Run in the family: Get up, get together, get active

Posted on by University of Bristol

Get your 2019 goals off to a running start this year by running the Great Bristol 10k with the University of Bristol team.  On 5 May, Bristol students, staff and alumni will come together to run The Great Bristol Run 10K. Whether you’re looking to get fit for 2019 or looking for that next challenge, together we can make sure it’s a home run for everyone. 

We have discounted places for all our runners as well as training plans, Run Leaders and more, to keep you lacing up your shoes and flying the flag for Bristol. Never run before? No worries! The Great Bristol 10K is for everyone, from complete beginners to elite athletes. 

Why run with the University of Bristol? 

  • You’ll get a limited-edition t-shirt to wear during the run, and exclusive access to our couch-to-10k package. 
  • You can meet and train with people just like you by joining one of our social running groups to support your 10K journey and meet people from across the University, including our students, staff and alumni like you. You can choose a run group aimed at your ability, led by a friendly, England Athletics Certified Run Leader.  
  • Get access to a selection of Training Plans online to help you prepare for race day. 
  • New to running? Join in with the 5K fun run on Sunday 24 March 2019, a great first test of your fitness and support to your training. 
  • Explore inspiring case studies from our community, describing personal journeys where exercise has brought real benefits to the lives of our students, staff and alumni. 
  • You can run alongside students, staff and other alumni on the day if you chose to be part of the Bristol Wave. You’ll have the same start time together and will take part in a group warm-up beforehand. 

Sign up with friends and colleagues to make the most of a package of activities and resources, all of which are included in the cost of your entry fee. 

Our 10K runners have the option to combine their training with fundraising for the University of Bristol’s Healthy Minds programme. Physical activity has been proven to boost mood and reduce feelings of anxiety, stress and depression, and this idea is at the heart of Healthy Minds: it taps into the proven benefits of exercise to support Bristol students affected by mental health difficulties. 

If you choose to get involved, you’ll receive regular updates on the programme as well as fundraising tips. It’s easy to find out more and get started – after booking your place in the race, just go to our JustGiving page and click ‘start fundraising’.  

Sign up today! 

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Any questions? 

The Healthy Minds programme helps University of Bristol students affected by mental ill health to get more active and maintain this behaviour in a supported, friendly environment. The three-month user-led programme includes sessions with a mentor, a tailored plan and support for future health maintenance, as well as access to a range of classes, clubs and sporting opportunities. The programme has yielded clinically significant improvements in wellbeing, positively impacting on more than 150 students over the past two years. You can choose to raise money for Healthy Minds by running the Great Bristol 10k, find out more on the JustGiving page. 

Celebrating women: Bristol’s first female Chair

Posted on by University of Bristol

To mark the 2018 centenary of the first British women winning the right to vote, we are honouring Bristol women who have changed our institution, and the world. From our first woman lecturer to the first British woman to have won a Nobel Prize, these activists, educators and agitators now take their rightful place on the walls of the Wills Memorial building – along with ten of the women in today’s University community to who continue to be inspired by their legacy.

Professor Helen Wodehouse, the first female Chair at the University of Bristol, with Dr Peggy Styles, the University’s oldest graduate aged 86

“Helen was appointed Chair of Education in 1919 – one of the first women in any British university to hold such a post. She went on to shape the University’s teaching of education and, as someone who studied for my postdoctorate within the School of Education, I can testify that her work has had a lasting legacy.

“In 1925, she led the merger of the separate men’s and women’s Departments for Education against some opposition. She also initiated a system of regular assessment instead of a final examination for the Diploma of Education. This system has continued ever since. She established one of the leading departments in the country, both for professional education and for research.

“In 1964, when she died, Helen Wodehouse was still the only woman to have held a Chair at the University and it was therefore fitting that the new Graduate School of Education building in Berkeley Square was named after her that year.

“My dissertation looked at how attitudes towards the education of women have changed in living memory. Helen played a major role in this; her teaching not only inspired future generations of teachers, but her attitude showed that women were able to achieve senior roles and influence positive and lasting change.”

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The University of Bristol was the first higher education institution in England to welcome women on an equal basis to men, but our commitment to gender equality reaches far beyond this milestone. The wooden panels of the Great Hall in its Wills Memorial Building have been an all-male domain thanks to hosting portraits of its Vice-Chancellors. But now, thanks to a project specially-commissioned to mark 100 years since the first women in Britain won the right to vote, a series of ten portraits redresses the balance and celebrates notable Bristol women who have changed the institution – and, indeed, the world.

