Made in Bristol: Steve Kay and pursuing passion

Posted on by University of Bristol

As part of our ‘Made in Bristol’ interview series, alumnus Steve Kay (BSc 1981, PhD 1985, Hon DSc 2014) takes us through his journey from Bristol to becoming one of the world’s leading scientists.

My job as a scientist is to come into work each day and see something new in Nature that nobody else has seen before. Engaging the incredible diversity of life that has evolved on this planet makes my hair stand on end some days. Bristol nurtured that awe. I initially went to Oxford to do medicine (and play rugby), but frankly found the classes there rather boring after one term.

I realised I’d gone down the wrong path for me. I wasn’t pursuing my passion. I grew up on the island of Jersey where a myriad of marine creatures would be exposed during very low tides. They fascinated me. One day my elementary teacher brought in a microscope from mainland England and we spent hours with our eyes glued to it, staring at creatures swimming in pond water. That fascination and excitement with natural science couldn’t be matched.

After some reflection, I recalled how much I had enjoyed interviewing with Bristol’s Biochemistry department during campus visits. I contacted the department and entered the following autumn and found it to be absolutely the best place for me – a rigorous curriculum combined with a sense of belonging to an academic family.

I loved it so much, and I am proud to be a “triple” alum. Bristol taught me rigor and discipline in science. Professors like Nigel Brown, Owen Jones and my PhD advisor Trevor Griffiths demanded independent thought (and hard work). But they also valued collaboration and collegiality. These principles have stuck with me throughout my career – how to aggressively pursue the truth, while not taking yourself too seriously.

In terms of opportunity, the USA has a science economy like no other and I was keen to explore new horizons. Over the last 25 years, we have generated a deep knowledge base of how circadian clocks are built and function in a variety of organisms. California remains a hotbed of innovation and a fantastic place to translate our knowledge into products that provide some benefit to mankind. In the case of agriculture, this can be crops that are more resistant to stresses due to climate change. In humans, there is the real possibility of developing drugs that target the clockworks to treat diseases like diabetes and cancer.

If I could give one word of advice to students today it would be to constantly seek out people smarter than yourself to work with. That translated into some wonderful discoveries in my own field, such as identifying many of the key clock genes in plants and humans, that are now relevant to advances in either agriculture or medicine.

I am incredibly grateful to the University for the training and scholarship I received while there, and the memories: walking across the downs in all kinds of weather from Wills Hall to classes every day, (Southern California can make you soft!), picking up cider (“scrumpy”) from our own “Department of Pomology” at the Long Ashton Research station on a Friday afternoon, and meeting the Oxford Dangerous Sports club at a party in Clifton the night before they did the world’s first bungee jump in 1979!

It reminds me that it pays to take a leap into the unknown, to embrace the wrong turns, dust yourself off and get right back in there. Bristol continues to dare to be different, and I very much enjoy staying involved with the University as chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for BrisSynBio, a world class synthetic biology centre. A good piece of both my heart and brain will always be at the University of Bristol and the wonderful city. Like me, it too is looking for something new, something that nobody else has seen or done before, and that’s an exciting place to be.

______________________

Professor Steve A. Kay (BSc 1981, PhD 1985, Hon DSc 2014) is Director of Convergent Biosciences and Provost Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California. As one of the world’s top experts on genes and circadian rhythms, he has published more than 200 papers and is named by Thomson-Reuters as a highly cited scientist. He has been cited in Science magazine’s “Breakthroughs of the Year” three times since 1997, and has received numerous awards, including election to the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. Kay has served on the advisory boards to Althea, Bayer AG, Monsanto, Novartis, Toyota Motor Corp and BP, amongst others.

BBC radio Bristol interview with Stephen O’Connor about £1 million pound gift

Posted on by University of Bristol

Stephen O’Connor, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, talks to the BBC about Dr Bhikhu Patel (BA Hons Architecture 1973, Hon LLD 2006) and his wife Shashi’s £1 million gift towards Bristol’s transformational new campus at Temple Quarter.

Giving back: proud alumnus supports new campus

Posted on by Clare

Dr Bhikhu Patel (BA Hons Architecture 1973, Hon LLD 2006) and his wife Shashi have just donated £1 million towards Bristol’s transformational new campus at Temple Quarter.

Bhikhu himself describes the education he received at Bristol as ‘first-class’ and he also personally understands the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship, key elements of the teaching at the new campus:

My father died when I was young, and my mother set up her own business whilst also caring for her family. I learnt self-reliance at a very early age from her as well as a strong belief in philanthropic giving and helping others who are less well off.

