MPS Weekly Update
28 January 2016
www.sussex.ac.uk/mps/internal/staff/mps_weekly_update
Professor James Hirschfeld
Nominations for the Student-Led
Teaching Awards are open until
18 March 2016.
It is 50 years since Prof James Hirschfeld started at Sussex and to mark the
occasion we celebrated in time-honoured cake tradition. Denise and her
inventive team at Cakes the Difference produced a rather splendid cake in
the shape of a map of Australia as a 9-hole golf course, complete with a
koala, kangaroo, golf clubs and the Sydney Opera House, plus a
separate dimpled golf ball cake, bearing the initials JWPH in golf tees. Being
a discerning oenologist, James was also presented with a bottle of fine
Sardinian wine complete with bespoke label, an inscribed decanter in which
to house said wine – albeit temporarily - together with some golden golf balls
to encourage his continued success on the course!
Photos courtesy of our roving reporter, Naomi Lukianczuk
Each year students are invited to
say thank you to a member of
staff – academic and nonacademic – who has made a
difference to their teaching and
learning experience at Sussex by
nominating them for an award.
For more details, please visit
www.sussex.ac.uk/adqe/
enhancement/
devawardsrecognition/
studentledawards
CONGRATULATIONS to the following MPS staff who have been
awarded the PGCertHE (* = distinction)
Filippo
Cagnetti
Mark
Sargent *
Alessandro
Cerri
Dimitris
Tsagkarogiannis
Clark
Griffith
Iacopo
Vivarelli *
Marco
Peccianti *
Stephen
Wilkins *
Monday 8 February 12pm-2pm
Quiet Room, Meeting House
Staff Craft Fair
New for this year, a craft fair
featuring items made by staff,
starring not one, not two but three
members of the MPS Admin team.
Chrystelle, Dorothy and Naomi
will be showcasing their craft and
culinary skills. Please come along
and support them.
Departmental seminars coming up
MASS
www.maths.sussex.ac.uk/seminar
Thursday 4 February 3pm Pev 3 5C11
Dr Michel Fournié (Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse)
TBA
ADPE
www.sussex.ac.uk/apde/research/seminars
Monday 8 February 3pm Pev 3 5C11
Anthony Carberry (Edinburgh)
TBA
As of 2 January, Dr Jacob Dunningham
is now the head of the Atomic
Molecular and Optical Physics (AMO)
group in the department of Physics &
Astronomy, taking over from Prof Barry
Garraway who was in position for over
four years.
Meantime, the above-mentioned former
head of AMO, Prof Barry Garraway,
has secured full funding from DSTL for
a PhD studentship, which is very
positive news for the school in both
terms of research and impact.
Astronomy
www.sussex.ac.uk/astronomy/
newsandevents/calendar
Friday 29 January 2.45pm Arts C133
James Mullaney (Sheffield)
The climate of black hole growth
TPP
www.sussex.ac.uk/tpp/research/seminars
Monday 1 February 4pm Pev 3 4C11
Valentin Khoze (IPPP Durham)
TBA
Now in its 11th year, the Brighton
Science Festival is back
2-28 February, featuring MPS folk,
among others in the events below:
Friday 19 February 7.30pm
Moot: Hubble cantata, plus See through the Hubble
telescope
Thursday 25 February 8pm
Nerd Nite: festival special
Saturday 27 February 7.30pm
Because it’s there!
Saturday 27-Sunday 28 February
Quantum to Cosmological exhibition
Beyond the Higgs Boson: what’s next for ATLAS and
the LHC?
For full listing of events, please see
www.brightonscience.com/
To Patent or Not to Patent?
Have you ever wondered whether you should patent
before publishing? Do you want to know what it takes to
get, and benefit from, a patent? Would you like to know
how the University might finance your patent?
If so, you will be interested in a lunchtime seminar on
Thursday 11 February. You can book and find out more
details at: www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/33562
Memorial service for Mike Pendlebury
Friday 29 April 2.30pm
Meeting House
followed by refreshments in
Mandela Hall
If you have not already registered and wish to do so,
please go to
www.sussex.ac.uk/physics/about/pendlebury
as it is very important that we have accurate numbers
of attendees for both seating and catering
arrangements.
MPS students’ success
Sporting stars in MPS
A number of our students having been making a
significant contribution to Sussex Sport:
To note that of the ten best Sussex student stories of
2015, four are from Physics & Astronomy!
www.sussex.ac.uk/students/newsandevents/?
id=33539
In the recent SEPnet competition to win a
week’s space and leadership
experience at the Yuri Gagarin Training
Centre, students from SEPnet partner
universities were asked to submit
2-minute videos describing an
investigation they would like to send into
space.
One of our students, Jonathan Bensusan Bash, was a
runner-up and was awarded £500 towards career
development training.
The judges were impressed by the quality of all the
applications and the students’ very creative use of
visuals and good scientific knowledge.
Natasha Bierrum (Physics with
Astrophysics) has represented her county
at tennis over the last five years and was a
winner in the county open in 2014 and a
semi-finalist in 2015. Natasha is on the
University’s Sports Scholarship Scheme.
Alex Cipa (Maths and Economics)
works as a Student Sport Men’s Football
Activator for Sussex Sport and has been
accepted on the prestigious BUCS
Deloitte Leadership academy taking place
in February 2016. He has also, among other successes,
run highly successful charity football tournaments,
started an Active US football team and achieved the
highest participation figures in the Active US project for
a weekly session.