Celebrating women: The first woman to receive a medical degree from Bristol

Posted on by University of Bristol

To mark the 2018 centenary of the first British women winning the right to vote, we are honouring Bristol women who have changed our institution, and the world. From our first woman lecturer to the first British woman to have won a Nobel Prize, these activists, educators and agitators now take their rightful place on the walls of the Wills Memorial building – along with ten of the women in today’s University community to who continue to be inspired by their legacy.

Dr Elizabeth Casson, The first woman to receive a medical degree from the University of Bristol, with Asha Mohammed, undergraduate medical student

“Elizabeth was 30 when she started studying
medicine at Bristol in 1913 – a move thanks in part to her uncle, Sir Isambard Owen, being
the Vice-Chancellor here. She became the first woman to achieve a medical degree from the University when she graduated in 1919.

“The career change proved fortuitous, not just for Elizabeth but for the field of occupational therapy, which she went on to pioneer in the UK. It was during her first job in a hospital that she noticed the benefits of giving patients some voluntary artistic and occupational activities during treatment to help aid their recovery.

“In 1929, having drawn inspiration from a visit to the United States and subsequently borrowing £1,000 from her brother Lewis, she founded Dorset House in Clifton, Bristol, as a residential clinic for women with mental disorders. A year later, she launched the UK’s first school of occupational therapy at the same location. There, she led occupational and artistic therapies for the promotion of psychological wellbeing, including such activities as dance, drama, and countryside excursions.

“The original Dorset House school and treatment facility grew in size, helping around 800 patients between 1929 and 1941. Elizabeth privately financed Dorset House until 1947, after which it became the Elizabeth Casson Trust in 1948.

“As a current medical student, it’s humbling to think we’re following in the footsteps of great medics like Elizabeth, whose drive and tenacity have brought about positive change for future generations.”

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The University of Bristol was the first higher education institution in England to welcome women on an equal basis to men, but our commitment to gender equality reaches far beyond this milestone. The wooden panels of the Great Hall in its Wills Memorial Building have been an all-male domain thanks to hosting portraits of its Vice-Chancellors. But now, thanks to a project specially-commissioned to mark 100 years since the first women in Britain won the right to vote, a series of ten portraits redresses the balance and celebrates notable Bristol women who have changed the institution – and, indeed, the world.

Alumni in Queen’s New Year’s honours 2019

Posted on by University of Bristol

Following the announcement of the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list, we’re delighted to congratulate Bristol alumni and staff who have been recognised for their outstanding achievements and service.

CBE       

  • Julia Donaldson MBE (BA 1970, Hon DLitt 2011), Author, for services to Literature.
  • Professor Frederick Hobbs (MBChB 1977), Director of the National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research, Oxford, for services to Medical Research.
  • Dr Claire Stevens (BDS 2000), Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and President of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, for services to Children.

OBE

  • Paul Lindley (BSc 1989), Entrepreneur and Founder of Ella’s Kitchen, for services to Exports in the Food and Drink Sector and to Children’s Welfare.
  • Professor Helen Margetts (BSc 1983), Professor of Society and the Internet and lately Director of the Oxford Internet Institute, for services to Social and Political Science.
  • Professor David Martin (BSc 1986) Professor of Geography at the University of Southampton, for services to Geography and Population Studies.
  • Louisa Rolfe (BSc 1991) Deputy Chief Constable at the West Midlands Police, for services to Policing.

MBE     

  • Katie Alcott (Hon LLD 2018) Chief Executive Officer at FRANK Water, for services to International Development.

CVO

  • Annabel Dunkels LVO (BA 1978) Director of Communications and Business Development at the Royal Collection.

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If you’re a Bristol graduate and we haven’t listed you here, it may be that we don’t have your details. We’d love to hear from you, so please do get in touch with us at alumni@bristol.ac.uk to share your achievements.

Celebrating women: Bristol’s leading women

Posted on by University of Bristol

To mark the 2018 centenary of the first British women winning the right to vote, we are honouring Bristol women who have changed our institution, and the world. From our first woman lecturer to the first British woman to have won a Nobel Prize, these activists, educators and agitators now take their rightful place on the walls of the Wills Memorial building – along with ten of the women in today’s University community to who continue to be inspired by their legacy.

