You’re sharing your expertise… and inspiring the next generation

Posted on by Grace

Rebecca Hellen (BA 1994) tells us her reasons for becoming a Bristol mentor.

I studied Art History and History at the University of Bristol and decided that a career in conservation was a great combination of the practical and academic. I then went on to study Science Chemistry for Conservators, before doing my postgraduate study at the Courtauld Institute of Art. In 2002 I started my role as Paintings Conservator at Tate.

The art world can be quite daunting. I didn’t come from an artistic family and like Hudi, I went to a state school, so I know what it’s like to try and enter a world you have little connection to.

Being a mentor was an opportunity for me to explore a broader and more open kind of coaching style than I’ve done before. It was really interesting working with someone much younger than me. I work a lot with postgraduates who are already committed to a career in conservation, but undergraduates are different – they are at a more influential and critical stage of their professional life.

I really enjoyed working with Hudi. I gave her some advice about talking to senior people and general etiquette, as it’s not something you necessarily learn. There are lots of very bright, relaxed and passionate people in the art world and it was really good to remind someone in Hudi’s position that everyone is human and that we all started out somewhere.

The mentorship was a flexible, easy-going arrangement and it was so satisfying knowing I could make a difference to Hudi’s final year experience. Mentoring is a great way to help make good things happen for the next generation.

Hudi Charin (BA 2019) shares her experience of the Bristol Mentors programme and the impact it has had on her experience since graduating.

I’d never studied History of Art before coming to Bristol so I didn’t really know what to expect. But I read The Story of Art by E. H. Gombrich and suddenly I was hooked. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my degree!’

In the summer of my second year I was really worried about applying for jobs and internships. I didn’t really have anyone to speak to about it and most people I knew were studying other subjects. So when Bristol Mentors contacted me it was a real relief. I was stunned and delighted to be partnered with Rebecca Hellen, Paintings Conservator at Tate.

I didn’t know much about conservation before but I do now! On our first meeting, Rebecca showed me around the Edward Burne-Jones exhibition at Tate Britain, which was amazing. She showed me before and after x-rays of the paintings she’d worked on and shared so much knowledge about how the exhibition was put together. It was such a privilege to get that behind-the-scenes insight.

It can be really lonely applying for jobs. Rebecca was an amazing sounding board for any questions I had and she taught me so much about the different roles within the art industry. It also made such a difference to have someone from the art industry look over my CV and job applications. Since meeting Rebecca I’ve secured four internships at galleries in London, while previously I hadn’t managed to get any. I’ve also done a placement with Bristol Museum, I’ve made some really good contacts and I’m thinking about applying for a Master’s which Rebecca has been able to help me with too. This mentorship has made such an enormous difference.

Bristol Mentors is the University of Bristol’s alumni mentoring programme, providing career-focused support for students from under-represented backgrounds by matching them with an alumni mentor. 

You’re supporting healthy minds

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Grace Kendrick (BA 2017, MA 2019) explains how the alumni-supported Healthy Minds programme has been a crucial factor in getting her through a very tough time at university.

By the end of my undergraduate degree I was extremely busy and very stressed from overwork. So much so that I didn’t even realise I needed help. Over the summer my parents realised I was struggling, and I went to the GP. Unfortunately, when I went back to start my Master’s my mum was diagnosed with cancer at the same time, which was devastating. I didn’t know if I should carry on with my studies, or if I should drop out.

I found out via the University’s website what support was available to me. I got an appointment for the Counselling Services within two weeks and I went to see them. But you know, for me, the hardest thing is to talk about what I’m going through. I was offered regular counselling, but it really didn’t feel like the right fit for me. Then the counsellor told me about the Healthy Minds Programme and I was accepted onto that, which has been amazing.

I was assigned a mentor for three months. I had to meet him at the gym once a week for a minimum of an hour. He taught me so much about myself, and how to make sure I had balance in my life. I did a lot of strength-based work, to rebuild myself after my ill health. Confidence building in the gym led to confidence outside of it. I really didn’t feel comfortable with a traditional type of talking therapy, it’s not for everybody. But actually, my mentor was getting me to discuss things without me realising it.

For the following three months I then had free gym membership and I made a lot of new friends in my exercise classes, who were very supportive. The Healthy Minds Programme really worked for me because I did need a contact, a human being to report to and to support me. I found this a better fit than a traditional therapist’s office. That’s why this programme is so important and it’s so key that it remains funded. You have to meet people where they are and for many students getting ‘counselling’ via sport is a game changer.

