Features
Comeback Scotland
Alumni Profiles
06
08
09
Access to Palliative Care
University News
12
13
14
west
Lost Secrets
On the Ball!
ISSUE
Bonny Appetito
Throwaway Society
16
Tech a Look at Stuart Now!
Netball Scotland 19
City of Culture
7 AUTUMN 15
The magazine for alumni and friends of
University of the West of Scotland
Fizzing with Ideas
Martin Steele
Irn-Bru Brand
Controller 01
Changing the World
Tricia Imrie Head
of Fundraising at
Mary’s Meals 04
Passion for Learning
Entrepreneur
Chidozie ObiOkoye 20
1
21
UPDATE YOUR
DETAILS AND
WIN 1 OF 4
IPAD MINI 2
MODELS
Have we got your latest details in
our database? If you have moved
house, changed jobs, got married
or completed a new qualification,
we would like you to let us know.
Please use the contact details
sheet enclosed with this copy of
the magazine and return it in the
Freepost envelope supplied.
All completed forms returned to
the University by 5pm on Monday
29th February 2016, will be entered
into our free prize draw to win 1 of 4
iPad mini 2 models.
See www.uws.ac.uk/
AlumniCompetitionTerms
for full terms and conditions.
BEST OF LUCK!
Articles & Features
Olga Wojtas
Ashley Lennon
Niall Gordon
Ross Deuchar
Jamie McGeechan
Photography
Mark Seager
Joe Connolly
Design
Freight Design, Glasgow
Published by
Alumni and Development
External Engagement
University of the West
of Scotland
Paisley Campus
Paisley, Scotland
PA1 2BE, UK
T: 0141 848 3733
E:[email protected]
W:www.uws.ac.uk/alumni
fsc logo
University of the West of Scotland is a
registered Scottish charity. Charity number
SC002520. This publication is available
electronically and in alternative formats,
if required.
If you know a graduate who we
should be featuring, or you would
like to let us know about your
career, please get in touch.
FOREWORD
CONTENTS
Welcome to the seventh edition
of “West”, the magazine for alumni
and friends of University of the West
of Scotland.
We would like to add a note of thanks
in this edition to Crawford Wilson, who
retired earlier this year, and was former
Alumni & Development Marketing
Manager at University of the West
of Scotland.
“WEST” profiles some of the successful
graduates of the University and highlights
interesting or inspirational alumni with
stimulating stories to tell. If you know
a graduate who we should be featuring,
or you would like to let us know about
your career, please get in touch.
You might be interested to know that
the Alumni Association is now on twitter
(@UWSalumni) so if you’re a user of
twitter, follow us to keep up-to-date with
news from UWS and your fellow alumni.
Talking of social media, if you’re on
LinkedIn remember to add University
of the West of Scotland to your
education profile.
The University continues to seek
support for its activity from alumni.
If you would like to “give back” to the
University, whether you can help with
providing careers advice, mentoring or
work placements to our current students,
or provide job opportunities to our
graduates, then please do not hesitate
to get in touch. Alternatively, if you
would like to make a financial donation
to University activity, please contact us.
FIZZING WITH IDEAS01
UNIVERSITY NEWS02
RESEARCH NEWS03
CHANGING THE WORLD04
COMEBACK SCOTLAND06
LOST SECRETS08
ON THE BALL!09
THE HIGH FLIER10
ACCESS TO PALLATIVE CARE12
BONNY APPETITO13
POLICING THE THROWAWAY SOCIETY
14
ALUMNI PROFILES
15
TECH A LOOK AT STUART NOW!16
LITTLE FIRE18
NETBALL SCOTLAND19
PASSION FOR LEARNING20
CITY OF CULTURE21
TOPIC KEY
Profile
News
Feature
Report
We wish you all a very successful
and prosperous year ahead.
Topical
Alumni & Development Office
At a Glance
FIZZING WITH IDEAS
Olga Wojtas talks to Martin Steele, Irn-Bru Brand
Controller, about Irn-Bru’s activities during the
2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
If there was a competition for the
wackiest job application, Martin Steele
would be a definite winner. Martin, who
graduated from UWS in 2000 with a
BA (Hons) Business Management, was
working in private banking marketing
for Abbey National, now Santander.
Colleagues were laughing over an Irn-Bru
job advert in a trade magazine, which
featured bankers in pin-striped suits under
the headline “Silly Old Bankers Need
Not Apply.”
Martin surreptitiously tore out the ad,
dusted down his CV, and bought a glass
bottle of Irn-Bru. “I drank it, and then put
my CV and the torn-out ad in the bottle,
along with a letter saying I was working in
banking, but I wasn’t silly and I wasn’t old,
and I had a great part to play in Irn-Bru.
I bubble-wrapped it, and sent it off.”
Martin made an equally positive
impression at the interview, and began
as an Assistant Brand Manager in 2004.
He is now Irn-Bru Brand Controller,
a job which saw him responsible for all
the Irn-Bru activities during last year’s
hugely successful Commonwealth Games
in Glasgow. These ranged from a highly
successful television campaign to the
popular Bru Store in the city centre.
“It was three years of very hard work.
It was a bit like a wedding,” he jokes.
“There was so much planning and work
done in advance and the event was just
over in the blink of an eye.”
Martin’s hobby is sport, particularly
football and tennis, both as a fan and
player. But while he had no time to get
to the Games, his children, Mac (8) and
Sienna (5), became TV stars during the
final athletics event.
“Mac got to high-five Usain Bolt and
Sienna was there with a big Irn-Bru foam
hand. The BBC used the clip as part of
their games coverage.”
He is in his ideal job. As a child,
he enjoyed making Irn-Bru ice cream
floats, but he also loved brands and
was intrigued by Irn-Bru’s marketing,
and the classic “Made in Scotland
from Girders” ads.
“From a very young age, I’ve loved
stories, and all great brands are great
stories,” he says. “I’ve a passion for
marketing, and UWS has been a very
I’ve a passion for marketing,
and UWS has been a very
important part in what I’ve
learned. It definitely gave me the
background and understanding
I needed.
MARTIN STEELE
important part in what I’ve learned. It
definitely gave me the background and
understanding I needed.”
Studying at UWS was a careful choice.
“I looked at a variety of universities and
thought long and hard. Some courses
were very business focussed but UWS
offered a very good level of marketing,
the area I knew I wanted to go into.
And what really appealed to me was the
placement year.” Martin’s placement was
with the computer company Compaq,
now HP. He believes students should take
up every work opportunity.
“It’s not just for financial reward, but
to get experience, marry up theory with
practice, and differentiate yourself.”
Irn-Bru is pretty successful at
differentiating itself with its quirky
advertising. Martin says the Cumbernauldbased company has a unique personality
born from its heritage and location. “It’s
a very positive and energetic brand. It just
likes to look at the lighter side and have
fun, with a Scottish sense of humour.”
Its ads can raise eyebrows as well as
smiles, but everything has to pass the
“cliff of okayness” test. Going up to the
edge of the cliff is fine: going over it is not.
“Things change all the time, and I think
Irn-Bru does a great job of remaining
relevant.”
He is now looking forward to Christmas.
“It’s a key season for us. It’s a time for
family and sharing and celebration and
soft drinks are a great part of that.
We will have a new campaign that I’m
sure will entertain the nation.”
“There was so much
planning and work
done in advance and
the event was just over
in the blink of an eye.”
1
University News
Partnering Waste
Giant Barr
UWS has established a formal
partnership with leading waste
management company Barr. The
‘University-Industry Partnership
Agreement’ will see UWS and Barr
working on a range of projects
including joint research and knowledge
transfer activity, and training
programmes for Barr staff.
Benefits for UWS students will include
guest lectures by Barr experts as well as
placement opportunities.
Dr Robert Crawford, Interim Head of
Careers and Employability, said: “We
are delighted to have established this
Unique Paisley Pattern
For All
A unique digital art project has won
£25,000 to create over seven billion
versions of the Paisley pattern in
support of the town’s bid to become
the UK’s City of Culture.
Southampton-based group
boredomresearch won the inaugural UWS
Alt-w Paisley Digital Art Commission with
digital technology plans to create a unique
version of the Paisley pattern for everyone
on earth.
