The Voice, edition 19 - July 2014

theVoice The University of Southampton magazine for staff | Issue 19 | July 2014

Connecting for success: Telling the University storyConnecting the world Optical fibre pioneers

Connecting for impact Cancer immunology at Southampton

Local connections An interview with Gareth Rogers, CEO of Southampton Football Club and University alumnus

2 theVoice | July 2014

4 Telling the University storyAn interview with Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Dean of Health Sciences

6 Connecting for impactCancer immunology at Southampton

8 Commercial connectionsOur groundbreaking partnership with Lloyd’s Register

10 Connecting the worldPioneering optical fibre research

12 Telling our stories Promoting your work to the University community and beyond

20 Our successes Student and staff achievements

Features

Inside

This information can be made available, on request, in alternative formats, such as electronic, large print, Braille or audio tape and, in some cases, other languages.

For further information, contact the Publications Officer on +44 (0)23 8059 4985the Voice is published by Communications and Marketing. Staff can submit items for inclusion by emailing [email protected] Space is limited and the Editor’s decision is final.

© University of Southampton 2014

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3July 2014 | theVoice

Our University story

When I first came to Southampton as Vice-Chancellor, I was struck by the rather understated way in which our extraordinary achievements were being communicated to the world. This contrasted sharply with my experiences in Australia. Over the last 18 months, colleagues have worked on ways in which we can better tell our University story.

The story that has emerged is one of connectivity – of a community of people who excel at developing connections that change lives for the better. Being connected is a distinctive characteristic of the way we work and the way we make an impact.

I hope you will enjoy reading about just a few examples of the connectivity of Southampton people, including how:

– through interdisciplinary connections, Southampton researchers connect with colleagues from disparate fields to solve global problems in innovative ways

– we have cemented our commercial connection with Lloyd’s Register through a groundbreaking collaboration, which will create a globally important research hub on our campus

– we are building connections around the world to strengthen our global presence and impact through both education and research, including significant connections in Singapore, Malaysia and China

– colleagues in Communications and Marketing are having conversations which seek to uncover and undo barriers to sharing the University’s stories

Although we are focusing on ‘telling our story’ in this edition of the Voice, I am very conscious of the fact that, at the time of writing, thousands of our students are undertaking exams, and that by the time of publication, many in the University will be involved in marking, processing results and preparation for graduation. For all of us in the University community, this is also a time to celebrate the achievements of our students and reflect on what a privilege it is to make a difference to the lives of these talented young people.

Finally, it is the time of year when we take a few hours to relax together at our staff party. For me, it is a rare opportunity to speak to many staff to say thank you for your hard work throughout the academic year. I hope to see you there on 25 July – I promise, no singing this year!

Best wishes,

Don

Throughout this special edition of the Voice, we celebrate the University’s incredible and distinctive connectivity. Our ability to make connections that make an impact sets us apart and is at the heart of the story we can tell the world about our University.

“This story that has emerged is one of connectivity – of a community of people who excel at developing connections that change lives for the better.”Professor Don Nutbeam Vice-Chancellor

Professor Dame Jessica Corner


Connecting for success


Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Dean of Health Sciences, who was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List, is the University Executive Group (UEG) sponsor on the ‘University story’ project, which will shape the way we showcase the world-leading work happening at Southampton. Jessica explains how the project was conceived and what it will mean for the future of Southampton.

Q How did the University story project begin?

A In January 2013, UEG took part in sessions to look at shaping the University strategy for the future. As part of that activity, one of the main issues that was addressed was the need for us to increase the prominence of the University both nationally and internationally. It was recognised that the University is less visible than it could be, given what it has to offer.

One of the exercises that we took part in during a session was an elevator pitch. This involved, imagining that we were in a lift with the prime minister and explaining what the University of Southampton is about. What was so telling about this exercise was that as a group, we all failed to explain in 30 seconds what the University of Southampton was, leading us to see that even the University leaders had not got the University story right.

From this, the Director of Strategy and Planning, Steve Chisnall, built, ‘telling our story’ into the University strategy work – highlighting its importance to building our strategy for the future.

Q Why did you take on the role of UEG sponsor for the project?

A I have a great interest in, and experience of, developing organisational strategy. I have done this in a number of contexts, not just in higher education. This is true of my time at Macmillan Cancer Support, where I was heavily involved

in developing the strategy which influenced the rebranding of the charity. I played a part in the whole process; working with strategy and understanding the organisation through to creating the end result and national campaigns. Through my experience and interest in this area, it made me an obvious candidate to help the University develop its story.

Q How did you establish the key themes of our University story?

A We engaged the agency Hudson Fuggle to work with key individuals within the University to ask them what they thought characterised the University of Southampton. The consistent theme that came out of that process was connectivity. Through their research, they unearthed how all of our existing work, networks, international presence, education, interdisciplinary projects and even the city of Southampton is defined by connections, more so than any other organisation or institution. It became obvious that we are already defined by connectivity in our work, we just need to publicise it.

Q Why is our community so central to the University story?

A Corporate branding exercises don’t tend to sit well within academic communities, so to move the University from a quiet, invisible brand to be a scaled-up, bold and visible presence, we needed to do that in keeping with the people that make up our University.

Q What interests you personally in helping give a voice to the University story?

A One of the privileges in becoming Dean four years ago, was to spend a week visiting different parts of the University, to really understand what is happening across disciplines and faculties. Behind every door, I discovered more and more exciting research and work. Through this experience and unearthing all the groundbreaking work we do,

my pride for our institution really grew. I want to help the University get over its ambivalence about itself and build our stories to embed a pride in working here.

Q How do you feel you are an ambassador for connectivity in practice?

A My clinical interest is as a cancer specialist, focusing on improving the lives of those who have had a diagnosis of cancer. One of my roles is to co-chair the Health Education England Advisory Group for the National Cancer Experience Survey for England which takes place every year. Everyone who has had a treatment for cancer in England, is asked to complete the survey about their experience. We can measure the performance of all the hospitals in England on the basis of that survey, so it is crucial in driving up standards of care of people with cancer in hospitals. I am now trying to encourage other countries in the world to start taking on the same survey. This has included going to Australia and sharing the survey with them. I hope this will lead to a global uptake of the survey so that we can benchmark countries against each other. This is global connectivity in action.

Q What is the most significant connection you have made in your career?

A There is a group of us at the University who are working on trying to improve the diagnosis rate for lung cancer. Some years ago, we traced the journey of about 25 people, from the point where they presented symptoms and changes in their bodies, until the point at which they were diagnosed.

It was the first time that anyone had highlighted the long journey of traceable symptoms of lung cancer. This small-scale research, which is now seen as a seminal piece of work, connected symptoms between patients that had never before been analysed, and this has now become an important foundation for what is the national awareness and early dedication initiative for cancer.

Sponsoring our storyAs part of a refreshed University strategy, work is currently underway on a project to define the University’s story, which you can read more about in Don’s column on the previous page.


Connecting for impact

Southampton has earned a reputation in the UK and across Europe as a true pioneer in discovering and developing immune-based therapies such as antibodies and vaccines. A key goal of the University’s antibody research is to activate and recruit the body’s own immune system so that it may control and ultimately eliminate cancers.

