The Magazine for aluMni and friends of The University of Ulster
WinTer 2010
issue 33
CoVer sTorysusan Philipsz, Mfa (1994) wins the Turner Prize with her sound installation ‘lowlands’
also inside your ulsTer graduaTeUniversity newsevents and reunionsPeoplesport
supported by http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Contentsnews featured Article
A word from the editor...
People
sport
Development news
Alumni events
feature story
202224
33
35
The Main event
Turner Prize winner susan Philipsz
Class notes
honorary graduates
Boxing Clever – eamonn o’Kane
4 university news
Kris, Co-director of life Photography in Coleraine, has been awarded the coveted title of uK Creative Wedding Photographer 2010....
Cover photographsound artist susan Philipsz, winner of this year’s Turner Prize.
Published byThe alumni relations office, university of ulster,newtownabbey, Co antrim, BT37 0QB.Tel: 028 7012 3456 (switchboard), or028 9036 8350 (direct line) fax: 028 9036 6085email: [email protected]: http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
randox fellowship in Personalised Medicine
development news
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12
editor: sue rees, alumni relations ManagerProduction editor: Peter hough, Corporate Communicationsdesign: Mammoth.tvPrint: W & g Baird ltd Photo credits: John harrison, istockphoto, nigel Mcdowell, Martin McKeown, alastair nevin, susan Philipsz, Maurice Thompson and Taavetti alin. Thanks to all contributors who submitted photographs.Views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the university. The university of ulster regrets that it cannot accept responsibility for any claim whatsoever which may arise out of advertisements carried in good faith.
Past events
Pathfinders in intelligent Worlds
events 2011
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18
16
Boxing Clever35 Commonwealth games boxing star
eamonn o’Kane explains how a sports scholarship was the key to his success…
Welcome to issue 33 of The Ulster Graduate. We hope that you like the new style, in which we have incorporated many of your suggestions to ensure we produce a magazine that is interesting, informative, and an attractive and enjoyable read.
as always we include a roundup of university news, information on past and forthcoming events, and stories about many of our graduates and staff. our research showed that you wanted some longer feature pieces, and the theme of this edition is “The future” with a focus on our intelligent systems research Centre at Magee – a world-leading centre for excellence.
in these pages, you can also read about ways in which donors to the university have helped to enhance our teaching, research, and the student
experience. This includes the new Centre for advanced Cardiovascular research (page 9), the randox fellowship in Personalised Medicine (page 10), and the work of the alumni fund (page 12). at a time of reduced public funding, donations to the university will play an increasingly important role and we hope that our alumni and friends will play their part in supporting us. ulster has many strengths, not least in sport and the visual arts and we celebrate graduate eamonn o’Kane who won a gold Medal at the Commonwealth games in delhi on page 35, and Mfa graduate susan Philipsz, the winner of this year’s Turner Prize. Two alumni from Ba hons fine and applied arts are also featured on page 34 for their achievements.
We do hope that you enjoy reading this issue, and look forward to receiving your feedback. don’t forget to keep us updated with your contact details, especially your email address, so we can keep you informed of news and events. you can use the carrier sheet or go online at http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Kris & emma dickson, Class notes Pg26
News
space Age
Personal experiences at sea
researching research
Roy Sterritt, computer scientist and sometime Star Wars fan, has had research adopted by NASA.
ulster researchers are working with colleagues in dublin and edinburgh on a unique project digitising the records of the experiences and traditions of gaelic-speaking fishing communities.
lecturer roy sterritt, after receiving a nasa Patent application award and a Patent plaque at the nasa goddard space flight Center’s new Technology report Program ceremony in Mitchellville, Maryland.
Whether you’re interested in the evolution of soccer in africa, the biometry of the iris, new directions in transitional justice or developments in carbon nanotube technology, there’s a new way to find out about the latest university of ulster research.
The ulster institutional repository (uir) was launched via the website in august 2010. This open access digital archive contains details of research produced by university staff and researchers in the arts, humanities and sciences, and it is freely accessible to the research community and the public. The uir has proved to be a big success with almost all researchers having deposited details of their research outputs. To date our researchers have deposited details of almost 10,000 research outputs ranging from journal articles, to authored books and artefacts, with more being uploaded every day.
The uir forms the official record of the university’s research publications and outputs and will be a valuable resource for researchers internationally.
for more information: http://eprints.ulster.ac.uk
The us space agency has been granted a patent on work by the Jordanstown-based informatics lecturer and is using his autonomic software engineering methods in its ground-control systems. Current thinking among space scientists foresees a future in which swarms of small craft will replace single-craft missions.
roy collaborated with nasa scientist Mike hinchey to devise programs that could make small robotic craft self-directing and self-controlling, and also self-destructing if their autonomous behaviour were
to threaten the safety or technical aims of the mission.
he uses principles of autonomic and apoptotic computing. roy explains:
“autonomic computing is based on the idea of the autonomic nervous system in the human body and apoptotic computing on how multi-cellular organisms function. it is biologically inspired computing and an approach to computer development that aims to create reliable systems modelled on self-managing biological systems like the human body.”
news5
The two-year study aims to reveal more about the daily lives and customs of irish and scottish gaelic speaking coastal communities, and make the information available online.
dr Maxim fomin and Professor séamus Mac Mathúna from the research institute for irish and Celtic studies are examining maritime memorates – personal accounts of experiences at sea by fishermen, boatmen, foreshore gatherers and beachcombers that were collected from the end of the 19th century to the present and are now stored in the school of scottish studies archives (edinburgh) and national folklore Collection (dublin).
funded by the arts and humanities research Council, the £200,000 study also involves university College, dublin and the university of edinburgh.
for more information:www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/research/celtic
http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Hewitt online HotlineWork is well advanced on the creation of a digital archive of works by John hewitt, one of ulster’s most influential 20th century poets. The first phase of the John hewitt online Collection has been completed and is accessible, along with details of the associated ulster Poetry Project, at www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/ulsterpoetry
The collection comprises a personal archive that was bequeathed to the university following hewitt’s death in 1987. it is housed at the university’s library in Coleraine.
hewitt influenced a generation of poets who followed in his footsteps, including seamus heaney, derek Mahon and Michael longley.
his keen observation of ulster life and landscape and his work as a literary critic and book collector made him a leading figure in northern irish writing.
as a champion of the vernacular poetry of ulster, he was a literary pioneer who preserved and celebrated dozens of poets and texts.
The collection contains more than 5,000 books and journals, including rare volumes, poetry notebooks, a copy of hewitt’s unpublished autobiography, radio scripts and first editions of virtually every collection of irish poetry since the 1950s.
Project leader dr frank ferguson says it is one of the most significant collections in the uK and ireland of modern and contemporary irish literature. he says:
“The digital online archive will provide a unique resource for anyone interested in Irish poetry, modern Irish culture, history and folklore.”
reseArCH roUnD-UP
Ulster researchers have been making the news since The Ulster Graduate 32. Here is a selection of some key stories. For more information on research, see http://research.ulster.ac.uk
News
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news
Collaborative research at ulster is set on a fresh course as a result of high-profile trans-atlantic support.
The influential us-ireland research and development Partnership has given its approval to two major nanotechnology projects.
it marks a new departure for the university as these are the first projects to be funded under the recently established organisation, which is guided by a steering group comprised of senior representatives from northern ireland, the republic of ireland and the united states.
Green lightThe projects involving scientists at the nanotechnology and integrated Bioengineering Centre (niBeC) will have global benefits in clean water and ecosystems and were assessed and given a green light by the prestigious national science foundation (nsf).
niBeC director, Professor Jim Mclaughlin, says:
“The two collaborative initiatives between us, roi and ni universities have been funded by the national science foundation, science foundation ireland and department of employment and learning (ni) / invest northern ireland.“Both projects were reviewed at the
highest level by a set of nsf panels, which is a reflection of the high quality of the research that is to be undertaken by these groups. at niBeC we are very proud to be part of such prestigious projects, particularly as we have had strong relationships with us and roi universities over many years.” The ulster research element is worth about £700k, out of overall funding of nearly £2 million.
Global warmingProfessor Mclaughlin and his niBeC colleague Professor Paul Maguire are working with oceanographers at nui galway and scripps institution of oceanography, usa, to develop a miniaturised microsensor system that will keep track of changing levels of carbon deep in the oceans. The satellite-linked monitoring system will measure chemical changes in seawater that are being caused by global warming. The microsensor will perform remote and continuous measurement of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater at 100 metre intervals down to depths of 2 km and then transmit the data to a satellite for analysis by ocean researchers.
Professor Mclaughlin said: “our aim is that it will provide the first autonomous vertical profiles of total carbon in the upper 2 kms of the ocean. This will also be a major step in the development of a new generation of tools that are needed to help us get a better understanding of annual cycles of carbon in the ocean.”
toxin removalniBeC’s dr Tony Byrne and dr Patrick dunlop are working with researchers from the university of Cincinnati, florida international university and dublin institute of Technology on development of clean technologies for the treatment of water.
They aim to utilise solar-driven catalysts to remove toxins from water that are caused by algae bloom, which sits like a green or red blanket on the water surface and can harbour cyanobacteria that produce and release a variety of extremely dangerous toxins.
for more information: www.nibec.ulster.ac.uk
from left: Professor Jim Mclaughlin, Professor Paul Maguire, dr Patrick dunlop and dr Tony Byrne
Backing for Water Projects
People with learning disabilities suffer from significantly more health problems than the general population.
They are also much more likely than others to have significant health risks and major health problems, according to research by the nursing research institute presented at the British Psychological society, division of health Psychology Conference in Belfast.
dr laurence Taggart said the findings highlighted the need for improved health promotion for people with learning disabilities, saying:
“Part of the reason the health outcomes of this group are poor, is that people with learning disabilities are often very reliant on both informal and formal carers to promote healthy lifestyles and to make healthy choices on their behalf. however, professional and family carers may not always be fully aware of the importance of health promotion activity for people with learning disabilities.”