Winifred Shapland, Registrar of the University of Bristol, with Professor Judith Squires, Pro Vice-Chancellor

“Not only was Winfred the Registrar at the University of Bristol for nearly 20 years (1931 to 1950), she was the first female Registrar of any British university. Both are significant achievements. The Registrar of a university has overall responsibility for all its administrative
staff, enabling the university to deliver its core academic functions. Winfred held this, the most senior professional services role, at a time when universities were led almost exclusively by men. She was a pioneer in the world of higher education, and I am proud the University of Bristol showed its commitment to gender equality from its earliest days by appointing her to the role.

“Winifred was born and educated in Bristol and worked at the University for over 40 years. She joined the University as a secretary to Sir Isambard Owen, who became the first Vice-Chancellor when our Charter was granted in 1909. Eighteen years later she was appointed Secretary of the University and in 1931 became Registrar, shaping the University as it grew into the institution that we would recognise today.

“Winifred is a quietly inspiring figure whose contribution is worthy of celebration. She was a local woman, who dedicated her working life to one institution, but whose legacy rippled across the globe. At her retirement, friends, former colleagues and students from all over the world contributed to her testimonial. She was a professional woman who reached the highest ranks of the University, while displaying huge integrity and humility. At her memorial service, the then Vice-Chancellor noted that Winifred had ‘a rare gift of combining unswerving loyalty with complete candour.

“Her legacy is an important one, reflecting the University’s early and continuing commitment to gender equality and showing generations of women who followed her in higher education that no job is beyond their reach.”

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The University of Bristol was the first higher education institution in England to welcome women on an equal basis to men, but our commitment to gender equality reaches far beyond this milestone. The wooden panels of the Great Hall in its Wills Memorial Building have been an all-male domain thanks to hosting portraits of its Vice-Chancellors. But now, thanks to a project specially-commissioned to mark 100 years since the first women in Britain won the right to vote, a series of ten portraits redresses the balance and celebrates notable Bristol women who have changed the institution – and, indeed, the world.

Season’s greetings from Bristol

Posted on by University of Bristol

A festive message from Gary Nott, our Santa and Estates Assistant in the Wills Memorial building.

Do you see what I see?

It’s not the same anywhere else, is it? There’s something different about Bristol…

I’ve seen hundreds of people swing open the big, wooden doors of the Wills Building. I’ve seen our students start out with big eyes and big ideas, running off to lectures. I stood back amazed when earlier this year students clubbed together to send our cleaner on holiday. I watch them graduate, dancing down the steps, off out to change the world, to jet off into space.

I see them come back as alumni like you, full of excitement when they meet their old mates, when I walk them through their memories in the Wills Memorial Tower tours, or get messages on Twitter. They open up their hearts and share their experiences, hoping to give someone the same chances they had. It’s an amazing thing to be a part of.

There’s something here in Bristol. And it’s not in the bricks or buildings or in the water. It’s in the people. It’s a Bristol spirit.

The people who come here, it sparks a fire in them, a passion. And they have it in bucket loads. They want to change the world for the better. And you know what? They are. You are! All around the world.

Every year, I dress up as Santa. Every year, I put up that tree. Week in and week out, I take people on tours around the Wills Building. And I do it because of the Bristol spirit. To see people light up. Bristol is powered by people, people like you, and I’m proud to be one of them.

Here’s to a year filled with Bristol spirit, and many more to come!

Gary Nott
Estates Assistant
Wills Memorial Building

Celebrating women: First British woman to win a Nobel Prize

Posted on by University of Bristol

To mark the 2018 centenary of the first British women winning the right to vote, we are honouring Bristol women who have changed our institution, and the world. From our first woman lecturer to the first British woman to have won a Nobel Prize, these activists, educators and agitators now take their rightful place on the walls of the Wills Memorial building – along with ten of the women in today’s University community to who continue to be inspired by their legacy.

Professor Dorothy Hodgkin, First British woman to win a Nobel Prize and former Chancellor of the University of Bristol, with Lara Lalemi, Chemistry PhD student

“Dorothy was the University’s fifth Chancellor from 1970 to 1988. She was a pioneer in the field of protein crystallography and was the first British woman to win a Nobel Prize, receiving it for Chemistry in 1964.

“Dorothy’s interest in chemistry started when she was just 10 years old and she was one of only two girls at secondary school who were allowed to join the boys as they studied the subject. She went on to achieve a first-class honours degree from the University of Oxford – only the third woman to achieve this distinction.

“She was awarded the Nobel Prize for her pioneering work on protein crystallography and the structures of vitamin B12 and penicillin. Her work helped to unravel the detailed 3D structures of proteins, including insulin, fundamentally shaping our understanding of living organisms. In Bristol, Dorothy is remembered as our second longest serving Chancellor. She proved to be a hands-on Chancellor, attending many University meetings and functions, public lectures and lunching with student officers in the Union.

