News Archive: June 2014

First novel wins Award and Doctorate

A novel written as part of a Creative Writing course at Bangor University has just won The Write Factor Shortlist Award, 2014 and been published for new author, Rhian Waller. Rhian’s debut novel, Eithe’s Way , was written as part of a Creative and Critical Writing PhD at Bangor University’s School of English .

Publication date: 30 June 2014

Bangor University Website shortlisted for Award

Bangor University’s Website has been shortlisted for the Best Website Award in the annual Heist marketing awards. These annual awards are the principal awards for the HE marketing sector, and the winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony in July.

Publication date: 30 June 2014

Archive of the month

Publication date: 30 June 2014

£1m EU boost for Marine Centre Wales

Bangor University Vice-Chancellor John G Hughes has welcomed the news that the £23.6m SEACAMS project, which it leads, has been given a £1m EU boost. SEACAMS is an EU scheme pioneering collaborative research projects in marine science between business and universities delivered by Bangor University in partnership with Aberystwyth and Swansea Universities. The project is helping to develop the coastal marine economy in Wales and has already worked with more than 60 companies on R&D projects ranging from developing new products to studying marine life to determining management strategies for rising sea levels.

Publication date: 26 June 2014

Professor listed among world’s most influential researchers

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone, Professor of Health Services & Implementation Research at Bangor University’s School of Healthcare Sciences has been ranked among the world’s most influential researchers. One significant and important measure of academic research is how often academic research papers are cited or referenced in other academic articles. Prof Rycroft-Malone’s work is listed in the newly published Thompson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers 2014 list, which represents the world’s leading scientific minds. Prof Rycroft-Malone is among over three thousand researchers from across the globe earning the distinction by writing the greatest numbers of reports officially designated by Essential Science Indicators℠ as Highly Cited Papers-ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication, which has been judged by peers to be of particular significance and earning them the mark of exceptional impact.

Publication date: 26 June 2014

Start Up Summer School

Bangor University Students and local graduates took part in a motivational Start-Up Summer School organised by the B-Enterprising team recently. The event led by Tim Ashcroft, an entrepreneur and experienced business mentor from Innovas, and Chris Walker, International Business Consultant and Start Up Mentor for the HEFCW funded Enterprise Support Programme, was open to all Bangor University and Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students as well as recent graduates living in Wales and the Welsh community as a whole. Both Tim and Chris are currently supporting many final year students and graduates who are exploring business start-up.

Publication date: 25 June 2014

Professor Nigel John receives prestigious Churchill Medallion

Professor Nigel John from Bangor University's School of Computer Science was presented with a Churchill medallion at a prestigious biennial award ceremony in London recently, after successfully completing his Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.

Publication date: 25 June 2014

North Wales Welsh for Adults Centre Comes Out on Top

The North Wales Welsh for Adults Centre at Bangor University, gets rave reviews from the learners. The annual national Ipsos MORI survey, run by the Welsh Government, shows that the North Wales Centre scores far better than the national average.

Publication date: 25 June 2014

Rhyl Scoops has it licked for traditional Ice Cream Parlour experience!

Are you enjoying the warm weather? If you’re in the vicinity of Rhyl, then drop in for a refreshing ice-cream from ‘Rhyl Scoops’; an ice cream parlour, which will be open for just one week between 23 - 30 June.

Publication date: 24 June 2014

Science Park Reaches Out To Community

Exciting plans to develop a Science Park on the outskirts of Gaerwen are progressing well. An event will be held in the village to ensure that the community are involved and fully aware of the project. Menai Science Park, a subsidiary company of Bangor University, will be a home for science based and innovative businesses and organisations that are eager to thrive in a range of sectors. The Park will benefit from investments in areas such as energy, environmental services and clean technology, but projects in other sectors will also be welcome. The aim is to create and support skilled and well paid employment in the area.

Publication date: 24 June 2014

University conference set to explore the future of social services in Wales

A Bangor University conference will explore the implications of a historical new act set to transform social services’ provision in Wales.

Publication date: 23 June 2014

110 years of Forestry teaching @ Bangor

Bangor's Forestry department celebrated it's 110th anniversary at the weekend. Events included a field trip, a dinner and a reception in Thoday building. There was a display of the history of the department in photos, a quiz and a tree planting. Weather couldn't have been better. Thanks to all who attended, and supported the events.

Publication date: 23 June 2014

Queen’s Birthday Honours for Bangor

Two individuals linked to Bangor University are listed in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. The award of an MBE to David Wyn Williams, DL, Treasurer and Deputy Chair of the University’s Council, was announced in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list recently, along with Bangor Forestry Graduate Paul Nolan, who is to be awarded an OBE.

Publication date: 20 June 2014

Bangor Student Wins Welsh Agriculture Student of the Year for second year in succession

A Bangor University student is to receive the Richard Phillips Agricultural Student of the Year Award, presented annually at the Royal Welsh Show to the best agricultural student studying in Wales. Twenty-three year old Holly Pratt will receive the Award on the Monday of the Show (2.20pm 21.7.14), the second year in succession that a Bangor student is receiving the Award.

