MARCH 2016

NEWSLETTERTHE LATEST NEWS FOR ALL UNIVERSITY STAFF

NICE TO MEET Dylan Williamsp3

IMPACT & INNOVATION AWARDS p4

RESEARCH ROUND-UPp8

STAFF PROMOTIONSp9

WELSH CRUCIBLE UPDATE p13

SOCIAL SCIENCES @ 50p15

Having opened its doors in early December, Pontio, the University’s new Arts and Innovation Centre, moved into a new phase at the beginning of the year with the Centre’s teaching and learning spaces being used for the first time and the Students’ Union relocating to the building.

The first lecture to be held at the 450-seat lecture room 5, was “Scientific Writing and Communication” by Dr Tracey Lloyd from the School of Psychology.

Tracey said: “I am really excited to be teaching in Pontio. This brand new facility will really benefit both the local community and the University. Being born and bred in north Wales, I am very proud to have the first teaching slot in this innovative building.”

Professor Oliver Turnbull, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, said: “It’s wonderful to see the lecture spaces of Pontio open for teaching, and especially appropriate that the first lecture there is delivered by a staff member in Psychology who has recently been awarded a Teaching Fellowship.”

As well as teaching and learning facilities and Arloesi Pontio Innovation, the Centre has an eclectic arts programme, offering

everything from big drama productions in Theatr Bryn Terfel to films in the 200-seater cinema, comedy nights in the Studio and much more. Thousands have already visited the centre to enjoy everything from Only Men Aloud to an opera based on mindfulness, school and community concerts and a Welsh-language panto.

The highlight of the spring season will be the staging of Chwalfa by Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, an adaptation by Gareth Miles of the novel by T Rowland Hughes which will be performed at Pontio between 17-27 February.

PONTIO OPENS

Continues...

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The 1900-1903 Great Strike at Penrhyn Quarry is still the longest running industrial dispute in UK history. The north Wales quarrymen contributed from their meagre wages to establish a university to ensure a brighter future for their children, and this is the story of their finest hour to celebrate the opening season of the theatre built at the foot of that very university.

Elen ap Robert, Pontio’s artistic director, added: “As well as the professional cast, Chwalfa features members of the community and rehearsals are already underway in Bethesda and here at Pontio. Welsh learners can also enjoy

the production through Theatr Genedlaethol’s Sibrwd app, which can be downloaded prior to the performance and provide a little ‘voice’ that whispers in your ear during the performance.”

See www.sibrwd.co for further details and download the app.

Pontio’s cinema provides a range of films, from Academy-Award nominated blockbusters in 3D to the National Theatre Live series of live broadcasts, special releases and arthouse films. A monthly brochure is available online through the Pontio website or social media channels, or call into the building and pick up the latest

copy.

The centre’s bar, Ffynnon and Gorad restaurant provide food and drink all day from 8.30am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and from 12pm on Sunday, so if you haven’t already visited Pontio, call in to explore the spaces, have a bite to eat or a coffee and enjoy all the centre has to offer.

For tickets and to receive further information about Pontio through monthly e-newsletters and seasonal brochures, visit: www.pontio.co.uk or visit Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre at Deiniol Road, Bangor or phone 01248 38 28 28

NICE TO MEET...DYLAN WILLIAMS, STUDENTS’ UNION DIRECTOR

last six months and by June of this year we are due to finalise our 2016 -19 strategic plan. So there is plenty to keep me busy. Bangor Students’ Union is a fantastic Union and a huge part of my job is to ensure that we continue to be as effective and relevant as possible.

What do you like watching on the TV? I‘m a big fan of British dramas and go a bit overboard on TV box sets. I also love anything to do with the future and apocalyptic stories. Couple this with British life and it’ll have me hooked.

What is your favourite film? Beetlejuice – I love this film and so much so that I remember wearing out the copy from the local video shop when I was about 12.

What kind of music do you listen to? All kinds – I have no particular favourite type – but I do like a bit of pop and often get berated for my love of the Eurovision Song Contest.

What book are you reading at the moment? I’ve just finished Carol by Patricia Highsmith and I love anything by John Wyndham (It stems from my love of apocalyptic and dystopian fiction).

What are your hobbies? I love spending time with my family and at exploring north Wales – with two three year olds we try and spend all of our spare time out of the house. I also love travelling and enjoy a good city break. When I get the time I also enjoy reading.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself…I am colour blind, which has over the years led to some questionable clothing choices

TOP TWEETS Find out what some of our followers have been saying on Twitter

@BefnyBennett This afternoon I saw a fascinating exhibition created by the archives of @BangorUni. The Welsh colony in Patagonia is 150 years old in 2015.

@richardjarogers Safest, most secure, most supportive and amazing #uni in the UK? That’s easy: it’s @BangorUni #BangorUniversity

@QueenGeraldina 24/7 library, free coffee, head and wrist massages and relaxation sessions. @BangorUni doesn’t slack when it comes to study aids.

@GailJSays Attended alumni evening with Lord Mervyn Davies & Sir Howard Stringer @BangorUni ranked no 1 for student satisfaction - congratulations

Dylan is originally from Ystalyfera in the Swansea Valley and has lived in London and Coventry for the last ten years. He’s been in a civil partnership with Julian since 2010 and they live in Bangor with their three year old adopted twin boys, Aaron and Leo.