In recent years, scientists at Southampton have made important advances in the development of vaccines and antibodies that stimulate certain cells of the immune system to attack cancerous tumours. “Our research focuses on trying to use the body’s immune system to fight cancer,” says Professor Martin Glennie, Head of Cancer Sciences. “We have much evidence that the immune system is critical in not only the development of cancer, but also in how we can overcome it.”

Antibody research at the University dates back to the 1970s when the founders of the Immunochemistry Laboratory, Professor Freda Stevenson and Professor George Stevenson, described how antibodies could be utilised as treatments. Since then, researchers have been engineering and

developing these antibodies so that they can actually be used for patient benefit. In the late 1990s, Southampton researchers started to investigate a group of antibodies that boost the immune system to make a strong response to the cancer.

World-leading immunotherapy researchSouthampton was the first centre to use antibody treatments to remove leukaemia cells from the blood of patients. It was also one of the first centres in the world to develop and test a DNA cancer vaccine and to demonstrate how this could activate the immune system to recognise cancer. More recently, Southampton researchers defined a new class of anti-lymphoma antibody and, working with biotechnology collaborators, helped steer its development through patient testing and approval for wider use in the clinic. As a result, a leading pharmaceutical company is now marketing this drug to treat the most common form of adult leukaemia.

The team involved in cancer research – including Professor Christian Ottensmeier, Lead of the Southampton Cancer Research UK and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Experimental Cancer

Medicine Centre – is diverse and draws on expertise across Medicine, Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, and Social Statistics and Demography.

“In the process of conducting our trials, we have learned a lot about how the human immune system responds to cancer,” says Christian. “The next big step for us is to show that, in a randomised study, these vaccines can make a difference.”

“For many years researchers in Southampton have led the way in this fight,” says Professor Martin Glennie, Head of Cancer Sciences at the University. “We have been particularly successful at taking discoveries from the laboratory and offering them to patients in clinical trials.”

Increasingly, the need to harness mathematical and computing skills is coming into play in medical research. Professor Peter Johnson says: “Detailed analyses of the immune systems are dependent on mathematical skills and computer modelling and we are working in Life Sciences with these skills, and that’s at the cellular level.” At an atomic level, Peter’s colleague Professor Tim Elliot,

Cancer immunology


Associate Dean for Research in Medicine, is working with Microsoft to undertake experiments with computers looking at how the immune system recognises particular aspects of tumours.

“The more we understand the controls in the immune system and how it responds, the more we’ll be able to understand how other illnesses that might be to do with the immune system are taking place, whether that might be rheumatoid arthritis, MS or some types of dementia,” Peter explains.

From bench to bedsideAfter showing real promise in the treatment of melanoma in clinical trials, the drug ipilimumab, developed by Bristol Myers Squibb has been licensed and approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for use in the NHS. Ipilimumab allows many patients to survive who would otherwise have passed away from their cancer within a few months.

“For the first time, we are seeing a proportion of melanoma patients who receive ipilimumab surviving longer than expected,” says Martin. “With this, and other antibodies

that boost anti-cancer immunity, we will soon be able to direct the body’s natural defences more effectively and hopefully trigger responses to a level where they can control cancer for the long-term.”

Margaret Warren, a patient participating in the ipilimumab treatment programme, was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2009. After trying unsuccessfully to treat the tumour in her left lung with chemotherapy, Margaret’s doctor referred her to Christian and in February 2011 she began the first of her treatments.

“Before the ipilimumab treatment I was sleeping poorly, had a constant cough and was so breathless that I could not hold a conversation,” says Margaret, “After the second of four treatments, I was already showing signs of improvement and began feeling better. Now I feel brilliant and can engage in mild exercise, like chasing my three-year-old grandson.”

The future of cancer immunology at SouthamptonOver the past two decades the success of immune-based therapies has prompted a growing belief amongst cancer physicians that for some patients, immunotherapy will offer a preferred treatment option to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation for their life-threatening cancers. Most importantly, long-term results from immunotherapy treatments suggest that once the body’s immune system has recognised and eradicated a cancer, it may continue to protect the body for a lifetime.

For more information visitwww.southampton.ac.uk/cancerimmunology

Leukocytes (white blood cells that form part of the human immune system) attacking a cancer cell


Commercial connections

the Voice explores how working more closely with Lloyd’s Register, already an ally of the University’s for over 40 years, will create new opportunities for both education and research.

It is four years since the University and Lloyd’s Register announced they were embarking on a collaborative venture to establish a Marine Centre of Excellence in Southampton, the largest and deepest university-business partnership of its kind in the UK. Through the co-location of hundreds of staff from both organisations on the £140m campus, it is envisioned that academics, students and industry experts will combine forces to identify, research and ultimately solve some of the challenges faced by businesses and communities worldwide. Specialists in ship design and naval architecture, fluid dynamics and acoustics, oceanography through to arts,

humanities and social sciences will work together to better understand current and future maritime challenges.

Richard Sadler, CEO of Lloyd’s Register explains the potential significance of this collaboration: “With thousands of years of commercial shipping behind us, never has the sea as a resource or means of transport been so vitally important. Estimated to be worth £2 trillion, the shipping industry is the circulation system that keeps the world alive. This partnership means we are better equipped to deal with tough environmental challenges and tackle issues core to the survival of our industry and the world it supports.”

Four key challenges will underpin the work of the Centre: Climate and the environment, energy and resources, society and government, and trade and transport.

Professor Ajit Shenoi is the Director of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI), which is at the heart of this Centre of Excellence. He explains further how the Centre will make a difference: “Research will be informed by industry and industry will become more competitive with early access to new technologies.”

He continues: “It is about creating an environment where free thinking around new ideas can shape the future agenda. It’s about giving thought to what will be on the agenda in five or 10 years’ time, and giving people the space to think so far ahead requires the environment this initiative will create.”

Tim Kent, a Southampton alumnus, and Marine Technical Director at Lloyd’s Register says: “SMMI provides a great opportunity for academia, ship builders, ship operators, technical verifiers such as ourselves, and

A groundbreaking partnershipWith the first phase of our new, state-of-the-art technology and education campus at the Boldrewood site nearing completion, hundreds of the University’s staff and students will begin working side-by-side with Lloyd’s Register employees later this year.


– 400 Lloyd’s Register engineers, scientists and surveyors are relocating from London to work alongside over 300 of the University’s staff, on the new campus.

– Annual turnover of the UK’s maritime sector is worth £56 bn.

– Lloyd’s Register was established in 1760 and was the world’s first classification society. Classification Rules are technical standards that are built on engineering technical capability. In 2014 they continue to ensure that internationally recognised safety and environmental standards are maintained at every stage of a ship’s life.

Our collaboration with Lloyd’s Register is the largest university-business

partnership of its kind in the UK

technical regulators to work together so that we are properly positioned to deploy emerging technologies safely, cleanly and cost-effectively to everyone’s benefit.”

Ajit comments that the Centre and the partnership will be a unique asset for the University: “It will be a magnet to attract researchers from around the world to collaborate with us, to draw upon our fantastic research and development capabilities and the fantastic future resource represented by our students.”