Team colleague dr Wendy Cousins said:
“People with learning disabilities are living longer than ever before. The aim of health promotion is to enable them to live healthier lives too so we have to look at new and different ways to promote a healthier lifestyle to them.”
for more information: www.science.ulster.ac.uk/inr
learning Disability risk
Helping Prevent stillbirtheach year in the uK approximately 4,000 babies are stillborn – around one in every 200. Many bereaved mothers say that in the days leading up to the stillbirth, the pattern of their baby’s movements seemed to decrease and the baby did not move around or kick as much as usual.
scientists at the intelligent systems research Centre (isrC), QuB and the royal Jubilee Maternity hospital, Belfast are developing a high-tech mobile foetal surveillance system, which could help prevent stillbirth by alerting doctors when a baby’s life is at risk. Careful monitoring of a baby’s movements in the womb could provide an early warning if a baby is at risk of stillbirth. This in turn would alert doctors and they could intervene at an earlier stage and possibly save the baby’s life.
ultrasound scans are already widely used to monitor a baby’s movements in the mother’s womb and the isrC team are currently developing sophisticated computer programs to analyse the moving images obtained from ultrasound scans to assess the wellbeing of the baby in the womb.
dr Condell explains:
“researchers are taking ultrasound scans of healthy women, who are
five to six months pregnant and recording what they see. ultrasound scans provide moving pictures of the babies in the womb and researchers are assessing whether it is possible to recognise and analyse the babies’ movements using state-of-the-art computer programs, which incorporate pattern-recognition software.” similar software is already in widespread use for other purposes, such as analysing CCTV footage from security surveillance systems and during computer-assisted surgery. dr Condell believes their research, which is funded by action Medical research, is both relevant and practical. “While our work is still at an early stage, ultimately we hope to develop a mobile device, which pregnant women could use while they are up and about. data from the device could be relayed wirelessly to a computer and monitored by medical staff. Pregnant women can find it difficult to cope if they know they are at increased risk of having a stillbirth so we urgently need better ways to monitor the wellbeing of their babies.”
for more information: http://isrc.ulster.ac.uk
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research with bite
us economic envoy to northern ireland, declan Kelly, had warm praise for our work in tackling some of the world’s biggest health problems when he toured the internationally-renowned Biomedical sciences research institute, one of six research institutes within the faculty of life and health sciences.
Mr Kelly said: “i think the research institute is very impressive and i am glad i came. several of the things that are being done here are key to solving several of the world’s biggest problems, including consumption habits, critical illness such as diabetes and alzheimer’s and different forms of cancer.”
for more information: http://biomed.science.ulster.ac.uk/bmsri
scientists at ulster and King’s College london are collaborating on a pioneering dental study, funded by a prestigious leverhulme Trust award. The £100k study is exploring new evidence of how soft drinks cause dental erosion. Materials scientist dr Patrick lemoine and Professor Brian Meenan, an expert in biomedical materials, are working with dr sanjukta deb from Kings College london’s dental institute.
dental erosion is the damage of dental enamel caused by the acidity of carbonated drinks and fruit juices. Teeth have in-built shock absorbers to protect them against a lifetime of impacts, when we chew and grind our teeth. The internal anti-impact component is dentine. recent research shows a small amount of soft tissue that occurs within the enamel has a similar role.
dr lemoine says:
“This soft material is made up of proteins and water. it is small in content but very finely dispersed within the enamel. in effect, it represents the glue that binds the mineral crystals within this material. acidic ions in these soft drinks can interact with the proteins, modify their folding and structure and change their shock-absorbing capability.
“This is a new way to look at dental erosion. it is as if we are looking at effects on the mortar between the stones rather than the stones themselves. This approach has probably not been considered to date because these proteins represent only a very small fraction of the enamel material.”
for more information: www.namri.ulster.ac.uk
newsNews
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Centre for Cardiovascular researchspecial olympics link a pioneering research centre for cardiac
research was launched in september at Jordanstown with the aim of improving healthcare advanced technologies for patients with cardiovascular disease.
The Centre for advanced Cardiovascular research (CaCr) is a partnership between ulster and the royal Victoria hospital (rVh), which will provide world-leading research in cardiovascular treatment and disease prevention.
The Centre sits within the nanotechnology and advanced Materials research institute and is currently a part of the nanotechnology and integrated Bioengineering Centre (niBeC) research group in the school of engineering. it will bring immense benefits to patients seeking cardiovascular care in northern ireland and throughout the world.
Professor omar escalona is director of the CaCr alongside dr ganesh Manoharan as Co-director from the rVh.
at the launch the director of niBeC, Professor Jim Mclaughlin, welcomed the audience of experts working in cardiology and delegates from the international Computing in Cardiology conference which was being held in Belfast.
Professor omar escalona said:
“With the partnership between the hospital and the university, we are bringing together experts in the field of healthcare, bioengineering and nanotechnology to initiate and foster collaborations between researchers from different disciplines nationally and internationally.”
as well as funding from the university of ulster and securing a grant from invest ni and the science research investment fund, the CaCr has received generous donations from ulster garden Villages ltd and the Mcgrath Trust which, taken together, represents a total of £1.3 million which will support its sustainable research activity.
President of ulster garden Villages ltd, sir desmond lorimer, unveiled the plaque recognising the valuable support received from funders.
The Centre will build upon its reputation and links between the rVh and the university to strive to be a world leader in coronary care innovations, in close partnership with local industry and innovation ulster ltd. it will translate its cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in healthcare, bioengineering and
nanotechnology into practical solutions for patient care.
in addition to developing new products and treatments, an emphasis will also be placed on educating and training researchers in new and innovative methods to develop their skills in the Centre’s priority research areas.
development of the CaCr was led by Professors Jennifer adgey, John anderson and Jim Mclaughlin. Professor anderson, alongside Professor adgey, was part of a key team at the rVh that created the world’s first defibrillators and took the life-saving technology from the research labs to the market.
The university has been appointed the official research collaborating centre for special olympics in the europe/eurasia region.
Professor roy McConkey of the institute of nursing research signed the Memorandum of agreement with Mary davis, Managing director of special olympics europe/eurasia at the 2010 special olympics european summer games in Warsaw in september.
researchers have secured over $300k in research funding from the us Centers for disease Control and Prevention in the past two years to undertake work with athletes with intellectual disabilities aligned to special olympics.
Professor McConkey said:
“special olympics are a world-wide movement working for the social inclusion through sport of people with intellectual disabilities. it is a great honour for the university to join with this endeavour and we look forward to forging links throughout continental europe.”
Mary davis said:
“Throughout the past 18 months of this extensive study we developed a very good relationship with the university of ulster. The group around Professor McConkey showed an outstanding appreciation of the special olympics programme, they brought new ideas and perspectives to bear and were always ready to adjust to the specific challenges of working with people with special needs.”
for more information: www.science.ulster.ac.uk/inr
left to right: Professor omar escalona (director of CaCr, ulster); Professor norman Black (PVC research and innovation); Professor John anderson (emeritus Professor, ulster); sir desmond lorimer (President, ulster garden Villages ltd); Professor Jennifer adgey CBe, (honorary Consultant Cardiologist, BhsCT); Professor Jim Mclaughlin (director of niBeC, ulster); Mrs Martie Boyd MBe (ulster garden Villages ltd); dr ganesh Manoharan (Co-director of CaCr).
Biomedical Praise
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news11 News
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Ulster-randox Link to Probe Cancer Diagnosis
tests which can facilitate clinicians in the design of personalised treatment strategies for breast cancer patients.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the uK with more than 45,000 cases diagnosed each year and early detection is a key aspect of successful treatment.
Professor Tony Bjourson, director of the Biomedical sciences research institute and Principal investigator of the project said:
“i am absolutely delighted by this partnership – many senior randox laboratories staff are past undergraduate students or are past Phd students of mine. i am really excited by the prospect of working in partnership with such talented individuals and with a local internationally relevant company of the calibre and reputation of randox laboratories.
“The objective of this Personalised Medicine fellowship and indeed stratified medicine in general, is to better target patient drug treatment and care based on personal genetic information about a patient or group of patients. The lure of personalised medicine was spurred by the completion of the human genome project, and the development of a new generation of smarter, disease targeted diagnostics and drugs.
“genomic testing not only allows doctors to identify a person’s susceptibility to particular disease, it also promises the ability to identify which patient will respond to a particular drug, avoiding unnecessary treatments, and adverse
drug reactions, therefore ultimately increasing the efficacy of treatments and improvement of patients health.”
Professor Bjourson said that the unfortunate reality is that too many drugs only work in about half of the people who take them and so some patients not only receive no clinical benefit from such treatments, but they also sometimes needlessly suffer adverse life-threatening drug reactions.
“This is of course a major concern for patients and doctors but it also represents a massive waste of scarce health service drug budgets,” he continued.
“so doctors need better diagnostic tests to enable them to select the best treatment for patients with degenerative diseases such as cancer. dr sunnotel at the Biomedical sciences research institute and other researchers at randox laboratories are working together to solve this problem by examining the genetic information to find the differences between those patients who respond to a drug and those who don’t, and enable the treatment with a particular drug of only those who are likely to benefit.”
Mr John lamont, Chief scientist at randox laboratories said:
“randox view personalised medicine as an area of strategic importance to the company. We are becoming a leader in stratified Medicine and have a significant commitment to developing products that stratify patient groups enabling targeting of patient drug treatment.
“Through collaboration with Biomedical sciences ulster, randox can access expertise at the university and promote knowledge transfer between the two centres of excellence. This will accelerate our r&d efforts in personalised medicine, strengthen our ties with the university of ulster and lead to the development of new products in this area.”