Where did you work before the University? I have spent my career in the student movement. I started out in 2003 at Swansea University Students’ Union on the Union Executive before being elected to the role of President at the National Union of Students in Wales in 2005. These elected positions really shaped my love for the student movement and opened the door to a career in the world of students’ unions. In 2006 I moved to London to work at The University of West London Students’ Union as a Caseworker before moving to King’s College London Students’ Union in 2007 to lead their work around student representation. I spent seven amazing years at King’s before moving to Birmingham to work at the Guild of Students as their Student Voice and Advice Manager. It was after a year there that the role in Bangor came up and I saw the opportunity to take on the challenge of a senior manager position and move back to Wales. That was nine months ago and so far it has been brilliant.

What does your job/role entail? As Students’ Union Director I am the senior member of staff within the Union. I support and work closely with the elected Sabbatical Team to realise their objectives and ensure that our work is in line with the views and wishes of the student population. I lead our amazing team of full and part time staff and ensure that our strategic development work is on track. I liaise and work closely with staff from across the University and provide a continuous point of contact for longer term projects and schemes of work. We recently moved into the new Pontio development so that has taken up a large amount of my time over the

Dylan Williams

PONTIO OPENSContinued from page 1

Dr Tracey Lloyd, School of Psychology, teaching the first lecture to be held at the 450-seat lecture room 5.

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IMPACT AND INNOVATION AWARDS

Projects which have benefited local and global communities were rewarded at the third annual Impact and Innovation Awards recently. These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate the impact that the University’s research, innovation and enterprise activities have on the wider economy and society.

A project which provides the knowledge base which informs the UK Government and other bodies in their management of the world’s largest marine reserve, won the University’s award for Best Impact on Public Policy and/or Public Services sponsored by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account.

The Chagos Marine Reserve in the Indian Ocean has near pristine waters and undamaged coral reefs which serve as a global reference site, providing a benchmark for reversing damaged ecosystems elsewhere. It also serves as a refuge for species that reseed degraded parts of an ocean on which millions of people depend.

Dr John Turner, of the School of Ocean Sciences, co-leads the work with University of Warwick and the Zoological Society of London, assisted by an international team. During their research expeditions to this remote region, they have the rare opportunity to assess a

naturally functioning ecosystem in the absence of human impact, to understand how resilient ecosystems are capable of responding to climate change.

Ten thousand amateur gardeners across the UK were able to grow a new strain of early ripening and tasty tomato suitable for growing outdoors in the UK, thanks to a Bangor University project working with associated businesses. Dr Katherine Steele and James Stroud, of the School of Environment, Natural Resources & Geography won the Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Products Ltd sponsored Award for Best Business Innovation.The new blight-free Crimson Crush tomato, is now sold by a major seed distributor. The project was developed as a KESS Research Scholarship between the School, the Sárvári Research Trust and Burpee Europe. It combined a method which selects the genetic markers for beneficial traits in

the plants, which speeds up the breeding process, with field trials. In the UK 36,000 plants were sold in 2015 and 1.2 million seeds sold for the 2016 season enabling amateur growers to grow tomatoes without the need to use fungicides on their crops.

The award for the Best Cultural and Societal Impact was awarded to Dr Einir Young and Gwenan Griffith of the Sustainability Lab. Following an approach for support, the Sustainability Lab partnered with seven heritage sites on the Llŷn Peninsula in April 2014 to establish the first ever ecomuseum in Wales and the first ecomuseum in the world to be fully digital by default.

The main aim was to drive tourism business in the region during the shoulder season with a conservative estimate of increased revenue of £2million to the economy through cultural tourism. In order to achieve this the partners in the #Ecoamgueddfa identified a need for co-ordinating and co-marketing the ‘offer’ to visitors to Pen Llŷn. A digital marketing package has been developed on social media platforms, with apps

and websites developed for the Welsh and European markets. In the relatively short time since establishing the initiative the global audience for communications from the #Ecoamgueddfa has reached upwards of 150,000.

Some of the oldest surviving Welsh language poetry has been brought into the 21st century with new multi-media teaching resources for students studying A-Level Welsh (First Language). Professor Peredur Lynch of the School of Welsh led

the project for WJEC to develop the new course materials for the new GCE AS/A level qualifications to be taught in Wales from 2015 onwards. The new materials will enrich the experience of teaching and learning about the early Welsh poetry of Aneirin, Taliesin and Dafydd ap Gwilym. For this he received the Outstanding Contribution to Wales Award.

The Welsh Government funded project for the WJEC, enabled Prof Lynch to combine over thirty years

of his own research and teaching on the subject, and that of other scholars, in order to present this part of the curriculum in an innovative and exciting manner to teachers and students, with online multi-media tools to offer new perspectives on early Welsh literature.

Speaking at the Awards ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Professor John G Hughes said: “We have seen some fine examples of the impact that our research is having on people’s lives, and I’m truly impressed by the work of the winners and shortlisted research projects, working with partner organisations and businesses. A year on from the results of UK Research Excellence Framework, which recognised the major impact of our research around the world, and deemed more than three-quarters of our research to be either world-leading or internationally excellent, we are continuing to produce innovative and impactful research at Bangor University. Our research makes a difference in the region and in Wales, but also in many countries around the globe.”

