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ConnectJune 2016

Also in this issue: Q&A with our new Vice Chancellor Page 5 | Alumni updates Page 14 | Myths of attraction Page 8

The magazine for Anglia Ruskin University alumni and friends

Ben Garrod, BBC Presenter BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour 2005

Learning from Sir David AttenboroughPage 12

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In this issue4 Welcome and The Inbox

5 Connect talks to our new Vice Chancellor

7 The Conversation

8 Research feature – Debunking the myths of attraction

10 Our Ruskin Romances

11 Exciting new MSc Sustainability course

11 £1,000 discount for Postgraduate study

12 Ben Garrod interview

14 Alumni updates – Adam Landreth-Smith and Ian Wolter

15 Alumni update – Scott Woodley

16 Shipwrecked alumna Lucinda Billington

17 Reunion marks quarter-century link with Malaysia

18 Alumni of the month

19 Alumni tour for 1970s’ geography students

20 Tim Reeves, Provide Outstanding Student Award winner

21 Popular news

22 Off the bookshelf

24 23rd Annual Anglia Cup

25 Dates for your diary

27 Alumni benefits and services

WelcomeA message from our Vice Chancellor

As the new Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University it’s my privilege to welcome you to the first edition of Connect.

Since joining our university in March I have learnt a great deal but still have a steep learning curve to become familiar with everything that is happening across the institution. One striking and recurring feature that I hear about when meeting staff, students and partners is the clear sense of purpose and identity across Anglia Ruskin. It’s also very clear that across many fields, from nursing to engineering to law and the arts, our alumni are making a very significant contribution to their communities. I am delighted to see this, as your success, as one of our alumni, is a key part of the success of the university as a whole.

We are extremely proud of our alumni who are making a big impact on society at a regional, national and international level. Next year will be our 25th anniversary as a university and in that time so many thousands of people have come through our doors and we’re proud to have helped them take the next step in their lives and careers.

My role as Vice Chancellor is to look to the next 25 years. My recent roles may have been on the other side of the world, but universities globally all

face similar challenges and it is important to ensure Anglia Ruskin is always evolving and progressing to ensure we are best able to meet these challenges. We need to be distinctive in what we do and make the most of our strengths, which fortunately are many. The three pillars of education, research and engagement, each with a distinctive ARU flavour, will continue to be at the heart of everything we do.

I would also like to pay tribute to my predecessor Professor Michael Thorne, for his fantastic achievements over the nine years he had at the helm. I am very grateful for his guidance and support during the first few weeks of my tenure. Michael now becomes a celebrated figure of our first 25 years, and like our alumni, he has made a contribution to what Anglia Ruskin is today. While Michael may physically no longer be at Anglia Ruskin, he has promised to keep us close and not be a stranger. I hope it is the same for you too.

We want to celebrate the achievements of our alumni. If you know of former students that we should connect with, please email alumni@anglia.ac.uk

Professor Iain Martin Vice Chancellor

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T H E I N B O X

Helen ArnottAlumni Officer

Welcome to the June 2016 edition of Connect.

The Anglia Ruskin Alumni Network includes a wide range of members, from a number of different colleges that combined to become Anglia Polytechnic, and then Anglia Polytechnic University in 1992. We’ve been known as Anglia Ruskin University since 2005 and our alumni include our international graduates from partnering institutions. Our total number of alumni currently stands at 98,000 and my role is to keep all of us connected.

Whenever and wherever you graduated, we hope you feel proud of your connection with our university and we’re keen that the Alumni Network continues to grow, supports you and helps you liaise and connect with other alumni. If you’ve received our eMagazine before, you’ll notice the new name and design. This reflects the feedback you’ve given us and our new branding. Connect will keep you up to date with all the latest news from ARU and the achievements of your fellow alumni.

Your feedback on Connect, or any of our other alumni activities, is vital to help us meet your needs and expectations. Please email me your comments and suggestions which we’ll take into account for the next edition, which will be published in September.