Publication date: 19 June 2014

Bangor University scientists take part in world-wide ocean health check

Scientists at Bangor University will be joining forces with marine scientists across the world on 21 June to take part in an ambitious global research project – Ocean Sampling Day . 80% of all life on Earth comes from the World Ocean which covers more than 70% of the Earth surface. Marine microorganisms are responsible for a smooth functioning of global elements’ cycles, however less than 1 % of them are known. The School of Biological Sciences will join 150 research organisations from Iceland to Anatartica and from Moorea (French Polynesia) to South Africa to study and health check the world’s oceans.

Publication date: 18 June 2014

Bangor University’s Centre for Mindfulness shortlisted for UK Health Award

Bangor University’s Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice (CMRP) has been shortlisted for a prestigious UK health Award which highlights the people and organisations who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of health and wellbeing in the UK. The Winners of this year’s Bevan Prize for Health and Wellbeing 2014 awarded by the Bevan Foundation and Aneurin Bevan Society, with the generous support of UNISON, the Open University and the Royal College of Midwives, will be announced at an event in London on Tuesday 15 July.

Publication date: 17 June 2014

Three Soapbox Stars from Bangor

Three of Bangor University’s female scientists are taking part in L’Oreal’s Soapbox Science events this year.

Publication date: 16 June 2014

Bangor University Lecturers Receive Top UK Teaching Award

Professor James Intriligator and Peggy Murphy of Bangor University have been made National Teaching Fellows . This is the most prestigious award that can be made to recognise excellence in higher education teaching and support for learning.

Publication date: 12 June 2014

Prominent Speakers to address TILT Terminology and Translation Conference

On Thursday 12 th June a one day conference for translation practitioners and students will be held at Bangor University in connection with the TILT training programme. TILT offers training in languages and translation to small and medium sized companies in North and West Wales. Translators and language officers can study part time through distance learning for a Postgraduate Certificate in Translation, and the credits gained can be used towards a Masters’ degree in the subject.

Publication date: 11 June 2014

MA paratrooper film wins award

A film by a former Bangor University MA student has won the best film award at a festival in Cardiff. Jam Man was one of 20 films shortlisted under the Best Fiction Film category at the Cardiff Mini Film Festival.

Publication date: 10 June 2014

Identifying the mechanisms that affect changes in snake venoms

Every year, snakebites kill up to 90,000 people, mostly in impoverished, rural tropical areas. This statistic is surprising when one considers that antivenoms are available, however, the truth is that the efficacy of antivenom is largely restricted to the snake species that was used in manufacture, and they are often ineffective in treating snakebite by different, even closely related species. Writing in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United states of America doi.10.1073/pnas. 1405484111 ) Dr Nicholas Casewell and Wolfgang Wüster of Bangor University and colleagues identify the mechanisms by which the variations in venom occurs between related snake species and also the significant variations in venom toxicity that occurs as a result.

Publication date: 10 June 2014

Cancer Cells do it the “quick-and-dirty way”

The hallmark of cancer is uncontrolled cell growth directed by a cell cycle engine gone into overdrive. The centrepiece of this engine is the enzyme Cdc2 kinase. While Cdc2 kinase is tightly regulated in normal cells, this control is lost in cancer cells. Cutting-edge research conducted at Bangor University in the North West Cancer Research Institute discovered now that hyperactive Cdc2 kinase not only forces cells into uncontrolled growth but also reprograms the repair of broken chromosomes.

Publication date: 10 June 2014

Bangor in UK top 20 for student experience

Publication date: 10 June 2014

Bangor University Honorary Fellowships 2014

Opera singer and international rugby player are to receive Honorary Fellowships from Bangor University during this summer’s Graduation ceremonies (12-18 July).

Publication date: 5 June 2014

What prevents us from standing for the Assembly?

Researchers in Bangor University's College of Business, Law, Education and Social Sciences have been awarded a prestigious research contract by the National Assembly for Wales’ Independent Remuneration Board to identify and research barriers that may inhibit persons from otherwise putting their names forward for election to the Assembly.

Publication date: 5 June 2014

BBC Radio Cymru Resident Poet

Chaired poet and Director of Canolfan Bedwyr , Dr Llion Jones, has taken on a new role as resident poet for the BBC’s Welsh language radio station Radio Cymru , this month.

Publication date: 4 June 2014

Welsh Health Economists Group discuss sustainability and health

This week the Welsh Health Economists Group, funded by NISCHR, is addressing issues of sustainability and health.

Publication date: 4 June 2014

Gruffudd wins Eisteddfod Chair

Publication date: 3 June 2014

Improving the livelihoods of over 5M households in India and Nepal

A pioneering new method of plant breeding is improving the livelihoods of over 5M households in India and Nepal. The novel approach, selective plant breeding, was originally developed by Prof John Witcombe at Bangor University to meet the identified needs of resource-poor farmers in the more arid regions of Gujarat, India. He works with indigenous farmers and consumers, introducing properties that are desired by farmers into rice and maize varieties and incorporating on-farm varietal testing and farmers’ experiences. This method has produced new varieties of rice and maize which are highly adapted to the requirements and preferences of local farmers, which in turn improves their adoption and spread among the farming community.

Publication date: 2 June 2014

Tŷ Gobaith receives charitable donation

Bangor University recently presented a cheque for over £4,000 to local charity Tŷ Gobaith after another successful year of fundraising.

Publication date: 2 June 2014

Archive of the month

Publication date: 1 June 2014