Ajit believes that working so closely with industry will also benefit the learning experience of the students involved, giving them a practical sense of the industry, access to a wider range of projects and real-life problems which will make them more employable after graduation.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Don Nutbeam concludes: “It is through trust built over decades of cooperation that we embark on this groundbreaking project, which has no parallel in either scale or ambition and which will redefine the relationship between business and academia.”


Connecting the world

Professor Sir David Payne


The results of research at the ORC have touched everyone’s lives one way or another, according to Professor Sir David Payne, Director of the ORC.

“The whole global internet relies on our invention of erbium-doped fibre amplifiers that amplify optical signals, which allows telecommunications with huge capacity. Whenever you use a mobile phone you are probably using our amplifiers, because the phone signal goes to a mast that is then optically connected through fibres to other masts,” he says. “There is enough optical fibre installed globally today to circle the world over 30,000 times, and it carries the equivalent of half a million DVDs per second,” says Sir David. “We thought at the time that it would be good to get data from Southampton to London and even that seemed impossible,” he adds.

Sir David explains that when he was an undergraduate and postgraduate student at Southampton, it was a very young University and the environment in the UK was that the impossible could be achieved. By 1969 the first optical fibres were being drawn using the unique fibre drawing tower at the University. “We were in the interesting situation of being the only low-loss fibre producers outside of big, heavily protected corporate research labs and as a result the world literally beat a path to our door,” he says. “They just couldn’t believe that they could come to our labs and see kilometres of low-loss optical fibres being made.”

Today, the impact of the ORC spreads far beyond global telecommunications with

the research penetrating many industries, especially manufacturing. Sir David explains that every single ‘special’ optical fibre in the world today, apart from one type, was developed in the ORC. These optical fibres are used in a variety of applications, such as high-powered lasers for machining, cutting or welding, medical devices, and they are also found in the Moon Rover and Mars Explorer.

The ORC was established in 1989, but the research that forms its foundations at Southampton began in the 1960s, when researchers started work on a newly-invented device – the laser. One such researcher was graduate, Dr Robert (Bob) Smith.

After completing a PhD at Guy’s Medical School in London, Bob re-joined the University in 1961 as a postdoctoral researcher in the electronics department under Professor Alec Gambling. He started his laser research about 12 months after the first laser was demonstrated in the US, and based his laser on the American design. “It was centred on a piece of ruby crystal with a flash lamp to put power into it. Both ends of the crystal were polished flat and coated in silver,” he explains. “The light would bounce backwards and forwards between the two flat ends – nearly all the first lasers were like that.”

Bob explains that the laser research was blue sky thinking. “We talked about a range of applications from optical communications to possible medical applications – lasers are now used extensively in eye surgery along with many other treatments,” he says.

In Autumn 1964, Alec Gambling presented

Optical fibre pioneersAt Southampton, we lay claim to some of the pioneering research that has changed the face of the world as we know it. The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) has revolutionised the telecommunications industry by developing optical fibres that have formed the basis of the global internet.

a paper to the Southampton meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, in which he suggested that optical fibres – flexible, transparent fibres made of silica that transmit light between the two ends – could be used for high-speed communications. The team then started collaborating with a military unit in Christchurch as the development had great potential for battlefield communications. “On the battlefield there is a lot of electrical interference, but light is not an electrical signal so wouldn’t be interfered with,” Bob says. By 1966 the group was focusing on trying to make long-distance light communication a practical reality.

As well as developing cutting-edge technology, the ORC has been instrumental in commercialising products and supporting local businesses. “There are at least 10 companies in the local area that owe their existence to the ORC and they are selling globally and employ large numbers of people,” says Sir David. “For example, the world’s premier special fibres supplier, Fibercore, trades on the University of Southampton Science Park,” he adds.

For more information on the ORC, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/orc


Connecting colleagues

Promoting your work to the University community and beyond

A key part of telling the University story, is about uncovering the groundbreaking work that goes on at Southampton. Led by a team in Communications and Marketing, academics and professional services staff have been involved in the development of a portal to enable us to tell our stories more easily. the Voice hears from the people behind the portal on why it is so important that we are sharing our stories.

Telling our stories

1. How are you involved in telling the University story?

2. What do you think are the barriers to people at Southampton telling the world about their work?

3. Why do you think it is important for us to tell our stories?

Simon PeatfieldDirector of Communications and Marketing

1. My role is to lead the operational realisation of the University story project, helping to define what it is that we are trying to achieve. My department has led in the creation of tools, such as the online portal, which aims to help our community to be able to tell the University story and also to help individuals tell their own stories in the context of the University.

2. There are practical and behavioural barriers that colleagues have to telling their stories here. The practical barriers include: not knowing who to tell stories to, and not having the time or incentive to tell them. The behavioural issues, predominantly from an academic point of view are linked to a lack of priority or urgency to tell their story and often not wanting to ‘blow their own trumpets’.

The challenge is to make the development and telling of the story as easy and positive an experience as possible.

3. For academics, being able to tell their story is an intrinsic part of their research – to get their research out into the wider world, to help them to publish and achieve their funding goals, and to help build their own individual reputation. The raising of individual voices will help raise the profile of the University which creates a virtuous circle. The University story will help bind together the foundations of all of the great research, stories and news across the whole of our community and allow them the room to flourish, as well as highlighting those peaks of excellence that already exist.


To use the online portal, visit intranet.soton.ac.uk/sites/telling-our-stories

Graeme EarlSenior Lecturer in Archaeology

1. I attended an early scoping workshop and the more recent Telling our Stories briefing. I also gave feedback on potential digital methods for sharing stories. Within the Digital Economy USRG, we have encouraged the development of digital approaches to sharing, and also the potential of ‘big data’ analytics for showing how connected a community Southampton already is.

2. In terms of digital, there is understandable reticence over using these kinds of tools. I think one key message should be that there is help and advice available to get your ideas across whatever channel you choose. But I also think that face-to-face is a vital part of building the trust and deeper knowledge needed to share University stories effectively.

3. It’s in all of our best interests for the University to be recognised for the value it has to society. Happily, my job means that I spend much of my time speaking to people from across the University, and every meeting brings with it some new excitement, something learned, or a new chance of collaboration.

Professor Guy PoppyDirector of Interdisciplinary Research, Professor of Ecology

1. In my role as Director of Interdisciplinary Research, connectivity is key to all the work I undertake. At the University, we recognise that a range of research competencies are necessary to devise and apply integrative solutions to today’s most pressing societal challenges, so the connectivity theme is central to that.

2. I would say that generally academics are not good at promoting their own stories. We tend to work in a very reactive way, only when the media comes to us with an issue, or requests a comment, rather than proactively sharing our stories.

3. We are a knowledge-generating institution and we need to share our research and results with the world to change it for the better. The majority of our research funds come from government funding and public money; it is our responsibility and I believe our obligation to share with the public what we are spending their money on.

Lucy DunkerleyInternal Communications Officer

1. Last year, I was involved in running workshops across the University to find out the barriers staff experience when telling their stories. The findings from the workshops have been integral in creating an online portal to help people better tell their stories. I am now involved in planning an internal communications plan to communicate the University story.

2. The first barrier the workshops uncovered is a lack of time; staff are so busy that they hardly have a minute to stick their heads above the parapet to share their news. Also, there are many people across the University who don’t know who to tell their stories to, which results in stories getting lost.