I hope you enjoy reading this edition and please remember to keep your contact details updated and to tell us about your achievements.

The level of support and encouragement I received from my lectures at ARU was unmatchable.

All of the lecturers I came into contact with at ARU were always full of optimism and extremely professional, and it’s this that drove me to pursue what I dreamt of doing – running my own company! I hope my comments help others make the great choice of enrolling with ARU.

Sam Milton (Cambridge)BSc Hons Sports Science 2015

My time in England was one of the best times of my life; it is difficult to think I could have met more interesting people than the ones I met at that time in ARU.

The cosmopolitan atmosphere helped me to grow as a person and I made friends for a lifetime.

While I was at university, I met a Greek guy (yeah, the old love thing). It’s funny – a Brazilian studying in Cambridge met a Greek guy from Germany. So after my graduation, I moved to Stuttgart.

I am still adventuring in Stuttgart, with the Greek of my dreams and my two rescued dogs, working on my next novel.

Adriana Renata Wagner (Cambridge)BA Hons Business 2003

The Inbox

C O N N E C T T A L K S T O

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What were your first impressions of Anglia Ruskin and East Anglia?My first month has really confirmed and reinforced the impressions I had during the appointment process. What is also really striking is the desire to look to enhance what the university does through considering new and innovative approaches. The way in which ARU engages with partners, locally, regionally and internationally is very impressive and has been a key part of the success to date.

I have been incredibly struck with the importance that the regional communities and key stakeholders from outside the university places on their links with ARU – this is really exciting and opens up a lot of possibilities to further develop ARU regionally. Working with other universities, colleges and employers to ensure we can integrate effectively the education and skills development across the region will be a key aspect we must continue to enhance.

There are many challenges that ARU faces but there is little doubt that those within the university and our key supporters are up for the kinds of discussions that need to take place as we address them in turn.

With so many positive things happening at ARU, what are you most looking forward to?ARU celebrates 25 years of university status next year and undoubtedly the most exciting aspect is being part of crafting the plans that will form the basis of the next 25 years. The opportunities to shape and refine the way we deliver education to our students, how we develop our research and innovation portfolio and how we engage fully with our local and regional communities to add real value through all of our activities. Crafting this distinctive future will be challenging but is incredibly exciting – for example how do we best integrate the best of digital technology and delivery alongside a great campus experience?

What do you consider to be the main challenges facing ARU?A university’s success is ultimately absolutely reliant on the people it brings into the institution, both students and staff. Ensuring that we recruit students and staff who can thrive in our university must sit at the heart of what we are about and consequently this must be seen as one of our most important challenges – we need to get, keep and grow the very best people we can.

Professor Iain MartinWhat attracted you to the role of Vice Chancellor at ARU?I saw a university that had a real sense of purpose and mission and which was driven to make a difference to students and communities, locally, regionally and internationally. I was struck by just how collegial the institution was – an initial impression that has been more than confirmed on arriving here.

Although ARU has developed and grown hugely in the last 10 years it was also evident that there was real potential to do very much more. There was also a very good fit between my own values and those of ARU.

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As for many organisations contemplating their future, one of the biggest challenges is not what you do but what, from the very many possibilities we have to take forward, do we say no to. If we are to succeed, developing and delivering a clearly distinctive pathway for ARU will be critical.

Ensuring we have sufficient resources to deliver on that pathway is inevitably going to be a major challenge and a key component of addressing that will be ensuring we continue to be as innovative and entrepreneurial as possible.

What would you say to a prospective student to encourage them to choose ARU?We have a very open, friendly and collegial culture that will welcome you into our university community. All of our staff take great pride in helping you succeed in your chosen degree programme. Our programmes are designed to provide a good balance between stimulating and challenging academic content and the development of the skills that will stand you in very good stead for your future. We work with our students to ensure that they are part of our academic community and provide for them an environment and support that is focused on helping them reach their full potential.

