorates. This month, we meet
Jamie Davidson who is on placement
in the Estates Directorate.
What is your job and what does it
entail?
I work as Receptionist within the
Estates Directorate. This requires me
to greet visitors to the office, deal
with enquiries, both in person and on
the phone; log in the Directorate’s
Mail; answer the phone and either redirect calls or take messages. I also
undertake other clerical duties such
as recording the outgoing mail and
delivering it to the mail room, and
logging incoming invoices onto the
invoice log spreadsheet.
What attracted you to apply for
the placement at Queen’s?
I was informed by my Employment
Support officer of the opportunity
of a post with the University. As I
had previously undertaken reception
duties with a company in Larne, I felt
the post in Queen’s would provide
me with additional experience.
What do you enjoy most about
working at Queen’s?
The staff in Estates are extremely
friendly and helpful. I have learned
a lot about the Estates Department
and the University. I have come to
like the University environment.
What do you hope to get out of
the placement?
I would like to acquire sufficient
work experience and hopefully
earn a permanent post within the
University. I hope to further develop
my skills and go on to gain additional
qualifications.
13
40
Len bids farewell after
40 years
Popular Porter Len Totton
will bid Queen’s farewell in
December after 40 years at the
University.
Speaking ahead of his retirement,
Len said: “It doesn’t seem like 40
years and I have made some great
friends along the way.”
Len started work at Queen’s on 4
November 1974 and was initially
based at Newforge before moving
to the Mail Room on the Main Site
where he has spent most of his
working life.
Head Porter Martin Mooney said:
“Len is a well-known face around
Queen’s and has been a valued
member of the portering team for
40 years. We wish him all the best
for his retirement.”
Over the years, Len has ensured
the smooth running of the Mail
Room, processing all of the mail
that comes into and leaves the
University.
QUEEN’S NOW 12—14
PEOPLE
Join The
Conversation
Queen’s is a founding partner
of The Conversation, an online
independent source of news
and views, sourced from
the academic and research
community and delivered
direct to the public. Here are
some recent articles published
by Queen’s academics:
Explainer: why Rosetta
comet mission is such a big
deal
Professor Alan Fitzsimmons,
Astrophysics Research Centre.
This article has been viewed
over 420,000 times.
Bad news for airlines:
volcano eruptions in Alaska
could cause chaos in Europe
Dr Sean Pyne-O’Donnell,
Geography, Archaeology
and Palaeoecology and
Britta Jensen at University of
Alberta.
Can Islamic State be forced
to pay victims for their
suffering?
Dr Luke Moffett, Law.
High levels of cancer-causing
arsenic in rice – so why isn’t
it regulated in our food?
Professor Andy Meharg,
Biological Sciences.
Where politicians fail,
storytellers address the
Troubles in Northern Ireland
Professor Cahal McLaughlin,
Creative Arts.
Why early diagnosis of
autism in children is a good
thing
Professor Karola Dillenburger,
Education.
There’s more to Ireland than
a ‘double Irish’ tax loophole
Dr Anthony McDonnell,
Queen’s University
Management School.
Lord Freud was wrong
about disabled workers, but
at least he’s got us talking
Professor Duncan McVicar,
Queen’s University
Management School.
If you are interested in
writing for The Conversation,
please contact the
Communications Office on
comms.office@qub.ac.uk
14
MAKING THE HEADLINES
Here are some of our colleagues who have been making the headlines over the past month.
Professor Alan
Fitzsimmons from
the Astrophysics
Research Centre
gained national
and international
coverage for
his work on assisting in the first
ever landing of a spacecraft on
a comet. Professor Fitzsimmons
and colleagues have spent over
a decade studying comet 67P/
Churyumov-Gerasimenko from Earth
and measuring its properties.
As well as being interviewed for UK
outlets like Sky News, BBC Radio
5 Live and The Telegraph, Alan
featured on RTE, Newstalk, France
24, La Tercera in Chile and Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation.
Professor Andy
Meharg, from
the School
of Biological
Sciences, received
widespread
national media
coverage for his research into
arsenic in rice. Rice has, typically, ten
times more inorganic arsenic than
other foods and, as the European
Food Standards Authority have
reported, people who eat a lot
of rice are exposed to worrying
concentrations.
His research featured on Channel
4 dispatches as well as Channel
4 News, The Sunday Times, The
Daily Mail, The Mail Online and The
Independent.
News that the World Press
Photo exhibition was coming to
Queen’s was covered extensively
in local media as well as on some
international online outlets.
Organised in partnership with
the School of Law, the exhibition
featured 150 winning images from
the most inspiring and high quality
photojournalism in the world. A
programme of special events also
took place during the week giving
the public the opportunity to learn
more about topics that featured in
the exhibition.
The exhibition was carried in The
Irish Times, Belfast Telegraph,
BBC Online, UTV as well as
the Cambodian Times and the
Argentina Star.
Professor Sheena
Lewis from
the School of
Medicine, Dentistry
and Biomedical
Sciences is
internationally
recognised for her
research into male infertility.
Over the past month, her views on
life-style factors affecting fertility
have attracted media coverage
locally and nationally, including The
Mail Online, The Telegraph, The
Newsletter and The Sun.
November saw the month-long
celebration of the life and legacy of
John Stewart Bell, a Queen’s graduate
and one of the most influential
scientists of the twentieth century.
A ground-breaking exhibition,
Action at a Distance: The Life and
Legacy of John Stewart Bell, at the
Naughton Gallery as well as other
events around Queen’s to mark 50
years since his Bell’s theorem was
published, were featured in The Irish
Times, Daily Mirror, BBC Online, the
Newsletter and the South Belfast
News.
QUEEN’S NOW 12 – 14
For the chance to win a £25 Amazon voucher this
month, send us your answers to the following
questions.
The questions are all based around Impact and the
answers can be found in Queen’s Now.
How many researchers feature in DNA of Innovation: Our Global Impact on Society?
How many times has Professor Alan Fitzsimmon’s article in The Conversation been viewed?
How many spin-out companies have been created from Queen’s research?
Email your answers to qneditor@qub.ac.uk or send
via internal post with your name and contact details
to Communications Office, Lanyon South, by Friday
19 January.
SOCIAL
WIN
£25
For the chance to win a £25 Amazon voucher,
send us your answers to the following questions
The
De winn
bo
rah er of
Mo last
rga mo
n fr nth
om ’s c
Per omp
son eti
nel tion
.
wa
s
Thanks for sharing your tweets
over the past month. Here are
some of them:
@cocallaghannews
Very excited to be watching
the #CometLanding & so proud
of Queen’s University Belfast’s
involvement @queensubelfast
@tgeducation
John Healey, Citi, highlights
importance of universities as 600
new jobs announced for Belfast
@QueensUBelfast @Ulsteruni
Latest@SYNCNI.com @syncni
The world is watching
#philea2014 today! Congrats @
QueensUBelfast http://ow.ly/
E9UO9 #CometLanding
@orlaigh
The chief exec club dinner’s
impact awards help to remind
you what can be achieved #QUB
#researchawards #changinglives
#northernireland
@MarkYoung23
Its great seeing our own
@QueensUBelfast Professor
@FitzsimmonsAlan talking about
#67P & the @ESA_Rosetta
mission on @BBCStargazing
#belfast
@evagrosman
Recognising the scope, ambition
and #success of research impact at
@QueensUBelfast #QUBimpact
#QUBcec
For all the news
about Queen's follow
@QueensUBelfast
For staff news follow
@BiteofQueens
15