Now, thanks to Bhikhu and Shashi’s incredibly generous gift, future generations of students are set to benefit as this donation will be essential to the creation of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC).

This new campus is set to revolutionise teaching and learning at Bristol. Business education will sit alongside world-class science and engineering research and development. There will be a focus on large-scale digital innovation and provision to increase the skills pipeline to support the burgeoning digital economy. Education will be challenge-based and enterprise focussed with students working with key industry partners to tackle real-world problems.

The new campus is planned to be an open, green, inclusive centre. It will be relevant to international, national and local communities. It will inspire and connect local people, social enterprises, businesses, academics and students. And it will create jobs and celebrate Bristol culture.

Bhikhu graduated from Bristol in 1973 with a degree in architecture. After leaving Bristol he followed a career as an architect before taking on a couple of small businesses with Shashi. In the early 80s he joined forces with his brother Vijay to work in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2001, they were jointly voted Ernst and Young’s ‘UK Entrepreneur of the Year’ having already won numerous accolades from various top organisations and institutions including ‘Europe’s Top 500 fastest growing companies’.

I fell in love with Bristol – the University and city. I couldn’t have achieved what I have in my business and personal life without my degree. I’ve always followed the University and been very proud of its research and teaching successes. I wanted to give something back to Bristol. Entrepreneurship is in my blood and so many modern institutions don’t cater for this. TQEC will answer this in a very exciting way. The new campus will also be accessible to the wider communities of Bristol – inviting them to be part of University life. It will also put the University and Bristol on the global map and will bring tremendous benefits to the city and society as a whole.

As well as supporting the new campus, which will attract the best and brightest from around the world, Bhikhu and Shashi are also providing support to students most in financial need. Bhikhu said: “I came to the UK from Kenya with virtually nothing and was the beneficiary of a first-class education at the University of Bristol. Education is very important to me. I am so grateful for everything education has given me in life. I want others to benefit in the same way – helping the next generation to become entrepreneurs and innovators of the future.”

Through scholarships and bursaries, the Bhikhu and Shashikala Patel Student Support Fund will give much needed support to students, both international and from the UK, to help them during their time at Bristol.

The Development and Alumni Relations Office greatly values the expertise, involvement and philanthropic support of all our alumni and friends which is helping to power our researchers, our academy, our students and our contribution to this great city and worldwide.

Careers after English – alumni panel

Posted on by Joanna Sochacka

Many thanks to our alumni, who all graduated with a degree in English, for returning to their department and sharing their career paths and experiences with current students.

After a welcome from Professor Helen Fulton, Chair in Medieval Literature and Head of the English Department, five alumni shared their journeys since Bristol and their insights into their current profession:

  • Cordelia Lodge (BA English 2014), Fundraiser at the RSPCA, highlighted how the skills you gain during your degree apply in many different roles – especially the ability to cut down a word count!
  • Faith Newcombe (BA English 2017), Production Editor at Intellect Books, shared how attending events and hearing from others is always helpful, even if it shows you what you don’t want to do – and spoke from experience having met a current colleague at a networking evening.
  • Sam Charkham (BA English 2010), Solicitor at Burges Salmon LLP, said his English degree was great preparation for his post-graduate degree in law and the skills you require in the profession. He is very happy working now on different projects within commercial law though encouraged the audience to stay resilient, you can apply for lots of different jobs before being successful.
  • Jim White (BA English 1980), Columnist at Telegraph Media Group, shared his vast experience and insights into journalism, and encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you during your time at Bristol.
  • Nicola Yeeles (BA English 2002), Freelance Writer, Editor and Teacher, shared her varied career path and explained that now, a portfolio career is very common and not to worry about not finding your ideal job straight away.

Following the panel introductions, a number of questions covered whether to accept a job that’s not exactly in your area, whether you’re at a disadvantage if you transfer to another discipline without the relevant undergraduate degree, and how the landscape of works is always shifting. All panellists stressed the value of the transferable skills they gained from their English degree, including synthesising and summarising material quickly, writing well, and thinking critically. Students and alumni had a further chance to ask questions and share stories informally over a drink in the Department foyer.

Many thanks to our Bristol Volunteers for getting involved. Get in touch with alumni-volunteers@bristol.ac.uk if you’re keen to support the career development of current students.

Student Mental Health and Wellbeing: a student’s voice

Posted on by Clare

Hester Careless, Third Year Politics and Economics Student and Chair of the Wellbeing Network at Bristol Students’ Union, gives her view on the current upsurge in mental health issues amongst university students and young people in general.