We have nearly 100,000 alumni worldwide – how do you feel alumni contribute to the success of ARU?The success of a university is to a great extent, if not totally, defined by the impact it has on individuals and communities through its education, research and innovation, and engagement activities. The success of ARU and the success of our alumni are inextricably linked. These linkages can be indirect, with communities and employers seeing our graduates succeed, or more direct where our alumni support ARU through their own networks and connections. In my first few weeks it has been really evident just how important that these alumni linkages are for ARU and I will be seeking to nurture and grow them during my time as Vice Chancellor.

What do you do for fun?I grew up in Hampshire within sight of Southampton Water and the Solent and sailing remains one of the things I get most enjoyment from. Over the years I have sailed small dinghies, larger yachts, been a keen wind surfer and dabbled in kiteboarding – although now a rather shameful lack of fitness makes the last two a bit too challenging now!

I also love watching Rugby Union – although I enjoyed watching before my time in New Zealand, the 12 years we spent there really cemented the passion.

Both Fiona, my wife, and myself also enjoy walking and one of the joys of the first few weeks in the area has been the incredible network of foot paths and bridleways through amazing rural landscapes.

Have you ever had a eureka moment?In terms of an instant transformational idea that solved a major problem, no. However I think my move from medical practice into university leadership roles was the result of a personal eureka moment where I realised that I could achieve far more in a broader role. The challenges and stimulation you get from working across a very large and diverse portfolio are really rewarding. Getting to work with teams of people from incredibly diverse disciplines and backgrounds is a real privilege. This not only includes being exposed to a very wide range of academic departments but much wider; working with architects, engineers and planners in rebuilding the medical campus in Auckland was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career to date.

How would you sum up your time at university?In one word transformational. Having been educated in a comprehensive school in a small town in Hampshire, moving to Leeds in the early 1980s was eye-opening in many respects. The platform that my degree gave me provided opportunities and experiences that I would never have imagined. Although at the time, I did not perceive how important some aspects of my education there would be for my future. In so many ways my approach is heavily shaped by that time; importantly much of this has nothing to do with the specifics of a medical degree but relates far more closely to the critical thinking skills and problem analysis that are far more generic.

What advice would you give your younger self?Enjoy the moment as much as possible – it is so easy to get sucked into thinking ahead about the next challenge or opportunity.

Really focus on keeping a wide and eclectic range of interests and activities both within and outside your professional role.

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T H E C O N V E R S A T I O N

New European funding to boost British businessA partnership led by Anglia Ruskin University has secured £9.4m of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support innovation and growth amongst British small businesses.

The KEEP+ programme, which stands for Knowledge Exchange and Embed Partnerships, will connect SMEs to academic

expertise and graduate talent, and will enable SMEs to develop and launch new products and services through subsidised research and development support. The funding is available to SMEs across the East and the South East of England.

Amongst the benefits available to local companies are: 12-week graduate innovation internships; three-way collaborative

partnerships between businesses, graduate employees and academic experts that typically last 12 months; subsidised R&D and innovation networking events.

Learn more about how the programme can help you by visiting our KEEP+ web pages or by getting in touch with our Knowledge Exchange Manager Simon Daly on tel: 01223 693173 or email simon.daly@anglia.ac.uk

The ConversationAnglia Ruskin University became a member of The Conversation website in March.

The Conversation is a unique platform in that all content is sourced from university academics and researchers, but is written specifically for the general public.

Since joining in March, articles written by Anglia Ruskin academics have been read by over half a million people around the world, in countries as far afield as Azerbaijan and Zambia.

You can keep up to date with our latest comment pieces by visiting this page.

Articles include interesting topics, such as:

Exploding the myth of the scientific vs artistic mind

It’s a stereotype, but many of us have made the assumption that scientists are a bit rigid and less artistic than others. Artists, on the other hand, are often seen as being less rational than the rest of us. To find out what Dr David Pearson, Reader in Psychology has to say, click here.