Artists Vicky Isley and Paul Smith came
up with the ambitious project after
discovering Paisley Museum housed the
2
important partnership. The University is
committed to making a key contribution
to the growth of the Scottish economy
and has close ties with a number of
organisations and businesses throughout
the country.”
Barr is one of Scotland’s leading waste
management companies, with a variety
of high quality waste treatment, recycling
and disposal facilities throughout the West
of Scotland.
Gavin Money, Director of Barr, said:
“As well as ensuring practical employment
experiences for the University’s students,
we will also be working to develop research
and knowledge transfer partnerships. This
collaboration ensures Scottish firms like
ours are constantly innovating to ensure
we remain at the forefront of our industry
whilst providing learning and development
opportunities for both students and
graduates of the University and our
own employees.”
“We are delighted to have
established this important
partnership.”
celebrated book Birds of America, by John
James Aubudon, inspiring a design based
on the uniqueness of genetics.
Professor Nick Higgins, Director of UWS
Creative Media Academy, said there had
been strong international competition, but
Vicky and Paul’s proposal tapped directly
into Paisley’s creative and artistic heritage.
“What really impressed the panel was
the artists’ ambition to engage the people
of Paisley in a design workshop process
that will reinvent the iconic Paisley pattern
for the digital age.”
Vicky said: “At the moment we don’t
know exactly how the final project will
look. We want it to be something
everyone in the area can feel part of –
and something that reaches out across the
world to help people feel part of Paisley.”
“W hat really impressed
the panel was the artists’
ambition to engage the
people of Paisley.”
Support For
Care Leavers
UWS has taken a Pledge to
support young people brought
up in care, who often fear
discrimination and stigma.
Only 4% of young people
brought up in care go to university,
compared to 36% of those not
brought up in care. But more apply
to UWS than to any other university
in Scotland, and numbers are now
hoped to rise further.
UWS graduate Thomas Timlin,
who himself experienced care, said:
“Studying at UWS gave me the
opportunity to take control of my
life and create a better future.
“The lecturers were incredibly
supportive. They listened to me
when I needed someone to talk to
and showed me that I could achieve.
I’m thrilled that the University
has taken the Pledge and that
more young people from a care
background will be able to reach
their potential.”
UWS Makes TV News
STV has been awarded the licence
to deliver local TV services to Ayr,
which it will do in partnership with
UWS. Creative industries students
at the UWS Creative Media
Academy on the Ayr Campus will
have the chance to learn and
train in a live TV environment.
UWS Principal, Professor Craig
Mahoney, said: “I am proud to say
that UWS is the only educational
partner in Scotland to have this
collaboration on campus.”
The Academy’s Director, Professor
Nick Higgins, said: “The University
is committed to enhancing its
contribution to its local communities
and the creation of a local TV
station on our £81m Ayr Campus
will bring valuable opportunities to
promote Ayrshire and to widen the
range of broadcast coverage for the
region. We are thrilled to be part of
this ground-breaking initiative.”
Research News
Self Powering
Autonomous Sensors
UWS Leads NHS
Sepsis Study
Boosting Athletic
Performance
The UWS Institute of Thin Films & Sensors
has joined with Gas Sensing Solutions
Ltd (GSS) and Sharp Laboratories of
Europe Ltd (SLE) to win £450,000 from
Innovate UK aimed at developing selfpowering autonomous sensors.
The project will play a key role
in developing low-power energy
harvesting technologies for autonomous
electronic systems. Energy harvesting
is the ‘scavenging’ of energy from the
environment and converting it into
useable electrical energy. It is particularly
useful in building and home automation,
horticulture and medical devices.
A key aim is demonstrating the energy
harvester for use in different types of
lighting, particularly indoor low level
lighting conditions.
Institute Director Professor Des
Gibson said: “UWS expertise in thin film
batteries, sensor wireless deployment and
characterisation of energy harvesting
media, combined with capabilities in
GSS’s sensor research, development and
production, SLE’s high efficiency energy
harvesting technology brings together
a world-class consortium.”
Professor Kevin Rooney, national clinical
lead for the Scottish Patient Safety
Programme’s Sepsis initiative and
University of the West of Scotland’s
Professor of Care Improvement,
and Elaine Stewart of the University’s
Institute of Care and Practice
Improvement, are leading a key
sepsis research study.
An important element in improving care
is identification and early intervention,
both of which have been shown to
improve outcomes.
The new research project will cover five
areas, each featuring two paramedic
crews. These are NHS Greater Glasgow
& Clyde, NHS Dumfries & Galloway, NHS
Fife, NHS Lothian and NHS Western Isles.
These represent the full range of clinical
settings in NHS Scotland from dense urban
areas to remote and rural areas.
Within all NHS Scotland hospitals,
health care practitioners currently screen
for sepsis under Early Warning Scoring
systems. The UWS study will investigate
how well these predict the outcome,
and how effective they are either
individually or in combination with
one another.
A UWS study has revealed that exposure
to sunlight combined with eating
nitrate-rich foods significantly boost
exercise performance.
The study saw nine competitive
amateur male cyclists completing several
performance tests at facilities at the
University’s Hamilton Campus. It builds
on previous work revealing that nitraterich beetroot juice can significantly benefit
athletic performance at altitude.
Dr Chris Easton of the University’s
Institute for Clinical Exercise said: “Large
stores of nitric oxide released from the skin
help more blood and oxygen flow to your
muscles during exercise. Plus, by reducing
the amount of oxygen the muscles use to
produce force, nitric oxide helps athletes
go harder, longer.
“Our latest research suggests that either
20 minutes of simulated sunlight exposure
or ingestion of a nitrate gel results in
a small benefit to exercise performance.
However, a combination of the treatments
significantly improves cycling performance
as well as positively impacting a number
of other physiological outcomes. Our data
suggest that blood pressure is reduced to
a greater degree when the nitrate dose is
combined with sunlight.”
Protein that Stops
Cancer Developing
the efforts to date have been focussed
on genetic alterations in cancer.
This work highlights that in addition
to genetic alterations, key players are
proteins that associate with DNA and are
the major determinants of progression
to cancer. This six-year project saw the
researchers, through the study of cells
present in our skin, discover a protein,
HIRA, which helps stop cancer developing
and could in time lead to new cancer
treatments and is likely to open up new
therapeutic targets in fight against cancer.
Dr Taranjit Singh Rai of UWS’s School
of Science and Sport said: “Every one of
us has moles on our skins that all have
already acquired the gene that can
mutate into cancer, however for most
of us this does not happen. Our research
investigated why this doesn’t happen
and discovered a protein called HIRA that
actually maintains the state in the cell
which prevents the onset of cancer.
“As cancer is the uncontrolled growth
of cells, the discovery of this protein is
relevant to all forms of cancer and not just
those related to the skin.
“However it is important to stress that
we have found one way that a cell can
stop cancer, but potentially there are
many other ways so at present we are
still quite far away from translating this
discovery into therapy but it is gives us
an important insight into understanding
better how a cell prevents cancer.”
Research headed-up by UWS academic,
Dr Taranjit Singh Rai has discovered
a protein in cells which stops cancer
developing.
The research project, ‘HIRA orchestrates
non-canonical dynamic chromatin in
senescence and is required for suppression
of neoplasia’, was funded by CR UK and
NIA and is a collaboration between UWS,
The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research,
and the University of Glasgow.
The research, published in the journal,
Genes & Development, is hugely important
in the field of cancer research, as most of
3
I couldn’t help thinking that
while I had what you could call
a deprived childhood, we still
had a roof over our heads and
food on the table.
TRICIA IMRIE
CHANGING
THE WORLD
4
It’s knowing that every day,
you’re making a difference,
every day, through your actions,
you’re saving children’s lives.
TRICIA IMRIE
Olga Wojtas talks to Tricia Imrie, Head of
Fundraising Campaigns and Partnerships for
charity Mary’s Meals.
Tricia Imrie came to UWS almost by
accident. The first in her family to go to
university, she was two years into
a Glasgow University teaching degree
when she realised teaching wasn’t for
her. She started working in a nightclub
near her home town of Dumbarton,
but her mother had other ideas, and took
the 19-year-old to the local authority
careers office.