Many of you will be aware of the publicity surrounding the upsurge in mental health issues for young people – and especially for university students – including those studying at Bristol. A comprehensive answer to questions such as why students are struggling and what can be done about it is complex and beyond the scope of this short article. However, I hope that by providing my own thoughts on these issues, I can help to promote a wider understanding of the problem.

The nature of higher education has fundamentally changed in recent years. Students now face debts before they even start their working lives and the job market is increasingly competitive. Equally, the university-student relationship has undergone great change, with increased numbers of young people attending university. As in the wider economy, financial constraints affect university support services which now need to grow to match this growth in student numbers. When you are within a university of tens of thousands of students, it can be overwhelming even for the most self-confident of us. Alongside many other factors these issues are having serious implications for students’ mental health.

However, it’s crucial to consider the broader societal environment within which students are living today to fully understand the poor state of our youth’s mental health. Within the schooling system there is an ever-tighter focus on the curriculum and exams and it is increasingly difficult for students to develop core life skills and their own unique talents. Indeed, evidence suggests that many mental health problems emerge in late childhood and early adolescence, well before young people enter higher education.

Alongside this, a culture of perfectionism now pervades every aspect of young people’s lives. With a growing emphasis on examinations and grades, young people can feel reduced to a number, while the incessant pressure of maintaining a perfect social media persona online creates unachievable ideals within young people’s social lives too.

Loneliness and isolation are also affecting more young people which can both exacerbate and create mental health difficulties. Technology and our convenience culture play a huge role in this. For example, at university you can use the internet to watch lectures, order food, and contact people, all without ever needing to leave your room. In addition, the social media façade in which everyone is constantly happy and having fun (except you) heightens feelings of loneliness and exclusion – as reflected by the recently coined acronym FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Clarity about what mental health encompasses is crucial in order to have the right conversations and ensure that useful support is available. To me, mental health applies to everyone and represents your ability to manage the ups and downs of everyday life. This doesn’t mean you won’t experience sadness, anger or boredom. On the contrary, allowing yourself to experience the full range of emotions rather than striving for a continuous state of happiness and perfection is intrinsic to positive mental health. Integrating healthy patterns into your daily life, such as talking openly to those around you and making time for activities you love, as well as noticing when you start falling into unhelpful habits, for example isolating yourself or turning to alcohol or drugs, are also crucial. However, sometimes a person’s mental health can reach such a low point that they would benefit from specialist help such as counselling or medical support. A key issue is knowing when to use your own insights, skills and support system of family and friends, and when, where and how to seek specialist help.

Despite growing awareness and understanding of mental health, there is still significant stigma attached to mental health problems. Students admitting their struggles within social or family settings are often confronted with shame, embarrassment or simply ignorance. Students may also fear that admitting difficulties or seeking help will affect their academic record and job prospects.

Lack of diversity within support services can also constitute a barrier in accessing support, both regarding the demographics of employed professionals and types of support provided. International, BME, LGBT+ and male students can be neglected within counselling and advisory services to the detriment of their mental health. New support services introduced this academic year at Bristol have taken diversity concerns into consideration as part of their recruitment process. This is an important factor in enabling all students to feel comfortable seeking help, regardless of their ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender.

Alongside the final year of my degree I also work part-time as the voluntary student leader of the Wellbeing Network at Bristol Students’ Union. In this role I strive to ensure that students’ voices are heard and represented, work alongside and influence University services and policy-makers, raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing and, importantly, help students understand what support is available for them. The Students’ Union is also committed to putting student wellbeing at the heart of everything it does, with every one of its 6 Full-Time-Officers stating that this is one of their key priorities over the year.

Throughout the 2018-19 academic year the Wellbeing Network will be organising campaigns including Mind Your Head, holding regular feedback forums and hosting a range of other events to help improve the student experience here in Bristol. One of my main aims over the year is to diversify conversations around mental health by working closely with our five liberation Networks to produce a series of panel events. I hope to continue building up a sense of community in which students feel empowered to meet new people, make strong friendships and connect with the wider student body.

Other fantastic work being done by Bristol-based student groups include The Black Dog Project where students lead mental health workshops in secondary school, Bristol Nightline, and Bristol is Global which organises an annual University-wide competition, last year themed on student mental wellbeing and won by the group All Abroad which aims to keep students connected while overseas.

Radical changes to the University’s support structure are also taking place this year – including a new Student Wellbeing Service and Residential Life Model. It is the SU and Wellbeing Network’s responsibility to help ensure that students’ feedback is an integral part of how these systems adapt and improve.