Professor Peredur Lynch and Mari Watkin of WJEC/CBAC receive their award from Professor John G Hughes.

With the Vice-Chancellor (left) are Simon Crawford, Burpee Europe; Dr Katherine Steele, David Shaw of the Sárvári Research Trust and James Stroud.

Dr Einir Young and Gwenan Griffith of the Sustainability Lab and #Ecoamgueddfa partners, Meinir Pierce Jones and Arwel Jones with the Vice-Chancellor.

L-r: Professor Charles Sheppard, (Warwick University) Ronan Roche, Dr John Turner, Anne Sheppard & Professor John G Hughes.

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28% of victims of rape had not told anyone15%

of victims of rape reported the crime to the Police

90% of victims of rape knew the perpetrator

0.5% women (85,000) annually victims of serious sexual offences including rape

1 in 5women aged 16-59 have been a target of a sexual offence

56% rapes were by a partner

1 in 20 women aged 16-59 have been raped

2.5% women (404,000) annually vitcims of sexual offences

Source: Ministry of Justice, Home Office & the Office for National Statistics (January 2013)

Universities UK has set up a new taskforce to look at all forms of violence and harassment affecting students, but with particular focus on sexual violence against women. The University’s Director of Student Experience, Maria Lorenzini, is a member of the taskforce, representing managers of student services within UK universities.

Maria said: “Through the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education, The Student Services Organisation, student services in the UK have been working together to develop best practice in responding to and preventing sexual harassment and sexual assault among students. The conclusion from this work is that a sustainable, whole-institutional strategy will be needed to tackle gender-based violence among students, underpinned by an evidence-based approach that places the issues within the wider context in society.

“A useful starting point for

establishing the facts around gender-based violence is the 2013 report from the Ministry of Justice1. From this report we know that around 2.5% of women are victims of a sexual offence annually in England and Wales, and 0.5% of women annually are victims of the most serious sexual offences, including rape. After gender, age is the most significant factor in the targeting of victims; the younger a woman is, the more likely she is to be targeted. Full-time students are more likely than any other occupational group to be targeted by perpetrators of sexual offences.

“One of the most damaging myths about rape generally is that it is a

rare act committed by strangers, and that by implication, a woman can protect herself from rape by taking steps to ensure her own safety. Not only does this victim-blaming approach shift the responsibility from perpetrators to the women they target, but it

AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH TO TACKLING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

discourages women from reporting the crime for fear of being blamed or disbelieved. The statistics disprove the stranger rape myth: 90% of women who are raped know the perpetrator and 56% of rapes are rapes by a partner.

“Another damaging myth is that there is a high prevalence of false accusations of rape. So pervasive is this misplaced belief, that the Crown Prosecution Service conducted research into the issue2. The research disproves the myth: during the period of the review there were 5,651 prosecutions for rape and 35 prosecutions for making a false accusation of rape. Furthermore, of those 35 cases, a significant number involved young, often vulnerable people.

“Embedding an evidence-based, best practice approach to responding to and preventing gender-based violence will require a sustained and whole-institution effort. Utilising statistics to demonstrate the need for this work, and to dispel the myths that inhibit progress, is an essential first step.”

The Universities UK taskforce will develop principles, guidance and recommendations for universities and will report its findings for the start of the 2016/17 academic year. Bangor’s University Executive has already received a briefing from Dr Rachel Fenton, a leading expert in the prevention of gender-based violence in universities settings, in preparation for implementing the Universities UK recommendations

References:1. Ministry of Justice, Home Office & the Office for National Statistics (January 2013), An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales2. Crown Prosecution Service Equality and Diversity Unit (March 2013), Cases Involving Allegedly False Rape and Domestic Violence Allegations: Joint report to the Director of Public Prosecutions

Maria Lorenzini

BUILDING ON A DEGREE COURSE WHICH IS 50 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR The first cohort of students recruited onto a new four year MOcean degree programme at the School of Ocean Sciences graduated last July. Of the five students who graduated, three have gone straight onto fully funded PhDs at Leeds, Southampton and Reading Universities, each being a top department for Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric sciences respectively, whilst a fourth opted to go into employment as a sea going oceanographer at the UK Government Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. The new four year course shares its third and fourth year modules with the highly successful MSc courses in Physical Oceanography and Marine Geosciences, which this year celebrate their 50th anniversary. Professor Tom Rippeth said: “The achievement of this first cohort of graduates clearly demonstrates the new four year M-programme has already achieved the same high level of recognition as our highly regarded MSc courses.”  