The careers adviser suggested a
business degree specialising in marketing.
Tricia duly graduated with a BA Business
and Management from the then Paisley
University in 2001, and joined Hewlett
Packard in Glasgow, where she had a
high-powered marketing management
job covering Europe, the Middle East
and Africa.
“I’m quite spiritual and I got a bit
disillusioned, wondering if all I had to
look forward to was buying more and
more stuff I didn’t really need and getting
a bigger and better car.”
At UWS, Tricia was particularly
interested in social marketing, which
aims to influence people for the benefit
of society rather than focusing on
profitability and shareholder dividends.
She moved into the charitable sector,
working for several major organisations,
including the cancer charity Maggie’s.
She had doubled its income within a year
when her career took an unexpected turn.
Her daughter Niamh, a primary pupil,
had become an enthusiastic supporter
of the charity Mary’s Meals. It began by
providing famine relief in Malawi, and
now feeds over a million of the world’s
poorest children every day they
attend school.
Niamh’s school raised hundreds of
pounds for the Mary’s Meals “Backpack
Project,” filling schoolbags with learning
materials, clothes, flip-flops and toiletries
for their Malawian counterparts.
“I was struck by this charity doing so
much good with so little. At Mary’s Meals,
at least 93p in every pound is spent on
charitable activities,” says Tricia. When
she spotted a Mary’s Meals ad for an
international fundraising post, she felt
she had to go for it.
“The lecturers really
instilled confidence in
us. They were brilliantly
inspirational –
passionate, enthusiastic
and knowledgeable.”
“UWS students have personal and
interpersonal skills as well as academic
achievements – they’re all-rounders who
can communicate well, and that’s a real
strength. I do think that’s the direction
universities need to move in.”
Tricia is also an accomplished
classically-trained singer. Her husband,
Mark, is chief petty officer on a
submarine, and she is a proud member
of the Military Wives Choir, whose No.
1 single, “Wherever You Are,” raised
over £500,000 for SSAFA (the charity
supporting British forces and their
families) and The Royal British Legion.
In 2014, she was in the London Proms
concert choir conducted by the dynamic
Gareth Malone.
She was particularly touched that
the choir sang the evocative Elgar
composition, ‘The Snow.’
“Marketing and
business strategy
were areas I absolutely
loved. I’ve always
been fascinated by
psychology and
human nature.”
She was taught singing by Jean
Graham MBE, the famous choir leader
and National Mod judge who sadly died
in 2013. “’The Snow’ was one of the first
pieces she taught me. I felt it was
a tribute to her.”
www.marysmeals.org.uk
“Every day, thousands of children
die from hunger-related causes. That’s
shameful and needless – there’s enough
food in the world and there’s no excuse
for any child to die of hunger.”
A mere £12.20 feeds a child for an entire
school year – six pence a day.
Tricia believes her degree gave her
a crucial grounding. “Marketing and
business strategy were areas I absolutely
loved. I’ve always been fascinated by
psychology and human nature, “
she says.
“The lecturers really instilled confidence
in us. They were brilliantly inspirational
– passionate, enthusiastic and
knowledgeable.”
As an alumna and a hiring manager,
Tricia believes that UWS has the
edge when it comes to employability.
5
COMEBACK
SCOTLAND
UWS’s Professor Ross Deuchar
outlines a new innovative
sporting initiative that uses
boxing and physical training as a
means of helping disadvantaged,
marginalised young people face
the challenges in their lives.
6
Comeback Scotland: Trans-Nordic Approaches
to Youth Crime Prevention through Boxing
In collaboration with Poul Kellberg and
Paul Kelly, and supported by University
of the West of Scotland, Professor Ross
Deuchar is currently developing
a brand new social enterprise initiative –
Comeback Scotland. It is an innovative
sporting initiative that uses boxing and
physical training as a means of helping
disadvantaged, marginalised young
people face the challenges in their lives
and make better decisions that lead to
a more constructive and positive lifestyle.
Based on an original concept in Denmark,
it is underpinned by the strong recognition
of the power sport holds to facilitate
behavioural change. It is an exciting
addition to the array of services currently
available to address change amongst
young people involved in or at risk of
becoming involved in gang culture and
criminal behaviour in the west of Scotland.
During the spring of 2014, Professor
Deuchar conducted in-depth,
ethnographic research that examined
the nature and impact of the work within
the Comeback programme in Denmark.
The findings suggested that the boxing
gym and the use of boxing ‘metaphors’
provided the participating young people
with a safe context to reflect upon their
current challenges and find new ways
of dealing with and managing these
challenges. The programme assisted
participants to develop the resilience
and perseverance required to change
their path away from criminal activity
towards desistance.
Professor Deuchar said: “Collectively,
we have a strong understanding of how
sport can help access participants and
provide a safe context from which they
can initiate change, however we are
also clear that it is not the sport alone
which brings about lasting change. The
boxing gym, boxing training and, where
appropriate, boxing competition, bring
opportunities for marginalised young
people to gather in a credible space and
participate in physical activity. However,
arguably the more important aspects of
the project involve workshops and access
to agencies that can help participants
affect change in their lives.”
The workshop programme uses boxing
metaphors to address the challenges
and stigma faced by participants and
allows them to work through these
challenges without ‘personalising’ the
issue or ‘exposing’ one participant in front
of their peers. Whilst we understand the
argument made by governing bodies and
clubs about ‘sport for sport’s sake’, we
also know that to bring about lifestyle
change, sport needs to be accompanied
by a range of workshops and information
agencies who can assist participants to
address the contemporary challenges
they face.”
This exciting project is based on
a Danish model and looks to find
innovative new ways to tackle social
disadvantage within a Scottish context.
It is an initiative that can potentially
change – or even save – lives.
Professor Ross Deuchar
is Assistant Dean, School
of Education
The workshop programme uses
boxing metaphors to address the
challenges and stigma faced by
participants and allows them to
work through these challenges.
PROFESSOR ROSS DEUCHAR
7
LOST SECRETS
Dr Dan Coughlan, Curator of Textiles at Paisley
Museum, recently re-created the world’s only fullyoperational Paisley shawl loom as part of his PhD
research at UWS.
Dr Coughlan’s thesis covers over 12
years of detailed research into this area,
including original fragments of the shawl
loom. Existing literature on the worldfamous Paisley shawl, from its beginning
in the mid-nineteenth century to the
present day, only looks at its aesthetic
and cultural aspects. The knowledge and
techniques of the draw loom were passed
down from master weavers to apprentices
by word of mouth to safeguard the
secrets of the trade. So when production
started to drop off in the 1870s, the
techniques used in the creation of the
Paisley shawl died off with the industry.
But understanding the technology is vital
to a true understanding of the shawl, as
many of its defining characteristics stem
directly from this.
Dr Coughlan has now recreated the
lost technology of the special version
of the draw loom on which the Paisley
shawl was woven. Fragments of the loom
8
were found in various historic buildings,
including the shuttle box unit hanging on
the wall of Provand’s Lordship House in
Glasgow, and Dr Coughlan drew on his
practical expertise as a weaver as well as
investigating the construction of existing
historic shawls in the Paisley Museum
collection.
Creating a fully operational Paisley shawl
loom, the only one of its kind known to be
currently in existence, was the final piece
of the puzzle that enabled Dr Coughlan
to fully understand the processes and
complex techniques involved in the shawls’
production. His experiments with the
recreated technology led to a number of
shawl fabrics, believed to be the first of
their kind to be produced to the exacting
standards of Paisley weavers since the late
19th Century.
Dr Coughlan said: “The attempt to
understand and recreate the complex
technology of shawl weaving was
a daunting challenge which at first
seemed almost impossible. Only after
long, in-depth research across several
disciplines, did the various elements
eventually begin to emerge. To have finally
succeeded in recovering the technology
and describing the techniques of shawl
weaving for the first time is a source of
great satisfaction. The opportunity to
investigate the work of the famous Paisley
weavers in producing one of the world’s
most renowned fabrics was a privilege and
a very rewarding experience.”