Once I completed the programme I took a course to be a Run Leader, which was also provided by the University. I started off doing a 10k with a running club I’d formed. I felt I was helping other students, giving back in return for the help I received. I finished the year by running the London Marathon and raising more funds to support Healthy Minds and I’m really proud of this. I achieved my MA in Law and now I’m excited to start work. I’ll be bringing with me everything I’ve learned about taking care of myself and my wellbeing.

The Healthy Minds programme aims to help students experiencing mental health difficulties. Based at the Indoor Sport Centre, students are supported to take positive steps to improve the way they feel. Referral is via Student Wellbeing Advisers, the Student Counselling Service or the Mental Health Advisory Service. The programme includes accessible, social and inclusive classes, gym and sports opportunities. Physical activity has been shown to release chemicals that boost mood. Regular activity also gives students the benefits of a structured routine and a strong sense of community.

You’re tackling a global crisis

Posted on by Grace

Matthew Avison (BSc 1994, PhD 1998), Professor of Molecular Bacteriology and Director of the University of Bristol’s Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) Research Network, demonstrates the world-leading research underway, and how a legacy gift has been used to help prevent one of the greatest threats to global health.

My role over the last couple of years has been to work collaboratively across the University to develop the Bristol AMR Research Network and to lead a community to tackle this global crisis. Originally this work started as a collaboration between the different Science schools and has now grown to include important work in other varied disciplines, including the Social Sciences, Law and the Arts.

Antimicrobials (antibiotics) have underpinned global healthcare for decades. Their widespread use, however, has led to AMR which means they are increasingly ineffective in fighting infections. It is a complex and global problem. The University of Bristol’s AMR Network is an interdisciplinary research consortium designed to help fight the challenges posed by AMR, which severely threatens human quality of life and life expectancy across the world.

AMR involves many different factors – technological issues, environmental issues, poverty issues, regulatory issues – which are all underpinned by human behaviours and their social and cultural drivers. For this reason, the Bristol AMR Network works across all faculties of the University. We have physicists and engineers working together to develop machines to identify whether bacteria are resistant to antibiotics or not, we have biologists providing them with the materials to test their inventions, and we have social scientists to explain how this might influence the practices of the people who are using antibiotics in the first place. We have human geographers, medical anthropologists, chemists, medics, vets, people working in agriculture and experts in stakeholder engagement. AMR is an enormous problem that requires a multifaceted approach and funding this research is an ongoing, essential requirement.

With support from Ivan Way’s legacy gift, we were able to unlock matched funding from the Medical Research Foundation and support two AMR PhD studentships at Bristol this year. This legacy bequest was transformative, allowing us to recruit the very best people for two four-year research roles. This is now our second cohort of AMR PhD students, who are also involved in a wider national training programme led by Bristol AMR where 150 students from across the UK come to Bristol for an annual week-long residential course, enabling them to tackle AMR by working across disciplines.

It is Ivan Way’s legacy bequest that has enabled us to build on the success of this PhD programme, continue to support ground-breaking research, and train the AMR researchers of the future.

One of the PhD students supported by Ivan Way’s bequest who starts in September is a molecular microbiologist and computer scientist who will develop
methods to help clinicians better use antibiotics in hospital treatment. The other is a vet who will be researching how we can reduce AMR on dairy farms. This legacy gift not only presents a life-changing opportunity for these two students, but will also contribute to our understanding of one of the world’s biggest global health crises. It represents a significant impact for AMR research, for the wider interdisciplinary AMR Network, for the PhD students and those involved in the training programme and, indeed, for world health.

Legacy gifts to the University of Bristol help our students thrive, support ground-breaking research and ensure that the University remains at the forefront of academic excellence. Many of Bristol’s achievements throughout our history have been supported by gifts in Wills from our generous alumni and friends.

 

You’re opening up the Bristol community

Posted on by Grace

Simi Modupe, Sanctuary Scholarship recipient, shares how this support from alumni and friends has changed her life.

I’m the youngest of my siblings and the first person in my family to go to university. The idea of this kind of study was unheard of in my community. It felt like a miracle when I got into Bristol. There is no way I would have been able to take up my place at university without this Sanctuary Scholarship.

After school I lost several years to immigration issues and red tape surrounding that. I also couldn’t get any funding to study; it was a difficult time. I was living in London. But I wasn’t really living, just barely surviving. At one point I was working in a hotel starting at 3am and doing a 10-hour shift. I often had to sleep on the street before going on to my next job.