Professor neville McClenaghan, head of the school of Biomedical sciences, said that developments in this field can only be made in partnership with leaders in the field of developing pharmaceuticals:
“Biomedical sciences ulster is committed to developing strategic relationships with leading companies in the growing bio-industry sector. randox laboratories have a long and prestigious track record of innovation in healthcare, and Biomedical sciences ulster is delighted to forge a new mutually beneficial relationship based on cutting-edge research and emerging technologies of direct benefit to health and wellbeing and socioeconomic development.
“such industrial-academic engagement is vital to future economic recovery and is mutually beneficial particularly in the current challenging economic climate. Partnerships like this between world leading university researchers and internationally completive companies will be the driving force of regional and national economic recovery and will also accelerate the translation of university research outputs from laboratory bench to patient bedside.”
for more information:http://biomed.science.ulster.ac.uk/bmsri
The university has teamed up with leading diagnostics company randox laboratories to help develop ‘personalised’ diagnosis for breast cancer patients.
The university’s Biomedical sciences research institute and randox laboratories have signed a formal research agreement aimed at developing new personalised medicine diagnostics.
dr olaf sunnotel has been appointed to the first randox fellowship in Personalised Medicine within the research institute.
as part of this fellowship, dr sunnotel will work in partnership with randox to develop exciting new gene-based tests aimed at identifying which breast cancer patients will respond best to specific chemotherapeutic drugs.
dr sunnotel said:
“i’m very excited by the opportunity to work together with an internationally renowned company of local pedigree. Combining our strengths in a knowledge partnership enables us to pursue new routes in developing gene-based
Model Cancer researchBiomedical sciences research institute researchers have been awarded £360,000 funding by the national Centre for the replacement, refinement and reduction of animals in research (nC3rs). The team, led by Professor of Bioimaging, Vyvyan howard, in collaboration with Professor ana soto, dr george McKerr and dr Kurt saetzler, are to investigate how endocrine disrupting substances (eds), or environmental chemicals, can interfere with hormonal function.
The 3d mammary gland model is based on pioneering work by Professors ana soto and Carlos sonnenschein at Tufts university in Boston which showed how exposure of the foetus to eds has the possibility of increasing the risk of developing mammary cancer.
Professor howard says:
“Being able to now develop a three-dimensional model of breast tissue using human cells to test eds will help replace the use of animals in this process and build on prior research models and improve testing – because the new model will exhibit the same complex cellular branching structure found in the breast.”
The university recently acquired a sTed super-resolution microscope, one of the world’s most high powered optical microscopes, that can look deep inside living tissues and help unlock some of the secrets of cell migration and tissue development. it is thought it was a factor in successfully winning the highly competitive nC3rs award.
for more information: http://biomed.science.ulster.ac.uk/bmsri
if you would like to support the fund you can use the donation form on the reverse of the carrier sheet or make a donation in one of the following ways:
Cheque: made payable to the ‘university of ulster foundation’. (usa donors – cheques should be made payable to the ‘The american friends of the university of ulster’).
Credit card: donations can be made over the telephone by calling the alumni relations office on 028 9036 8350 or through our web pages at http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Direct Debit: we can send you a form or you can download one from http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk.
Just £10.83 a month for three years, with gift aid, is worth £500 to us. By using gift aid, your gift will be increased by the inland revenue by 28p for every £1 you give. if you are
a higher rate taxpayer you can also claim back 20p in every £1. This means that a donation of £100 from you is worth £128 to us, and if you are a higher rate tax payer only costs you £75.
all you need to do is tick the gift aid box on the donation form. further details of gift aid are on our website. (usa donors – donations to the american friends are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law).
How to Give
Alumni fund richard K. Degenhardt Belleek Collectors’ scholarshipsThe alumni fund supports the
annual academic excellence awards, the alumni fund sports scholarships, the opportunities fund, scholarships for students from the developing World and is used to support the libraries.
as well as donations, royalties from the university’s visa card are used to support the library. The visa card is issued by MBna europe, and available to alumni in the uK. The card raises over £6,000 each year, which is used to buy books, ebooks and ejournals which augment our collection. The money is directed towards purchasing materials which support the subjects of entrepreneurship and creativity and areas of student support such as time management and study skills. When possible electronic resources will be purchased as these normally can be accessed from any campus, and by as many students who need to use them at the same time. for information on how to apply for the university of ulster credit card see http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk.
The alumni fund enables donations from alumni, staff and former staff of ulster to enhance the experience and create opportunities for current and future students.
Alumni fund sports scholarThis year’s scholar is first year Business studies student Mark o’hara. Mark has big plans for boxing success and says that with the support of the scholarship he hopes he can pick up more medals in the ring. The featherweight, who is the 2010 ulster elite Champion, made it to the quarter final stage of this year’s Commonwealth games in delhi.
“The thing that excites me most about the alumni scholarship is getting to use the world-class facilities at the Jordanstown campus,” said 19-year-old Mark. “The finance takes a bit of the pressure off having to get a part-time job which allows more time to train and having a mentor will help me get a good balance between studying and sport.”
The university is very pleased to announce the White young green (Wyg) ireland scholarship programme. open to Beng and Meng students, Wyg offer the successful applicant a work placement for their year in industry, and financial assistance in their final year of study. The first Wyg ireland scholar is Brian harvey who is currently based in Wyg’s Belfast office and is enjoying putting into practice the theory he has been learning on the Beng hons Building services and energy engineering course.
The current partnership with Wyg will run for three years and the university is very appreciative of the opportunities that this scholarship programme will provide for our students.
Ceramic artist Claire Muckian and Celtic scholar aodh Mac gairbheá are this year’s winners of the richard K. degenhardt Belleek Collectors’ scholarships. These international scholarships of one year’s duration are awarded annually to outstanding Ceramic and Celtic studies students from the university and were established to enhance students’ opportunities for personal as well as educational development. dr linda Beard, founder and Chair of the richard K. degenhardt Belleek Collectors’ scholarship endowment fund, presented the awards of £600 each to the winning students at a special ceremony at the Belfast campus.
“no one could have imagined just a few years ago that our students could
travel to such far flung places and do such groundbreaking work. one of the scholars told me that winning this award had changed her entire life – richard degenhardt would have been thrilled with that accolade,” said dr Beard.
Claire Muckian, from dundalk in County louth, is a third year undergraduate student on the Ba hons fine and applied arts programme. she will use her award to undertake an assistantship Programme at the international Ceramic research Center in guldagergaard, denmark.
aodh Mac gairbheá, from rann na feirste in County donegal, graduated with a first class honours degree in irish language and literature in July 2010. he will use his award to present the findings of his undergraduate thesis on Nouns in Irish Describing People and their Characteristics, at a conference in aberdeen.
established in May 2001, the richard K. degenhardt Belleek Collectors’ scholarship endowment fund has provided 21 outstanding ulster students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and undertake research they would not otherwise have been able to carry out. The scholarships are funded through the generosity of many individuals and
groups, including Belleek collectors worldwide, international Belleek Chapters, special friends and family of richard K. degenhardt, the Belleek Pottery and the Belleek Collectors’ international society. The awards are named in memory of the late richard Kennedy degenhardt who was instrumental in establishing the Belleek Collectors’ international society. The scholarships are a tribute to his definitive knowledge of Belleek Parian China, which remains renowned among collectors worldwide today.
Why I Give...To me, it is very important to give back to my university, my community and to those who helped me as I grew and developed in my career. The feeling that you get when you give back to others is akin to no other feeling in the world. It is very satisfying to think that you may have helped someone else along the way as they make informed choices and develop a pathway for success in their careers.
I would like to encourage everyone to give to the University of Ulster on behalf of its students. The University cares very much about the development of their students, and you may well be assisting one of the future leaders of our world.
Linda N Beard, D Univ (Ulster)and Founder/Chair of the Richard K. Degenhardt Belleek Collectors’ Scholarship Awards
Development news13 Development News
Vice-Chancellor, Professor richard Barnett, Claire Muckian, aodh Mac gairbheá and dr linda Beard.
WyG ireland Scholarship Programme
like me, many of you will have attended university when there was substantial government support. in today’s changed world, such support is much more limited and student fees are increasing. at ulster, though, we are keen to ensure that ability to learn, rather than ability to pay, remains the basis on which students choose to come to this university – from wherever they come throughout the world. at the university it has never been more important to us to deliver high quality services but also to support our students in every way possible through the provision of world class learning facilities and opportunities in the form of scholarships. it is support and enthusiasm from you, our community of alumni and friends that has such an impact on the students of today. We want to ensure they have the best possible experience, but these are difficult times and we need more help. donating to the alumni fund is one really valuable way to support your university and today’s students. you will find information on ways to give on page 12. There is also as a donation form on the back of your address sheet. you can also make sure we have your up to date contact details and donate online at http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk. We are hugely grateful for each and every donation.
your global communityfrom the realms of scientific discovery to the highest echelons of professional sport, ulster’s 140,000 alumni are a thriving and industrious community reaching across 121 countries and
contributing to many diverse areas of modern life. We like to hear your stories, celebrate your achievements and through the development and alumni relations office, help you to stay in touch with each other and form a lifelong relationship with your university. The ulster graduate helps you to keep in touch with other alumni and developments at your university.
Making a differenceas you will see, supporters are helping us to achieve many inspirational projects. our sports scholarships recognise the potential of high performing athletes across all our campuses and speaking at the recent scholarships awards Ceremony at Jordanstown, dungiven man and gold medal winning boxer eamonn o’Kane spoke movingly of how his scholarship helped propel him along the road to success. Plans for the 2011 ulster festival of art and design at the Belfast campus are well underway with support from legal firm Carson Mcdowell ensuring a varied programme that celebrates the importance of art and design in enriching our souls and shaping our everyday lives. at Magee, with the support of individual donors as well as trusts, the derry and raphoe diocesan library Project continues
to protect and preserve the Church of ireland’s fascinating collection of books of immense local and national significance. Biomedical sciences at the Coleraine campus continues to flourish as a centre of world class science with the recent establishment of the randox fellowship in Personalised Medicine and a special visit by the us economic envoy to northern ireland declan Kelly.
