News
Lady Mireille Gillings opens Neuroimaging Centre
Global business leader and philanthropist Lady Mireille Gillings, PhD, Hon DSc, officially opened the cutting-edge new imaging centre which bears her name on International Women’s Day 2022.
The University of Exeter Medical School’s new Mireille Gillings Neuroimaging Centre was funded by part of a £10 million donation from the Dennis and Mireille Gillings Foundation. The gift also funded three Mireille Gillings Fellows in Health Innovation, supporting female academics in leadership roles. Two years on, each of the three Fellows appointed is in a senior leadership position.
The new building, located at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) site, will help accelerate clinical trials for potential dementia treatments over the next five years. The centre is the latest example of the close partnership working between the University of Exeter and the RD&E.
Lady Mireille Gillings, PhD, Hon DSc, is the founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of HUYABIO International, a global leader in accelerating development of biopharma innovation from China. She unveiled a plaque at the new facility, saying: “This exciting state of the art neuroimaging centre will transform clinical research across South West England. It will enable Exeter to compete with advantage on the worldwide research stage to advance therapies for Parkinson’s Disease, dementia and other debilitating conditions.”
Major new tipping points initiative launched at conference
Efforts to activate “positive tipping points” to tackle the climate crisis have been boosted by a £1 million (US$1.15 million) grant from the Bezos Earth Fund.
A team – led by the University of Exeter and including Systemiq and the Systems Change Lab – will use the funding to “improve the assessment, forecasting and activation of positive tipping points” and produce a first “state of tipping points” report. The new initiative was launched at a major tipping points conference hosted by the Global Systems Institute (GSI) in September 2022.
A tipping point occurs when a small change sparks a rapid, often irreversible transformation – and positive tipping points could transform human societies to protect the planet. Exeter researchers have helped to highlight the threat of climate tipping points – with a recent study showing five could be triggered at current levels of global warming – so the need for positive tipping points is increasingly urgent.
University of Exeter announce the Sir Steve Smith Building
The substantial contribution made to the University by Professor Sir Steve Smith during his tenure as Vice-Chancellor has been celebrated, with the LSI Building being renamed in his honour. As part of the renaming, an official portrait of Sir Steve will reside in the communal space of the building.
Professor Sir Steve Smith became Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter in October 2002. Under his leadership, Exeter became one of the UK’s top universities, with a rapidly growing global reputation including making it into the global top 100 in the University’s Diamond Jubilee year in 2015.
His vision saw the creation of the University of Exeter Medical School, the joining of the Russell Group in 2012, achieving TEF Gold, the creation of Exeter Science Park, and the establishment of the GW4 Alliance. In the UK higher education sector, Professor Sir Steve took on many key roles including Chair of the 1994 Group of universities, Chair of the UCAS Board, and President of Universities UK between 2009 and 2011. His achievements saw him knighted in 2011.
Speaking at the event, Professor Sir Steve said: “It is a great honour that the University has paid me, and I must confess that I am delighted it has decided to name this building in my honour. So many of us worked so hard to get this project completed, and it typifies our commitment towards interdisciplinary research, and to developing a truly bench-to-bedside approach to link the research base with impact on patients and thus the local community. But although this building may have my name on it, it represents colleagues who transformed this university into what it is today.”
Lady Smith, Professor Sir Steve Smith, Professor Lisa Roberts, Mike Shore-Nye.
Lord Myners’ legacy honoured with Cornish scholarship fund
Lord Myners, former Chancellor of the University of Exeter, who sadly passed away in January 2022, has been honoured with a new scholarship that will support talented students from his native Cornwall for the next three years.
The Lord Myners of Truro Scholarships will support an undergraduate student from a disadvantaged background, beginning their studies in each of September 2022, 2023 and 2024. Each student will be a top performer from our Widening Participation Pathways programme and the scholarship will be worth £12,000.
Lord Myners was a passionate believer in the power of education and at the heart of everything he did was a desire to help others. He was a proud Cornishman and a great supporter of the University who presided over the graduations of 20,000 students during his time as Chancellor until he retired in 2021.
Philanthropic donation will help achieve a sustainable future for mining
Anglo American, one of the world’s leading mining companies, has made a transformational donation to support sustainable mining research and education at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter.
The £3.5 million donation will fund a research programme combining the study of mining engineering with environmental and social sciences and include interdisciplinary and policy-related work. It will include a Professorial Chair and a cohort of post-Doctoral Fellowships.