3. Not only do our stories help us to have an international presence in higher education, I also believe as a community they bring us together. Hearing about our colleagues’ work allows us to see where we can work across disciplines, but also allows us to feel proud of where we work and allows each of us to become an ambassador for Southampton.

Doug PooleDigital Media Officer

1. I worked on the specifications and development of the Telling our Stories portal; considering how people wanting to share stories would interact with it, and how it would be used by Communications and Marketing colleagues to track, help develop, and provide feedback on the stories.

2. At Southampton, we are fortunate to have people driven by their research and the many rigours of academia. By comparison, getting exposure for a resultant story must often seem like a low priority. The sheer size of Southampton may feel like a barrier – though with the right system in place to leverage the benefits of working within a large, high-profile organisation – it becomes a positive.

3. I believe this is critical for Southampton. Sharing our individual stories can help the University to feel a greater, shared sense of pride in all of our achievements, which will positively affect the way we communicate with people, both inside and outside of the institution, and thus how we are perceived by others worldwide. Everyone at Southampton can benefit from this.


Global connections

The University of Southampton has forged pioneering connections across the world through its teaching, research and enterprise. Below are some of the highlights of the University’s global impact.

– Our 200,000 alumni span 178 countries

– We are a partner in the Worldwide Universities Network, a collaboration of global institutions working together to address worldwide issues

– We have 322 partnerships in 54 countries around the world

– 48% of our published research papers include international partners

PhD researcherVinita Mittal has presented

a paper at the prestigious SPIEPhotonics West Exhibitionin San Francisco – one of the

largest and most influentialinternational events forthe laser and photonics

community

We have 322partnerships in

54 countriesaround the world

Joerg is using powerful,and robust mathematicaloptimisation methods toincrease efficiency of thedesign and the operationof space missions

PhD studentTimothy Kamps will

be spending time in Texasas part of a Knowledge

Transfer Internship(KTI) with Phoenix

Tribology

ProfessorJoerg Fliege is a

visiting researcherat the EuropeanSpace Agency

PhD student Christopher Bird, studying deep-sea

shark ecology, is working with Dr Clive Trueman

to investigate the trophic and spatial

ecology of deep-water sharks in the North

Atlantic ocean


48% of our

published research papers include

international partners

Uncovering human originsStaff from our Centrefor the Archaeology ofHuman Origins are activelyresearching the origin of our species on aninternational scale

International opportunitiesIn 2012, we opened a newcampus in Malaysia, offeringboth undergraduateprogrammes and PhDresearch opportunities

Reducing povertyProfessor Robert Nichollsand his team are researchingthe habitats, peopleand policy that governslivelihoods in the deltaregions of coastal Bangladesh

Evaluation ofa United Nations

programme by demographersand social statisticians at the

University, had a strong impactin improving the reproductive

health and family planningof millions of young

people in China

Currently, our researchers are

working in Africa, across Europe and into Asia, exploring critical questions about our

evolution

Preserving thenatural world

Our MRes WildlifeConservation students are

undertaking research projectsacross Africa and the UK


Our work ranges from saving older people’s sight, to developing a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease; from developing a global measure of the wellbeing of older people, to assessing the pension prospects of migrant workers. The research evidence contributes to a better understanding of areas such as the factors that contribute to a ‘good’ old age, changing obligations to provide informal care, and policy debates on health and social care in later life.

The research is complemented by strong connections with European, national and local policy stakeholders. These enable the team at Southampton to engage with health and social care professionals and have a real impact on the design of social policies and the improvement of older people’s wellbeing. For example, research collaborations with local health and social care partners show how modelling can be used to plan future

care provision more effectively. Additionally, the interaction with key stakeholders across European countries is promoting the benefits of healthy living and active ageing across the lifecourse. You can read more about the researchers leading the way in this field below.

Andrew Lotery Professor of Ophthalmology

Researchers at Southampton are paving the way for new treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the most common causes of sight loss in older people in the developed world. Professor Andrew Lotery has identified several genetic risk factors for the condition. Andrew was one of the first 100 investigators in the UK to be made a National Institute of Health Senior Investigator and he was included in The Times list of Britain’s Top Doctors 2010.

Julia Addington-Hall Professor of End of Life Care

Despite major service developments over the past 40 years, many people in the UK at the end-of-life still face a distressing experience. End-of-life care research led by Professor Julia Addington-Hall has been pivotal in making England the first country to measure end-of-life care quality from the patient’s perspective. Our resulting work is integral to the way in which the NHS is held to account and has ultimately led to an improved service.

Hugh PerryProfessor of Experimental Neuropathology

Work by Professor Hugh Perry, and his colleagues at the University, has generated new insights into the biological basis of Alzheimer’s disease. The University has been at the forefront of this area of research

Connecting disciplines

Ageing and end-of-life careA key strength of research at Southampton is its interdisciplinary nature. Our world-leading research in the field of ageing is facilitated by a number of interdisciplinary programmes and centres.


for many years. Our knowledge could be used to modify the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and make a real difference to the quality of life of people with the illness. The work also has implications for other fields of human neurodegenerative disease.

Maria EvandrouProfessor of Gerontology, Director of Southampton’s Centre for Research on Ageing, and Chair of the USRG Ageing and Lifelong Health

Maria’s work is combating inequalities in later life, particularly in the incomes, and health and social care of older people. Maria’s research also looks at the retirement prospects of future generations of elders, particularly the development and use of different types of policy tools for modelling income, pensions, health, incapacity, and demand and supply of formal and

informal care among older people in the future.

Hazel Biggs Head of Law, Professor of Healthcare Law and Bioethics, Co-director of the Centre for Health Ethics and Law (HEAL)Hazel’s research focuses on healthcare law, and bioethics with particular emphasis on death and dying and end of life decision-making, human reproduction and the beginning of life, and the ethics and law of clinical research. She has published widely on the legal and ethical aspects of each of these areas.

Asghar ZaidiProfessor of International Social PolicyAsghar has developed a new tool to help policy-makers measure and promote active and healthy ageing across Europe. The Active Ageing Index (AAI) measures

older people’s unrealised potential for employment, family and social activities, health, independence and life expectancy. Working with HelpAge International, Asghar has also developed the Global AgeWatch Index (GAWI) to highlight the varying quality of life and wellbeing of older people around the world.

To find out more about Southampton’s contribution to ageing research, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/ageing


Connecting people

The UK’s first operation to fit a single cochlear implant capable of giving sound in both ears took place at the Auditory Implant Service at Southampton in 2010.


A CI is an electronic hearing device implanted in the inner ear that enables a person with severe to profound hearing loss to perceive and understand speech. Since the Service was established in 1990 to help severely to profoundly deaf adults and children, our surgeons have implanted almost 1,000 devices, and over 600 adults and 300 children with auditory implants are being supported as a result. The 1,000th device will be fitted in 2015, when the service will celebrate its 25-year anniversary.

CI users supported by the Service come from across the south of England and the Channel Islands and surgeries are carried out by three surgeons at five hospitals in Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire.

Located within the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), the Service benefits from expertise from world-leading audiologists and engineers, who collaborate with colleagues across the University. Groundbreaking research undertaken by ISVR and the Service is revolutionising CI technology as well as looking at new ways of supporting users across the world through online interventions and remote fitting and assessment.

