News in brief, 11 March, 2019
Published: 9 March 2019
A weekly round-up of news across the University
Mental Health Awareness Training for Staff
Applications are now open for the Students' Representative Council (SRC) Mind Your Mate trainers event for UofG staff and students. For those who have an interest in learning basic mental health awareness and suicide prevention skills, this could be a great opportunity. No previous training is necessary as it is provided.
More information and the application form can be found on the SRC’s website. Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday 13 March
Any questions should be directed to Fatemeh, SRC VP Student Support at vp-support@src.gla.ac.uk
Technician Commitment Launch Event for Technical Staff
The University is hosting a launch event for the Technician Commitment on the afternoon of Monday, 20 May, 2019, in the Sir Charles Wilson Building.
This is an exciting opportunity for you to come along and hear about the Technician Commitment and how you, as a member of the Technical & Specialist job family, can get involved. The event will begin with a buffet lunch to give you a chance to network with your technical colleagues across the University. Following lunch, various speakers, including the Principal, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, and Professor Frank Coton (Vice Principal, Academic & Educational Innovation), will talk about the challenges facing the technical community and the University’s Action Plan that has been agreed to ensure visibility; recognition; career development; and sustainability for our technician population.
In addition, our Technician Champions will be introduced and will provide an overview of their role as advocates for the Technician Commitment, helping to deliver the action plan.
We are also extremely pleased that Kelly Vere, Higher Education Engagement Manager from the Science Council will be attending to discuss what the Technician Commitment means across the Higher Education sector.
This is a free event open to all Technicians across the University. However, advance booking is required via the Eventbrite link provided below*:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/technician-commitment-launch-event-tickets-58429369818
If you would like further information on the Technician’s Commitment, you can access the Technician Commitment Portal via the undernoted link:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/techniciancommitment/
Technician Commitment Steering Group
*If you would prefer not to use Eventbrite, we would be grateful if you could confirm attendance via e-mail to seng-tec-commitment@glasgow.ac.uk.
Ferguson Bequest Spring Ballot
The Ferguson Bequest has recently purchased an allocation of Theatre Tickets for the Spring 2019 Ballot. For details of the performances, and to enter the ballot, log in to MyGlasgow Staff and enter via the Ferguson Bequest link in the left hand navigation.
Log in will require your GUID and password.
Ballot will be drawn on 8 April.
Any questions, please contact: CourtOffice@glasgow.ac.uk
Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2019
The University has been shortlisted in three categories of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards: City Life; Clubs and Societies; and Prospective Student Engagement. The full WUSCA 2019 rankings will be published on www.whatuni.com on Friday, 26 April.
Dr Richard Taylor awarded Royal Academy Enterprise Fellowship
Dr Richard Taylor from the School of Engineering has been awarded the highly prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship.
Dr Taylor is currently leading the development of a spin company based on technology he co-developed during his PhD with Professor Richard Hogg and Dr David Childs. The technology is a new generation of miniaturised self-steering lasers initially targeting the LiDAR and datacoms markets.
He said, “It is a great honour to have been awarded the Fellowship which will allow me to continue to develop the technology and take a significant step forward towards spinning out. The funding and training will enable me to pursue my vision of seeing my inventions deployed in real-life applications.”
A Royal Academy Enterprise Fellowships supports innovative, creative entrepreneurial engineers who have demonstrated an exceptional innovation in engineering. The Fellowships provide up to £60,000 equity-free funding, tailored mentoring and training, PR, marketing and promotion and access to the Royal Academy in central London.
Royal Society of Biology's HE Bioscience Teacher of the Year Award 2019
Professor Kevin O'Dell, Professor of Behavious Genetics at the University of Glasgow, is one of three fianlists in the Royal Society of Biology's HE Bioscience Teacher of the Year Award 2019; his recearch interests are in genes and behaviour. The award recognises teachers who have shown an outstanding contribution to higher education in the biosciences. Individuals can be nominated by their students, peers, senior management or themselves.
Professor O'Dell, who is also Dean of Public Engagement, has developed a storytelling approach to the problem solving, data analysis and experimental design components of the undergraduate genetics degree programme, helping him win a University of Glasgow Teaching Excellence Award in 2007 and a Student Representative Teaching Award in 2012. In March 2017 he published what might be the world’s first storytelling science textbook, ‘Genetics? No Problem!’
First Creative Writive Fellow appointed.
To mark the growth of Creative Writing at UofG, renowed poet Jen Hadfield has been offered and accepted the role of the first Creative Writing Teaching Fellow. Based in Shetland, Jen Hadfield was the youngest person ever to win the TS Eliot prize (for her collection Nigh-No-Place) and was the Charles Causey Poet in Residence throughout Autumn 2018.
Jen’s fellowship is the first of a number of Creative Writing Teaching Fellowships that are to be offered by invitation in the next year.
Santander supports UofG women football talent
Eleanor Smith, the University's Women's Football Team Captain, is being supported by Santander Universities to take part in a special programme at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium this week as part of Santander UK's initiative to support female talent in both their sporting and professional lives.
Eleanor, who is the final year of a degree in Physiology & Sports Science, is one of a select group of leading footballers from women’s football clubs at UK universities who will join a programme of events, tours and training. The programme, organised by Santander Universities, is designed to help build critical thinking and management skills for female talent, both through sporting and wider leadership activity.
First published: 9 March 2019