Professor Sam McKinstry of the
University’s School of Business and
Enterprise, Dr Coughlan’s PhD supervisor,
said: “This is a tremendous and significant
achievement, which comes at a time
when Paisley is beginning a process of
regeneration, closely related to the
local textile heritage. Thanks to Dan’s
research both the theoretical and
practical knowledge of the technology
of Paisley shawl weaving have been
successfully recovered.”
Professor John R. Hume, Chairman of
the Royal Commission on the Ancient and
Historical Monuments of Scotland, the
external examiner of Dr Coughlan’s PhD
thesis, said: “What was so remarkable
about this piece of work was that Dan on
the basis of fragmentary written evidence,
and very slender physical remains, put
together enough information to allow him
to build a working draw loom on which
he was able to demonstrate convincingly
how the Paisley shawl was woven. This
recreation of a vanished technology, and
one of a high level sophistication, is to my
mind an intellectual achievement of the
highest order. “
Paisley shawls have become
synonymous with the town, and their
weaving can be seen as Paisley’s
most significant contribution to world
civilisation, Professor Hume said.
“Dan’s thesis reflects his remarkable
forensic ability to analyse and discern
very imperfect evidence, and to create
a profound understanding of what
was arguably the most complex handoperated machine ever used in the history
of the world,” he said.
“It is much to the credit not only of
Dan, but also UWS, and his supervisor,
Professor Sam McKinstry that this very
significant thesis has been successfully,
and indeed, triumphantly, completed.”
I knew that I ultimately wanted to
work in the States, but America’s
a really difficult market to move
into, so I went to Spain to build
my experience.
NEIL HARROW
ON THE BALL!
From East Kilbride to Alabama, Neil Harrow’s
degree in Sports Coaching has taken him far.
Ashley Lennon chats to him about his globetrotting career.
“I had done some
voluntary weekend
coaching with a youth
group for people with
disabilities, and I’d
also coached at my
high school – I felt
I had an ability to
connect with players.”
It’s a sign of how busy Neil Harrow is that
we rearrange our interview several times
before we manage to talk. It’s not just
the time difference – he is six hours behind
in Alabama – it’s also that, as he explains
apologetically “basketball coaching is
a crazy job.” Yet Neil thrives on the hectic
pace that can see him rising at 5.30am for
workouts, then jumping on a bus to travel
12 hours to a game.
Though it’s a long way from his days
at UWS, where he graduated in 2010 with
a BA in Sports Coaching, Neil constantly
uses the skills he learnt at UWS in his job
as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach
at Troy University, Alabama.
Always interested in sports, Neil played
basketball seriously from the age of
fourteen for several regional and national
league teams. After school he briefly took
a job in sports retail, then heard about the
UWS degree in Sports Coaching.
“I had done some voluntary weekend
coaching with a youth group for people
with disabilities, and I’d also coached at
my high school – I felt I had an ability to
connect with players. Plus I love the rush
of game-day, so I was delighted to get
the last place on the UWS course.
“The degree covered all the elements
needed for a career in sports coaching,
including physiology, biomechanics,
performance analysis and event
management, but I enjoyed the sports
psychology class the most. It showed
me how many levels there are to helping
people to improve their performance.”
After graduating Neil moved to
Barcelona. “I knew that I ultimately
wanted to work in the States,” Neil says,
“but America’s a difficult market to
move into, so I went to Spain to build my
experience. I started playing basketball for
a team called F.C. Martinenc and became
an assistant coach, learning the ropes
and also learning Spanish. After a year
I became a head coach and took over an
under-18 boys team.”
In 2013, after leading his teams to
league victory, Neil got a call from the
women’s basketball team at Valdosta
State University in Georgia, USA, offering
him a role as Graduate Assistant
Coach. Not only was this a great career
opportunity, it also gave Neil a scholarship
which paid for his master’s degree in
Education Leadership.
Now, as Assistant Women’s Basketball
Coach at Troy University – a position Neil
took up earlier this year – he says he has
found the perfect job for this phase of
his career. “It’s easier to support yourself
by coaching in America. The amount of
resources, facilities and talent is bigger
here, there are more opportunities, and it
is the highest standard of basketball in the
world. If I can, I plan to be here for the rest
of my life.”
9
THE HIGH
FLIER
I learned a lot about how to make
things. And I’m absolutely sure
it came out of the training I got
at Paisley.
GORDON MCCONNELL
10
We had great lecturers who
inspired us to be good engineers...
I’ve always looked for practical
solutions and not tried to make
problems more complicated than
they are.
GORDON MCCONNELL
Alumnus Gordon McConnell talks about how his
degree prepared him for a celebrated career in the
aeronautical industry.
Gordon McConnell is internationally
recognised as Chief Engineer of the iconic
and innovative Airbus A350, the ultralong range aircraft transforming the
future of air travel.
He has won several honours, including
an honorary doctorate from UWS in 2008
and the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Gold
Medal in 2014. The first recipients of the
medal, awarded for outstanding work in
aerospace, were Wilbur and Orville Wright
in 1909: Gordon also shares the distinction
with Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle,
who invented the turbojet engine, and
Captain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland,
designer of the Mosquito warplane.
But as a pupil at Ayr Academy,
Gordon was far from certain about his
future career.
“When I’m advising young people,
I say ‘Get in your mind what you
really love doing and then go for it.’
But I remember my father being very
frustrated with me because I didn’t know
what I wanted to do.”
Gordon’s father was commercial
director of Scottish Aviation at Prestwick,
and sent his son for an interview with the
company’s technical director.
“He asked if I was interested in
mechanical things.”
It was exactly the right question.
Even as a toddler, Gordon had loved
finding out how things worked. Aged four,
he dismantled the tricycle he had been
given as a birthday present, losing all the
ball bearings from the wheels. He was
more expert as a teenager, successfully
stripping down an old motorbike.
“He said I needed to be an engineer.
I’m very glad he gave me that advice,
because it’s been a great career.”
But it was a bumpy start. Gordon
went to Strathclyde University and failed
his first year exams, “mainly because
I was mucking about.” Rather than resit,
Gordon opted to start again at the then
Paisley College of Technology.
“Paisley had a sandwich course,
which seemed interesting and a lot more
practical. The classes were much smaller
and you had real lecturers in front of you.
I really, really enjoyed it, and it was very
rewarding. We had great lecturers who
inspired us to be good engineers.”
The lecturers did engineering
consultancy work, and everything the
students learned always related back to
the real world, with the sandwich element
ensuring that they found out how
industry actually operated.
“I’ve always looked for practical
solutions and not tried to make problems
more complicated than they are. I have
a keep-it-simple attitude which has stood
me in good stead throughout my career,”
Gordon says. “And I’m absolutely sure it
came out of the training I got at Paisley,
which was down to earth and never
purely theoretical.”
Gordon performed so well that he was
put in the honours stream, something he
had never considered when he started.
And in 1975, he graduated with a First
Class BSc Hons Mechanical Engineering,
also picking up the Institute of Mechanical
Engineering Prize.
He applied successfully to the RAF, but
he had just met his future wife, Margaret,
and was reluctant to move away. It was
a good decision: they have just celebrated
their Ruby Wedding.
Gordon took a job with Scottish
Aviation which became a division of
British Aerospace in 1978. He rose
to be Technical Director in charge
of engineering for all the Jetstream
turboprop and BAE 146 families, and in
1997 was invited to join Airbus in Toulouse
as Chief Engineer of all the wide body
aircraft including developing the A340500/-600 long range aircraft.
“French engineers are very efficient and
very committed, which suited my style.”
In 2007, he became Chief Engineer of
the Airbus A350 project. The daunting
remit was to build an extra-wide-bodied
plane which could take 315 passengers
and travel 7,800 miles (Europe to the
Far East) – on 25 per cent less fuel. Key
to its development was designing the
entire plane’s structure, both fuselage
and wings, in carbon fibre, the first time
this has ever been done on an Airbus. The
technology development was massive but
project was completed on time, with the
first flight in 2013.
Then came a 15-month flight test
programme and further intensive ground
tests including a “cold trial” in Greenland
at -40C and a “hot trial” in the Middle
East at 50C. In order to comply with
European and American requirements,
1600 certification reports had to be
produced to demonstrate compliance
with the stringent airworthiness
regulations
So far, more than 781 of the aircraft
have been sold to 30 airlines across
the world.