Working togetherWe value all forms of support from our alumni and friends - the giving of your time, your expertise and regular donations all make a significant difference and transform the lives of our students and the communities we serve. We know you need to be aware of where your help is most needed and we will be introducing new ways for you to connect and communicate with us in the coming months. By working together we will help ensure that the students of today carry unforgettable memories of their university life into their future.
Kate Bondhead of development & alumni relationse: [email protected]: 028 7137 5456http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
left to right: Victoria fangen–hall, Brid Mclaughlin, nicola Mcilroy, Kate Bond, Tim Kerr, sandra irwin, nigel McClure
alumni of ulster and QuB enjoyed an informal reception in glasgow in september.
Development News
due to unprecedented demand an extra boat had to be added to the two boats already booked for graduates and friends to enjoy a sea cruise along the spectacular Causeway Coast in July.
departing from Ballycastle the tour offered participants a rare opportunity to enjoy the beauties of the coast from the sea including views of Kinbane Castle, Carrick-a-rede, White Park Bay, Port Braddon, dunseverick and the
giant’s Causeway. unfortunately the weather was not ideal, and the sea rough (especially in the morning) but it was certainly an unforgettable experience. despite the grey skies and choppy seas everyone enjoyed the trip.
august saw nearly 50 alumni return to Magee for the fourth reunion for those who had graduated before 1974. There were representatives from the classes of 1950 to 1974 and most of the years in between. We were particularly pleased to welcome diana Buchan, daughter of former Magee College President Professor guthrie, and her brother Bruce who lived for some years in College avenue.
The weekend began with an informal reception in the senior Common room. The saturday morning saw a talk by Professor Tom fraser, a former Provost of Magee, who spoke about the history of Magee College, recent developments and the exciting plans for the future. This was followed by a walk around the campus and the opportunity to see the many changes that have occurred. saturday afternoon offered the opportunity to visit the Tower Museum and the chance for some to see their own personal history on display. There was also a visit to the Monreagh heritage Centre in donegal, which gives a
fascinating account of scots-irish heritage and links between ulster and the usa.
The weekend was rounded off with a reunion dinner in the recently refurbished great hall. guest enjoyed a lovely meal in a beautiful setting.
as always, the reunion was a great opportunity for alumni to catch up with old friends and make new ones. The next reunion will be in 2015, although we hope to hold an interim event in 2013 to mark derry’s year as european City of Culture.
Alumni Events
the Causeway Coast by sea
Magee reunion 2010
The seventh university of ulster golf Challenge took place at galgorm Castle golf and Country Club on 18 June 2010. The overall winner was Malachy McClelland with 38 points, and the team prize went to Malachy McClelland, Cyril Morris, Cathal sloan and Patrick Turtle with 94 points.
Annual Golf Challenge
Malachy with Phil Carson.
http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Changing times
Glasgow reception
http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
events 2011 20 January, 6.30pm
london new year Party Porterhouse, Covent GardenBanish those new year blues at the irish alumni new year’s Party, open to former students from colleges and universities across the island of ireland.
a light buffet will be provided, and there will be a cash bar.
27 January, 12.30 pm tour of Belfast City Hall Belfast City hall is a local landmark, yet many locals have never seen inside. graduates and friends of the university are invited to join a guided tour of the City hall including the stunning artwork and stained glass windows, as well as the Council Chamber. Places are limited and booking is essential.
1 february, 8.00pm life stories: seamus Deane in Conversation With Paul Moore the Great Hall, Magee campusin this series of interviews with prominent ulster graduates and honorary graduates from the world of arts and culture, irish poet, critic and novelist, seamus deane, whose first novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, talks with Paul Moore, head of the school of Creative arts.
free admission. Booking required.
1 february, 8.00pm West ocean string Quartet flowerfield Arts Centre, PortstewartThe dalriada festival, presented by the Provost’s office, Coleraine in partnership with Causeway Coast arts, opens with seamus Mcguire and niamh Crowley on violins, Ken rice on viola and neil Martin on cello, celebrating music with their eclectic blend of traditional, classical and contemporary.
3 february, 8.00pm readings by Cahal Dallat and Anne-Marie fyfe thyme & Co, BallycastleCahal dallat, poet, critic and musician, and his wife the poet anne-Marie fyfe, both natives of the glens of antrim, return to their roots to give readings from a selection of their literary works as part of the dalriada festival. free admission.
3 february, 1.00pm Applied Art Masterclass: Glenn Adamson Ulster Museumdr adamson is deputy head of research and head of graduate studies at the V&a Museum, where he leads a
graduate programme in the history of design. he coedits the triannual Journal of Modern Craft, and is the author of Thinking Through Craft and a new anthology entitled The Craft Reader. Presently he is working on an exhibition about Postmodernism to be held at the V&a in 2011.
14 february, 8.00pm ‘Dalriada’ by Alex Blair the town Hall, Ballymoneysetting the context for the dalriada festival, popular local historian, alex Blair, offers a story of kings and princes, saints and sinners, warriors and heroic deeds in a talk about the ancient kingdom of dalriada, which extended from north antrim across to scotland.
17 february, 8.00pm Ulster orchestra the octagon, Coleraine campusunder the baton of Kenneth Montgomery, the ulster orchestra’s Principal Conductor, and joined by alice neary on cello, the orchestra will perform music from the classical era by Mozart and haydn and by the early romantics Beethoven and schubert
admission: £14, conc. £12.
17 february, 6.00pm tour of riverside theatre The riverside Theatre in Coleraine was the scene of the Chancellor’s acting debut, has a race horse named after it and is the only dedicated theatre between newtownabbey and the Causeway Coast. alumni are invited to a tour of this theatre.
24 february, 1.00pm Applied Art Masterclass: Annie Cattrell Ulster Museumannie Cattrell trained as a sculptor and has a studio in london. her work captures moments in time, fleeting things, clouds on a particular day, a breath inside a human lung. her subjects stem from her interest in neuroscience, anatomy and meteorology, captured by the fusion of science and art.
Cattrell works with a variety of materials and skills. she is drawn to working with glass because of its transparency and revealing qualities.
24 february, 8.00pm Joe Holmes – Killyrammer Man, His life And Music the town Hall, Ballymoneyas part of the dalriada festival, irish singer len
Alumni Events Alumni events17
graham and musicians from rasharkin – Comhaltas – celebrate the life and work of traditional musician and singer Joe holmes from Killyrammer, Ballymoney, with an evening of stories, music and songs.
3 March, 1.00pm Applied Art Masterclass: Jo Budd Ulster MuseumJo Budd has used fabric as her main medium of expression for over 30 years, since completing a fine art degree in painting at newcastle upon Tyne in 1979. now internationally renowned for her innovative large scale textile ‘paintings’, she has continually evolved new techniques and pushed the boundaries of textile art, defying categorisation as either an embroiderer or quilt maker.
7 April, 1.00pm Applied Art Masterclass: iris Bodemer Ulster Museumiris Bodemer, born in 1970, very clearly and unequivocally decided to follow the path of art in jewellery all the way through her education at the Vocational College of design, at the Pforzheim university, faculty of design, and then, for her postgraduate studies, at the sandberg institute in amsterdam.
7 April, 7.00pm Dinner at Academy restaurant, Belfast campusThe academy restaurant is part of the ulster Business school, and the place where chefs and hospitality professionals of the future develop their skills. excellent local food produce and first class service give diners a meal to remember. alumni and guests are invited to a 6-course themed dinner at this award-winning restaurant. Tickets cost £16.95 per person and numbers are limited.
19 April 6pm Alumni Dinner, indianapolisa dinner for alumni is being held at the rathskeller restaurant (in the historic athenaeum Building), 401 e. Michigan street, indianapolis, indiana on 19 april. www.rathskeller.com, The cost will be approximately $40, and further details will be available on ulster alumni online shortly.
May Munich, Germany We hope to organise a reception for our alumni in Bavaria in late May. further details will appear on our website, http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk or email [email protected] for information.
14 May Boat tripfull day trip to the deserted island of inistrahull island (last inhabited in 1929), visiting the old graveyard, mass rock, school house, modern and old lighthouses. We will be able to see many seabirds and seals, with a good chance of spotting basking sharks on the journey. We will return along the inishowen peninsula travelling past Kineo Bay, glengad head and Culdaff.
3 June Ulster festival of Art and Design Belfast campus, york streetThere will be a private viewing of the end of year show for the faculty of art, design and the Built environment and a reunion for graduates of the Belfast campus on the launch day of the ulster festival of art and design. The viewing and reunion will take place on friday 3 June.
There will be an informal drinks reception followed by the opportunity to look around the show and see the work of this year’s graduates. all former students from the Belfast campus are welcome.
The festival will run from 4 June to 11 June.
9 June eighth Annual University of Ulster Alumni Golf Challenge Galgorm Castle Golf and Country ClubThis popular event is organised by the university of ulster alumni association, supported by the university’s golf Bursars, and is open to graduates, students, staff and friends of the university.
The entry fees are: individual alumnus/staff/student £32; galgorm member: £15; and individual non-alumnus/a: £37.