The relief when you get your visa is immense. But the doors don’t just open, you must work so hard to get anything. When I learned that Bristol had these Sanctuary Scholarships, it was the chance I needed. I persevered to make the grades and was so proud when I was offered a place to study Economics. When I was at school there had been an outreach visit from Bristol and the people who came made it sound so exciting and energetic to study there, they really brought it to life, so you can imagine my excitement when it was confirmed that I was going to go there.

I love it here, I’m learning all the time and the Scholarship has made a huge difference to my life as a student. I couldn’t possibly do this degree alongside the number of hours I was working before, rushing from one job to another. This year I’ve been helping with the programme to welcome new Sanctuary Scholars and support them as they get to know the city and University. Everyone has been through major challenges, many fleeing from war in Syria. They’ve all got a different story, but we’re united by a huge sense of optimism for the future and our ambition to get the most out of our time at Bristol.

The city really suits me, it feels like there’s a community here. And I feel like me in Bristol. I’ve made some wonderful, strong friendships and have already had some great support from the Careers Service, who’ve helped me with my plans for what I’m going to do after graduation. In fact, I’ve had so much support that really the only main challenge is dealing with Bristol’s hills! When I first moved here I couldn’t get over how hilly it was, but now it’s a place I call home.

We recognise that individuals from forced migration backgrounds face additional barriers in accessing higher education and employment. Sanctuary Scholarships are made available to qualifying applicants who are asylum seekers, refugees or on Limited Leave to Remain in the UK. The aim of the Sanctuary Scholarship is to enhance opportunities for people from asylum-seeking and refugee communities, and to aid integration.

 

You’re raising aspirations

Posted on by Grace

Nieve Fay, Biology student and young carer, tells us how her scholarship has helped her overcome the challenges of attending university.

I really didn’t know if university would even be an option for me. I come from a disadvantaged background and I’m one of the first in my family to go to university. I wasn’t confident that I could even make the required grades, but my family and my school encouraged me and I’m so thankful they did. I was both nervous and excited on the day I found out I’d been accepted to Bristol. My family was so proud of me. They told me to always strive for more, no matter the challenges I would face regarding funding myself at university.

I read about the scholarship online and applied for it. I’m so thankful scholarships exist because mine has played a massive part in helping me fund my first year at university. When I was told I had been successful it felt like a huge weight had lifted off my shoulders. I knew then that I was going to be supported at university and the scholarship would give me more opportunities to get involved in the university experience. I feel so lucky.

The scholarship has financed me to travel home to help my mum on a regular basis, which has been a huge relief. But it’s also helped me to have a broader experience at university. It might sound like really small things, but being able to afford notepads, revision cards, coloured pens, etc during exam revision time without worry has made everything easier. I’ve also been able to join a musical theatre society for a small fee, which is something I would not have been able to do without the scholarship. I’m so grateful to have been able to make new friends and build skills and get involved in some really exciting shows. It’s really helped to make my university experience and meant I can get involved in the things I love.

I’m already thinking about continuing on to do a Master’s degree, which is quite something, given I didn’t even think I was going to make it to university at all. But I love Biology and I’m really enjoying my degree. I’m so pleased that I had the opportunity to further my education and I hope to continue studying Biology. I have a great interest in climate change and hope that one day I can help take us one step closer to saving the world we live in.

I think it’s wonderful that alumni and friends want to support people like me at university. They have no idea how much it can really benefit someone’s
life and it has already helped me open many doors for my future and for that I will be forever grateful.

In 2019 we launched the Futures Scholarships at Bristol which award talented students in financial need a total of £4,500. This encompasses £2,000 of funding to help with essentials in their first year and will enable them to make the most of university life. A further £2,500 is ring-fenced for use towards an internship, placement or other employability-focused activity later in their time at Bristol. Students will also receive guidance and career support from our dedicated coordinator. A scholarship gives students freedom from financial uncertainty. It provides them with the option to choose a job that fits around precious study time and makes it possible to succeed.

London Branch Annual Lecture: Sir Paul Nurse, ‘Science and the public good’

Posted on by Natalie Hill

Sir Paul Nurse delivers the 2019 London Branch Annual Lecture

 

Scientific research is aimed at generating knowledge of the natural world and of ourselves, and also at developing that knowledge into useful applications, including driving innovation for sustainable productive economic growth and better public services, improving health, prosperity and the quality of life, and protecting the environment. – Sir Paul Nurse

Robert Dufton (LLB 1983, Honorary LLD 2014):

The London Branch of the University of Bristol Alumni has organised an annual lecture every year since 2006. This year it attracted a record crowd of 209, no doubt because of the speaker, Sir Paul Nurse, Chancellor of the University of Bristol since 2017, Director and Chief Executive of the Francis Crick Institute, and 2001 Nobel Prize winner for his research on protein molecules that control the division (duplication) of cells in the cell cycle.