While Bristol University and the Students’ Union are taking measures to address these ongoing problems, let’s not forget that this is a bigger, societal issue. As individuals we can each play an active role in working towards a healthier and more supportive society, and help ensure that anyone struggling with mental health problems has someone to talk with and can get the help that they need.

Hester Careless, Third Year Politics and Economics Student.  Alongside the final year of her degree Hester also works part-time as the voluntary student leader of the Wellbeing Network at Bristol Students’ Union. T

his role works to ensure that students’ voices are heard and represented, works alongside and influences University services and policy-makers, raises awareness of mental health and wellbeing and helps students understand what support is available for them.

 

 

Further reading:

US Foundation: Your alumni network

Posted on by University of Bristol

A year’s end perspective to our U.S-based alumni by Lesley Silvester, Chair University of Bristol Foundation.

The year’s end approaches, and typically drives an appraisal of the happenings of the past 12 months. In terms of the presence of the U.S. Foundation across America there is much to be happy about: first, the increase in financial support from the U.S.-based alumni community, and, equally important, the engagement of community members in alumni gatherings and the exchange of information between the University and its alumni not just in the U.S. but across the globe. A vital underpinning of such exchanges continues to be the desire of the University to both communicate Bristol’s strategic initiatives and, importantly, to openly discuss the key drivers of these initiatives.

In recent gatherings held by the Vice-Chancellor and his team, he discussed the strategic initiatives and challenges being focused on. In summary, they relate to increased diversity in the student body, internationalization, world-class research, campus redevelopment (with a huge focus on building community space), and the mental health well-being of students. These topics resonated with many of the alumni participating in the meetings; a number of us have long questioned why the University of Bristol of which we are proud has had a relatively low profile internationally. To me, what was particularly powerful in the Vice Chancellor’s discussions was the investment that the University is making in truly understanding the nature of its students’ mental well-being. Bristol is moving towards becoming a national leader in mental health research and remediation.

The relevance of these strategies and investments was additionally reinforced by four exchange students from Bristol, two of whom are studying at the University of California, Berkeley and two of whom are at Boston College. They shared some very interesting insights about their experiences and perspectives, which helped reinforce the path forward being articulated.

The Directors of the Foundation greatly appreciate those alumni who have become engaged with our efforts and those who are contributing to the University through the Foundation. Thank you! We would also like to thank the team at Bristol, under the leadership of Steve O’Connor, who have provided such terrific support of our aspirations in the U.S. to increase the impact of the Foundation.

Fulbright Scholarships

This year, the US Foundation have funded two Fulbright scholars thanks to generosity from alumni in the US.

One of these is Samantha Berman, pictured left, who recently graduated from Tufts University, with a BA in Environmental Science and Biology. She will pursue an MSc in Experimental Psychology, working to improve psychological patient care for individuals with cleft lip and/or palate, under the leadership of the University of Bristol’s Cleft Collective and the Person Perception and Person Knowledge Lab (PPPKL).

 

Personally and on behalf of the Directors of the U. S. Foundation I send very best wishes for the holidays and 2019. We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you at future events.

Beijing alumni network – legal profession salon, 20 October 2018

Posted on by Natalie Hill

Beijing Alumni Association sharing salon

This October the University of Bristol Beijing alumni network held their first alumni sharing salon at the Wanyi Art Museum.

The session focused on the legal industry, with 17 alumni gathering to hear from three outstanding alumni.

  • Liu Shaohua (LLM 2016) introduced the construction and considerations of private equity funds.
  • Liu Jinna (LLM 2014) shared her experience working in law and as an entrepreneur.
  • Yuan Meng (MA 2013) talked about commercial arbitration and shared some practical experience of the process.

There was a lively discussion, with alumni sharing their experiences of the workplace and giving advice to new graduates starting their careers.

Thanks to Zhou Wei who suggested the event, and association members Si Yan and He Liu who kindly coordinated.

For those who couldn’t attend this time there are still many topics to be discussed at future sharing salon sessions. The association also intend to hold a series of industry lectures. For more information connect with the Beijing alumni network on WeChat using the ID: bristolalumnibeijing.

Bristol University on the road in the USA

Posted on by University of Bristol

A report on the bi-coastal visit to SF and NYC by Ely J Kahn

New York President's Reception 2018

A University delegation, led by Vice-Chancellor Hugh Brady, traveled across the United States in September, visiting enthusiastic alumni gatherings in both San Francisco and New York City. The meetings included discussions with the Board of Directors of Bristol’s US-based American Foundation in California, and presentations in both cities by University students studying in the States on semester abroad programs. Both were highlighted by the Vice-Chancellor Brady’s reflections on the progress towards achieving the vision laid out in the University’s current strategic plan for greater internationalism, increased emphasis on attracting and retaining the best and brightest researchers, and campus redevelopment.