Groundbreaking connectionsThe UK’s first operation to fit a single cochlear implant capable of giving sound in both ears, took place at the Auditory Implant Service in 2010. Mike Pringle, Consultant Otolaryngologist said, “The advantage is that it allows adults to have bilateral hearing. Having two ears working makes it easier to hear in noisy backgrounds and also helps with localisation, or hearing where sounds are coming from.”

CI fittings can help to improve the lives of patients from babies to the elderly. Michael Peake from Southampton, who received an implant in 2000, has taken on more responsible roles at work. He says: “It has given me back a large amount of confidence, which I had lost when I went deaf. It has also stopped the feeling of isolation.”

Connecting for impactA new computer-based music rehabilitation programme has been collaboratively developed to help CI users re-engage in music and hear music more clearly. The project included external and internal collaborations, including work from colleagues from the ISVR, Electronics and Computer Science, Music, iSolutions and external bodies such as the National Cochlear Implant User Association, the Ear foundation and even major music artists such as Cliff Richard and Radiohead.

Connecting people to the hearing worldThere are currently over 300,000 people worldwide using cochlear implants and predictions suggest that there may be seven times as many users in seven years’ time. As one of the leading centres for cochlear implant (CI) research in the UK, the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service is at the cutting-edge of cochlear implants and other types of auditory implants, as well as auditory processing disorders.

Connecting across continentsDue to the hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide using cochlear implants, Dr Helen Cullington, Principal Clinical Scientist in Engineering and the Environment is leading research in telemedicine to look into remote fitting and assessment. The research aims to have each patient’s results automatically transferred to the cochlear implant centre.

Connecting with professionalsThe Service offers a long established and well respected training programme for professionals with interests in audiology, cochlear implants and implantable devices.

To find out more, visithttp://ais.southampton.ac.uk/about-soecic


Our successes

Curriculum connections

Many of our researchers, such as Dr Peter Langdon, travel across the world to carry out research in remote or inaccessible locations

The Excellence in Teaching Awards (ETAs)

The ETAs recognise lecturers and staff who have made outstanding contributions to the student experience at Southampton. They award staff who have been at the heart of students’ lives, whether that is through supporting them academically, developing them as academics through feedback, inspiring them through innovative teaching, or enthusing them with a real passion for their subject.


Simon Kemp from Engineering and the Environment who won the best innovative teaching award in 2013 said: “The ETAs are something the University has been crying out for, for years. We really need to celebrate the fantastic teaching we have here at Southampton.” Mark Telford, a Lecturer in the Law School, who won the same award this year added: “A positive and collaborative relationship between staff and students in the University community is crucial, and these awards are important in both reflecting and contributing to that.”

For the past two years, students have nominated over 500 members of staff each year, for the awards. The awards are broken down into five categories, Outstanding Lecturer, Teaching & Learning Lifetime Achievement, Innovative Teaching, Best Feedback Provision and Contribution to Academic Support, and a vigorous selection process is involved in sifting through the nominations to find the winners.

Professor Alex Neill, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) commented: “I saw the spreadsheet of nominations and what I found most striking were the thoughtful and considered comments students had made alongside their nominations. The awards are a great acknowledgement of the work of our staff, and it’s inspiring that this acknowledgement comes directly from our student body.”

Dr Peter Langdon, Reader in Palaeoenvironmental Change, Director of Programmes, Geography and Environment, who won highly commended this year for the Best Feedback Provision said “On a personal level, I’ve put a huge amount of effort into giving effective feedback to students. This has very much been a team effort though, across all staff in my department, who understand how important it is to get this right.”

Professor of English, John McGavin, who won the 2013 Honorary Lifetime Achievement award, demonstrating his commitment to the continued enhancement of teaching and learning experiences, says: “The University has always meant a unity to me – everyone together. These awards show us all that the students and the staff are one in their desire for better education and better learning and we are all colleagues in that process.”

Sabu Padmadas, Outstanding lecturer 2014 (highly commended) adds: “The ETAs are special testament to how our fellow students value staff commitment and passion to

delivering high quality teaching at Southampton.”

To see the full list of winners, visit: blogs.susu.org/blog/2014/05/09/roundup-of-the-excellence-in-teaching-awards

The Excellence in Volunteering Awards (EVAs)The EVAs are a celebration of the diverse and inspirational volunteering efforts made by our students within the Students’ Union (SUSU).

Students were given awards for their efforts as charity fundraisers, media editors, course representatives, community volunteers or as representatives of clubs or societies.

The 2014 EVAs took place in the Cube on Friday 9 May, with winners awarded for their contribution to student engagement, leadership, and innovation among other categories.

This year over 300 nominations were made to commend both societies and particular individuals.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) University grand final Using just one PowerPoint slide and no additional props or electronic media, our postgraduate researchers had just three minutes to present their doctoral research to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 14 May 2014, our eight faculty finalists competed in our first ever Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) University Grand Final, following a series of local faculty heats involving around 150 Postgraduate researchers.

The winner (£1000 prize*) was Paul Gow, a postgraduate researcher in Physics and Astronomy, who also won the ‘People’s Choice’ award (£500*) with his talk entitled ‘Emitters for Terahertz’. Paul is in his second year of canditature; his research is in developing emitters that produce Terahertz light, which is light between the frequencies of infrared and microwaves, and is useful in applications ranging from security and medicine to research and development.

Paul will go on to represent the University at the national 3MT® semi-finals in York on 14 July, where six candidates will be chosen to compete in the UK final. Paul says: “Everyone’s talks were fantastic and it’s a great chance to see the kind of thing other faculties are researching. I’m really happy to have won and now I’m looking forward to representing the

University in the UK semi-final.”

The runner-up (£500*) was Hannah Shutt, a postgraduate researcher in the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), also in her second year of canditature. Her talk was titled ‘Auditory fitness for duty. Why do the armed forces need a new hearing test?’

Our other finalists were:

Fei Fang, Business and Law‘Joint Pricing and Inventory Control for Perishable Products’

Rokhsaneh Tehrany, Health Sciences‘Monitoring changes in lung health using speech breathing pattern analysis’

Sumei Karen Anne Tan, Humanities‘The Comfort of Horror and the Ambiguities of Youth’

Matt Loxham, Medicine‘How safe is the air in the underground?’

James Frith, Natural and Environmental Sciences‘Supercharging Lithium Batteries: The challenges of lithium-oxygen cells’

Craig Allison, Social and Human Sciences‘Removing the Gender Gap in Spatial Orientation’

The winner and runner-up were selected by a panel of judges, chaired by Professor Judith Petts, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise), based on the standard 3MT™ criteria. This competition was jointly run by the RDGC and Career Destinations, with additional support from PublicPolicy@Southampton

* in the form of a bursary to support the winner’s research (eg travel/conference attendance/equipment)


Aircraft noise reduction research has being going on for many years at the University. In 1999, Southampton’s long-standing relationship with Rolls-Royce was formalised in the form of a University Technology Centre, meaning that we are now the prime supplier of expert advice to Rolls-Royce about turbine noise.