Gordon retired from Airbus last year
after 40 years in the aviation industry.
He now runs his own consultancy, not
only providing continuing support on
aircraft design, but also working with
a company which enables in-flight
connectivity for Internet and GSM
mobile phones for passengers and
aircraft data for navigation, weather
and health monitoring.
These commitments mean he has
so far had little success with his plan
to play more golf. And while he is happy
to be back in Ayr, there is a downside
to leaving France.
“I do a bit of cycling, but
the weather in Scotland
isn’t so good. I’m used
to cycling in sunshine!”
11
Access to
PALLIATIVE CARE
AT A GLANCE
UWS and Ardgowan Hospice launch
groundbreaking project to improve
access to palliative care.
A two-year research project between
UWS and Ardgowan Hospice could
revolutionise the way palliative and
hospice care is delivered, by looking at
ways to improve every aspect of the
patient journey.
The joint study will be the most detailed
look yet at care from the patient’s and
family’s point of view, and is hoped to
improve care in Scotland and beyond.
While patients and their families
will provide the focus for the research,
clinicians and care providers will also be
asked to give their views on the process
of referral and treatment.
The partnership will also see the
Greenock-based charity become a
university teaching hospice, leading the
way in education and training for health
and social care professionals.
Professor Kevin Rooney, Professor
of Care Improvement at UWS and
consultant anaesthetist at Royal
Alexandra Hospital, who is leading the
project, said: “Nobody has conducted this
kind of research before and we feel it is
hugely important to make sure palliative
care offers the best experience possible. “
The only way to do that effectively was
by asking the patients themselves what
worked and what didn’t, he said.
“This is not only about providing
peaceful and pain-free end of life care to
palliative patients, it’s very much about
supporting family and patients and
improving the quality of their experience.”
The first phase of the collaborative
project will examine the factors which
influence the timing of referrals to
the hospice, addressing any causes of
delay and supporting more proactive
approaches. Hospice chief executive
Anne Mills said: “There has been a longstanding relationship between Ardgowan
Hospice and UWS that goes back some 15
years. This exciting and innovative study is
a result of the close working relationship
and understanding that we share.
“This project will enable us to look
at ways in which we can ensure that
more people can have the benefit of the
12
Ardgowan experience of care when time
of referral allows best use of our services.
It is hoped to develop a framework for
other hospices to consider using as an
example of best practice.”
Professor Paul Martin, Depute
Principal of UWS, said: “While we have
had a working relationship with Ardgowan
Hospice for many years, it is terrific to
be able to formalise our partnership with
this exciting project.
“Moving into hospice care is
understandably difficult for both patients
and their families and any improvements
or efficiencies we can identify would be
of significant benefit.
“The teaching partnership will be very
valuable too and help train the very best
care providers for hospitals, hospices
and other organisations throughout
the country.”
Ardgowan has appointed Dr Caroline
Sime as its first Research Fellow. The
two-year post is jointly funded by the
University’s School of Health, Nursing
and Midwifery and the Hospice, under
the recently signed Memorandum
of Understanding.
Dr Sime has a wealth of clinical
experience, most recently as a
Community Nurse, and a strong
understanding of the link between
research and practice.
Collaborative study which will
take a detailed look at palliative
care from the patient’s and
family’s point of view.
A teaching partnership to train
the very best care providers for
hospices and hospitals.
Collaboration launched
by Silent Witness actress,
Emilia Fox, in her role as
hospice patron.
Thanks to the MBA, I’ve
learned the skills to develop two
companies. I’ve become more
aware of the issues in founding
and running companies.
FRANCESCO LORETUCCI
Bonny APPETITO!
Ashley Lennon talks to Rome-born Francesco
Loretucci who is bringing Italian style to
Scottish tables.
Ever thought of combining haggis with
truffles? Or scampi with white truffles and
whisky? Well, if Francesco Loretucci has
his way, Scots-Italian cooking is about to
get a lot more interesting than pairing
macaroni with chips.
UWS graduate Francesco is co-founder
of Bonny Vita, which brings the best Italian
ingredients to the Scottish market, and
though he grew up in Rome his roots are in
the countryside of Umbria.
Francesco left Italy in 2007 when the
credit crunch hit job opportunities, and
came to Scotland to take up a post at
Prestwick Airport. After a year working and
honing his English, he enrolled on the BA
Hons International Marketing at UWS and
straight away, he was struck by the open
way of working. He says, “The lecturers at
UWS made every student feel they were
important. Every time I had a problem
I could talk to them.”
The BA course included advertising,
communications and psychology, and
after graduating with an Honours degree
in 2012, Francesco enrolled on the MBA
at UWS. Covering marketing, finance,
human resources, operations and
leadership, Francesco recognised that
this intensive course was a smart way to
accelerate his career.
Whilst studying for the MBA Francesco
began to develop Youinnova, a portal
which aims to connect people with
different knowledge and skill sets across
academia and industry.
Since graduating from the MBA in
2014, Francesco has been juggling the
development of Youinnova – which now
has a team of software developers working
on it and is in beta-testing – and Bonny
Vita. He explains, “Youinnova is a complex
platform with worldwide potential: it’s
been in development over the last couple
of years and during that time I’ve focused
on Bonny Vita. Now Youinnova is almost
ready to launch, so things are about to
get even busier!”
It’s a busy time for Bonny Vita too,
as this autumn the firm is launching an
unusual alcohol drink – a white truffle
spirit called Uska.
Francesco has been supported by
business accelerator Entrepreneurial Spark,
gaining access to office space, business
support and mentoring. And in July 2015
he won Entrepreneurial Spark’s coveted
£10,000 prize for Entrepreneur of the
Moment. “I never give up,” Francesco said,
“and E-Spark recognised this. The award
came just as we were looking for funding
to develop the first batch of Uska!”
So, with a new product hitting the
shelves, and two start-up businesses,
does Francesco ever relax? He laughs,
“My girlfriend and I go out to eat, but
that’s work too because she’s a mystery
diner, and I’m always taking menus from
restaurants and scoping out whether
they’re a good fit for Bonny Vita’s
products!” Spoken like a true entrepreneur.
www.bonnyvita.co.uk
13
Policing The
THROWAWAY SOCIETY
UWS Alumna Amanda Ramsay, chats to Olga Wojtas
about changing attitudes to waste management.
Amanda Ramsay is known in her family
as “the bin police”. She is relentless in
persuading them to recycle, using the
appropriate bin, and even the neighbours
are now seeking her advice.
Amanda graduated in 2013 with a MSc
in Waste and Clean Technologies. Her
course internship as waste adviser to
Renfrewshire Council included outreach
to schools, where she found the pupils
hugely receptive to the concept of
recycling and waste management,
including the new food waste bins.
“We throw away so much, and the bins
help you see this, so that you can cut
back on the amount you buy, and save
money,” she says. “Until now, food waste
has gone into landfill, and because it’s
biological matter, it’s created a whole
host of problems. If we treat it separately,
we can turn it into compost, fertiliser
and energy. You’re not only stopping
something bad, you’re getting something
good out of it.”
Amanda is evangelical about getting
people involved in waste management.
“Everyone who creates waste or uses
energy, it’s their responsibility too.
Attitudes need to change,” she says.
She describes the UWS course as
“amazing,” with every single lecturer
helpful and approachable. And the
links continue. Having worked as an
environmental project officer following
graduation, Amanda is currently weighing
up new career options, ranging from
establishing her own consultancy to
returning to UWS for a postgraduate
course in teaching.
Her MSc dissertation focussed on
education in waste management, and
she believes educating the younger
generation is crucial.
“UWS has broadened my horizons.
I didn’t have half these ideas before,”
she says. “And I’m sure another course
would be good as well. If all the staff were
so great, it can’t be just one department
14
– it’s got to be the mentality of the whole
University.”
The CEWE staff, who come from
a range of disciplines in science and
engineering, have broad experience in
monitoring and assessing environmental
impacts, and developing innovative
treatment technologies.
The MSc attracts students from a wide
range of backgrounds and from across
the globe, including China, Poland, Spain
and Nigeria.
“It was a really friendly atmosphere,”
Amanda says.
But she confides that the atmosphere
of the practical side of waste
management is not always so pleasant.