There are also Drawbacks to being bilingual

PhD graduate Julia Ouzia has co-written an article about how cognitive psychologists for almost a century have been interested in how bilingualism shapes the mind. There are those who suggest that in order to speak in one language, bilinguals have to suppress the influence of the other.

The Multilanguage & Cognition lab (MULTAC) at Anglia Ruskin is currently undertaking a three-year project funded by the Leverhulme Trust to enhance our understanding of the bilingual mind. You can read more here.

Doctors look after our mental health but who looks after theirs?

No matter their age, gender or experience, health professionals from all walks of life have experienced mental health problems. Professor Jamie Hacker-Hughes, Visiting Professor for Veterans and Families Institute (VFI), highlights the study that has revealed that nearly 60% of doctors have experienced mental illness and psychological problems at various stages in their career. Click here to read more.

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Debunking the myths of attractionProfessor Viren Swami has conducted research which shows that modern-day myths of attraction, such as “treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen” have no basis in fact. Instead, his extensive research shows that geographic proximity, physical appearance, personality, and reciprocity are all key reasons that affect who we fall for.

Participants tend to rate other people that live nearer themselves as more attractiveViren explains some of the examples of his research, such as how participants tend to rate other people that live nearer themselves as more attractive. A study in the Netherlands in 2004 found that half of people who had recently moved in together met their partners within a four-mile radius.

Studies suggest it takes less than a second to form first impressions about other people, including how attractive we think they are. Viren poses the question on who would be helped first in a traffic accident and it may surprise you to learn that it is likely the person who is rated the most attractive that would be helped. He says “I’m

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R E S E A R C H

About Professor Viren SwamiViren is a social psychologist whose research focuses on the psychology of human appearance and body image and, separately, the psychology of conspiracy theories.

“My early research was very much focused on how physical appearance affects interpersonal interactions – what some people call the ‘outside view’ of ourselves. From there, I got interested in the ‘inside view’ – how our perceptions of our own physical appearance affects our psychological well-being. This is where I do most of my research now – I’m mainly interested in understanding how culture affects our body image and what we can do to promote healthier body image across cultures. Separate to that, I’ve also done some work on conspiracy theories – mainly trying to understand why so many people believe in conspiracy theories and what the outcome of such beliefs might be.”

FACT FILEBorn: 15 May 1980 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Education: BSc (Hons) Psychology: University College London; PhD Psychology: University College London

Job title: Professor of Social Psychology

Length of service at ARU: Since September 2015

Favourite book: The Disastrous Tale of Vera and Linus by Jesse Ball and Thordis Björnsdottir

Favourite album: A Flash Flood of Colour by Enter Shikari

Favourite film: Anything directed by Wes Anderson

Motto: Sometimes, there’s no lesson.

Perfect day: Would probably involve a long walk with my fiancée and our two dogs, a trip to the theatre or cinema, a good novel, and a nice ale. And cake.

What do you love about living and/or working in Cambridge: I still live in London and haven’t done much exploring in Cambridge (although I keep meaning to), but I do like my commute as it gives me uninterrupted time to read. Oh, and cycling along the river.

Debunking the myths of attraction

sure you’re thinking that the victims’ physical appearance would have very little to do with who you help first, but let me tell you that it probably does. In our study we found that people were more likely to indicate they would help someone they perceived as being attractive compared to less attractive victims.”

In a traffic accident it is likely the person who is rated the most attractive would be helped firstYou can read our news article which goes into more detail about Professor Viren Swami’s research and you can also read his additional commentary here and watch his interview on Cambridge TV here.

Professor Swami’s newly published book on this topic, titled Attraction Explained can be purchased on campus in John Smith’s bookshops or on Amazon.