This includes a hotdog on the 9th green as well as a meal and prize presentation in the clubhouse in the evening.The competition is an individual and a team event (stableford format).
for further information and to book contact the:
Key:
alumni relations office on 028 9036 8350, email: [email protected] or book online at http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Cultural development on 028 7012 4683 or email [email protected]
Cultural development on 028 9536 7285 or email [email protected]
feature19 Feature
“We are like scouts. We move forward and push the barriers of science.”visionaries often seem to live in an exclusive world of their own.
happily, the experts involved in virtual world technologies at the intelligent systems research Centre (isrC) at Magee are eager to share their ingenuity with a worldwide learning community.
and their expertise has been recognised by the uK’s premier weekly academic publication, with a shortlisting for a top award in the 2010 Times Higher Education awards for an innovative and highly interactive 3d virtual reality project, named ‘engineering education island’.
“every university in Britain is using some form of virtual world platform such as ‘second life or openism’ for teaching, learning or research applications,” says senior lecturer Michael Callaghan, who leads the serious games and Virtual Worlds group in the isrC.
“Virtual world technology will be as commonplace in schools and universities
in ten years’ time, as a complementary tool for learning and teaching, as computers are now.”
Microsoft founder Bill gates has espoused the same sort of thinking about robotic science, envisaging a future when robotic devices will be as common in homes as computers now.
“What we aim for is to have robots helping people in their everyday life – elderly people, healthcare assistants and
even in entertainment, work and so on.” says dr lorenzo riano, from italy, who is a research associate in the Cognitive robotics Team (CrT).
“having robots doing something useful in the real world, that’s what drives us.”
The £20 million isrC, the biggest single research investment in Magee’s 150 year history, has quickly become the most cosmopolitan corner of the Magee campus, with more than 100
Pathfinders in intelligent Worlds
http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Kerri McCusker demonstrates engineering in a virtual world.
top researchers and full-time academics from 15 nations spread over seven specialist research teams.
launched in 2007, the isrC is in the forefront of the global development of young sciences that are set to
revolutionise society – a spectrum spanning avatars to autonomous automobiles.
it operates in a brave new world of bio-inspired computational systems; cognitive robotics; ambient intelligence; brain computer interfacing; and immersive worlds.
in these rapidly evolving dimensions, many concepts in robotics and ‘artificial
intelligence’ that were once in the realm of ‘science fiction’ are becoming reality faster than most people realise.
in partnership with leading international institutes, the isrC is fuelling a growth in intelligent systems, in the form of devices or computer-aided programs that will eventually transform work and home, healthcare and leisure, entertainment and education.
isrC specialists are developing software that enables robots, smart devices and sensor-based computer applications to mimic aspects of the brain and, so replicate human reasoning, learning and autonomous behaviour.
They could be used to explore remote or dangerous locations, replace repetitive work processes, save labour in a home-care or hospital setting or assist the elderly or disabled people by navigating autonomously and transporting household items between rooms.
With brain-computer interfacing (BCi) technology, brain signals are recorded by electrodes placed on the scalp and translated by software into a control or communication signal that can enable individuals who are severely disabled or are in a ‘locked-in’ state, such as Motor neurone patients, to communicate with the aid of a computer.
By imagining the movement of an arm the user alters their brainwave to answer yes/no questions or move a cursor on the screen.
dr damien Coyle, of the Brain Computer interface and assistive Technologies (BCiaT) team, says:
“BCi is still a very nascent technology but is helping people with severe muscular disabilities and a range of other applications are being explored.”
dr Coyle is leading an ePsrC funded project to conduct studies at the national rehabilitation hospital in dublin to determine if BCi can assist spinal cord injury patients.
dr Coyle travels to san Jose, California in July to receive the 2011 “young investigator award” of the prestigious international neural networks society for his contribution to the study of neural networks.
The CrT’s lorenzo riano says:
“we produce the ideas, test them and prove them, and then we leave it to other specialist people to engineer the concepts.”
royal irish Academy honours leading Ulster AcademicProfessor Pól Ó dochartaigh, an internationally renowned german studies expert and dean of the faculty of arts, has been elected to membership of
the royal irish academy (ria).Professor Ó dochartaigh’s main research interest is in anti-semitism and the legacy of the holocaust in literature and society, not only in germany but in an international context, including ireland, israel and the
usa. in recent years he has also undertaken pioneering work on the history of Celtic studies as it developed in the 19th and 20th centuries under the strong influence of german scholars such as zeuss, Kuno Meyer, Thurneysen and Pokorny.
Professor Ó dochartaigh, who is a graduate of the universities of Wales, nottingham and ulster, is current Vice-President of the association for german studies in great Britain and ireland and a fellow of the royal historical society.
Prestigious Appointment for Ulster lecturerlecturer Ken Boston has been appointed to the historic Buildings Council (hBC), the statutory body advising government departments on historic building issues.
Mr Boston is course director for Building surveying programmes in the school of the Built environment. he is also a Chartered Building surveyor.
Greg MaguireBA Hons Design, 1988greg Maguire, whose work is featured in James Cameron’s oscar winning avatar and box office smash, Terminator salvation, has been appointed Professor of
Visual Communication at the Belfast campus. a feature on greg appeared in The Ulster Graduate issue 30.
People
People
Belfast City Council events team, from left: seamus rooney (Business studies, 1998); lee Johnston (leisure and event Management, current); gerry Copeland (Bsc CaM 1995 and Msc Cultural Management 2006); Brenda Willis (sport, exercise and leisure 2000), nikki devlin (Modern studies, Msc Communications and Pr 2001); and Marbeth hutchinson (Modern studies and Ma Cultural Management 2006) inset Kevin grant (Ma Cultural Management 2008).
the Main event
on the sixth floor you’ll find the City events team, led by ulster graduate gerry Copeland. gerry is not alone in his ulster connection: six of the team are graduates and intern lee Johnston is an ulster student.
The vibe in the office reflects what is going on outside. Belfast has been transformed in recent times, a change gerry has witnessed and contributed to through his work. he says:
“People have heard of Belfast. years of negativity have given us a position. our work is to turn that into a positive one. We had nine million day-trippers in 2009. some had preconceived ideas about the city and came away hugely surprised and enamoured.
“We have 50+ festivals over the year, with many events family-oriented. My favourite? Christmas is always special. We have the continental market, the pantomime, shows… i honestly think that what we have is better than most in europe.
of the one-off events, i think the Tall ships must be my highlight. Being part of the team that organises an event for 750,000 visitors was a big group effort, not just for us but with our partners of which, of course, the university was one.”
gerry’s enthusiasm is reflected in his team. seamus rooney, a former director of Belfast City Marathon, agrees that Belfast has undergone a huge metamorphosis in recent times.
“i believe that events have played a huge part in changing perceptions. if i had one wish though it would be for more investment in sports infrastructure – it would be great to have a Commonwealth games in Belfast!”
Brenda Willis agrees that Belfast has benefited greatly from the change in perception:
“The change is unbelievable, particularly in the cultural quarters. We’re getting big name music acts,
and our events are free, and we have a strong focus on families. hallowe’en was great – good fun and very relaxed.”
The family focus resonates with Marbeth hutchinson. she says:
“Christmas is a joyful time for the children and also closes our annual calendar of events so it’s special for us too.”
nikki devlin emphasises the importance of community involvement in Belfast’s
round of events through the year. When asked what one thing would make an instant difference to the infrastructure, she replies:
“The pedestrianisation of the area in front of City hall! i’d love to stage something like liverpool’s Mathew street festival. Belfast feels new and modern. it’s ‘hip, hop and happening!’ and this comes from our culture and the spirit of the people.”
Kevin grant agrees:
“We would love to have more city centre space for staging events. That said, i think it’s fair to say that a lot more people are seeing the benefits of running events and this city certainly has an appetite for them.”
for more information on Belfast City Council events, see www.belfastcity.gov.uk/events
When you enter Belfast City Council’s Cecil Ward building in linenhall street, just across the road from the City hall, you’re aware that there’s a buzz of energy and the feeling that something’s going on.“We have 50+ festivals
over the year, with many events family-oriented. My favourite? Christmas is always special.”
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Professor John AndersonDPhil electrical and electronic engineering 1987emeritus Professor and leading medical engineering entrepreneur, Professor John anderson, was honoured at the northern ireland science
Park (nisP) ConneCT £25K awards in september for his contribution and dedication to the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation in northern ireland. Professor anderson, who is qualified in both
medicine and engineering, was responsible for the development of the world’s first truly portable defibrillator. Today, Professor anderson is best known as founder and Chief Technology officer of heartsine® Technologies inc.,
a world leader in life-saving defibrillation therapy. he is also a founder of intelesens, the manufacturer of world-leading body-worn vital sign monitoring devices. recognising the need for continuous advancement in
research, Professor anderson formed the northern ireland Bioengineering Centre (niBeC) at Jordanstown and was its first director. he was also the head of the school of electrical and Mechanical engineering.
Under Current Conditions
little Big Box – Crash and Burn
Greatest Person in ireland’s History
Professor Paddy GrayBsc Hons social sciences 1979Professor Paddy gray, from the school of the Built environment, has been elected President of the Chartered institute of housing. he is the first housing
professional from ireland to take up this prestigious post as well as the first academic. he has also been appointed Chair of ulidia housing association.
Deirdre McnameePostgraduate Diploma nursing education 2004deirdre Mcnamee has been appointed as a non-executive Member of the northern ireland Practice and education Council for nursing and Midwifery
(niPeC). Mrs Mcnamee, is associate head of the school of nursing based at the Magee campus.
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our Writers’ Bloc
according to The Economist, estimates suggest that over 10 million mobile reading devices will be sold in 2010.
our Writers’ Bloc (www.ourwritersbloc.com), founded by Master’s in design Communication graduate owen gallagher and his business partner Karl Quinn, is a social networking website that enables authors to publish contemporary literature for free. our Writers’ Bloc enables readers to find ebooks to suit their taste and download them for free as well as connect and communicate with other users and their favourite authors.