“It can be a bit gross,” she admits,
laughing. “It covers all aspects of waste,
not just food. But it’s so worth it – you’re
doing something good for the planet, and
I find it really satisfying.”
She is also following a career that her
parents believe she chose at an early age.
“My mum will tell anyone – when I was
about 3, I was asked what I wanted to be
and said: ‘A professional hippie.’ I’m as
close to that as you can get!”.
“UWS has broadened
my horizons. I didn’t
have half these ideas
before.”
The UWS course was amazing.
Every single one of the lecturers
was so nice and so helpful,
and I can still go and talk to them.
AMANDA RAMSAY
MACK NICHOLLS
JOHN GILBERT
SOPHIE ROGERS
Client Marketing
Manager, RPL MKTG
Owner, Comicrazy
Book Shop
Singer / songwriter
& musician
Small is beautiful – that’s what Mack
Nicholls thinks when he reflects on
his time as a BA Hons International
Marketing student at UWS. ‘The small
classes were one of the things I valued
most,” Mack explains. “I was treated as
an individual. And the degree’s focus felt
very current – everything I was learning
had relevance to a marketing career.’
Whilst at UWS Mack also got involved
with the Saltire Foundation and through
them secured an intern role in Boston,
where he learned the ropes as a
marketing executive in an insurance firm.
After graduating in 2012, Mack accepted
a role with a national food wholesaler
in London and spent 16 months there.
“Living in London was brilliant,” Mack
says, “but the graduate job wasn’t what
I’d been promised. It turned out to be very
sales-based and I wanted to be able to
use the marketing knowledge I’d gained
in my degree, so I began to look for new
opportunities.”
In 2014 Mack returned to Glasgow as a
Client Marketing Manager with Giffnockbased RPL MKTG. Now, he works with
major clients across the private, public
and not-for-profit sectors to create
branding and marketing strategies and
social media campaigns.
And Mack credits the way UWS classes
were structured with giving him the teamworking skills to flourish in his job. “Most
projects in my degree involved groupworking. I learned to deal with different
personalities – surely one of the most
important skills in any career!’
Like many UWS students, John Gilbert
returned to study a little later in life, after
a decade of working – and it’s a decision
which has turned his life around. Leaving
school at 16 with few qualifications, John
spent ten years in various sales roles
before, in his own words, he “hit a wall.”
“I realised I wasn’t going to progress
further without qualifications behind me,”
he says. “I had experience but needed
a degree.”
John enrolled on an HNC in business
at Anniesland College, then on the
BA Business Studies at UWS, taking
subjects including marketing, project
management, social media and business
consultancy. John especially enjoyed
the fieldwork projects, which saw him
going out to Paisley businesses to collect
data for a marketing strategy. Little did
he realise then that he would soon be
running his own business in the
town centre.
Graduating in 2014, John secured a
role working for a marine engineering
company but he had always harboured
dreams of having his own business and
when the opportunity for redundancy
came up, he seized it.
“I didn’t want to look back with regrets,”
John says, “I began to look for viable
business retail opportunities, and decided
to open a comic store in Paisley. Comics
are becoming very popular and as well as
selling in-store they are easy to sell online.’
Comicrazy opened its doors in April
and is steadily building its customer base,
with plans to open an eBay shop later
in the year.
From sitting in a lecture theatre in Paisley
to touring Canada promoting her debut
album, the last three years have been
a rollercoaster ride for Sophie Rogers.
Graduating from UWS with a BA
Commercial Music in 2012, Sophie now
has a career creating and performing
her own music, and has just launched
a debut album.
After leaving school in Clydebank,
Sophie did a Community Arts HND,
before choosing to further her studies
at UWS. “I wanted to perform and
produce my own music,” she explains,
“and I knew the UWS degree was right
for me because it’s largely taught by
industry professionals. I loved it. There was
a real emphasis on networking, which is
crucial to any music career. We covered
songwriting, promotion, performance and
production – everything I needed.”
And Sophie wasted no time in getting
out on the road to perform her music,
which she describes as folk/country
with a soulful twist. Sophie has toured
extensively in Scotland, as well as in
Spain, France, Holland, Canada and the
USA – and in May she launched her debut
album, Two Sides.
“The BA Commercial Music was a
brilliant career starting point for me,”
she says. “I learned how to create an act,
work with a manager and promoter and
get a gig. Three years on, I’ve got a debut
album out, a good team around me, and
now I’m focused on touring more. Who
knows what the future will bring?”
www.comicrazy.co.uk
about.me/sophierogers
15
Most of my fellow students either
went on to good graduate jobs or
to do a post-graduate degree.
STUART MACDONALD
Tech a Look at
STUART NOW!
Ashley Lennon meets IT entrepreneur Stuart
Macdonald to find out how he has built his
business – and how he’s paying it forward.
Stuart Macdonald has always been able
to adapt. Moving from Renfrew to North
Carolina aged fourteen, Stuart quickly
adjusted and two years later became
the youngest graduate in the State.
Fast-forward twenty years and Stuart
was dealing with a major business loss,
steadily turning the situation around so
his firm not only survived but flourished.
As founder and Managing Director of
IT security & infrastructure firm, Seric
Systems, Stuart knows that it’s vital to
roll with the punches. He explains, “In IT
the grass grows quickly under your feet:
four years from now, 80% of our business
might well be coming from something
that’s only just reaching our radar now.”
It’s this insight and adaptability that has
helped Stuart build Seric into one of the
16
UK’s largest independent security and
fraud prevention firms.
On returning to Scotland from the
States, Stuart signed up for a BSc in
Mathematical Sciences at the-then
Paisley College of Technology. The course
gave him a strong grounding in Maths,
Chemistry and Physics, and Stuart chose
to specialise in Maths, gaining a First,
before embarking on an MSc in IT at
UWS. “I’d always wanted to work for
myself,” he says, “and the MSc gave me
a lot of skills that proved extremely useful
as I grew my business.”
Whilst at UWS, Stuart also ran a tuition
business, teaching children maths and
sciences and expanding the business to
employ more than 30 part-time tutors –
all whilst studying himself.
On graduating in 1997, Stuart got in
touch with the Prince’s Scottish Youth
Business Trust (PSYBT), now part of
The Prince’s Trust. And he describes as
his ‘lucky day’ the day he was linked
with PSYBT mentor, Tony Lodge, who
suggested that whilst the tutoring
business was giving Stuart a decent
income, he could grow a more profitable
business by applying the IT skills he had
learned at UWS to support
other companies.
Armed with his MSc, a start-up grant
of £700 and a small loan, Stuart founded
Seric Systems in 1997, initially providing IT
support for small businesses. “I bought
a book and learned how to build and
network PCs from scratch,” he laughs. “I
wanted to know all the ins and outs.”
Seric Systems steadily grew, extending
its client base across the UK, but business
reached another level in 2004 when the
firm got involved in the Home Computer
Initiative, a tax reduction scheme which
allowed people to buy home computers.
Seric quickly made the HCI a major part
of its business, until the scheme was
cancelled at short notice, leaving Seric
with a major financial hole. “That was a
tough time. Seric had thirteen employees
and I had to make five people redundant.
I re-mortgaged, got loans from family
members, ran the business on credit
cards for a year. But in the long run it was
the making of us, because we worked
really hard to make sure our suppliers
were unaffected. No matter how tough
things got, we didn’t want to pass on our
problems to them.”
Taking the hard road paid off – Seric’s
supplier relationships flourished and
within five years the business had
grown from a turnover of £800,000 to
over £7 million. In 2006 Seric formed a
close working relationship with IBM and
gradually began to build their list of
clients to include firms such as Aggreko
and Weir Group.
By 2010, Seric’s focus had shifted
to include cyber-security and fraud
analytics. As well as advising firms on
how to stay safe from cyber attacks,
Seric Systems also steps in following
security breaches, helping to minimise
damage to businesses and their
reputations. And Stuart is adamant that
cyber security is a Board issue, not just
one for the IT department. “Security must
be taken seriously at the highest level of
every business,” he stresses, “and before
there’s a breach, not afterwards. Cyber
fraudsters are quick and clever – when
they find a weakness to exploit – they
take from it until the well is dry.”