“Against all odds we both ended up going to Anglia Ruskin”

“Little did we realise we would be put in the same university-run house and end up dating two weeks later. Six years on, we got married (13 September 2014) and that was six years to the day we met. We are ever so glad that we made the choices we did and that Anglia Ruskin was

part of this! We now own a house and have two fantastic jobs. My wife is a teacher at a Special Needs school, and I am an Underwriter for one of the largest financial institutions in the UK. Thank you Anglia Ruskin and all the staff that made a difference to our lives.”

Rachel & Shane

Stephanie met her partner Will in the old SU bar in Cambridge, on their first night at University

“I was a fresher and Will was in his third year (despite being the same age). Now we’ve been together for 11 years, and married almost 6. In that time we both graduated from Anglia Ruskin University, travelled South & Central America and Mexico, read for our Masters degrees, got married, set up our own Digital Solutions Agency and became parents. There have been lots of adventures along the way, challenges and laughter. Our best friends remain our crowd from ARU who we still see regularly. Choosing to attend Anglia Ruskin University remains one of the best decisions of my life.”

Stephanie & Will

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Y O U R S T O R I E S

Our Ruskin RomancesIn February we featured several of our alumni on our Facebook page, after asking alumni couples to get in touch.

If you met your partner at Anglia Ruskin University, please let us know.

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N E W S

£1,000 discount for postgraduate studyThere’s never been a better time to apply for a postgraduate course at ARU

Postgraduate degrees are a great opportunity to further improve your career prospects and learn more about a subject you’re passionate about.

We offer 51 research programmes, 112 taught postgraduate courses and 172 continuing professional development courses, across three campuses in city-centre locations. You can study full or part-time and for many of our courses, as a member of our alumni network, you may be eligible for £1,000 discount.

Our new courses

Our new postgraduate courses include:

• MSc Additive Manufacturing

• MSc Consumer Psychology

• MSc Women and Children’s Health

Visit our website to find out more.

anglia.ac.uk/postgraduate

Exciting new MSc Sustainability courseLast year was a banner year for the Global Sustainability Institute (GSI), and 2016 looks to be even more exciting – particularly for our MSc Sustainability. This year, we will slightly restructure the MSc to make it more accessible to international students. The new structure will also give students greater access to the GSI’s ground-breaking research.

The course will now be ‘blended learning’ with six months of in-person, classroom residentials followed by six months of distance learning, which can be completed from anywhere in the world. International students will be thrilled, since they will need only a six month student visitor visa, which are less expensive and have fewer requirements than Tier 4 visas. The course will remain a partnership between ARU, the Eden Project and Change Agents UK with week-long residentials in Cambridgeshire and Cornwall. You can view a 2015–2016

timetable on our partner website, or the full prospectus and application on the Anglia Ruskin University site.

Our MSc Sustainability is cross-disciplinary, and we have had students with finance, marketing, TV and film, law, conservation, and community outreach backgrounds – and much more. If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about our MSc, and particularly the revised format, please contact Alison Greig or Nikoleta Jones for more information.

You can find out more about our MSC Sustainability course by watching this video:

Did you know?

Sir Tim Bartel Smit KBE is the Executive Vice Charman and Co-founder of the Eden Project. Sir Tim became one of our Honorary Award holders last year. You can see his graduation speech here.

F E A T U R E S T O R Y

Ben Garrod, Anglia Ruskin Teaching Fellow, alumnus and television presenter, talks about his time at ARU, the importance of making science accessible, and working with a living legend – Sir David Attenborough.

I’m a real East Anglian boy at heart – I grew up in Norfolk where I developed my passion for science and the natural world and studied at Anglia Ruskin in Cambridge, where I was able to cement this passion. My time at ARU was more than a three-year ‘stepping stone’ in my career; it was more of a pivotal stage in my life, that has influenced every decision I have since made and every success I have achieved subsequently. My time at Anglia Ruskin helped me in my career in more ways than I could have imagined.