Research at the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (RRUTC) as well as at the University’s Airbus Noise Technology Centre (ANTC) has transformed the way aerospace companies tackle noise prediction and mitigation, in the design of current and future aircraft.

Professor Jeremy Astley, Director of the RRUTC explains: “Noise pollution from modern aircraft is generated almost equally from the engines and from the unsteady drag on the airframe itself. Research at Southampton is unique; as a result of our partnerships with Rolls-Royce and Airbus we tackle both sources and cover the whole spectrum relating to aircraft noise.”

Research at the RRUTC includes theoretical, computational and experimental studies

of aircraft engine noise sources, and the development of robust noise prediction tools. Research at the ANTC (founded in 2008) includes new technologies and state-of-the-art computational and experimental methods, applied principally to airframe noise components.

Adverse health and other effects caused by environmental noise include high blood pressure, stress and insomnia. In Europe, the challenges set by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) 2020 vision has goals which include a 50 per cent reduction in the perceived aircraft noise levels by 2020.

At Southampton, our researchers are working on all sources of aircraft noise, as these must all be reduced to achieve a significant reduction in overall noise. These include the airframe noise (the sound that the airframe makes as it moves through the air), fan noise, jet noise and lots of other minor sources.

Jeremy comments: “The way that we tackle these issues include a lot of analytic modelling. In terms of predicting jet noise,

even using the most powerful computational techniques available, you can’t really do it. There is a lot of scope for using models with academic and intellectual input. In other areas, where the physics is a bit clearer, we use and develop computational techniques which allow us to simulate, for example, what the effect of a particular liner installed in a particular engine would have on the source generated by a particular Rolls-Royce fan.”

Enormous strides have been made in reducing the noise of aircraft engines and, in part, this is the result of industry and research partnerships like the one between the University of Southampton and Rolls-Royce.

Dr Andrew Kempton, Chief Noise Specialist at Rolls-Royce says: “Rolls-Royce has a long, proud history of working with universities, creating a win-win situation where the university is funded to work on important industrial challenges. The ISVR brings a breadth and depth of knowledge, an independence of thought and an aptitude for innovation that helps ensure the best technology is built into Rolls-Royce engines.”

Industrial connections

Reducing aircraft noise pollutionThe Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) at Southampton has played a major role in pioneering acoustics research over the last 50 years. In 2006, this was recognised through the award of a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, for improving the quality of life of the profoundly deaf, and reducing noise pollution.


This photograph is reproduced with the permission of Rolls-Royce plc, copyright © Rolls-Royce plc 2012


Local connections

Gareth Rogers (BSc Accounting and Economics, 2000) Chief Executive Officer Southampton Football Club


Q What is the atmosphere like at Saints at the moment?

A Fantastic! While the outside world is painting a picture of meltdown, everyone is calm, and very focused. We have had a great growth period in the last four or five years, and we are continuing to build the club and make it even better.

Q You were previously Chief Financial Officer for Saints – how has your role changed and what are the key things you do day-to-day now?

A As Chief Financial Officer I undertook a lot of commercial work as well as financial work, but I now have more of a scope over the whole business. I’m able to focus on other areas, particularly building the ethos and the values of the club across the whole organisation, from the football to every single department that we operate. It’s a large operation, we have about 200 people working at Saints, split fairly evenly between the stadium and the training ground. While our turnover is around the £100m mark, the attention paid to our business in comparison to others with a similar turnover, is off-the-scale. Everything we do is scrutinised.

Q How did being a student at Southampton help you in terms of your career?

A The University has a great status. People look at Southampton as something to aspire to, and that reputation has kept growing since I studied here. It was that reputation, grounding and the way that education is delivered here, that has always stood me in good stead. You have to get on and work hard, no one is going to do it for you.

Q As an active member of the football club while you were a student, would you recommend that students get involved with different things while at University outside of their studies?

A Very much so. I loved being part of the AU (Athletic Union) when I was here. I can’t say I was that great a player, but I really enjoyed being part of the football club. More than anything, it was a great social aspect of my time here. I don’t necessarily mean going out drinking all the time, I mean more that I had the ability to meet people from other faculties, sports teams and clubs, from across the University. From my point of view, that’s what I remember most about University, it was the thing I enjoyed more than anything.

Q What was your ambition on leaving University? Was football on the agenda for you at that point?

A Not at all – that came about completely by chance. I went into a career in accountancy and finance, and pushed that forward to move into business. My career really just evolved, I never said: “I want to be doing this in ten years’ time,” I always just wanted to learn new things and move forward.

Q Is there any particular advice you would give to students at Southampton?

A I’d say enjoying it would be the biggest thing. Be ambitious and believe in yourself. It is hard work but don’t be afraid of it, because that’s where the fun lies as well. In work, you should always be in a role that you truly enjoy, which is why I do what I do.

Q What motivates you?

A I love my job. I was always a football fan before I started, although people might say that growing up watching Sheffield Wednesday there wasn’t really much football happening! To combine business and football is fantastic as they are both real passions of mine. When I’m not working, I spend the time with my family – my wife and two beautiful girls – who drive me on. My third is also on the way and due in December.

Q How did working at Deloitte shape your future career?

A I went to KPMG after graduating, and moved to Deloitte from there, and both of those organisations were fantastic to work for. They really shaped an ambition and steeliness in me to want to move forward and get the best for myself. At those organisations, you have no choice but to work hard, put the hours in and develop.

Q Finally, what are your predictions for the World Cup?

A It’s an incredibly open tournament, I don’t know who is going to win it, I just want it to be entertaining, because in my opinion the last two World Cups haven’t been. Given we are currently speaking at about 10 days in, it’s been nothing but entertaining so far. To see the amount of players sitting in the England squad who play or played for Saints, or came through our academy, is absolutely fantastic.

To read more about what our alumni have gone on to achieve, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/alumni/alumniprofiles

Football focusedOur graduates are connected across the world, by our alumni community. Many lead local, national and global organisations. One such successful alumnus is Gareth Rogers, CEO at Southampton Football Club. He speaks to the Voice about Southampton FC, his passion and motivations, and his career so far.


Cultural connections

The project, which also includes a new base for City Eye and a performing arts venue, is led by Southampton City Council and supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, in partnership with Grosvenor Developments Limited.

Q What will the move to the city centre mean for the John Hansard Gallery and the University?

A For the John Hansard Gallery and the University, this move is incredibly exciting. We’ve been in our current building for over 30 years and developed an internationally-recognised programme in that time, but have outgrown our facilities. By relocating to the heart of the city we can present world-class contemporary art exhibitions, education work and outreach programmes to a much wider audience. For the University, this project is a great example of how the institution is working to enhance the cultural life of the city as a whole.

Q What will the new arts complex comprise?

A Southampton’s new arts complex will be a stunning new development at the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, facing Guildhall Square. Comprising new premises for the John Hansard Gallery – including almost 600m2 of gallery space – alongside a new performing arts venue and film organisation City Eye, it is part of a wider flagship development which includes residential apartments and a mix of shopping, cafés and restaurants. What’s really exciting is that it will transform the whole character of the area into a vibrant, creative, social space unique within Southampton.

Q How does this move establish the University as a leading player of culture for the city?