Hon Long (Daniel) Li (Physics) is a
Table Tennis Activator. He started a new
sport in the participation sports
programme, helped to market and
advertise his weekly session, is a part of
the Table Tennis Team committee and
gives advice on how to develop the sport
on campus for people to take part in it.
Nathaniel Wiesendanger Shaw
(Theoretical Physics) is currently the
England Record Holder at the 55kg
weight and represented England in
powerlifting at the 2015 Commonwealth
Games in Canada.
The finalists’ National Student Survey (NSS) is now
open and runs until the end of April.
If students take part in the survey, they can claim a
free £5 lunch voucher to spend in University or
Students’ Union outlets on campus, and £5 print credit.
MPS kindly agreed to issue vouchers and print credit to
students (who may go to either the Library or the
School Office to collect these).
The finalists can also help to win the School up to
£2000 (by achieving 80% participation in the survey) to
improve social spaces for students and then they will
determine how this funding is spent through the
auspices of the School Student Experience Group.
www.sussex.ac.uk/nss/
He won gold in his category and gold and silver in the
individual lifts. He also set a new English record lifting
195 kilos in squats. Nathaniel will be writing a blog to
share his experiences on the new student blog which is
starting this month. Nathaniel is on the University’s
Sports Scholarship Scheme.
A new fire alarm service for
people who are deaf or hard of
hearing has been installed on
campus. The Deaf Message
Service (DMS) sends a text
message to the mobile phone
of a registered user when a
fire alarm activates in a
campus building.
www.sussex.ac.uk/
broadcast/read/33710
UNIVERSITY EVENTS & INFORMATION
Monday 1 February 5pm-6pm
Careers and Employability Centre, Library
NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP) information
session
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsandevents/
eventscalendar?id=33762
Tuesday 2 February 10am-4.30pm
Location to be confirmed on booking
Recognising and improving performance
– a manager’s guide (for grade 7 and
above)
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/
newsandevents/eventscalendar?
id=32421
Thursday 4 February 6.30pm-8pm
Jubilee large lecture theatre
Marie Jahoda Annual Lecture 2016
Prof Dani Rodrik
Is the age of growth miracles over?
The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception
Booking essential
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsandevents/
eventscalendar?id=33442
Dani Rodrik is the Ford
Foundation Professor of
International Political Economy
at Harvard's John F. Kennedy
School of Government
Wednesday 3 February
1pm-3pm Arts C233
Assessment and feedback
PGCertHE workshop but open to all faculty
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsandevents/
eventscalendar?id=33330
Wednesday 3 February 2pm-3.30pm
Jubilee 116
The Brilliant Club information event
For doctoral researchers from all disciplines in their 2nd
year and onwards
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsandevents/
eventscalendar?id=33482
Two weeks of events, with over 40 alumni speakers
and employers. Gain an insight into different careers,
expand your ideas, develop your skills and make
contacts.
www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/newsandevents/
makeithappen
IT courses
Thursday 4 February 9.15am-4.30pm
Arts C233
Effective Researcher
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/
newsandevents/eventscalendar?
id=33526
Friday 5 February 10.30am-12.30pm
Barlow Room, Library ground floor
Drowning in data? Using data management plans for
your research – qualitative data
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsandevents/
eventscalendar?id=33345
Researcher Development programme events
www.sussex.ac.uk/doctoralschool/internal/
researcherdev/events/date
Wednesday 3 February
2pm-3.30pm
IT Services Shawcross
Excel 2013 for beginners
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/
newsandevents/eventscalendar?
id=26655
Friday 5 February
10am-12.30pm
IT Services,Shawcross
PowerPoint for Beginners
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/
newsandevents/
eventscalendar?id=26963
LOCAL EVENTS
Saturday 30 January 7.30pm-11.30pm at Brighthelm Community Centre
Grassroots 10th birthday fundraiser – tickets £5
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grassroots-10th-birthday-with-carnival-collective-tickets20057043156
Saturday 30 January 11am-12pm Shoreham Centre
Laughter yoga taster session £2 (NB bring blanket/yoga mat to lie on)
www.list.co.uk/event/547311-laughter-yoga-taster-session/
Until 21 February at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
Pierdom
Members and local residents free entry
brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton/what-to-see/pierdom-photographs-of-britainspiers-by-simon-roberts/
Sunday 31 January 6pm at St Luke’s Church, Queen’s Park Road, Brighton
Choral evensong for Candlemass (free)
Until 6 March in the Prince Regent Room, Royal Pavilion
Exotic creatures – this exhibition explores animals in the Royal Collection, menageries
and early zoos, and political beasts in the period 1750 to 1850.
Admission payable – members free
brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/whattosee/exotic-creatures/
Until 6 March at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
Views of Brighton & Hove in the early 19th century
Free with admission to the museum
brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton/what-to-see/views-of-brighton-hove-in-the
-early-19th-century/
If you have any items for inclusion in the next MPS
weekly update, please contact Dorothy Lamb
E [email protected] by 12 noon at the
latest on Wednesday before Thursday
publication.
Theatre Royal, Brighton
Until 30 January
If you have any news for our web pages and
social media feeds, our Information
Co-ordinator, Justine Charles, would be delighted
to hear from you.
E [email protected]