I studied Animal Behaviour and loved every minute of it. ARU delivered more than just the course in that the staff are second to none. These are real scientists and passionate educators, who have made significant contributions to their field. Being able to meet up with them, chat and have that relationship helped me not only see what a real career in science could entail but it helped develop my skills in working alongside real scientists. I look back at my time at ARU with hugely fond memories and have so many stories from that part of my life – accidentally leaving out a dead stoat over the weekend in a lab wasn’t one of my strongest moments admittedly but I was able to work on a world-famous field programme, test self-awareness in sharks and met people who literally changed the rest of my life. I’m one of so many from my department that has been able to go on and have amazing careers. After leaving,

I was fortunate enough to go to Africa where I ran a field site for the renowned primatologist Dr Jane Goodall. I lived and worked amongst wild chimpanzees for several years, where I was really thrown in at the deep end – meeting territorial chimps, predatory lions and deadly snakes on my daily commute was all part of the work and a big part of this achievement was down to the set of skills with which I left ARU.

There comes a point as a scientist where we realise the difference between coincidence and a significant trend, and it can’t be coincidence that so many of us have done so well after attending Anglia Ruskin. I chose to come back as a Teaching Fellow last year because wherever I end up in the world, I’m very conscious that ARU played a big part in getting me there. I wanted to have the chance to be able to do that for others, in an academic environment that is both nurturing and inspiring.

Learning from Sir David Attenborough

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F E A T U R E S T O R Y

Ben Garrod, left, with Sir David Attenborough and paleontologist Dr Diego Pol

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In addition to my teaching, I am heavily involved in communicating science to local, national and international audiences, through television, radio, the internet, magazines and newspaper articles. Communicating science is essential. It’s all around us and affects us every day – sat here typing on my laptop involves science, making a cup of tea involves science, my dog looking up at me right now with his ‘shall we have a walk’ eyes involves science. Science is inescapable and is all around us. Embracing it is the easiest and most rewarding thing we can do in our daily lives. I’m very keen to get as many people enthused about the world around them.

Scientists aren’t all old white men in lab coats who have been to private school. Scientists are men, women, rich, poor, black, white. It’s for all of us and it’s essential that we encourage and welcome young people from every walk of life into a scientific career. Old stereotypes

existed for years but there are now so many great scientists out inspiring the next wave of young biologists, physicists, chemists and mathematicians. The opportunity I’ve had to present science to a national and international audience is hopefully contributing to that goal.

Meeting territorial chimps, predatory lions and deadly snakes on my daily commute was all part of the work

I have been fortunate enough to work with some amazingly inspirational people in my career, that I have looked up to since I was a knee-high grasshopper-chasing kid. Running a chimpanzee conservation programme for Jane, deep in a Ugandan tropical forest, was tough going but incredible work and taught me an immeasurable

amount about biology, research and the reality of working ‘in the field’… just don’t ever ask me about mango flies. Especially when you’re eating. I’m still very much involved with the organisation and sit on her charity board of trustees here in the UK. In addition to Jane, I had the huge privilege of working alongside Sir David Attenborough last year.

I learnt so much from my time working with Sir David on the hugely successful BBC One documentary Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur. Everything from details on dinosaurs and random animal facts, right up to seeing how he presents and works so well with film crews. Having him watch me doing a piece to camera was a little daunting, but he was incredibly supportive afterwards. He’s a wonderful example of how a passion for science can inspire us throughout our lives. I can genuinely say that when I was an undergrad, learning about feeding behaviour and mammal adaptations, I never thought one day I’d be working alongside the great man himself.

Currently, I have just successfully defended my PhD; something I’d been aiming to achieve for what seemed like an inordinate amount of time. Now, I’m looking forward to becoming more involved with ARU and chasing up some media projects. There are a few in the pipeline but I’m afraid they’re all very secret for now. All I can say is that they are all incredibly exciting and all seek to inspire you the viewer to go out and fall in love with science.