A The University has long played a key role in the cultural life of the city. It is home to three major arts organisations – John Hansard Gallery, The Nuffield and Turner Sims – all of which serve communities across the city, region and beyond, as well as a wealth of other arts and cultural activity taking place across its campuses, and of course world-

leading research in arts subjects. The Gallery’s relocation within the new arts complex provides the University with a wonderful chance to cement its position at the heart of the city’s cultural landscape.

Q What does the move mean practically for you?

A As a brand new building, with internal designs still in development, we have to think about every last detail. There are many things to think about, from the gallery floors and walls to the colour of the office carpet.

Q What benefits will still remain for University staff and students in relation to the Gallery?

A The Gallery will of course remain free for everyone. We will also be developing exciting new special events and activities aimed at University staff and students, as well as building links with the new city centre halls of residence. We are incredibly proud to be part of the University and look forward to taking this relationship to new places in our city centre home.

City linksIn 2016, the John Hansard Gallery will relocate to Southampton city centre. The move will take place as part of the formation of a brand new arts complex, based on the old Tyrrell & Green site on Guildhall Square. Adrian Hunt, Head of Communications at the John Hansard Gallery explains more about the importance of the move.


Art at the heartA summer festival of events at Nuffield Playing Field, Guildhall Square, in partnership with Art Asia, City Eye, John Hansard Gallery, Mayflower Theatre and Turner Sims.

This summer, from 1 – 17 August, Nuffield presents a city celebration like no other, with a festival of theatre, film, music, visual art and dance, including two newly commissioned plays, in partnership with some of the City’s leading arts organisations: Art Asia, City Eye, John Hansard Gallery, Turner Sims, Nuffield and Mayf lower Theatre.

The festival, Art at the Heart, celebrates the 50th anniversaries of both Nuffield and the City of Southampton and will take place at Nuffield’s unique pop-up venue, Nuffield Playing Field, located in Guildhall Square at the heart of Southampton’s Cultural Quarter. The festival and pop-up venue are precursors to the opening of the new arts complex in 2016.

Festival events include: the world premiere of Nuffield’s newly commissioned play The Saints, charting the highs and lows of being a Southampton Football Club fan, Hampshire Youth Theatre’s new

adaptation of War Horse author Michael Morpurgo’s The Best Christmas Present in the World, a series of film screenings curated by City Eye, a concert series presented by Turner Sims, a day of global music presented by Art Asia, a unique sound installation commissioned by the John Hansard Gallery, by artist David Ward whose previous public artworks include projects at Durham Cathedral and Bristol Millennium Square, Five of the Best performed by Mayf lower Theatre Summer Youth Project and Stolen Wishes, created by contemporary dance company ZoieLogic, featuring local young dancers, commissioned by Mayf lower Theatre and The Point.

For more information, visit www.nuffieldtheatre.co.uk/whats-on/art-at-the-heart.

Sing for Water Mini festival at Turner SimsOn Saturday 5 July, this mini festival offers a feast for the senses. Hosted by The Big Splash Community Choir, enjoy performance poet Angela Chicken, Still-Moving DJs, choir songs with body percussion and giant water dispensers.

www.turnersims.co.uk/events/sing-for-water-mini-festival


News from around the University

Your News

Southampton student named Law Undergraduate of the Year

21-year-old Alex was chosen over thousands of other students, from over students from over a hundred UK universities to win the title of ‘Law Undergraduate of the Year 2014’, sponsored by global legal services firm Mayer Brown. His prize is a work placement with Mayer Brown in the summer and an iPad.

Alex says: “I am absolutely delighted to have been named the UK Law Undergraduate of the Year. It’s great to receive recognition for all the hard work I’ve put in over the years.”

Alex was one of ten students shortlisted for the law award who were asked to deliver a presentation on the most important issues and challenges facing city law firms.

For more information about the awards, visit www.undergraduateoftheyear.com

Law student, Alex Hughes has scooped top honours in the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards.



Students in cultural craft exchange with Nepalese eldersStudents from the Winchester School of Art (WSA) have been working on a Winchester Area Community Action (WACA) project with Nepalese and ex-Gurkha elders – sharing ideas on craft skills and techniques.

The graphic arts students have been taking part in the Hampshire wide project funded by The Silver Dreams Fund, through the Big Lottery, for the last six weeks of the pilot project lead by Clara Sanjar from WACA. The students held workshops with Nepalese men and women from the Elders Crafts & English Exchange (ECEE) project group in Winchester, some of whom are former Gurkha soldiers. They exchanged knowledge and skills about crafts such as weaving, crochet, mechanical knitting and letter press-printing.

Susanna Edwards from Winchester School of Art comments: “Many of the elders have recently relocated to England and this project aims to help them extend their engagement with the local community, build confidence with their communication skills and help them engage with, and contribute to, the local community.

The students worked with the elders on illustrations depicting stories from Nepal, as well as creating maps and craft objects. In return, the elders demonstrated their skillsets in weaving with bamboo, paper and plastic, as well as crochet and knitting. In particular, they showed the students how to make traditional woven mats called ‘Chakati’. Commenting on his experience of the project, student Diogo Lopes says: “Working with the elders was such a great experience. We learnt so much about another culture and also new skills that we had never tried before.”

Researchers develop intelligent prosthetic liners to ease pain for lower limb amputees A new device could help to relieve the pain and discomfort experienced by thousands of amputees as a result of poorly fitting replacement lower limbs.

Our researchers are developing a prototype of the world’s first prosthetic ‘intelligent’ liner with integrated pressure sensors, which could be available to NHS patients in as little as three years.

The sensors for the device, invented by Dr Liudi Jiang and an interdisciplinary team at the University, measure the pressure and pulling forces at the interface between a patient’s stump and socket of their prosthesis. In excess these pressures can cause tissue damage, leading to painful sores.

Dr Liudi Jiang said: “Socket fit is the single biggest factor determining whether prosthesis will be successful for a patient. If we had a simple way to accurately measure the load at the socket-stump interface and determine the best possible fit for that limb, it would completely transform the socket fit experience for amputees.

The world’s first prosthetic ‘intelligent’ liner, designed at Southampton



Your News

Making digital marketing research even more relevantDr Julia Wolny, Principal Fellow in Marketing, chaired an event at Google’s London headquarters this Spring, bringing together academic researchers and professional digital marketers.

The workshop was organised by the e-Marketing SIG – a subject interest group chaired by Julia at the Academy of Marketing (AM) – and co-hosted by the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM).

The event examined similarities and differences between the themes addressed by practitioners and academics, setting the agenda for researchers in digital and omni-channel marketing and encouraging collaboration on projects and topics of common interest.

“The new wave of digitally-focused marketing academics, similarly to the ‘new wave’ in film and art, is set to question traditional concepts, values and techniques – questioning both marketing

theory and marketing practice,” says Julia. “Through critical conceptual thinking they come up with new insights about what theories still hold true in this digitally-mediated world and how best to update the knowledge base to reflect the realities of digital marketing. We are delighted to see that a professional institute such as IDM is supporting this initiative.”

The IDM’s work in higher education over the last fifteen years makes it perfectly positioned to connect forward-thinking businesses with academic researchers in this field. The Southampton Management School’s undergraduate marketing programmes have now received accreditation by IDM; formal recognition that what students learn on the programme is professionally relevant and will equip them with the skills needed in digital marketing.