ASPIRING LEADERS IN WALES GIVEN £3.9M BOOST Following the success of the LEAD Wales project which supported over 900 people to gain skills and qualifications between 2009 and 2015, a new £3.9m EU backed initiative led by Swansea University in partnership with Bangor University has been announced by Finance and Government Business Minister, Jane Hutt. The ION Leadership project is based at the Business School and will raise skills and drive forward productivity and turnover in small and medium sized enterprises, as well as in larger organisations. The project aims to enhance career development and improve the performance of hundreds of businesses in North, West Wales and the South Wales Valleys – leading to increases in profitability and growth. The three-year initiative will support over 590 entrepreneurs and aspiring leaders to develop high level skills through a targeted leadership programme to raise productivity in their workplaces and develop sustainable, profitable enterprises

NEWS IN BRIEF

NEW BANGOR-CHINA AGREEMENT Oceanographers at the School of Ocean Sciences have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre for Coastal Ocean Science and Technology at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. As part of this agreement oceanographers from the two Universities plan to come together for a joint workshop in Guangzhou to discuss common research interests, in September 2016. It is also hoped that two Bangor MOcean students will spend their International Year Abroad at the University from October 2016. Sun Yat-sen University is rated number 1 in Southern China and according to the Times Higher Education World University Ranking the University was ranked in the top 200 in the world

Professor Tom Rippeth With Professor Jiaxue Wu, Head Of The Centre for Coastal Ocean Science and Technology at Sun Yat-Sen University.

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Dr Alexandra Plows, School of Social Sciences has been awarded a grant under Bangor University’s Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) ESRC Impact Project Grant scheme, with Professor Tony Dobbins (co-I).This grant will fund the following event: Welsh Labour Market Summit II: debating interventions to match skills and jobs, to be held in Bangor in September 2016. Building on a very successful first event held in 2015, Labour Market Summit II is a knowledge exchange event which will debate existing, and possible future, labour market policy interventions in response to large-scale job losses across traditional industries (deindustrialization) in the Welsh labour market, with a particular emphasis on north Wales, and with reference to other regional labour markets. It will provide a platform for catalysing policy and/or practice change. Invited guest speakers will consist of labour market stakeholders/practitioners and academics.

Dr Alexandra Plows, School of Social Sciences, has also been awarded an AHRC network grant. The grant is specifically focused on interdisciplinary collaboration and will enable the development of an interdisciplinary network of European artists, scientists, social scientists, policy makers and

practitioners, with interests in urban waste management innovation. The aim of the “smART cities and waste” network is to identify ways in which different disciplines can inform each other’s practice and experience, and facilitate innovation and ‘best practice’ uptake, through structured knowledge exchange. Over the next two years workshops will be held in four European cities: Amsterdam, Maastricht, London and Bangor. “Pop up” events will also be held to enable the local knowledge of the general public to feed into the network. The project’s interactive website, http://smartcitiesandwaste.com/, will be up and running shortly and will act as the main communication portal for the network.

An innovative idea submitted by the Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory at the School of Biological Sciences has been selected as one of eight projects selected within four idea areas to be funded by the Natural Environment Research Council’s new Highlight Topic research funding stream. The scientific community were invited to subject project areas which would place environmental science at the heart of the sustainable management of the planet. “Environmental DNA: a tool for 21st century ecology”, was the new idea suggested by Bangor University in

collaboration with other academics and stakeholders, among around 150 other submissions. The successful project will assess how we can use new genetic techniques to measure freshwater biodiversity. Dr Simon Creer and his team have been awarded the four-year £1.25M Highlight Tropic grant to work with the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Cardiff University, the University of Birmingham and collaborators throughout the world.

As part of the Network for Media and Persuasive Communication, Vian Bakir and Andrew McStay of the School of Creative Industries and Media worked with academics at Cardiff University’s Digital Citizenship and Surveillance Society project to deliver a 23-page Policy Report on Public Feeling on Privacy, Security and Surveillance. The report summarises a range of studies on public feeling on privacy, security and surveillance post-Snowden, making recommendations of interest to anyone legislating or campaigning on Privacy, Security and Surveillance. This report was sent to legislators, regulators, intelligence advisors, NGOs, activists and journalists, in the hope of intervening in public and policy discourse around the new Investigatory Powers Bill being debated in parliament

RESEARCH ROUND-UPMore research news at www.bangor.ac.uk/research

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONSWith nearly 250 years of service to the University between them, eight lifelong friends met up to share a special birthday recently.

Kath Thomas celebrated her 80th birthday at Pontio’s Gorad restaurant with friends that she met whilst working at the University. Kath, who worked at various departments during her 22 years at the University, recalled:

“I loved working at Bangor, all my colleagues were brilliant, very friendly and it was an incredibly interesting place to work. During my career I made lots of new and lifelong friends. The University is a major part of Bangor, and I’m very grateful that it became an important part of my life. I have very good memories and still have strong connections with the place. I still go to many events. It’s great that I have all this on my doorstep!”

Nerys Hague and Delyth Murphy who still work at the University and have 77 years combined service between them; along with Eirwen Read, Moira Tait, Pat Ormond, Muriel Edwards, Eirlys McGregor and Kath, have worked all over the University, including the Departments of Classics (Greek & Latin), Social Theory and Institutions, Drama, Modern Languages (French & German) as well as the Translation

Unit, Accommodation and Conference Offices. Having forged a strong bond, they regularly meet for a catch-up and to reminisce about the days before computers and the secrets of the tea room

L-R: Delyth Murphy, Eirlys McGregor, Muriel Edwards, Nerys Hague, Kath Thomas, Pat Ormond, Moira Tait and Eirwen Reed.

The University proved its commitment to supporting the learning of Welsh amongst its staff once again with the highest number of staff attending Welsh courses last year.