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S P O T L I G H T

Alumni updatesAdam Landreth-Smith graduated in 2010 and went on to work for BAM Nuttall Ltd. After 4 years of work alongside further learning, Adam has now been awarded membership to the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng). Before reaching this status, Adam had to write 15 quarterly reports, do a presentation to a panel of Chartered Engineers, with an hour-long interview, and also sit a written exam. Adam says that Anglia Ruskin helped him along the way. “Thank you

for setting me on the right path to achieve this recognition and to continue learning,” he said. Adam hopes that his success will be an inspiration to current students and hopes that anyone starting out in an engineering career takes advantage of the opportunity to undertake further learning with the ICE and continued development that is on offer to them after they start a job.

Adam Landreth-Smith (Chelmsford)BSc Hons Civil Engineering 2010

Fine Art graduate lands major Italian prize

Alumnus Ian Wolter has won a leading Italian art prize for a hard-hitting performance piece focusing on child abuse in the Catholic Church.

“The Holy See Gets It” was created while Wolter was still an undergraduate student on the BA (Hons) Fine Art course, and the choral piece was first performed

as part of the Art Language Location festival in Cambridge last October.

The judges of the Venice Arte Laguna video art and performance prize awarded first place, and a cheque for €7,000, to Wolter “for his ability to analyse and deal with a current social issue in an original and brilliant way. The performance ‘The Holy See Gets It’ turns out to be a complete research work in every aspect: the music, the text, the critical use of a sacred element”.

You can read our full article and watch the performance here.

Ian Wolter (Cambridge)BA Hons Fine Art 2015

Ian Wolter, right, receiving his award

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S P O T L I G H T

Anglia Ruskin graduate disrupts tuition industry Alumnus Scott Woodley has co-founded a company which is changing the tuition industry in the UK. The Sheffield-based business, Tutora, is an online marketplace which helps parents find the perfect tutor for their child, allowing them to connect directly with talented and trusted tutors, on any subject, at any age.

Scott, 30, had the idea to start Tutora whilst working as a Primary School Teacher in Sheffield. “Upon completing my Teacher Training at Anglia Ruskin, I moved to Sheffield and worked as a Primary School Teacher for two years. Whilst I loved the children, I had this itch to build a business,” said Scott. “I was asked by a lot of parents to recommend private tutors, and I didn’t know who to recommend, so I took some students on and left to set up my own tutoring company. I received so many requests that I decided to build a solution.”

Scott and his business partner, Mark, launched the Tutora website in August last year, initially planning to focus the business in Sheffield. Its popularity with parents grew rapidly, however, meaning they were soon matching learners further afield. They first expanded to Leeds, then Manchester and Liverpool and now have tutors from Glasgow and Edinburgh, all the way down to Bristol, Bath and London.

Demand for share acquisition saw the company close this seed round within just four days of

launching the raise through the crowdfunding site Crowdcube, a record for EdTech companies on the site. The company has successfully raised £150,000 through this crowdfunding, and has a valuation of £1.5 million.

“We’re delighted to have secured the investment in such a short period of time,” Scott stated. “It clearly validates both the success we have demonstrated to date, and the plans we have in place to further scale the business.”

Scott cites his time at Anglia Ruskin as a major contributing factor to the work he does now. “I’d certainly not be in this position without having first trained as a teacher. I was Course Rep when I was at the University and I think that experience

gave me a great insight into understanding the needs of two groups. My role in bringing students and tutors together is not entirely dissimilar to my position then.”

Scott and Mark now plan on rolling out new features and helping learners across the country. To read more about their business and see how it works, visit their website or Facebook page.

Scott Woodley (Chelmsford)PGC Education 2012

Scott Woodley (left) Mark Hughes (right)

Y O U R S T O R I E S

Once-shipwrecked teen returns to area 20 years later

Last month, Lucinda Billington, was reported on in a Florida news article, talking about her experience at being shipwrecked on Palm Beach!

In May 1996, Lucinda and her family were travelling from Cornwall, England to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, when Sea Jay, their sailing boat got caught in a storm and was eventually beached south of Lake Worth Pier.