The evening was hosted by London Branch Committee members: Chair Julian Metcalfe (BSc 1978); Treasurer Martin Lunnon (BSc 1973, PhD 1976) and Secretary Alan Ingham (MEng 1999). A brief AGM, involving the presentation of the annual report by Julian, the annual accounts by Martin and a vote of thanks given by Alan about outgoing branch committee member David Snoxell (BA 1966), who chaired the London Branch from 2005 to 2010 and who had inaugurated the annual lecture, was ably chaired by Julian and lasted 6 minutes, which may have contributed to his being re-elected for a second term as Chair!

Jonathan Phillips (BSc 1994), Chair of the Alumni Association Committee, spoke about the work of the association, and his aim that the association will in time become one of the reasons why students choose Bristol over other universities.

Sir Paul welcomed the audience to the Francis Crick Institute, the UK’s leading biomedical research institute which focusses on the fundamental biology underlying health and disease. The state-of-the-art building opened in 2016.

His lecture ‘Science and the public good’, (science meaning research of all disciplines) emphasized the importance of combining discovery research and its translation which then directly helped people. Great research required excellence, academic freedom and diversity of thinking/institutions and a determined curiosity about big questions. In addition to his current work at the Crick Institute, Sir Paul drew on his experiences at the universities of Sussex, Oxford, Harvard and Rockefeller, and his time as President of the Royal Society for five years.

Questions from the audience followed and conversation continued over a reception.

Climate emergency – what now?

Posted on by Sarah
Artist Luke Jerram stands underneath a replica of the earth
In August this year the University’s Cabot Institute for the Environment hosted Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram’s Gaia in the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building. Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia features incredibly detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface, providing a unique opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three dimensions. Image copyright: Ben Birchall/PA images.

The University of Bristol has declared a climate emergency. We hear from just some of Bristol’s experts about what’s happening.

Portrait of Rich Pancost

 

Professor Rich Pancost

Professor Rich Pancost, Head of School for Earth Sciences considers the University’s role and its commitment to become carbon neutral in 2030.

‘Rather than ignore what’s happening we can, in our different areas of expertise, work together on sustainable solutions for all.’

 

 

 

 

Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough, broadcaster and naturalist talks about the scale of the problem and how we have the power to tackle it.

‘If we have an obligation to our children, our grandchildren and further generations then it is time we took that seriously.’

 

 

 

Jack Farmer

University of Bristol alumnus and Co-Founder and Operations Lead at LettUs Grow Jack Farmer is an expert in controlled environmental agriculture.

‘We want to enable new business models for local growers and play a key part in creating a non-wasteful food supply chain by supporting alternative, resilient food production’

 

 

 

Dr Alix Dietzel

Dr Alix Dietzel is a lecturer in Global Ethics at the University of Bristol, specialising in climate change and global justice.

‘We are at a critical crunch point with climate change and it can no longer be ignored’.

Climate emergency – what now? with Professor Rich Pancost

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Professor Rich Pancost, Head of School – Earth Sciences, Cabot Institute for the Environment talks about the University of Bristol’s response to climate emergency.

On 17 April 2019 the University of Bristol became the first university in the world to declare a climate emergency. It enshrines our institutional obligation to address the climatic, ecological and wider environmental threats posed to our planet and our society.

The University has been at the forefront of exploring and solving these challenges for decades, both through our world-leading research exemplified by the Cabot Institute for the Environment and our education via the Sustainable Futures theme. Some of our environmentally focused Schools – including Civil Engineering, Geographical Sciences and Earth Sciences – are ranked among the very best in the world. Many of us contribute to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, including the most recent report that highlighted the dire consequences of failing to limit warming to 1.5˚C.

‘Rather than ignore what’s happening we can, in our different areas of expertise, work together on sustainable solutions for all.’