You can read a full review of the workshop on the Academy of Marketing website: www.academyofmarketing.org/emarketing-sig/events.html

Please note that this article was submitted to the Telling Our Stories portal. You can submit your own story to the portal at, intranet.soton.ac.uk/sites/telling-our-stories

Professor Catherine Pope, from Health Sciences; Dr Mark Weal, from Electronics and Computer Science (ECS); and Professor Susan Halford, from Social Sciences were awarded the SAGE prize for Innovation and Excellence in Sociology for their paper Digital Futures? Sociological Challenges and Opportunities in the Emergent Semantic Web, which was published in the British Sociological Association’s (BSA) flagship journal Sociology.

The prize is awarded annually to the paper judged to be the most innovative and exceptional of all the papers published in the

journal in the past year. It is one of four prizes awarded by the BSA for papers published in each of their prestigious journals.

Catherine, Mark and Susan’s paper stems from their innovative research into Web Science, a new discipline founded and pioneered by the University. It explores the future of sociology in the context of the digital age and is the first serious consideration of new kinds of digital data and ongoing transformations of the World Wide Web. In the paper they make the case that the emergent Semantic Web will have profound consequences for how research is thought about and done.

The Semantic Web: transforming societyAn interdisciplinary team from our University has won a national prize for their innovative research into the future of sociology in the digital age.



Professor Neil Gregor awarded for Third Reich Concert Hall projectProfessor of History, Neil Gregor has been awarded a £40,000 Leverhulme Trust Research Grant for a two-year project on The Symphonic Concert Hall in the Third Reich.

The work blends the social and cultural history of concert-going with anthropology of the senses to answer the question: ‘How did Germans consume classical music in the Third Reich?’

The project aims to move our understanding beyond repetition of assumptions derived from one or two prominent, but highly unrepresentative, orchestras playing in the auratic confines of late 19th century symphonic concert halls.

Consideration of the wider variety of regional, civic and local orchestras – often playing on the professional/amateur border – which sat at the centre of social practices quite distinct from those of prestigious institutions will help dissolve clichés. These will not only about Germans and music, but also be about cultural life during the era of National Socialism more generally, and thus to open up space for an anthropology of concert-going that critiques the workings of power in far more productive ways.

New Web Science Institute launched to explore how the Web will shape our future

The World Wide Web is the largest human information system in history, integrated into the everyday lives of billions of people across the planet, shaping how we do business and conduct our social lives.

The University has played a significant role in the development of the Web over the last 25 years, including the foundation of the innovative discipline of Web Science 10 years ago.

The event, which was held at the prestigious Royal Society in London, marked the formal launch of the Web Science Institute and opened with an exhibition showcasing its interdisciplinary Web Science research.

Institute Directors Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt and Professor Susan Halford, together with Professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, joined other leading figures from Web and internet science, including the University’s newly appointed Visiting Professor Liam Maxwell, Government Chief Technology Officer, in a panel-led discussion on future developments.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall says: “As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Web and think about the role Web Science can play in helping to shape the future Web we want, it is a perfect time to be launching the Web Science Institute. We are looking forward to showcasing current Web Science work and discussing what it means to look at the world through a Web Science lens.”

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt says: “The Web empowers individuals and communities. It is based on open standards and open participation. And now open data on the Web will drive even greater innovation. The Web Science Institute will help us understand these exciting opportunities.”

In June the University launched its new Web Science Institute to investigate how the World Wide Web is changing the world and how the world is changing the Web.

Making digital marketing research even more relevant


Making HeadlinesA round-up of stories that featured the University in the media

Southampton academics provide expert media comment as search for MH370 continues

Dr Simon Boxall, Lecturer in Ocean and Earth Science, has spoken to media outlets around the world on aspects of tidal drift and ocean currents in the Southern Ocean, including BBC Breakfast, Sky News and BBC Radio 4. Speaking on the BBC’s ‘Newsnight’ television programme, Simon underlined the volume of debris to be found in the world’s oceans and the difficulty of linking these items to flight MH370 with any degree of certainty.

“We expect to see high concentrations of material in various sizes in this part of the ocean,” he said. “Trying to distinguish between what is a pallet or a container – a whole variety of things – from parts of

an aircraft is impossible from a satellite and even from a high-altitude aircraft,” Simon continued. “Until we can actually get this debris in our hands from a ship we can’t identify this positively.”

Dr Sarvapali Ramchurn is a Lecturer and Roberts Fellow in the Agents, Interaction and Complexity Group within Electronics and Computer Science. His comments for The Guardian newspaper and Sky News in the UK focused on the unprecedented volume of data being accessed by experts and agencies around the world – including information and analysis presented by the general public.

“Throwing thousands of satellite pictures at the crowd for them to check for debris

is like asking them to look for a needle in haystack; it’s going to be a boring and frustrating search,” Sarvapali said. “The worst part is that the search is being done by lots of people who don’t know what the needle looks like and what part of the haystack has already been searched or is most likely to contain the needle.

“It’s like constructing a puzzle where different countries, planes, ships, and sensors own different parts of the puzzle,” he continued. “Getting the pieces in one place is only the first step. Understanding how they fit together would require a combination of human and artificial intelligence.”

As the multi-national search for evidence of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 continues, academics from the University of Southampton have provided the world’s media with expert insights linked to aspects of the investigations.


The University story online portalAn online portal has been developed to help you share your stories, internally and externally. You can submit a story and we will help you develop and promote it through relevant channels.

You can also use the site to find other stories, facts, information, toolkits, and examples of connectivity stories or University news, to enhance your own presentations, reports and work.

To use the portal, visit intranet.soton.ac.uk/sites/telling-our-stories

Coffee BreakThe University story online portal


What’s coming up

Join the annual celebration at our staff party on Friday 25 July 2014, 3-5 pm.

For more information and to register for the event, visit www.southampton.ac.uk/staffparty

Staff party


What’s coming up Quizzes and competitions

Your news and viewsYou are invited to:Send your ideas for articles and news items for the next edition of the Voice or for the monthly e-Voice.

Tell us what you think of the Voice and e-Voice.

Email: [email protected]

Communications and Marketing: helping youIf you are looking for guidance on creating some promotional material for your faculty, academic unit or professional service, seeking facts and figures about the University and its history, looking for help with our brand and visual identity or just wanting to contact one of our approved suppliers, the Communications and Marketing webpages on SUSSED can help.

Visit SUSSED > Services > Communications and Marketing to see the resources on offer.

For any queries, contact commssupport@ southampton.ac.uk

Connectivity competitionAs part of the connectivity campaign, a new film has been created to showcase our groundbreaking collaborative work to the world. The film is available to watch online and will be shown on national television over the next few months. We have also created a website which features the film and includes background about each of the stories that feature in it. You can find this website and watch the video by searching for “we are connected” online.

For a chance of winning some connectivity goodies; t-shirt, mug, rubix cube, email your answer to the following question to [email protected].

Take a look at the video online if you are not sure.

Q. What metal did we discover can be effectively used in the fight against bacteria?

www.southampton.ac.uk [email protected] +44 (0)23 8059 8542

Documents

The Voice, edition 19 - July 2014