“Dorothy remains the only British woman to have received a Nobel Prize in any of the three sciences it recognises. Not only was she an amazing scientist, but an icon for many women in science. As someone who has studied her work some 50 years later, I’m struck by its impact and how she managed to achieve such a major breakthrough at a time when so few women were even studying Chemistry, let alone supporting the growth of modern medicine.”

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The University of Bristol was the first higher education institution in England to welcome women on an equal basis to men, but our commitment to gender equality reaches far beyond this milestone. The wooden panels of the Great Hall in its Wills Memorial Building have been an all-male domain thanks to hosting portraits of its Vice-Chancellors. But now, thanks to a project specially-commissioned to mark 100 years since the first women in Britain won the right to vote, a series of ten portraits redresses the balance and celebrates notable Bristol women who have changed the institution – and, indeed, the world.

Bristol career insights 2018

Posted on by Natalie Hill

A big thank you to our Bristol Volunteers for all of their efforts in making our Bristol career insights events this year such a resounding success. Over 60 of you volunteered your time, experience and expertise to inspire our recent graduates and help them to take positive steps in their careers. 

Bristol career insights: Bristol and London events
This year we saw our global alumni network in action with seven careers events in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and at home in the UK.

Recent graduates connected with established alumni in their home cities to get practical guidance and insider advice. Graduates seized the opportunity to network with alumni across different industries, hear about their career journeys since Bristol and gain insights into their current profession.

Whether you took part in a panel discussion, presented about your experiences or shared your stories with an audience; our heartfelt thanks for your support. Our recent graduates benefit hugely from your knowledge, expertise and passion for what you do.

We are busy getting ready for our next events in 2019: Beijing and Shanghai in April, Bristol and London in June.

Get in touch with alumni-volunteers@bristol.ac.uk if you’re keen to get involved in 2019.

 

 

Our 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon Team

Posted on by catherine.jenkinson

Seven Bristol alumni, staff and students are running the 2019 London Marathon in support of Healthy Minds, a physical activity programme at the University which taps into the benefits of exercise to support students affected by mental ill health. 

Congratulations and thank you to our 2019 London Marathon team! We wish them all good luck with their training and hope that they have a fantastic day on Sunday 28 April 2019.

Christiaan J. Knaup 

‘Your student days are the best years of your life. Certainly now that I’m working, I realise just how much freedom I had to explore, think and question everything around me. I spend a year abroad in Singapore, went to the European Championships with the debating society and watched multiple elections in the Student Union. More importantly, I met my best friends.

On the other side, my student days mark a time when I lost both my parents to cancer and a stroke. While it has been tough, I have been fortunate enough to draw on my friends and family for support and this is an opportunity that is not granted to everyone. More importantly, my grief made me aware of the difficulties in mental health. How can one just snap out of it? How can all the things you do make you feel better? Eating healthy and exercising are things that are incredibly hard to do.

Fortunately, through the University of Bristol, I have secured a spot in the 2019 London Marathon. This marathon represents more than just a run to me. Running 42.195km is a real challenge and an opportunity to give back to the community through fundraising. The university has been incredibly flexible and supportive of students who are suffering from mental health issues through things such as Healthy Minds initiative. It aims to support students who are undergoing mental turmoil, no matter what the reason. It promotes and supports mental-wellbeing via encouraging exercise and mentoring. Exercise has certainly helped me. To me it is not just about the dopamines that are released, but also the bonds that are forged between teammates.’

Chloe Parsons 

‘I graduated from the University of Bristol with my accounting and finance degree in 2014.  Since then, I have both worked and studied as an accountant, recently becoming a Chartered Accountant at a fantastic accountancy firm in the city.

I have lived, studied and worked in Bristol my entire life. As I look out of my office, The Wills Memorial Building is in site and reminds me of my graduation.

Standing on the start line of the London Marathon as a proud ambassador and alumni of the University of Bristol raising money for Healthy Minds will mean everything to me. I have never run a marathon before and I cannot wait to take on the challenge! 

The training starts here! If any small donations can be made to support me in my fundraising it would be extremely appreciated and go a long way in helping me reach my target!’