His business aside, much of Stuart’s
focus these days is on paying it forward,
including mentoring young people with
The Prince’s Trust, which honoured
him in 2010 with its inaugural Global
Ambassador Award. Encouraging
entrepreneurship amongst schoolchildren
is another passion, both as a board
member of Young Enterprise Scotland
and with SmartSTEMs, an organization
he set up which encourages girls
from P6/7 and S1-S2 to get involved in
Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics. SmartSTEMs recently won
an Inspiring City Award for Innovation
and will be running an event with UWS
in 2016, in which Stuart says he “would
love to have more alumni businesses
involved”.
Stuart also sits on the School of
Computing’s Industry Advisory Board,
helping to ensure that UWS students get
a degree that is as relevant as possible to
the demands of industry.
Seric’s supplier
relationships flourished
and within five years
the business had grown
from a turnover of
£800,000 to over
£7 million
In 2012 Stuart was awarded Director
of the Year for Glasgow and the West
of Scotland in the Institute of Director
Awards. It’s enough to make anyone
exhausted, but again, he keeps his energy
high by staying flexible. “Weekdays are
for work,” Stuart says, “but weekends are
strictly for family. I shift into a different
gear and just enjoy watching films and
playing with the kids.”
And with three young children, Thomas
(8), Harriet (5) and Elliot (2), life is
jam-packed, but you get the feeling he
wouldn’t have it any other way.
www.seric.co.uk
I’d always wanted to work for
myself and the MSc gave me a lot
of skills that proved extremely
useful as I grew my business.
STUART MACDONALD
AT A GLANCE
1997: graduated with MSc
IT following 1st class BSc in
Mathematical Sciences.
1997: Seric Systems founded
with a start-up grant of £700
and a small loan.
2006: forms close working
relationship with IBM and gains
clients such as Aggreko and
Weir Group.
2010: honoured with Global
Ambassador Award from
The Prince’s Trust.
2012: awarded Director of the
Year for Glasgow and the
West of Scotland.
17
I feel like the Scottish music
scene is an incredibly exciting
and thriving beast.
JAMIE MCGEECHAN
Little FIRE
Little Fire aka Jamie McGeechan is a musician, writer
and event organiser from Ayr. UWS Alumnus Jamie is
a graduate of Creative Industries Practice and man in
the know about the Scottish music scene.
After graduating from UWS Jamie went
on to record his debut album and support
the likes of Joan Armatrading and Damien
Rice. A second album is in the making.
Little Fire: “I feel like the Scottish music
scene is an incredibly exciting and thriving
beast. There are a huge range of brilliant
artists, bands and musicians here. Right
now there’s some really exciting things
going on and it feels like a great place
to be.”
“Scotland has such a rich musical
heritage and it’s undeniably a hugely
inspirational place itself. It’s a very
creative place with a lot of different styles
and genres thriving in what is a relatively
small space and Scots are renowned as
being amongst the most enthusiastic
supporters of live music. To generalise
somewhat we’re typically not shy
about showing what we enjoy!”
“As a musician and new music
enthusiast it’s a great pleasure to write
about Scottish new music for UWS
Alumini magazine.”
“Scotland has such a
rich musical heritage
and it’s undeniably a
hugely inspirational
place itself. It’s a very
creative place.”
LITTLE FIRE RECOMMENDS
YOUNG FATHERS
Right now there’s a lot of buzz
surrounding hip hop inspired music in
18
Scotland although to use the term hip
hop probably pigeonholes the creativity
somewhat. Edinburgh based Young
Fathers who won the Mercury Music Prize
in 2014 for their debut album, Dead, have
been finding new fans all over for their
striking and energetic performances and
are quite simply unmissable live.
HECTOR BIZERK
Glasgow-based Hector Bizerk have
been steadily climbing the steps to
deserved stardom for their continued
brilliance regularly featuring on the
festival circuit around the country.
Frontman Louie is a poetic genius and
drummer, UWS Alumna, Audrey Tait
is a sensational and award winning
drummer. New album The Waltz of
Modern Psychiatry is critically acclaimed
and earning the plaudits throughout the
country. One of the most dynamic and
socially conscious groups in Scotland as
well as one of the hardest hitting.
ROBIN ADAMS
Robin Adams is a huge personal
favourite of mine, the Glasgow
based singer-songwriter is a true
artist who is in my mind one of
Scotland’s best kept secrets. His
music is incredibly visual to me
and he is a real craftsman at
weaving these spellbinding, often
dark but always soulful songs.
He was recently the recipient of
the Emerging Excellence Award
and his newest album The
Garden is to me nothing short
of a masterpiece.
PAUL MCGRANAGHAN
Paul McGranaghan is one of the
best songwriters I’ve ever heard
or had the pleasure of seeing
perform live. His debut album
Carry the Torch is absolutely in
my top albums of all time along
with records from John Martyn,
Bob Marley and Otis Redding.
He’s made that kind of impression
on me and the songs have such
a brilliance and longevity about
them. The album is based around
a Hunter S Thompson concept
with all the songs relating to
characters and scenes from the
great man’s books and stories. A
stunningly good singer and gifted
with a real verve for writing a killer
hook such as Tricky Dicky or Sonny
and Co., Paul has this ability
to also write the most heart
wrenchingly beautiful songs such
as Goodbye Take Two or Carry the
Torch. I’m eagerly awaiting his
next album.
VUKOVI
Vukovi from Ayrshire are an
awesome live act and are due to
blow up all over I reckon. Their
new single Boy George has been
receiving some regular play on
BBC Radio 1 and I think they are
going to go all the way. They are
a brilliant band and in Janine
Shilstone they have one of the
feistiest and most charismatic
singers I’ve seen. Their hook laden,
rocking sound would get a party
started anywhere and I think
they’re going to go very far.
www.littlefiremusic.com
Netball
SCOTLAND
UWS nets partnership with Netball Scotland.
UWS has established a partnership
agreement with Netball Scotland, the
organisation responsible for promoting,
organising and developing netball in
Scotland from grass roots to elite level.
The University, which has campuses in
Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley, is
committed to having a transformational
influence on the economic, social and
cultural development of Scotland and
enjoys close links with a number of
organisations and businesses across
the country.
Part of the University’s purpose is to
make a difference in the communities
that it serves and it will work in
partnership with Netball Scotland
to help achieve its vision ‘for Netball
to be the first choice sport for women
and girls in Scotland’.
UWS is supporting Netball Scotland in
achieving this vision in a number of ways
including recently enabling them to enter
an Under 17 National Squad in the Netball
Europe Championships which took place
from 5 to 8 March 2015 in Hull, England.
The Championships were a huge success
for the Under 17 National Squad and saw
them win the silver medal. The support
from UWS also enabled a Development
Squad to travel to Hull alongside the
U17 National Squad to play a series of
matches against regional and local teams
around the main competition event.
This partnership is providing the teams
with invaluable experience at a European/
Regional level and is helping to further
raise the profile of Netball in Scotland
and Netball Scotland in Europe. It will also
help inspire the next generation of netball
players moving forward as they watch
the teams compete and benefit from the
experiences gained from the competitors
when they return to train and play
in Scotland.
Professor Jeanne Keay, Vice-Principal &
Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), said:
“We are delighted to have established
this extremely worthwhile partnership
with Netball Scotland, which is already
benefiting the Under 17 National Squad
as well as the Development Squad with
their participation at the Netball Europe
Championships recently.
“This partnership sees the University
further strengthen its commitment to
supporting sporting excellence.”
Geraldine Moore, National Development
Manager of Netball Scotland, said: “We
have an excellent partnership in place
with University of the West of Scotland
which has led to the enhancement of the
U17 National Squad and Development
Squad programmes which will widen
the learning opportunities for both our
players and management teams. As we
continually look to grow the profile of
netball and field successful international
teams, we will also continue to
strengthen our partnership with UWS to
achieve common goals and objectives.”
UWS also played host to the launch of
the Netball Scotland programme ‘Bounce
Back to Netball’ (BBN) in March 2015
where Carol Smillie was announced as the
ambassador for the programme.
The ‘Bounce Back to Netball’ (BBN)
concept is a legacy initiative designed
by Netball Scotland to respond to the
positive impact of Netball on the Scottish
public following the Glasgow 2014
Commonwealth Games.