Dozens of Bristol graduates and their partners attended the two alumni meetings. The Vice-Chancellor was accompanied on the trip by Pro Vice-Chancellor Erik Lithander, who heads the University’s International Office, and by Stephen O’Connor, the University’s Dirrector of Development and Alumni Relations. He emphasized that a primary goal for his team is “to get a student body that replicates the world we live in.” Internationalization, he explained, meant that Bristol had to “move beyond A-levels”, and find additional avenues of access for worthy candidates, including those from the United States. “There’s never been more change in education,” the Vice-Chancellor added.

San Francisco President's Reception 2018

In San Francisco, at a US Foundation Board meeting led by Chair Lesley Silvester, the Vice-Chancellor said that one of the issues that had been “keeping me awake at night” over the past year was the mental health of university students. The Foundation Board agreed that it should be a priority, and approved a grant that will support a new Vice-Chancellor Fellowship in Mental Health and Well-Being in UK Universities, as well as funding for Widening Participation scholarships and a scholarship programme associated with the British Heart Foundation.

In New York, Vice-Chancellor Professor Hugh Brady expanded upon the issues that keep him awake, adding the uncertainty around the Brexit negotiations, and whether it will result in obstacles to the University’s ongoing efforts to attract the best European candidates, as well as the government’s review of higher education funding, and its potential impact on the Bristol budget.

We need your support, and your engagement,’ said Professor Hugh Brady.

Foundation Chair Lesley Silvester reiterated the need. “In San Francisco,” she said, “we saw the richness of the alumni network. Its benefits are powerful, the result of the community we’re trying to strengthen through the Foundation. It’s growing, but we want more — more Directors, more volunteers. Please join us.”

Tokyo alumni get-together, 31 October 2018

Posted on by Natalie Hill

Tokyo alumni get-together

More than 20 alumni and friends gathered in central Tokyo for an alumni get-together this October. Hosted by University of Bristol Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement), Dr Erik Lithander, the evening was a great success.

Dr Lithander was visiting Tokyo as part of the Universities UK International delegation and was joined on the night by one of his fellow delegates (and Bristol alumnus), the Dean of Global Engagement at the University of Glasgow, Professor Konstantinos Kontis (BEng 1993).

Alumni from across the globe were welcomed, including an alumna visiting Tokyo on holiday and another who was new to Tokyo, having relocated from Singapore. Two alumni in attendance were moving back to Bristol just two days after the event, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Bristol.

Since members of the University team and alumni last met in 2016 relationships have been forged and professional connections strengthened, even culminating a movie role for one alumna! Events such as these are central to building a strong network of alumni in Japan, and our special thanks go to Ian Thomas Ash (MA 2005) and Emi Ashikaga (BSc 2008, PhD 2013) for all their help in making the evening such a success.

London Branch Annual Lecture and AGM, 31 October 2018

Posted on by Natalie Hill

London Branch Annual Lecture and AGM

Julian Metcalfe (BSc 1978)

On 31 October some 60 members of the London Branch of the University of Bristol Alumni met for their Annual General Meeting and Annual Lecture in the Chaucer Room within the Knowledge Centre at the new, modern, headquarters of the British Library.

Our Lecturer this year was Will Hutton (BSc Economics and Sociology 1972, Honorary LLD 2003), former broadcaster and Editor in Chief at ’The Observer’, and currently Principal, Hertford College, Oxford.  He spoke to the themes set out in his recently published book “Saving Britain:  How We Must Change to Prosper in Britain” (jointly authored with Lord Adonis).

Will set out the stark, bleak, dangers inherent in Britain’s exit from the EU.  He blamed the referendum result on the fact that millions of ordinary people felt marginalised by the lack of opportunities in education, employment, and welfare.  Will said we had to create a much more inclusive and caring society if the country’s prospects were to thrive.

This well received Lecture was, as always, followed by an opportunity to socialise over food and wine, and appears to have been much enjoyed by all.

We were also pleased to be joined by Professor Agnes Nairn, Professor of Marketing, School of Economics, Finance & Management, at the University. She kindly delivered the Vote of Thanks to Will, and outlined some of the exciting new developments in the University curriculum designed to ensure that students are better equipped to compete in an increasingly competitive job market.

Those attending the AGM thanked our outgoing Treasurer, Julia Wathen (BSc 1972), for her many years of service.  Dr Martin Lunnon (BSc 1973, PhD 1976) was elected incoming Treasurer.