Jack Bicknell 

‘I’m Jack Bicknell, I studied Physics and graduated back in 2013. Since then I’ve been a science teacher with Teach First and now work at PwC Consulting. I’ve wanted to do the London Marathon for a while now so when I saw there was an opportunity to run for UoB Healthy Minds I jumped straight in! When I was at uni I used the Student Councelling Services and they really helped me get over some things I was dealing with. Exercise was, and still is, a massive tool I used back then to get out of a rut and it’s still the first thing I think of when I’m having a bad day. Bristol’s Healthy Minds is a fantastic cause I really hope that our fund-raising helps some students get back on track.’

 

 

Verity Saunders 

‘I started working at the university in April this year as Head of Projects in IT Services. I play netball and am a keen runner taking part in a number of 10k and half marathons.  I live in Bristol with my husband Rich and have 3 children Tom, Scarlett and Amber. The benefits of sport have played a huge role in my life when I was at university and especially in the early days of motherhood providing me with the tools, mindset and headspace to deal with everyday challenges. I have never ran a marathon before and this will be the biggest personal challenge I have ever undertaken.’

 

 

Marissa Guiang 

‘My name is Marissa and I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. I was a visiting student at Bristol in 2014, from Cornell University. At Bristol, I took classes in Politics, Sociology, and International Film. I graduated from Cornell in 2015 and moved to New York City to work at BlackRock.

The London Marathon will be my second marathon, after completing the New York City Marathon this past November. I am running to raise money for Bristol’s Healthy Minds program to help the university with its efforts to provide more mental health resources to its students. When I was a visiting student, the university provided me with support that made an otherwise difficult study abroad experience much more pleasant and memorable. I want to help sustain and expand the Healthy Minds program so that all students can get the support they need to succeed and enjoy their time at Bristol.’

Sam Collier 

Sam is studying for a PhD in Sustainable Futures at the University of Bristol, having previously completed an MRes at the university. His motivation for running the London Marathon stems from his own experience with mental health over the past year. He struggled with anxiety and depression during the first year of his PhD, but has found running to be an effective way to manage this. It has become his go-to strategy; a way of channelling the suppressed energy of his anxiety into something worthwhile and positive. By fundraising for Healthy Minds, he hopes to broaden awareness of the programme and what it can offer to students, and to encourage others to try exercise for its psychological benefits.

Grace Kendrick 

Grace is currently studying Law at the University of Bristol.

To support the fundraising efforts of the team as a whole, please visit their JustGiving page.

Celebrating women: Leading epidemiologist and founder of the ‘Children of the 90s’ study

Posted on by University of Bristol

To mark the 2018 centenary of the first British women winning the right to vote, we are honouring Bristol women who have changed our institution, and the world. From our first woman lecturer to the first British woman to have won a Nobel Prize, these activists, educators and agitators now take their rightful place on the walls of the Wills Memorial building – along with ten of the women in today’s University community to who continue to be inspired by their legacy.

Professor Jean Golding OBE, Leading epidemiologist and founder of the ‘Children of the 90s’ study, with Professor Kate Robson Brown, Director of the Jean Golding Institute

“Jean overcame much adversity in childhood, including TB and polio, and – despite showing an aptitude for biology – went on to study the more sedentary subject of maths at Oxford University at a time when women were outnumbered ten to one by men. She developed a keen interest in epidemiology (the study of health in a population) and went on to do a PhD in Medical Statistics at
University College London.

“Jean started working here in 1980 and founded the now world-famous Children of 90s study (also known as ALSPAC) in 1989. It has been charting the health and wellbeing of 14,500 mothers and their children since the early 1990s. Almost 30 years later, the three-generation cohort is truly internationally and their data has given the world a wealth of practical wisdom that millions of
people now put into practice every day.

“Jean’s own research has amounted to over 350 peer-reviewed papers, covering a range of factors associated with pregnancy, childhood and parenthood. Although she retired in 2006, Jean remains an active and valuable member of the University community. Her pioneering spirit has shown us where thinking big can lead, which is why we’ve named our data institute after her. Bringing together experts from across the University, we are finding datadriven solutions to societal challenges – an entirely appropriate legacy for a research legend whose impact cannot be underestimated, both within the NHS and internationally.”

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The University of Bristol was the first higher education institution in England to welcome women on an equal basis to men, but our commitment to gender equality reaches far beyond this milestone. The wooden panels of the Great Hall in its Wills Memorial Building have been an all-male domain thanks to hosting portraits of its Vice-Chancellors. But now, thanks to a project specially-commissioned to mark 100 years since the first women in Britain won the right to vote, a series of ten portraits redresses the balance and celebrates notable Bristol women who have changed the institution – and, indeed, the world.