Dear colleague,
Thank you to all those who were able to join the Virtual Town Hall on Monday; it was lovely that so many of you could make it. I’d like to take the opportunity to reiterate our thanks to our teaching staff as we enter the final weeks of undergraduate teaching and also to thank all those involved in the assessment period, both academic and professional services colleagues.
My thanks also to colleagues involved in publicising the National Student Survey (NSS) and Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES), which are both due to close at midnight on Saturday 30 April 2022. The response rates are so far looking very encouraging and we look forward with interest to the insight the results will bring.
Later today, a Community Iftar for Ramadan is being held in the Fountain Café on campus, from 8pm. My thanks to Bath University Islamic Society for hosting the event and for welcoming all members of staff and students.
Enterprise Day
The University’s first Enterprise Day was a real success, and I’d like to thank all those who worked so hard to arrange it, including Professor Jonathan Knight, Stephen Rangecroft and colleagues in RIS, DDAR, Communications and across our three Faculties and School of Management. More than 110 stakeholders attended the event, and we were very grateful to the senior keynote speakers and panellists for sharing their expertise and insights with us, including Stephen Kelly, Chair of Tech Nation, Patricia Greer, CEO of West of England Combined Authority and Joe Marshall, CEO of the National Centre for Universities and Business. I had the pleasure of introducing the day and was able to hear some of the fascinating discussions around the challenges of creating a green and resilient future, and the role of enterprise and innovation within that context.
Double Queen's Award success
Our warmest congratulations to visiting Senior Lecturer and CEO of CiteAb, Dr Andrew Chalmers and to David Kelly and Adam Pope, University of Bath graduates and founders of Storm, a leading South West digital technology agency. CiteAb and Storm Consultancy have received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation category) and we’re very proud that both these companies started life through innovation and entrepreneurship here at Bath. With our strategic focus on innovation and enhancing strategic partnerships, and initiatives such as Enterprise Day, we hope to see many more such successes in the future!
Research grant success
Following on from other recent research grant successes, I would like warmly to congratulate Dr Melanie Channon, Lecturer in Social Policy from the Department of Social and Policy Sciences, and her colleagues and international partners. Dr Channon has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant of €1.5 million to explore the important issue of ‘Menstrual justice in low- and middle-income countries: Achieving the right to a good period in policy and practice’.
I’m so impressed by the breadth and depth of recent research grants; it’s not possible to mention all of them here individually, but each is deeply valued.
Recognition for Widening participation initiatives
Dr Andrew Ross and the Widening Access Team are delighted to be celebrating three nominations in the 2022 NEON Awards:
- NEON Student of the Year Award - congratulations to 3rd year Management student and Gold scholar, Ciara Sherlock, who is an Outreach Ambassador
- NEON School or College Widening Access Award - congratulations to one of our partner schools, The Angmering School in West Sussex
- NEON Widening Access Initiative – our pioneering Pathway to Bath programme has been shortlisted in this category
We wish you every success at the award ceremony next month.
American Museum and the Holburne Museum
As part of our focus on our civic role here in Bath, we are renewing our relationships with neighbouring organisations.
Colleagues may be interested to know that the American Museum is currently offering our staff and students discounts to their forthcoming Americana Fest, a new three-day festival of American culture, from 1 to 3 July 2022.
Of course, we have a longstanding relationship with The Holburne Museum too, and it’s the Holburne that programmes activity at the Andrew Brownsword Gallery at The Edge on campus. Recently, Rohan Surana, Director of Operations for the School of Management has been nominated by the University as Trustee for The Holburne Museum and we wish him every success in this role. Entry to The Holburne Museum is free of charge for staff and students with a valid University of Bath Library card.
And finally, very many congratulations to sporting scholar Vicki McCabe, who helped England Hockey make history by winning their first-ever medal at a FIH Women’s Junior World Cup in South Africa. England Hockey secured bronze and Vicki, who also plays for Team Bath Buccaneers and the University women’s student team, featured in all five of England’s games in Potchefstroom and scored the winner in England’s second group match against Ireland. Congratulations on this wonderful achievement.
With best wishes,
Professor Ian White
Vice-Chancellor and President
Respond