Over 150 staff followed Welsh courses and many went on to gain qualifications, with 13 attaining the internal Welsh in The Workplace certificate, and 28 gainning CBAC certificates in examinations across all levels of learning.

All courses for staff are administered by the University’s Welsh for Adults Centre with the help of Elwyn Hughes and Jenny Pye.

Amongst the staff receiving certificates this year was the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications, Frank Fitzmaurice, who underlined the University’s commitment to its Welsh heritage, saying: “Bangor University draws much of its strength from its proud and long tradition as a university in north Wales, and learning Welsh has

helped me to better understand and appreciate those strengths.”

Professor John G Hughes, Vice-Chancellor, who presented staff with their certificates, said:“I’d like to congratulate everyone on their success. Learning another language can be quite difficult at times, but with the support of the tutors here, it’s possible for anyone to learn Welsh. I would encourage others to also learn Welsh – not only does it enable you to understand more about the area, the culture of Wales and its people, but it’s also a lot of fun!”

Some of the staff that received their certificates.

STAFF AWARDED FOR LEARNING WELSH

NEW BOOKSCount us in: How to make maths real for all of us by Gareth Ffowc Roberts, Emeritus Professor, School of Education ISBN 9781783167968

Mathematics, like language, is a universal experience; every society counts and is empowered by its ability to count and to measure. The mathematical processes developed within various cultures differ widely, and Count us in explores these cultural links. The process of counting, like the process of communicating with words, is

common to all societies but there is a rich variety in methods of counting and of recording numbers – methods that have developed over centuries to meet the needs of various groups of people. The narrative in this book takes the form of a collection of short stories based on the author’s personal experience, linked together by a

number of sub-themes. As a popular book on mathematics and on the personalities that created it, there are no prerequisites beyond the reader’s rudimentary and possibly hazy recollection of primary-school mathematics and a curiosity to know more

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PROMOTION TO PERSONAL CHAIR

Professor Tony Dobbins joined the Bangor Business School in 2011 as a Lecturer in Employment Relations. He was promoted

to Senior Lecturer in 2012 and to Reader in 2014. He is a recognised international scholar in the field of employment studies and his recent publications appear in the British Journal of Management, Human Relations and Work, Employment & Society. He has made important outreach contributions through his work on the impact of economic restructuring on Welsh regional labour markets, and through discussion of his research on BBC Radio 4.

Professor Andrew Edwards gained his BA, MA and PhD at Bangor before joining the School of History and

Archaeology in 2002 as a Researcher. He was appointed Lecturer in 2004, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011 before becoming Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities in 2012. He is an authority on the history of Welsh Devolution and the history of the Labour Party, making both national and international contributions to his field of study, and participating regularly on national television and radio.

Professor Louise Hassan joined the Bangor Business School as Reader in 2013. Previously she has worked for the NHS and at five other UK Universities. Her research focuses on understanding psychological and other motives underlying the consumption of harmful products, such as tobacco and alcohol. Efforts to make a societal impact are directed at public policy discussion as well as generating actionable interventions. She is currently an external examiner for several universities and an editorial review board member for the Journal of Business Research and for Trading Standards Review.

Professor Stuart Jenkins joined the University in 2006 as a Lecturer at the School of Ocean Sciences. He

was promoted to Reader in 2010. He has made significant contributions to the field of marine population and community ecology through experimental work in intertidal and shallow subtidal systems. Since 2010, he has successfully attracted over £2 million in research funds with successful grants awarded from NERC, Welsh Government NRN-LCEE, Natural Resources Wales and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Professor Jonathan Roberts was appointed as a Senior lecturer in the School of Computer Sciences in 2007. He is

currently the Deputy Head of School and has played a major role in the recent British Computer Science Accreditation and internal revalidation of the School’s courses. He has published his research in top journals in the field, such as Computer Graphics Forum and the IEEE Transactions on Visualisation and Computer Graphics, as well as publishing extensively in more specialist forums and conferences.

PROMOTION TO READER

Dr Michaela Swales was jointly appointed by the School of Psychology and Betsi Cadwaladr University

Health Board in 1992. She was promoted to Consultant Clinical Psychologist in 2000 and Senior Lecturer in 2011. Nationally, her expertise has continued to be recognised with her appointment as the President of the Society for Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and as a member of the Expert Reference Group for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. Her first book, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Distinctive Features was recently translated into Japanese.

PROMOTION TO SENIOR LECTURER

Research Led

Dr John Cunningham, of the School of Music, ranks among the world-leading experts on English music during the 17th

and 18th centuries and is highly respected nationally and internationally for his excellent, sustained publication record and regular conference presence. He has several School roles including Director of Teaching & Learning and several College roles including Director of the Centre for Research in Early Music. He is also a peer-reviewer for the Cambridge University Press.

Dr Marco Tamburelli joined the School of Linguistics and English Language in 2010. He co-founded the

International Research Group on Contested Languages and is a linguistic advisor to three language organizations in Italy. He is a reviewer for several international journals including Second Language Research and Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. He was also chief organiser of the first International Conference on Contested Languages held in Bangor and is co-organizing the next conference to be held in Turin.