To find out more, please see the website or contact [email protected]
Under Current Conditions, a novel by ulster graduate Kyle darcy, illustrates the benefits of a keenly developed instinct, and underscores the dire consequences when it fails. Based entirely on actual events, Kyle shakes up and serves a cocktail of industrial espionage, kidnapping, fBi stings, and murder.
for information on how to buy Under Current Conditions, see www.kyledarcy.com
For the chance to win a copy of under Current Conditions email us with your updated contact details, return the carrier sheet or update your details on http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk.
Crash and Burn is the debut album by Portstewart’s little Big Box, featuring The Ulster Graduate’s production editor Peter hough (Ba hons Media studies 1994). if you like your rock music tuneful, honest and direct, treat yourself to Crash and Burn. available on iTunes, amazon and other reputable online music stores.
ireland’s Greatest was a public poll by raidió Teilifís Éireann and associated television documentary series broadcast on rTÉ one, where viewers voted to choose the greatest person in the history of ireland. The winner was nobel laureate and Tip o’neill Chair Professor John hume www.ulster.ac.uk/ton
Join us on facebook and linkedinuniversity of ulster alumni has a facebook page http://tinyurl.com/32bc8av and an alumni group on linkedin http://tinyurl.com/2w2emra.
twitterfollow us on twitter @UlsterUni
We’re a social bunch at the University of Ulster...
Myspace did it for musicians. youTube did it for aspiring filmmakers. our Writers’ Bloc aims to do it for authors.
instinct: a subconscious evaluation of people or situations without rational evidence to support the response or feeling.sound Artist
Susan Makes Wavessusan, who is currently working in Berlin, uses her own voice to create uniquely evocative sound installations. she has recorded three separate versions of a traditional folk song, ‘lowlands away’, which tells the tale of a man drowned at sea who returns to tell his lover of his death.it was first performed beneath three bridges over the river Clyde in her native glasgow, but for the past two months has been playing in an empty room at Tate Britain.her triumph underscores the artistic reputation of the school of art and design, which boasts a further five Turner Prize nominees among its alumni and staff.Willie doherty, Professor of Video art in the school of art and design, has been nominated twice for the Turner, in 1994 and 2003; Professor declan Mcgonagle, who had a Chair in art and design at ulster in 2004-2008, was nominated
in 1987; Christine Borland, a sculptor, was shortlisted in 1997, video artist Phil Collins, was nominated in 2006, and sculptor Cathy Wilkes, was shortlisted in 2008.Mfa Course director alister Wilson, who taught susan during her time in Belfast, said: “The Master of fine art course at the university is no stranger to success in relation to international art prizes in general and the Turner Prize in particular, having been responsible for six individual nominees from the body of staff and alumni over the life of the competition.“susan Philipsz however has become the first alumnus to win the £25,000 prize outright. We are very proud of the record of our past students in this prestigious international showcase and susan’s nomination and ultimate success is particularly sweet.“This success justifies the unequivocal
approach to professional practice and international research which the Mfa course aims to foster.“all of those associated with the Master of fine art at ulster – both past and present – are delighted at this news today and i am sure that there is more success to come.”Professor ian Montgomery, dean of the faculty of art, design and the Built environment added: “To have a winner of the most widely recognised contemporary arts prizes in the world among the alumni of ulster’s school of art and design is a fantastic achievement.“We whole-heartedly congratulate susan on winning the Turner Prize and also on her success in becoming the first sound installation artist to do so. This tremendous win augments the national and international reputation of the school of art and design and of our Mfa course.”
susan Philipsz (Mfa 1994) has become the first sound artist to win the Turner Prize, Britain’s most prestigious contemporary arts award.
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Susan Philipsz, Glasgow 2009 (courtesy the artist)
People
Professor Dolores o’reilly MA Administrative and legal studies 1990Professor dolores o’reilly, former head of the department of international Business, has been as appointed as an independent member of
the Board of the department of finance and Personnel (dfP). she will also chair the department’s audit and risk Committee.
the new Head of school of Media, film and Journalism Colm Murphy has set his sights on ensuring its Ma in Journalism remains at the top as the best performing course in the uK. Colm has a proven track record both as
an investigative journalist and successful entrepreneur. he became a journalism lecturer in 2003 and a year later took on the role of course director for the university’s flagship Ma Journalism programme. it was named last year as
the uK’s best performing journalism programme. ulster’s successful Ma in Journalism has also received national recognition for its trailblazing and innovative approach to multi media training.
Professor owen BarrAdvanced Diploma education studies for nursesdr owen Barr, one of northern ireland’s leading researchers on healthcare for people with learning disabilities, has
been appointed as Professor of nursing. Professor Barr, qualified as a registered general nurse in 1984. he is currently head of the school of nursing. he joined the university in 1994.
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Class notes
stephen BeggsBa hons Theatre studies (1995)lisa MayBa hons Theatre studies (1996)Bruiser Theatre Company was formed in 1997 and is run by graduates stephen Beggs and lisa May. stephen and lisa first worked together on a 1994 production of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, then the largest student production to have been staged at Coleraine.
heading into its 14th year, Bruiser continues to go from strength to strength. Their production, Low Pay? Don’t Pay! has just completed a tour of ireland and scotland. The Company also carries out extensive education work with young people. for more information go to www.bruisertheatrecompany.com
francis Byrn Bsc hons geography (1991)“Combining my work as an outdoor education instructor with disadvantaged children at atlantic College, and teacher training at st. anne’s oxford, i have used my degree to teach secondary school geography in inner city Birmingham, where i taught, among others, afghan children.
i have had 61 maps published in four books of walks, including the overview map for Hell of A Journey by Mike Cawthorne. i later trained in iCT and currently work as a public library assistant in my home city of leeds. My geography course at Coleraine gave me an excellent foundation for my subsequent career.”
emmet Diver Beng hons Mechanical engineering (2008)step-up and ulster graduate emmet diver has proved that success does come to those who follow their dream, when he recently qualified as a pilot with flyBe.
emmet, who attended st Brigid’s College in derry and joined the university’s step-up programme in 2002, said it was during his participation in the programme that he realised he wanted to attend university. he said:
“i can’t thank step-up enough for the opportunity that has been presented to me. The programme helped me to develop academically and as a person in general. i was guided to study Mechanical engineering, which has led to me being chosen to train as an airline pilot.”
Colum lewis Canning MBa (1998)Colum lewis Canning has been appointed Vice President of the institute of Bankers in ireland one of the oldest and most respected banking institutes in the world whose mission is to enhance the knowledge and skills of those working in banking and financial services. Colum was awarded fellowship of the institute in 1998.
Colum completed both his Postgraduate diploma in Management studies and MBa at ulster and continues to be actively involved and supportive of the university’s alumni association executive Committee.
Colum has also been actively involved in Prince’s Trust as a Mentor of young entrepreneurs and currently chairs the north West’s Career academy at north West regional College. This academy has just recently announced the launch of a second academy for the iT sector. This is in addition to the existing Business studies academy.
rosemary Clarke Bsc hons education (1972)rosemary Clarke (nee Margaret rosemary alexander) graduated from nuu in 1972 with Bsc hons in education. rosemary has recently retired from Clounagh Junior high school in Portadown after 38 years teaching geography and religious education. she held the post of head of religious education for nearly 26 years. she has been married to robert Clarke, a graduate from london university for over ten years.
People
Martin ArmstrongBsc hons social administration and housing studies (1988)Martin armstrong has been appointed chief executive of one of europe’s largest social landlords, glasgow housing association (gha).
Before joining gha, Martin was director of Customer and support services at West lothian Council. his customer-focused approach played a key role in West lothian Council being awarded the prestigious uK Council of the year title in 2006. The following year it became the first council in scotland – and the only unitary local authority in the uK – to receive a Corporate Charter Mark, the uK government’s highest recognition for excellent customer service.
Martin, who joined gha in January 2008 as executive director of housing and Customer services, had been acting Chief executive at the association since the end of september 2009.
his new role is the culmination of an 18-year career in which he has made his mark as one of Britain’s top housing professional, throughout which he has won major awards and worked for local authorities the length and breadth of the country – from surrey in southern england to Moray Council in the north of scotland.
Update your DetailsTo ensure that you receive your copy of The Ulster Graduate and invitations to relevant events, please make sure that we have your latest contact details and email address. you can view and update your details at http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk or by returning the carrier sheet sent with this magazine. you can also email us at [email protected] or phone us on (+44) (0)28 9036 8350.
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Class notes need to continue to individuate, to go out into the unknown and continue to evolve. her research into this subject led her to give many talks and subsequently she was asked to write a book. This book, which is to be published in april by ‘o’ books, is called Just Say Yes to Life..... embracing individuation to embrace life.
Patricia is also a lecturer in hotel Management at Cavendish College, london. she continues to give talks and provide executive coaching on individuation to businesses and associations. Patricia is married to alan lee (hnd Computer studies 1980). They live in Kew, surrey.
Julie Dorman Ba hons Business studies (2006)noreen Dorman diploma in Physical education (1973)Julie’s first love has always been dancing and she started ballet at the Jacqui Philpott school of dance when she was three. she completed all her grades through the royal academy of dance and then went on to pursue a career in the teaching of dance. Julie has danced at all the top northern ireland venues and participated at the Portadown dance festival where she won the overall cup for her scottish dance in the national dance section.she specialises in ballet, tap and jazz and
recently had the challenge of teaching the ulster rugby team how to line dance. she is the Principal of the Julie dorman school of dance and teaches children from 3 – 18 ballet, tap and jazz and co-runs Carryduff school of dance. she also teaches the adult tap classes at the Crescent arts Centre, Belfast.
her mother noreen is also a graduate from ulster having gained her teaching qualifications from the ulster College of Physical education in 1973. noreen has taught Pe in Bloomfield Collegiate, strathearn school and now oakwood school and assessment Centre in Belfast.Karen flanagan AM
Bsc hons social administration and social Work (1982) Karen flanagan, a child protection specialist with save the Children in australia, was awarded the order of australia in May 2010. The medal was presented by the governor general of Victoria, Professor
david de Kretser, a.C. at an investiture at government house in Melbourne. The citation was ‘for service to the community in the area of child protection through contributions to policy and programme development and legislative reform’.