The ‘Mark Cutifani Anglo American Chair in Mining Innovation’ will honour the achievements of Mr Mark Cutifani, Chief Executive of Anglo American, who retired in June 2022 after nine years. The position will reflect the ambitions set out in the company’s sustainable mining plan and recognises the need to approach mining activity responsibly. The successful candidate will establish a research group for the future of mining with an emphasis on the proactive development of new technologies, taking into account their technical, social, environmental and governance impacts. The new Chair will promote creative and inter-disciplinary research collaborations between Anglo American, Camborne School of Mines researchers and educators, and the wider stakeholder communities.
Exeter alumni celebrate winning volunteer awards
Two Exeter alumni won our Alumni Volunteer of the Year Awards 2022 for their efforts supporting students and alumni.
Sanjana Chopra, a 2014 graduate in Management with Marketing, won the Debbie Hill Award for the Exceptional Support of Students, while Jamie Cole, who graduated in 1987 with a degree in Maths, was awarded the Nicholas Bull Award for the Exceptional Support of the Alumni Community.
Sanjana received her award for volunteering her time with the Career Ready Programme, helping the Indian Exeter Alumni Association committee, supporting employability events and pre-departure events, as well as participating in the Business School’s EQUIS reaccreditation. Jamie was recognised for volunteering his time to supervise MBA projects, providing guest lectures on modules, helping steer Exeter’s relationship with IBM and his role as chair of the MBA Corporate Advisory Board as well as supporting IIB in the development of new data opportunities. Both were chosen by a panel of University staff, students and fellow alumni.
Acclaimed musician and social justice campaigner Stormzy among Honorary Graduates at 2022 ceremonies
Influential musician and social justice campaigner Michael Owuo Jr praised the “guts, grit and dedication” of students as he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Exeter for his work to promote education and fighting racial inequality.
As well as being an acclaimed musician Stormzy has been an inspiring spokesman for black empowerment and social activism. In his speech to graduates Mr Owuo said he felt “extremely blessed and grateful” to receive his honorary degree and joked about how pleased he was to be known as a philanthropist.
Others honoured at the summer ceremonies included journalists Lyse Doucet OBE, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Isabel Hardman and Carrie Gracie; former Royal Marine Mark Ormrod MBE; alumna and author Dolly Alderton; scientist Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE; philanthropists André & Rosalie Hoffmann; human rights campaigner Zrinka Bralo; and alumni Nicholas Bull, Henry Staunton and Andrew Brownsword CBE.
Alumni Dominic Scriven OBE and James Goulding were also inducted into the College of Benefactors in recognition of their exceptional support of the University.
University of Exeter Business School wins THE Business School of the Year in industry “Oscars”
The University of Exeter Business School was named Business School of the Year in the 2022 Times Higher Education Awards, known as the “Oscars” of higher education, in November 2022.
The accolade is among the most prestigious in the industry, in recognition of the Business School’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis. The School has made sustainability a major focus of its strategy and mission through research, education and partnerships, in line with its strong belief that business has a crucial role to play in tackling the global climate emergency.
Professor Lisa Roberts, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, said: “I’m so delighted with this outstanding and well-deserved recognition of our Business School as the leading light in taking meaningful action on the climate crisis. It’s an incredible testament to our staff, who are pioneering research that changes the culture and practices of business, while maintaining high standards of student satisfaction and training the next generation of global business leaders. I’d like to extend a huge thanks and congratulations to all our staff, students and supporters for this tremendous achievement.
Alumni establish PhD scholarship programme for Black British students
Anew scholarship programme that will support Black British PhD students has been launched thanks to philanthropic donations from Exeter alumni.
The University of Exeter PhD Studentships for Black British Researchers will cover full fees, stipend, training grant and a short internship or placement for successful candidates in subjects across the academic spectrum.
The scholarship programme has been established by founding donors Sarah Turvill, the University’s former Chair of Council; environmental philanthropist Roger De Freitas; and private equity fund manager Wol Kolade CBE.
A minimum of eight scholarships will be awarded over the lifetime of the scheme, with the University’s three faculties match-funding the support.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lisa Roberts, said: “We are thrilled to be able to launch this new scholarship scheme thanks to the generosity of Roger, Wol and Sarah. Through these generous donations, we can significantly enhance the commitment in our strategy to support talented individuals from all backgrounds to thrive and to foster a truly inclusive research culture here at Exeter. There is no doubt that there are very few Black Professors in the UK, and this scheme is just one way in which we are acting to change this at Exeter, by creating a talent pipeline from PhD to senior leaders.”