Dr Ru Xie was appointed to the Bangor Business School in 2010. She has several publications in the Review of Finance (one of the leading

journals in the subject area), the European Financial Management, the Journal of Financial Services Research, and the International Review of Financial Analysis. She is also an Employability Officer within the Business School and referees for several journals including the Journal of Banking and Finance and the European Journal of Finance.

Dr Yvonne McDermott Rees joined the School of Law in 2011. She has published her research, mainly in the fields of international

criminal law and human rights, with Oxford University Press and in leading law journals, including the Leiden Journal of International Law and the Journal of International Criminal Justice. She was also one of four legal academics from across the UK to be appointed as Academic Fellow of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in 2014.

Dr Manon Jones joined the School of Psychology in 2010. She conducts research on language, with a focus on

reading, using eye-tracking and electrophysiological methods. Her research is published in some of

the top journals in Psychology, and she regularly reviews grants and articles as a member of the ESRC Peer Review College and as a reviewer for over 15 international journals. Currently funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, she also directs Welsh provision at the School of Psychology.

Dr Samuel Oliver joined the School of Sports, Health and Exercises Science in 2007. His research with the Extremes

Research Group examines how human performance and health are affected by the stresses of extreme environments (e.g. altitude, cold, nutrient restriction and sleep loss). He has co-authored 26 peer-reviewed papers, secured ~£2 million external funds and examined PhDs in the UK and Australia. He has supervised five PhD students and provided nutrition and training advice to international athletes and explorers.

Since joining the School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography in 2006, Dr James Gibbons’ research has

focused on the analysis of environmental data and modelling the interaction between policy, land use and the environment. He is currently leading the The Sêr Cymru National Research Network for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment CLEANER COWS project and is a contributor to readers’ questions for the BBC Wildlife magazine.

STAFF PROMOTIONS We are pleased to announce the following promotions:

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Dr Andrew Smith was appointed to the School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography in 2013. He is the

Principle Investigator of the Sêr Cymru NRN-LCEE research cluster ‘Multi-Land’ that investigates how synergistic interactions between animals, trees and soils can be used to improve ecosystem service provision. He is the Forestry Programme leader for the Forestry and Environmental Management BSc at Bangor College, CSUFT, China and a member of the CSUFT working group.

Dr Martin Skov of the School of Ocean Sciences, joined the University in 2009. Since then he has attracted £1.9 million in grants

to study the ecology and ecosystem services of mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass beds. Long-term environmental research by Martin and colleagues was instrumental to setting up the world’s first carbon-trading project with mangrove forests. He is a grant reviewer for national and international bodies including NERC, and an elected representative on the Welsh National Habitat Creation Programme.

Dr Chris Gwenin of the School of Chemistry established and holds the School’s Narcotics and Human Tissue

License and has secured £3.1

million of funding since his appointment in 2009. He is a reviewer for several journals including the Journal of Materials Chemistry and serves on the Joint Global World Health Organisation / Foundation for Innovative Diagnostics Board on the development of diagnostics sensors. He has several patents including a universal drug delivery system to cancer cells.

Teaching & Learning Led

Dewi Rhys Rowlands joined the School of Education in 2000. Since becoming Course Director for two Design

undergraduate programmes, he has introduced new teaching and learning methodologies that have enhanced the quality and level of engagement with both the education and industry sectors. In 2012 he was part of the Estyn inspection team for the South and West Wales Centre of Teacher Education and has also been a member of the judging panel for the Welsh Government National Innovation Awards.

After completing her BSc & MSc at Bangor University, Dr Tracey Lloyd joined the School of Psychology

teaching team in 2007, while writing up her PhD. She is currently Chair of the Cadarn Skills Centre Health & Wellbeing Public Lecture series and has previously chaired the Wales Branch of the British Psychological Society. She

established the Psychology Oral Presentation Practice Sessions classes curriculum. She still sits on the award-winning PsychSociety committee that she herself chaired as a student.

Dr Cara Hughes joined the School of Ocean Sciences in 2002. She is the organiser for BSc and Masters degrees and has overseen

significant improvements in the percentage of good degrees and NSS overall degree satisfaction scores in a variety of degree programmes. She led the large-scale reorganisation of Level 6 teaching and is the Head of Level 7 M degree teaching within the School. She is also a reviewer for the Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, Scientia Marina and Hydrobiological.

Dr Mohammed Mabrook was appointed as a RCUK Fellow, in the School of Electronic Engineering, in 2009. He is an internationally

recognised researcher, making significant contributions to nanoelectronics. His research into organic electronics, sensors and nanotechnology have led him to achieve two patents on food quality control and gas sensors using inkjet printing technology. He is a guest editor for IET Circuits, Devices and Systems and a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Physical Sciences

STAFF PROMOTIONSContinued

Bangor researchers continue to participate in an award-winning programme that seeks to develop Wales’ future research leaders. The Welsh Crucible scheme provides a valuable combination of personal, professional and leadership development for researchers and aims to highlight the cutting-edge research that is taking place in Welsh institutions. There was considerable competition for places on last year’s scheme and five members of staff from Bangor were among 30 Welsh Crucible participants.

They were: Dr Emily S Cross (School of Psychology), Dr Yvonne McDermott Rees (School of Law), Dr John Thomas (School of Chemistry), Dr Zengbo Wang (School of Electronic Engineering) and Dr Gill Windle (Dementia Services Development Centre). 

