Home
Search
People Finder
Contact UsPEOPLE AWARDS
New Chair of Court appointed
The Right Hon Lord Penrose has been appointed as the new Chair of the Heriot-Watt University Court.
He became a member of the University Court in December 2007. On 23 June 2008, Court approved Lord Penrose to serve as Chairman of the Court, a successor to Mr Gavin Gemmell on his demission of office, for a period of three years from 1 August 2008.
Lord Penrose was appointed a Judge in 1990. He is a graduate of Glasgow University (MA, LLB) and a Chartered Accountant. He was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1964 and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1978.
Panmure House
Edinburgh Business School (EBS) has acquired Panmure House, the former home of Adam Smith and an important historic building. After renovation it will be used to promote the study of business and economics and to safeguard its historic links to Adam Smith, to the benefit of the economy and to business education in Scotland and internationally, at no public cost.
It is intended to preserve and re-instate the building to reflect the lifestyle of Adam Smith, with the necessary technological infrastructure to serve as an educational hub, to make the House available as a meeting place for bona fide academic and related institutions and provide facilities for educational seminars and meetings. It is also planned to establish a library of Adam Smith and other Enlightenment figures and explore with partners the use of Panmure House to promote the activities and work of Adam Smith to the international community.
University appoints new Head of the School of Textiles and Design
Alison Harley, Head of School of Textiles and Design
Professor Alison Harley has been appointed as the new Head of the School of Textiles and Design. Alison takes up this post from her previous position as Dean of the Faculty of Design at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, which she had held since 2005.
University appoints new Head of the Institute of Petroleum Engineering
Professor Simon Stewart, has been appointed as the new Head of the Institute of Petroleum Engineering. He joined Heriot-Watt after working in Baku, Azerbaijan, as Senior Geophysicist and most recently as New Well Delivery Team Leader.
University appoints Director of International Development
Ruth Moir was appointed as Heriot-Watt University's Director of International Development. Ruth took up this post from her previous position as Head of Heriot-Watt University's Dubai Campus, which has been taken up by Professor Brian Smart.
Director of Development and Alumni Relations Appointed
Julie Forster was appointed as the Director of Development and Alumni Relations. Julie takes up this post from her previous position as Deputy Director of Development.
MACFARLANE PRIZE, 2007/2008
This year's Macfarlane Prize was awarded to Dr Matthew Smith of the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, for his research based in the field of mathematical ecology but with contributions arising from his work having had a significant impact in the wider applied mathematics, biology and ecology disciplines.
Dr Smith's research concerns the dynamics of many small mammal populations, in particular cycles of population increase and decrease. Using mathematical modelling, he has explored the underlying causes of these cycles and their implications of varieties of population densities across a habitat. His findings have produced original and long-lasting contributions to the active, international research effort into population cycles, including specific predictions on the role of breeding season length, the impacts of disease on population dynamics, and the effects of large landscape obstacles.
The MacFarlane Prize, which commemorates Professor Alistair MacFarlane's tenure as Principal and Vice Chancellor of Heriot-Watt, is presented annually to the PhD graduate who, in the opinion of the Awards Committee, has made the most outstanding contribution to the research of the University. The Committee particularly recognised Dr Smith's ability to publish high quality research papers whilst maintaining progress with his research.
The prize comprises an award of £250 plus a certificate of achievement.
Student Welfare Matrix Award
Heriot-Watt University's Student Support and Accommodation, formerly Student Welfare Service, was awarded Matrix accreditation. The Matrix Standard is a national quality standard for organisations which deliver information, advice and/or guidance on learning and work, and the accreditation was achieved following an external audit against quality standards, as well as feedback from University staff, students and external partners. The process for preparing for the assessment has improved the services delivered to students.
Kathy Patterson, the University Academic Registrar and Deputy Secretary, congratulated the Director and members of staff in the service: "Whilst it is the norm for Careers Services within Higher Education to apply the Matrix standards, only a few other services within Higher Education have managed to achieve it. The Award is well deserved and reflects the commitment of all of the staff in the Section who have worked so well together to achieve it."
Honorary graduates:
01 In April Dame Vivienne Westwood was awarded a Doctorate of Letters in recognition of her outstanding achievement in fashion design over the last 30 years and her continuing contribution to textiles in Scotland.
02 In the July graduations Edinburgh University Principal Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea received a Doctorate of the University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to education and to collaborative work across institutions.
03 Social Entrepreneur Mel Young was awarded a Doctorate of Letters for his work to raise both awareness of and to combat poverty and homelessness.
04 Youseff Boutros Ghali received a Doctorate of Letters to mark his distinguished record in the market reform of the Egyptian economy.
05 Howard Mayson, Vice President of Technology at BP, was awarded a Doctorate of Engineering for his work to support the management and strategic development of the Institute of Petroleum Engineering.
06 Kiran Mazumander-Shaw, the Life Sciences Entrepreneur, became a Doctor of Science in recognition of her career in the biotechnology, brewing and pharmaceutical fields and for her promotion of links between these industries and Heriot-Watt University.
07 Economic theorist Professor John Kay was awarded a Doctorate of Letters for distinction in the fields of fiscal and business economics.
08 Partha Dasgupta, CEO of the Pension Protection Fund, received a Doctorate of Letters in recognition of his achievement in establishing and developing the Pension Protection Fund.
09 In the November graduations Douglas Anderson, entrepreneur and engineer, Executive Director of Optos plc, received a Doctorate of Engineering in recognition of his outstanding contribution to engineering design and medical instrumentation and to the development of an eye-diagnostic system benefitting patients worldwide.