For the first year, one PhD scholarship will be recruited to each of the University’s three Faculties – Environment, Science and Economy; Health and Life Sciences; and Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. In addition to the financial package, successful students will also receive mentoring and support specific to their degree.
Sarah, an alumna of the University’s School of Law, served as the Chair of Council for a decade from 2012-22. Speaking of her donation of £500,000, and the creation of the new scholarship programme, she said: “As an Exeter graduate, and someone proud to have served as Chair of Council for ten years, I’ve seen the profound difference that higher education can make to a person’s life. So, I am deeply honoured that my donation should be used in this way to open a pathway into research for talented, black postgraduates.”
The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum celebrates quarter of a century milestone
One of the country’s largest and most respected collections of material and memorabilia relating to cinema and the moving image in Britain celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022.
The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum has amassed more than 86,000 artefacts in the quarter of a century since it opened its doors to the public – from rare 18th century prints and an original 1896 Lumière Cinématographe, to a treasure trove of exhibits relating to stars such as Marilyn Monroe and James Dean and memorabilia from the latest blockbusters. The museum, based on the University of Exeter campus, welcomes thousands of visitors a year and is free and open to all.
To mark the anniversary, the museum hosted selected guests for a special event, including its patron, the film-maker Carol Morley, and Peter Jewell, whose joint collection of film-related items, amassed with his friend, the renowned filmmaker Bill Douglas, helped found the museum.
Exeter awarded £14 million to fight “next global pandemic”
The University of Exeter and collaborators have recently been awarded £14 million for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research – widely acknowledged as the “next global pandemic”.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve to become resistant to commonly used antimicrobial drugs making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. As well as the threat of a lack of treatments for conditions from sepsis to malaria, AMR infections are also a threat to crops and livestock impacting food security.
Five million deaths worldwide are already associated with AMR infections caused by bacteria, and it has been predicted that AMR infections will be the leading cause of death by 2050 with a cumulative cost to society of $100 trillion.
With nearly 400 experts working together, Exeter is at the forefront of developing solutions that could benefit the global population and stop deaths. Recently funded projects included a £9 million Horizon Europe project on AMR and climate change, focusing on AMR evolution, ecology and epidemiology in coastal environments and a £5 million UKRI funded project focusing on molecular and evolutionary mechanisms that can be used to control AMR in microbial communities.
Volvo Environment Prize 2022 awarded for world-leading microplastics research
Professor Tamara Galloway from the University of Exeter has been awarded the Volvo Environment Prize 2022, for her pioneering work to alert the world to the devastating impacts of plastic pollution in the environment.
Professor Galloway was one of three world-leading scientists from the South West region – along with Professor Richard Thompson and Professor Penelope Lindeque – to win the 2022 accolade, marking their role at the global forefront of marine litter research and education for the past two decades. They have also helped to bring about changes in global policy, with their work central to international government legislation and influencing the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution, signed by 175 nations earlier this year.
In selecting the three laureates for this year’s award, the jury for the Volvo Environment Prize acknowledged that their work “has been instrumental in providing societal awareness of plastic pollution as an emerging global challenge and triggering policy actions”. The Volvo Environment Prize has been awarded annually since 1990 and has become one of the scientific world’s most respected environmental prizes. This is just the fourth time in its history that it has been awarded to scientists from the UK.
Exeter extreme medicine experts deliver £890,000 in life-saving medical aid to Ukraine
World Extreme Medicine, which partners with the University of Exeter to deliver the Extreme Medicine Masters programme, made a delivery more than £890,000 worth of life-saving medical supplies, including a major donation from one of Exeter’s graduates to the frontline of the Ukrainian war zone.
A series of convoys, known as Medics4Ukraine, was co-ordinated by a team of medical professionals and extreme medicine experts from its network, carrying highly specialised and focused medical equipment. The “trauma boxes” delivered to Ukrainian troops are designed to contain everything needed to keep a casualty alive until they can be transported to a hospital. The donation includes supplies bought though a fundraising campaign, and around £400,000-worth of QuikClot, a combat gauze which creates immediate clotting on application to a wound, often stopping the casualty from bleeding to death.