About her selection, Yvonne McDermott Rees, said: “Participation in the Welsh Crucible programme has given me skills that I could never have imagined gaining before I took part. Through the three residential workshops, I discovered some of the benefits and opportunities of inter-disciplinary

research, developed ideas into what is now a funded research project together with colleagues from four other Universities, and, moreover, made 29 new friends for life!”

Emily Cross added: “The Welsh Crucible provided a brilliant opportunity to meet an incredibly diverse, talented and driven group of future research leaders from around Wales. The format of the programme meant that you not only spoke about work and research matters, but you also got to know the fellow Cruciblees through social events, which were a lot of fun and really cemented the bonds started in more formal contexts. Career-wise, the programme has opened doors to several exciting cross-disciplinary research opportunities that I would have never envisioned previously, including looking into how politicians’ first-hand experience in conflict zones changes their perception of the conflict, and how social perception research can inform patient compliance with medical device use.

Overall, there was a lot of exploring uncharted and unknown terrain, but the programme is so well run that even though almost everyone is a

little (or a lot!) out of their comfort zone for a considerable part of the programme, the facilitators make sure really good things come out of that. It was a blast!”

The notion that researchers have much to gain from participating in the Welsh Crucible was further reinforced by Bangor’s Welsh Crucible champion, Dr Penny Dowdney. She said: “When 30 top class researchers from across Wales get together for the three Welsh Crucible labs, there is an extraordinary energy and from that comes collaborations across disciplines – it’s fabulous to be a part of that.”

If you are interested in applying for Welsh Crucible 2016 please contact the Bangor Welsh Crucible champion Dr Penny Dowdney, extension: 2266 p.j.dowdney@bangor.ac.uk who can advise on the application and selection process, and put you in touch with current Bangor participants in the Welsh Crucible.

You can also find further details about the scheme online: www.welshcrucible.org.uk

Welsh Crucible participants at the 2015 reception in the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay.

WELSH CRUCIBLE UPDATE

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What made you learn Welsh / use more Welsh? It was a no-brainer really. When I moved to Wales I wanted to learn Welsh as that’s what most of the people around me spoke. It’s also a way for me to get a better sense of the country and community I’m living in. Already the Welsh I’ve learnt has given me glimpses and understandings of aspects of Welsh life that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t started learning Welsh. It’s also been interesting to notice the different aspects of a Welsh-speaker’s personality that emerges when they’re speaking Welsh compared to English!

How do you use Welsh at work? My Welsh speaking colleagues are

very encouraging and patient! I’ll try to start off a conversation in Welsh if the person I’m speaking to is wearing an orange Cymraeg badge. It’s always a very reassuring sign for a Welsh learner to spot! Gives you the courage to give Welsh a go. Every interaction in Welsh, no matter how small, helps the confidence.

How do you use Welsh outside work? I’m very lucky that my partner and daughter are Welsh speakers

so I get to hear a lot of Welsh at home. As my Welsh improves I find I can increasingly follow their conversations and can chip in more often in Welsh. When I can I try to use Welsh with Welsh-speaking friends; it’s great when they keep the conversation going in Welsh, even if I have to lapse into English for a few words - or sentences - here and there.

How would you like to see your use of Welsh developing? At the moment the thought of doing academic work through Welsh is a bit daunting. My more immediate goal is to get to a standard where my presence in a social situation or in a meeting doesn’t mean that a group of Welsh-speakers has to turn to English just for my sake. Then I obviously want to push on to greater fluency where I’d be comfortable and competent enough to use Welsh in public situations and academic discussions

The University’s Confucius Institute celebrated Chinese New Year 2016 – the Year of the Monkey – with all sorts of exciting events in and around Bangor.

Chinese cultural workshops were delivered to 15 local school and community groups, and the Institute put on a number of hugely successful family events including a Chinese film and crafts day at Theatr Colwyn and a special dragon puppet workshop at Penrhyn Castle.

The highlight of this year’s events was undoubtedly the Institute’s awe-inspiring Two Dragons Parade; a vibrant procession through Bangor city centre, created, performed and puppeteered by schoolchildren from Ysgol Hirael. The parade was followed the same afternoon with a drop-in calligraphy workshop at the Deiniol Shopping Centre Gallery, and the New Year season drew to a close on Sunday 6 March with a second calligraphy workshop at Pontio to accompany the screening of new Mandarin language film The Assassin (12A).

The Confucius Institute continues to run regular Chinese classes with local schools including Ysgol Friars, Hirael and Our Lady’s (Bangor); Ysgol Kingsland, Holyhead and

Llanbedrgoch (Anglesey); and further afield, Ysgol y Gader (Dolgellau) and Denbigh High School. Regular Mandarin classes also take place each week at Coleg Menai and, in addition, the Institute is currently running Chinese Mondays at St Mary’s Site; a special evening class for Bangor University students.

Outreach activity continues in earnest with Chinese language and culture sessions delivered to schools, community groups and individuals across the region, and there are plenty more public events to come later this year including art exhibitions, music performances and a third Kite Festival in the summer.