BBN encourages people of all ages and
abilities over the age of 16 to participate
in regular fun, safe and affordable netball
sessions, which will have a positive impact
on health and well-being. The programme
provides the opportunity for people to
ignite or rekindle their passion for netball
in a fun and sociable environment.
Many existing clubs, local authorities,
corporate businesses and community
groups provide opportunities for
recreational netball and the BBN
Programme aims to build on their good
practice to empower people to bounce
back to netball.
Get involved and find out more at
bounceback.netballscotland.com
We are delighted to have
established this extremely
worthwhile partnership
with Netball Scotland.
PROFESSOR JEANNE KEAY
19
Passion for
LEARNING
Chidozie Obi-Okoye talks to Ashley Lennon about
his passion for learning, and why he’s taking his
business global.
When it came to choosing a degree,
Chidozie Obi-Okoye had a truly global
perspective. Born and raised in Lagos,
Nigeria, he took his first degree in his
home country, then decided to cast his
net wider. Keen to pursue his passion for
music, Chidozie looked at courses offered
across the world – and concluded that
Scotland was a great place to be.
“I came to Scotland in 2012, initially to
study a course in Sound Engineering at
a Glasgow College,” he explains,
“And then I discovered the MA Music:
Innovation and Entrepreneurship offered
at UWS. The title sparked my interest
because it offered exactly what I wanted
– the chance to build a business in the
music industry.”
“The course was taught at the Centre
for Contemporary Arts on Sauchiehall
Street, Glasgow, and from the outset it
placed you in the real world, working with
people who were already in the industry,
interacting with other musicians and
creative people all of whom wanted to
make things happen. Every morning I
woke up excited to get to class!” As well as looking at the creative
economy, entrepreneurship and the
importance of social media and web
technologies, the MA also placed
importance on abstract thinking as a
means of creativity, getting Chidozie and
his coursemates to generate new ideas
from a non-linear perspective. During the
course, Chidozie began to develop an
app called All Things Music Productions
(AMP), a platform for those in the audio
industry – such as music producers and
sound engineers – to discover mobileready, categorised content.
Recognising the app’s commercial
potential, Chidozie received support
from Enterprise Services at UWS, which
nurtures fledgling businesses run by
UWS students and graduates. Enterprise
Services supported Chidozie to get the
Business Enterprise Visa he needed to stay
in the UK – the visa is for people who can
show they are building viable businesses
20
here – and helped him with office space
and accountancy advice. Chidozie also
gained a coveted place on the Starter
for Six programme, which supports new
businesses in the creative industries,
helping them with business plans and
providing mentoring.
UWS is part of a network called
Enterprise Campus, which supports
graduate entrepreneurs from a range of
Scottish universities, and when Chidozie
secured an investment of £30,000 to
grow his business, Enterprise Campus
provided financial and investment
advisers to help him to shape the
investment terms.
Now, Chidozie is working not just on
AMP but on a larger-scale e-solutions
business called Fingersfingers, which
produces mobile apps and custombuilt websites.
“We’ll build websites and apps for
companies and people, no matter where
they’re based,“ says Chidozie, “but I really
want to develop the African webspace.
I want to build designs and apps that
are tailored for the African market, right
down to the fonts and functionality. As
a company we have so many innovative
ideas to suit the African online space,
inspired by what we have here in Europe.
There are 170 million people in Nigeria
alone – that’s a lot of opportunities!”
Chidozie has already built a site which
allows African students to buy and sell
books and search for flatmates, but
that’s just the beginning. “In the future,
I want to own a major share of the
African webspace,” he says.
As well as building his business,
Chidozie is also exploring the possibility
of studying for a PhD at UWS, looking at
tech start-ups and entrepreneurship in
Africa. And though his focus is on Africa,
Chidozie, who lives in Glasgow, sees
Scotland as his home for the moment.
“Scotland has given me so much,” he
says. “The weather is cold but the people
are very warm. I think I’m a little bit
Scottish now!” www.fingerfingers.co.uk
www.enterprisecampus.org.uk
“We’ll build websites
and apps for companies
and people, no matter
where they’re based.”
Every morning I woke up
excited to get to class!
CHIDOZIE OBI-OKOYE
City of CULTURE
Phil Miller – Arts Correspondent for The Herald.
If Paisley is successful in landing the title
of UK City of Culture it will not only be
only the third place to secure the honour,
it will also assume, for the first time, the
title of city. Paisley, of course, is Scotland’s largest
town. Nearly 80,000 people live there.
But unlike previous UK Cities of Culture –
Derry/Londonderry and (Kingston Upon)
Hull – it has yet to be given city status. However, that does not matter for
the purposes of its bid for the title, and
indeed, it could even aid its ambitious
bid. After all, Dundee – a city – probably
had the strongest bid in the last running
of the competition, which was won in
the end by Hull, which will now celebrate
the title in 2017. Dundee could boast
the lauded DCA gallery and art centre,
the Dundee Rep, the forthcoming
V&A Dundee (its ballooning costs not
withstanding), a strong university
and thriving art school, Duncan of
Jordanstone. And yet the city, which
could have benefitted from an estimated
economic boost of £80m if it had seized
the title, lost out to Hull, a city which,
despite its strong and successful bid, was
perhaps not considered in Scotland to
have as strong a platform as Dundee.
But Dundee lost out for reasons which
may resonate with the Paisley bid: it
was considered to be too advanced in its
cultural status, in some ways it was “too
successful” already to land the title. It did
not grasp the title not because it is not a
city of great culture – it obviously is – but
because it did not need the title to, as the
Hull bid did, lift it “out of the shadows”.
The UK Culture Minister, Maria Miller, said
at the time that Hull had “faced many
challenges down the years.”
Paisley has certainly faced challenges.
Is it sufficiently ‘in the shadows’ to
need or require the title? That is one
issue that the organisers of the title –
the UK Government’s Department of
Culture, Media and Sport – will consider.
The government’s guidelines look for
evidence of a ‘step change’ in how the
city or urban area will be regarded or will
perform if they are given the title. The
Dundee bid, for example, promised a
£25m programme of events that would
have brought 1000 new jobs to the city.
If Paisley does win the bid, it would
be the first Scottish town to claim the
crown. That would be significant in itself
– Wales has also yet to have a successful
candidate. It would not have the political
significance as a city that the first City of
Culture, Derry/Londonderry, although it is
home to 21-year old SNP MP Mhairi Black,
so it is a city not without contemporary
political resonance.
The establishment of the UK City of
Culture title was itself a political decision:
The recent candidate for the leadership
of the Labour Party, Andy Burnham,
announced in 2009 that a British City
of Culture title was being considered.
It would be different title from that
famously held in Glasgow in 1990: that
was the European Capital of Culture,
a title bestowed by the EU.
The TV producer Phil Redmond was
Paisley has certainly faced
challenges. Is it sufficiently
‘in the shadows’ to need
or require the title?
PHIL MILLER
announced as the chair of the judging
panel. It was hoped that major awards
such as the Turner Prize, the Brit Awards,
the Man Booker Prize and so on would
find venues in the cities for their big
announcements. Derry/Londonderry won
that first title, with Birmingham, Norwich
and Sheffield also shortlisted. Derry/Londonderry celebrated the title
in 2013 and did indeed stage the Turner
Prize as well as Music City, Radio 1’s Big
Weekend and The Return of Colmcille.
More than 180,000 people travelled there
to see Lumiere, a giant light show. The
Derry/Londonderry year was not without
its controversies, especially over whether
the independent Culture Company
was the dominant voice in staging the
celebrations, or the city council. And
it remains to be seen how the title will
benefit Hull.
The economics of such titles are
enticing. Paisley would undoubtedly
feel the benefit. Liverpool, when it was
European City of Culture, saw 10m extra
visitors, and reported a £750m boost
to its economy. If Paisley can see off its
opposition – some of which already rejoice
in the title of city – the benefits would
be tangible.
AT A GLANCE
The competition is run by the UK
government’s department of culture
media and sport. To date, there has
never been a Scottish winner.
Hull will host the 2017 version,
during which the 2021 winner will
be announced.
21