We must do more. Just like our pledges in 2015 when Bristol was the European Green Capital, the Climate Emergency Declaration recognises that our University’s impact on our city and planet transcends its research and educational mission. We are an employer, a procurer and a consumer; our academics fly across the world and our students fly to us; we consume food, energy, water and minerals. We are part of the problem and we must be part of the solution. In particular, the Declaration renewed our commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030. But what does that mean? How will we do that? We know it will be messy and complex, just as our decision to divest from fossil fuels was. Not all companies that hold fossil fuel assets are the same; in fact, many are critically involved with obtaining the resources needed for a post-fossil fuel electrical future. But then, we must ensure that our own efforts for carbon neutrality do not simply shift the environmental burdens to other countries nor hinder their own development.

We do not have all of the answers yet. Consequently, I consider the Declaration to be a call for a renewed, self-critical, demanding and collaborative conversation about the future of our University. It is an opportunity for dialogue between all of us – staff, students, alumni, partners and stakeholders across our institution, city and the world. It will embrace every aspect of our organisation and it will lean on our own world-leading expertise and potential for innovation.

Climate emergency – what now? with Sir David Attenborough

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Sir David Attenborough, Broadcaster and Naturalist, Honorary Alumnus and winner of the 2019 Bristol Alumni Award for Lifetime Achievement discusses the scale of our climate emergency.

The fact is that the world is under greater pressure than it has ever been, and it’s not just in my lifetime but since human beings existed. This is the first time ever in the history of homo sapiens that we have the power, wittingly or unwittingly, to actually transform the world. Or to destroy it. Or to protect it. It’s very very important and our children and our grandchildren will either be thanking us or blaming us. 

The problem is huge. I mean this is a problem that has never been faced by human beings before, ever. Because the world is one. And everybody – everybody in the world – has now got to get together and sort things out. The history of humanity is of disaster, is of arguing and quarrelling, of wars, of going and conquering other people and clinging on to the land. That’s got to come to an end. And we’ve all got to do something, because we’ve got a common disaster. If I had to give one piece of advice to people today it would be to get engaged. Come together and do something about it.

Bristol should be proud of the contribution it’s making towards getting the message out there about what’s happening to our planet, about the situation our natural world is facing as a consequence of what we’re doing to it.

I think there is time to do something about what’s occurring, but that can only happen if people understand that the world is in danger. If we have an obligation to our children, our grandchildren and further generations then it is time we took that seriously. If the films that the BBC Natural History Unit have made – with the help of the University of Bristol – are getting the message out there, then we can be proud of that.

Climate emergency – what now? with Jack Farmer

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Jack Farmer, University of Bristol Alumnus (BSc 2015), Co-Founder and Operations Lead at LettUs Grow and expert in environment agriculture tells us about how his company is tackling some of the greatest global challenges.

I co-founded LettUs Grow in 2015 with fellow alumni Ben Crowther and Charlie Guy, aiming to help tackle some of the greatest challenges facing the world today: carbon emissions, environmental pollution, and food security.

With the current population growth, we will need to feed nearly 10 billion people by 2050.1 To do so it’s estimated that we must increase food production by 70 per cent, with the added challenges of having 25 per cent less farmland, degraded soils and an ever more unstable climate. Our existing methods of agriculture are not suitable for this new paradigm. This is before we even consider the food wasted in supply chains each year – 90,000 tonnes in the UK alone. With LettUs Grow we believe that by empowering anyone to grow food within controlled environments, we can tackle some of these issues head-on. We take a collaborative approach and have built a team comprising plant scientists, engineers, developers, creatives, and business experts.

We believe we are part of the solution and are working with other local businesses to address the issues that face us all as part of this climate emergency.

We design modular, ‘aeroponic’ products that improve the efficiency, sustainability and ROI of both indoor and greenhouse agriculture. This involves generating a mist around plant roots, which grow much faster and healthier as a result. Facility costs are driven down and farmers can achieve an average of 70 per cent increase in growth across a range of crops, when compared to conventional hydroponic technology. Our systems use very little water and as we operate in controlled environments there is no need for the use of pesticides. Crucially, this soil-free growing takes the pressure of growing delicate crops off the land and improves global access to nutrition – even in areas with very high or low temperatures. At LettUs Grow we’ve used our combined plant science and engineering expertise to mature this aeroponics technology and make it much easier to use.

Over the next few years, we’re excited to explore new crop varieties and expand our global impact. We want to enable new business models for local growers and play a key part in creating a non-wasteful food supply chain by supporting alternative, resilient food production. To drive consumer behaviour change we need a multi-pronged approach and LettUs Grow is proud to be part of that change.

Reference
1. Springman et al (2018). Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits. Nature 562, 519–525.