This year the Confucius Institute will also be working with the IEC to offer free Chinese lessons to University staff travelling to China for work. A series of fun, informal short courses will teach some of the basics of Mandarin as well as touching on elements of Chinese culture and social etiquette.

For more information about any upcoming events or activities from the Confucius Institute, please visit our website for updates: www.bangor.ac.uk/confucius-institute, find us on Facebook (Sefydliad Confucius Bangor Confucius Institute) or email: confuciusinstitute@bangor.ac.uk

The School of Social Sciences is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Founded in October 1966 as the Department of Social Theory and Institutions in the then University College of North Wales, the School has undergone many changes over the past 50 years.

It has also grown considerably. Now, it has a total of over 40 teaching, research and administrative staff and is a home to over 400 undergraduates, 50 taught postgraduates, and twenty research students.

Bangor Social Sciences alumni and former staff can be found working throughout Wales and the UK in government and public services, education, media and third sector organisations. Many have made longer journeys and are influencing social policy and social sciences education as far away as Australia.

Today, the School’s research and teaching focus falls under three main categories – Health, Social Care, Welfare, and Wellbeing; Communities, Cultures, Language and Identities; and Crime, Criminal Justice, and Society. The School remains engaged with the local community and offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees through the medium of Welsh, including a qualifying MA Social Work degree in partnership with local authorities in North Wales.

The School will celebrate their impact across the world this year and staff and students will be invited to take part in a range of celebratory events. Details will be available soon

SOCIAL SCIENCES @ 50

LEARNING WELSH, USING WELSH: Dr Alison Mawhinney, ReaderSchool of Law

CHINESE NEW YEAR IN BANGOR

Alison Mawhinney

Movement workshop at Ysgol Hirael with Colin Daimond (Artistic Director of the Two Dragons Parade) and Chinese Dancer, Liu Yuan.

At Bangor, Student Engagement means enabling students to take an active role in the development, management and governance of our University, our academic programmes and our learning experience. We do this by opening up our structures and processes to increase student involvement, and by working closely with the Students’ Union on a range of innovative projects.

Work in this area began in 2012 with the appointment of a Student Engagement Officer. The project has since grown, culminating this year with the establishment of a Student Engagement Unit, reporting to Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students), Professor Carol Tully. Surveys Officer, Mandy Jones-Hann, formerly of the Planning and Resources Office, has moved to join Jo Caulfield, Head of Student Engagement, and all student survey activity has been centralised within this newly formed unit.

The Unit designs, promotes and reports on student surveys. Crucially, they work across the University to ensure students are aware of how their feedback is acted upon, and are fully involved in processes for creating change. The Student Engagement Unit is now responsible for the National Students Survey, Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey, Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, Destination Survey, and the Welcome Week Survey.

Professor Carol Tully, said: “We have been working on student engagement at Bangor for several

years now, in pursuit of our aim to provide a high quality experience for all our students. Our success in areas such as the National Student Survey suggests that our approach is effective, and centralising our student surveys within the new Unit means we can continue to prioritise students’ feedback and ideas.”

Should you have any question regarding student engagement within your area, please do not hesitate to contact either Jo (j.caulfield@bangor.ac.uk) or Mandy (m.jones-hann@bangor.ac.uk)

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AT BANGOR

L-R: Jo Caulfield, Professor Carol Tully and Mandy Jones-Hann.

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NEWSLETTER is published by the Corporate Communications & Marketing Department, Bangor University. Items for inclusion in the next edition should be emailed to aose3e@bangor.ac.uk by 8 April 2016© Bangor University. Please contact aose3e@bangor.ac.uk for permission to reproduce any article. Updated University news can be found at www.bangor.ac.uk/news @BangorUni @BangorUniPress

Last year, Alan Owen, Duty Officer at Canolfan Brailsford ran Europe’s toughest marathon, the Snowdonia Marathon, six times in consecutive days to raise money for Bangor cancer sufferer Irfon Williams’ #TeamIrfon fundraising campaign.

His challenge for 2016 is to run around Anglesey’s coastline, all 134 miles of it, in 24 hours. Along with two friends, Stephen Edwards and Phil Tan, Alan has already begun training for the June event which will support the #TeamIrfon and Gafael Llaw charities. To sponsor Alan, please email him on alan.owen@bangor.ac.uk

ALAN’S LATEST CHALLENGE

STAFF 5-A-SIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

The 2016 Staff 5 a-side tournament took place on Saturday 23 January at Canolfan Brailsford. Teams from IT Services, the School of Biological Sciences, School of Psychology, School of Ocean Sciences and Canolfan Brailsford took part.

Psychology beat Biological Sciences in the first semi final, before ITS defeated last year’s winners, Brailsford, in a close game. The final was another close match between Psychology and ITS which finished 1-0 to Psychology to see them regain

their crown for the first time since 2013.

Male of the tournament was David Robinson from IT, and female of the tournament was Polly Barr from Psychology.

Will Baxter from Canolfan Brailsford, said: “It was a fun day throughout what was a hard fought tournament. Thank you to everyone that took part and helped make it a fantastic day, see you all next year.”

The 2016 Staff 5 a-side teams.

Alan Owen

Left: Female of the tournament - Polly Barr & Male of the tournament, David Robinson.