Karen says:
“My degree in social administration and social Work from ulster has served me well! More importantly it has equipped me with the skills to lobby and advocate for vulnerable children and young people.”
Dr Ahmad Houri Msc renewable energy (2008)dr ahmad houri was awarded the euro arab Chair of renewable energy for 2009 in granada, spain. This three-month position gave him an opportunity to conduct a research project on the environmental and economic considerations of introducing hybrid cars in developing countries. in addition, he had the opportunity to establish a wide
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Kris Dickson Ba hons Combined studies in art and design (2001)Kris, Co-director of life Photography in Coleraine, has been awarded the coveted title of uK Creative Wedding Photographer 2010, the fourth time he has won the uK Wedding Photographer of the year. he was also presented with an award of excellence in the
uK fashion category in the Master Photographers association awards in october 2010.
described as ‘one of the top photographers of this millennium’, Kris already has a host of awards to his name and has quickly gathered a reputation as being one of the brightest young stars of modern photography. his victory this year follows a similar triumph at the 2009 awards, when he was awarded firsts in the following categories: uK fashion and Beauty, the Mario acerboni northern ireland award and the overall Mario acerboni award. he was also crowned uK Master Photographer of the year 2009 following a similar award in 2006 when he won ‘British Professional Photographer of the year’.
Kris is married to emma, who graduated in 2001 with Ba hons design, and they have one son, Blake.
Patricia Caldwell hnd hotel, Catering and institutional Management (1981)in 2001, at the top of a very successful career in hotel Management, Patricia Caldwell decided to change direction and become an executive Coach specialising in personal development.
Patricia felt an inner lack of fulfilment, while outwardly everything appeared just right – cosmologists call this ‘the goldilocks effect’.
Patricia knew that she needed to develop more of herself. it was only when she discovered the term ‘individuation’ (an inner drive pushing or nudging us to become what or who we are destined to be) that she realised her inner lack of fulfilment was a result of her
Professor named in leading Us law listProfessor fionnuala ní aoláin, has been honoured by the american legal profession after being awarded a place in the irish legal 100 - a prestigious annual listing of leading figures
in law across the united states The co-founder and associate director of the Transitional Justice institute, was selected by the Irish Voice and Irish America magazine - leading media sources for irish america.Professor ní aoláin, who grew
up in spiddal Co galway has lived in northern ireland since 1987, was presented with her award at a ceremony hosted by irish ambassador Michael Collins in Washington dC. in addition to her university chair, Professor ní aoláin holds a dual academic
appointment in the united states having joined the university of Minnesota law school faculty in 2004 and, holds the dorsey & Whitney Chair in law there. she is also associate dean for research and Planning.
UK top three Accolade for Academicdr stephen McClean, school of Biomedical sciences, was recently selected as finalist for the ‘ed Wood Teaching award’ from the higher education academy’s uK Centre for
Bioscience.Thanks to his pioneering introduction of an innovative teaching method, dr McClean was in the top three for the award, now called the Bioscience Teacher of the year award.
Ulster researcher in Britain’s top 100Professor John McCloskey from the environmental sciences research institute has been named in the inaugural eureka 100 list published by The Times. The list cites the 100
most important contemporary figures in British science and has recognised the university of ulster Professor of geophysics for his work in earthquake science.
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Karen with husband david Brown and sons Conor and Ben.
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Prestigious Appointment for Ulster lecturerrodney Mcdermott, a lecturer in the school of the Built environment has been elected Vice Chair of engineers ireland, donegal region. engineers ireland is the main
engineering representative body in ireland. founded in 1835, it has more than 24,000 members who range from students to fellows of the profession. The association aims to promote engineering knowledge; help maintain
standards of professional engineering and maintain standards of professional ethics and conduct. following his one year term as Vice Chair rodney will subsequently take up the Chairmanship of engineers ireland, donegal
region in 2011 for a two year period.
Prestigious Award for Ulster Accounting expertulster academic Tony Wall has been selected for the prestigious fulbright northern ireland Public sector fellowship awards for 2011-12.
Tony, a senior lecturer in the department of accounting and a member of the Business and Management research institute at the Jordanstown campus, has been offered a place at george Washington university.
during his three month study visit next autumn, he plans to carry out research into public-private partnerships in the us.
Marion DugganWe were sorry to hear of the death of Marion duggan, (née Mcaneney), applied Biochemical sciences, 1995. Marion graduated with a first class honours degree and was the top student in her year.
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People continued... obituary
Class notesnetwork with stakeholders in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The stay included several site visits to key factories and research centres of renewable energy in addition to the abengoa’s world leading solar Platform where various technologies are in the demonstration and application stages.
Dr Mary Magee dPhil (1983)Ann Quinn Masters in education (1987)in april 2010 dr Mary Magee and ann Quinn from the regional assessment Centre for Justice sector awards were guests of City & guilds at the ‘Medals for excellence lion awards dinner 2010’ at the royal lancaster hotel in london. The lion awards dinner is the culmination of the Medals for excellence programme
and the Centre had been awarded a gold Medal in recognition of outstanding performance in the Justice sector. The event in london followed a regional ceremony at which dr Mary Magee, ann Quinn and harry McWhinney (youth Justice Policy nio) were present to accept the gold Medal and certificates from alan shannon, Permanent secretary with the department for employment and learning.
stephen Martin Bsc hons Quantity surveying (1988)stephen Martin was nominated as oneof the top company directors in the uKthis year, and although he missed outon the top prize he was presented witha highly Commended award in thelarge company category of the instituteof directors (iod) national director of theyear uK finals.
stephen is Ceo of the Clugston groupin the east Midlands, who specifically head-hunted stephen to take over from their longstanding Chief executive.
stephen is a skills Champion for Business in the Community, showcasing Clugston’s commitment to building a learning culture to other organisations. in line with improving employee engagement he agreed to work incognito with his construction site employees on the TV programme Undercover Boss in 2009 (see Ulster Graduate issue 31). This experience led him to reform his ideas and to implement his key learning points within each of the group companies.
David Porter diploma in Management Practice (2004)david Porter has been promoted to director of development in dard rivers agency, the flood defence and drainage authority for northern ireland.
david is responsible for implementing the eu floods directive within northern ireland as well as directing the agency’s mapping and modelling requirements and planning advisory function. david graduated with a diploma in Management Practice in 2004 and is currently working towards an Msc in innovation Management in the Public service at ulster.
Carl richards Ba Philosophy (1991)Carl says: “after completing a half marathon in sheffield in 2007 i knew that i needed a new challenge. not really being a runner, i hadn’t enjoyed the training and the running of the half marathon so i needed to find a different activity. i had always been a good
swimmer so i started to look at the kind of thing that would really stretch me in the swimming world – the natural thing to choose was a swim from england to france, solo and non-stop. so, i spent the next two years in training – up at 5.30am most mornings to swim before i went to work and to go on long swims at the weekend. i also went to training camps in gozo and ireland and i spent three months training in dover harbour every weekend.
“finally, my tide arrived and i set off at 5.45am on 31 July 2010. With a Pilot boat crewed by a professional pilot and friends and family, i set off from shakespeare Beach under the White Cliffs of dover. Thirteen hours and three minutes later i landed on Cap gris nez relieved and slightly exhausted, but mostly elated.
“i had become the 1025th person to ever swim The english Channel, in the process raising £10,500 for The anthony nolan Trust.”
Martin spollen Ba hons accounting (1991)Martin has been awarded the prestigious us-uK fulbright northern ireland Public sector fellowship for 2010.
a former Treasurer of the students’ union, Martin is a strategic adviser at the strategic investment Board (siB) in Belfast, where he advises the northern ireland executive on its multi-billion pound infrastructure investment programme.
Martin’s professional and academic interests concern the impact of geo-demographics and facility location on the cost and performance of public services. as a fulbright northern ireland Public sector fellow, Martin will study infrastructure investment planning and optimisation in the us at ohio state university and at institute for international urban development (iiud) in Cambridge, Massachusetts from april to september 2011.
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Ulster Alumni onlineregistering on ulster alumni online enables you to:• Search for classmates• View and update your details• Book for alumni events• Purchase memorabilia• Make a donation to the Alumni Fund• Access PDS, Going Global and GradNavit’s easy to register. simply logon to http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk and enter the requested details including the id number printed on the carrier sheet of this magazine.
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the next step
MA student Gillian Callan reflects on her return to full-time study and shares some of the reasons why she chose the University of Ulster as well as some of the worries and delights she has encountered in the first few weeks.This september i became a student again. at the age of twenty-seven i made the decision to begin a twelve month postgraduate degree at the university of ulster. undaunted by the ‘eternal student’ jokes that naturally came with my decision, i started my Ma Journalism course with excitement and a definite feeling of anxiety.
i graduated five years ago with a degree in history from the university of glasgow, so my memories of essays and the students’ union were distant but fondly recalled (needless to say some more warmly than others). in-between times i had worked in a range of professions from government administrator to organic farm worker and had travelled across four continents. These years were indispensable in allowing me to develop new skills and, most importantly, the confidence to become career-focused.
after deciding this focus was a career in journalism it was not a difficult decision to choose the institution i wanted to train at. The reputation and prestige of the postgraduate course at ulster was undeniable – even more so after the national Council for the Training of Journalists (nCTJ) awarded it the accolade of the ‘uK’s best performing postgraduate journalism programme’ in 2009.
having had five years experience of work, i know how important it is to be multi-skilled in the workplace in order to stand out from the crowd. The fact that the programme is accredited by not just the nCTJ but also the Broadcast
Journalism Training Council was a definite attraction. recognising the competitive nature of journalism, the course provides an academic perspective alongside practical training towards professional qualifications in media law, shorthand, public affairs and news writing.
another benefit of the course is the opportunity to carry out work experience at a news organisation and i look forward to taking the skills i will develop over the next six months into this placement next summer.