10 Professor Alain Aspect, Physicist, Head of the Atom Optics group, was awarded a Doctorate of Science in recognition of his distinction in the field of optical and quantum physics.
11 Simon Weston, Falklands survivor and founder of young persons' charity, received a Doctorate of the University in recognition of his achievements in the promotion of personal development, confidence and self-esteem in young people through his charitable activities.
12 Stephane Deneve, Musical Director of the RSNO, received a Doctorate of Letters in recognition of his artistic achievements and contribution to the promotion of music making among school pupils and young people and to the musical life of Scotland.
Double award success
Professor Graham Stewart, Emeritus Professor in Brewing and Distilling and from 1994 until 2006 Director of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) was awarded the 2008 Horace Brown Medal of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling for eminent services on the scientific or technical side of the fermentation industries, and the 2008 Award of Distinction of the American Society of Brewing Chemists for outstanding contributions to the society and persistent commitment to the advance of brewing science and technology. Professor Stewart is the only person to ever be nominated for both awards.
Prize for School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Professor Gerald Buller receives his IET grant award
The 2008 Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Optoelectronics Premium was awarded to Professor Gerald Buller and Ryan Warburton of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences. The award is made by the IET Editorial Board for the best paper in IET Optoelectronics Journal for the calendar year 2007. The award was made for their collaborative paper with the University of Sheffield and Politecnico di Milano, Italy, entitled 'Single-photon Avalanche Diode Detectors for Quantum Key Distribution'. The authors have donated the £500 prize to Down's Syndrome Scotland.
Thales Scottish Technology Prize
A team led by Professor Gerald Buller was runner-up in The Thales Scottish Technology Prize for laser technology and applications. The team, which was recognised for its project proposals on laser related topics relevant to Thales product lines, was awarded a trophy and a £1,500 prize.
The competition, organised by Thales UK and Scottish Enterprise, was open to all students and staff attending Scottish universities. Two other teams, led by Dr Robert Thomson and Professor Derryck Reid were also finalists in the competition. The competition attracted over 35 applications from Scottish universities.
Gold Award for 'Healthy Working Lives'
The University was presented with the Gold Award for 'Healthy Working Lives', recognising the University's commitment to the health and wellbeing of its staff, students and the local community. The Healthy Working Lives (HWL) Programme, which is managed by the NHS, supports employers and employees to develop health promotion and safety themes in the workplace.
Heriot-Watt was the first academic institution to achieve recognition from Scotland's Health at Work (SHAW) (Gold) Award Programme in 2000. In 2007 the SHAW programme was replaced by the Healthy Working Lives (HWL) Award Programme, a national standard which is subject to more rigorous criteria, including a greater emphasis on health and safety.To be eligible for the gold award, the University developed a three-year strategy to keep health on the agenda, ensuring a long-term commitment to maintaining and improving health and wellbeing, and incorporated benchmarking of its HWL performance against other organisations and the sharing of good practice.
"Financing Debate Needs To Move Beyond Just Being About Barnett"
At a conference at the Royal Society of Edinburgh in November, Heriot-Watt Principal Professor Anton Muscatelli introduced the first report from the Independent Expert Group which convened in May this year to provide impartial advice and evidence specifically to inform the Commission on Scottish Devolution's work. The group, which he chairs, comprises experienced and pre-eminent academics and practitioners from relevant disciplines from the UK, Europe and North America. Professor Muscatelli said: "I am privileged to convene an independent group of experts whose role is to advise the Commission on Scottish Devolution on the financial accountability of the Scottish Parliament. It does not seek to provide any definitive answers. Rather, it sets out to identify the fundamental considerations the Commission might wish to address in their approach to their task. In our subsequent work for the Commission we will explore some of the financing systems more fully, once the Commission has had an opportunity to review some of the key characteristics of different financing systems, and to consider the trade-offs which different systems imply."
Children in Need tartan designed by Heriot-Watt Lecturer
Pudsey Bear with Des Clarke, Jackie Bird and Hardeep Singh Kohli
A special BBC Children in Need Appeal tartan was designed by Ruth Walker, a Senior Lecturer from Heriot-Watt's School of Textiles and Design. She based the design on the colours of Pudsey bear, and it was produced and made into garments for the programme presenters, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Jackie Bird and Des Clarke, by Lochcarron of Scotland. Fraser Falconer, Head of BBC Children in Need, Scotland, said, "We are delighted to have our very own Children In Need tartan and think it looks fantastic. Its look really reflects the nature of the appeal and Ruth and her colleagues at Heriot-Watt have done a superb job. Having our own appeal tartan brings home the important message that Children in Need greatly improves the lives of so many disadvantaged children and young people right here in Scotland." The tartan also appeared on the artwork for the special 2008 version of B.A. Robertson's hit single 'We Have a Dream.' First recorded by B.A. and the Scotland World Cup Squad of 1982, the new version featuring the Tartan Army and including the voices of a number of Scottish celebrities was released in aid of the 2008 appeal.
Obituary
Lord George Thomson of Monifieth, Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University from 1977-1991, died aged 87. Born in Stirling in 1921. He was educated at Grove Academy, Dundee and remained in Dundee as a journalist until the Second World War when he served in the Royal Air Force. On returning to civilian life he resumed his journalistic career. In 1952 he was elected as MP for Dundee East. During his 20 years in the House of Commons he founded and was the first joint chairman of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth from 1959-64 and was adviser to the Scottish Teacher Union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, 1960-1964. In 1972 he resigned as an MP and was from 1973-76 one of the first of the UK's two members of the European Commission.
During his 14 years of Chancellorship, Lord Thomson conferred degrees on and personally congratulated more than 10,000 graduates.