My decision to give up full-time employment and return to further education was not taken lightly. having to think as a student again is not always easy and the financial constraints of studying at postgraduate level are often difficult to manage. however, the feeling i had after recording my first radio piece and conducting my first live interview makes the challenges all worthwhile.
Gillian is studying MA Journalism at the School of Media, Film and Journalism at the Coleraine Campus.
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a number of colleagues have retired since the publication of the last issue of The Ulster Graduate:
Professor Paul Arthur Professor Gordon rae Anne Hagan Professor Desmond Hunter
retirements
Professor seamus MacMathuna
Professor Máire Messenger Davies
others that have recently retired include:
Professor David Carson Professor Colin Glass David Griffiths Professor elizabeth Hull
Mary McCamphill John McKennaDr terry McKnight sue McMullan Denis rankin Professor Brian rushton lynda spence
for more details on staff appointments and retirements, please see http://inside.ulster.ac.uk
Clinton on Campus
speaking to an audience of around 200 academics, students, business leaders and politicians in the great hall, Mr Clinton said he was delighted to be back “in this wonderful university where i’ve had some of the happiest moments of my Presidency”.
acknowledging the difficult economic times ahead, he noted that he would rather wrestle with economic problems than the bloodshed and violence of the Troubles, identifying fish farming, arts and crafts and tourism as sectors that could drive
the region’s economic recovery. he also stressed the importance of moving towards sustainable energy sources and attracting more foreign investors to northern ireland.
Mr Clinton recalled that when he first visited as us President in 1995, it was at the height of the peace process and he was greeted by tens of thousands of well-wishers.
“i realise that to many people it is not as emotionally satisfying to discuss economics as it was to talk about peace in 1995. But this is what peace is about – about giving the people the chance to live responsible, normal lives.”
noting the difficulties small and medium sized businesses have securing capital from the banks, Mr Clinton suggested the possibility of obtaining micro-loans from supportive non-governmental bodies overseas:
“There are a lot of non-governmental international groups that care about what happens in northern ireland, they really want you to make it,” he said. “you’d be amazed how many people around the world would come here and help if you just ask. They have no idea that you even have any problems – you know, it’s amazing how we all get out of the news if we aren’t causing trouble.”
“all of you i have been privileged to know for the last 15 years or more know that working on the irish peace process was one of the two or three great honours of my life,” he said.
“I thank all of you for proving a thesis possible. When people say we can’t do it in the Middle East, we can’t do it somewhere, we just draw Northern Ireland to them.”
Former US President Bill Clinton visited the Magee campus in September ahead of the US-Northern Ireland economic conference in Washington to outline his strategy for economic recovery in Northern Ireland.
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People
Honorary Graduates 2010
David KirkDoctor of Science
Colin BatemanDoctor of Letters
Professor Denis MoloneyDoctor of Laws
Denis RooneyDoctor of Science
Feargal SharkeyDoctor of Letters
Professor Sir Desmond ReaDoctor of Laws
Sir Hugh OrdeDoctor of Laws
John CrossléDoctor of Science
TP FlanaganDoctor of Fine Art
HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, Doctor of Laws
Rt Hon Sir Richard NeedhamDoctor of Laws
Pat HumeDoctor of Laws
Paddy DohertyDoctor of Laws
Radhika CoomaraswamyDoctor of Laws
left to right: Conleth hill, doctor of letters; Tony hopkins, doctor of the university; dr Peter fitzgerald, doctor of science; Bro Mcferran, doctor of science; with the Chancellor dr James nesbitt and Vice-Chancellor Professor richard Barnett
Degree for Saudi Royal PrinceThe Prince, who is a nephew of King abdullah, has served his country in prominent positions, including ambassadorial roles in the us, the uK and ireland.
among the audience of academics, business and political leaders at the Jordanstown conferral were the then Minister for employment and learning, sir reg empey, and the former Taoiseach, Mr Bertie ahern.
in his address he underlined saudi arabia’s commitment to education, saying that “only through education can our people achieve their rightful place in the world and contribute to the betterment of humanity.”
he also expressed appreciation for those who had tried to heal intolerance and division in northern ireland. “your experience in dealing with strife and hatred is an example for the rest of us from which to learn. i applaud the people of northern ireland for taking on that challenge and defeating ignorance and bigotry.”
he was accompanied on his northern ireland visit by his son, hrh Prince faisal bin Turki al-faisal, who is chairman of the independent think-tank,global strategic studies institute. speaking at a seminar organised by the university’s real estate initiative, Prince faisal bin Turki al-faisal analysed issues and challenges facing saudi arabia in its quest to be sustainable.
“only through education can our people achieve their rightful place in the world and contribute to the betterment of humanity.”
http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
33
Sir Reg Empey MLA, HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud and Bertie Ahern TD
35 sportSport
francis McCrory, Ba hons fine and applied arts in 2006, is celebrating his fourth successful solo exhibition. The collection which showcased almost 30 paintings under the title ‘Connections’, was on exhibition at gormleys fine art in dublin this autumn. francis has fast become a recognisable name in the art community since he graduated. a proud recipient of two ‘Best emerging artist’ awards; in 2006 and then again in 2007, francis’ most recent exhibition marks yet another high point in his career. Known for his hauntingly unique paintings of Belfast landscapes and buildings, his latest exhibition for the first time also included familiar dublin scenes such as the gPo building on o’Connell street, Poolbeg Power station and the luas trams. francis admits that transferring his inspiration from Belfast to dublin wasn’t always easy, he said:
“i know the stories of the buildings, the streets, the areas that i am painting in Belfast. in dublin, i don’t have this knowledge. “The most difficult thing that i found was trying to figure out what areas people would have connections with. i had to think whether or not the people who live in this city can relate to the pieces.”
having sold more than half the paintings exhibited, francis has also received several enquiries regarding commissions, proving that his work has resounding popularity both in the north and the south of ireland. looking to the future, francis hopes to explore dublin more but also has his sights set further afield, he said:
“i think it’s important to keep things moving, not to stay static and become too comfortable with one’s surroundings. i think my urban style would suit the architecture of london and new york, so that is an area i would definitely like to examine.”
Despite winning a Commonwealth gold medal at the 2010 Games in Delhi, boxer Eamonn O’Kane still has goals to achieve in his boxing career, as Chris Barnes discovers. spurred on by his disappointment not to pick up a medal at the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne, eamonn was out to give it his all in india…and he certainly did that. as team captain, he led the northern ireland side to a 10 medal haul with three boxing golds, two boxers picking up silver alongside cycling and bronze medals in bowls, cycling and a double in shooting. This success was in no small part to the management around him and the preparations for the competition. and for eamonn, these preparations started longer ago than many may think.
at the age of six he followed his brother along to the st Canice’s boxing club in dungiven, Co derry, and a life in the ring was born. “it was the winning,” he says. “i personally got the most satisfaction out of winning. i loved playing gaelic football, i loved playing soccer, hurling, running, but when your hand gets raised at the end of the fight it is probably the best feeling and it’s one of the most proudest feelings coming home with a medal and it escalated from there and i wanted to always achieve that one step more.
“i still have those dreams and aspirations of achieving more, possibly at the olympics, possibly professional boxing. i don’t know what the future may hold but striving to be the best that i can be keeps me going and this university helped me to be the best that i am so far.” awarded a Performance sport scholarship during his time studying for his Beng in electronics and Computer systems from which he graduated in 2004, eamonn says that this was the key to his development as a boxer and academically. “The help and encouragement i got from the university from nutrition and strength and conditioning, to lifestyle coaching from all the staff. They helped me to achieve my dream, to graduate first of all and to continue on my sporting career.
“It’s tough to find the balance between University work and sport but with the help and support of a lot of good people from the University of Ulster around upcoming student athletes, just like I had, there’s no reason why they can’t go on and be successful.” in 2005, eamonn went on to complete a Master’s degree in Computing. Three years later he would go on to win a bronze medal in the 2008 european Championships. since winning the Commonwealth games’ gold medal life back home has changed somewhat for a family man whose greatest pleasure in life is spending time with his wife nichola and son Charlie. “We were in a cocoon in the village so we had no idea the hype it was causing. There were people who i thought would never have been bothered watching boxing coming up shaking my hand when i got home and saying how well the team had done and how it has given them a lift. it has been great.”
Art ‘Connections’For more information: www.francismccrory.com
Boxing Clever: Eamonn O’Kane
http://alumni.ulster.ac.uk
Davy Portrait Awardian Cumberland who also graduated with Ba hons fine and applied arts in 2006 was presented with the 2010 davy Portrait award, worth £10,000, at a ceremony in Belfast in february, for his captivating oil on board self-portrait.
The awards, in association with arts & Business, were open to artists working in traditional and non-traditional media across ireland. The judging panel comprised rosie Broadley, associate Curator of Contemporary Collections at the national Portrait gallery in london and Brenda McParland, a renowned international Curator and arts Management Professional in Contemporary Visual arts.
ian describes the winning portrait as “a celebration of flaws using the marks and colour of the paint to accurately portray the flesh and bring out all the imperfections that everyone has. from a distance the painting is very realistic, but up close its quite uneven.”
ian has exhibited at numerous solo and group exhibitions across ireland and the uK, including royal ulster academy exhibitions and the national Portrait gallery, london in 2009 as part of the BP Portrait awards which then toured to the dean gallery of the national galleries of scotland.
for further information and full exhibition details: www.davyportraitawards.com
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