Being an alumna, we got in touch with Lucinda and was pleased to hear she was well. Lucinda was happy to hear from us and shared her experience at Anglia Ruskin.

“Studying Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University was a both rewarding and exciting three years. I arrived in Cambridge and graduated not only with a degree in Psychology but also with friends and knowledge for life. I can hardly believe my time at Anglia Ruskin began almost sixteen years ago and for three years I was able to enjoy studying a wide range of key areas within Psychology, take part in hands-on laboratory learning and incorporate modules of learning from other faculty areas, before completing my research based dissertation in the area of Cognitive Psychology focusing on the single route and the dual route models of reading. The staff were inspirational and passionate and all made a personal and lasting impact on my learning and development. Dr (now Prof) Eamon Strain supervised my dissertation, Simon Diamond, Mike Pake, Rachel Cook, Nicola Morant, Kostas Kafetsios and others, all shared their wealth of experience and expertise. Thank you to the Department of Psychology 2000–2003.

Since graduating from Anglia Ruskin University I have remained local to Cambridge. I planned to pursue a career as an Educational Psychologist – and am still on that journey! After spending a year working locally in a special school and mainstream primary school supporting inclusion, I trained as a primary school teacher at Homerton College and the Faculty of Education. I worked in mainstream primary education, with children aged 5–7 years old, for two years and then began working in a local area special school teaching pupils aged 11–19 with a range of complex special educational needs. Psychology plays a big part within my work and ten years on I am still doing what I love. At the same time my career continues to develop and alongside teaching I manage the Key Stage 3 department within school and am a Specialist Leader of Education within the Cambridge and Suffolk Schools Alliance. So, I’m still on the journey towards Educational Psychology and am thankful for the things I have learnt and continue to learn every day.”

Lucinda Billington (Cambridge)BSc Hons Psychology 2003

16 ARU CONNECT JUNE 2016

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Reunion marks quarter-century link with MalaysiaAnglia Ruskin University staff, partners and alumni met to celebrate 25 years of Anglia Ruskin’s presence in Malaysia.

A reunion attended by more than 150 Anglia Ruskin alumni, staff of partner institutions and guests, was recently held at the Sheraton Imperial hotel in Kuala Lumpur to mark a quarter-century of partnership between Anglia Ruskin and institutions in the country. Students can study for Anglia Ruskin University degrees from within Malaysia with several institutions including Kolej PTPL in Penang and First City University College, FTMS College, MAHSA University and HELP College of Art and Technology in Kuala Lumpur.

We’d like to give a special thank you to our very own alumnus, Eddie Law, who assisted with the event. Eddie studied LLB Hons Law, graduating in 1999 and is also one of our Ambassadors. It’s great having you on board, Eddie. You can see the full list of alumni Ambassadors on our alumni website.

This reunion was a marvellous opportunity for staff and alumni to meet and celebrate together and it was a hugely enjoyable night. You can find more photos from the evening on our Alumni Facebook page. You might like to know that our International Office arranges many overseas trips, so for our overseas alumni, there might be an opportunity coming up for you to meet staff, fellow alumni and prospective students. You can see the full list of upcoming visits here.

Chris Chang, Eddie Law (alumnus) and Ivan Ong

Alumni Ambassadors

If you’d like to become an Ambassador for your country, please let us know.

For more information, please view our Overseas alumni webpage.

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Alumni of the monthAlumni of the month showcases our alumni who are making a difference and doing interesting and exciting things.

March

Our March alumna was Jenny Down. Jenny studied BA Hons Art History with us in 1997, aged 74. Jenny said, “The students were absolutely lovely to me when I did my course, and it was such a happy time for me.”

The photos Jenny has shared with us were all taken after leaving Anglia. She was 89 years old when she walked the steep path to the top of Clingman’s Dome, where she “collected a boyfriend from Texas en-route”.

Jenny was nominated by the Alumni Office.

April

Our April alumnus was Will Crosby. Will studied BA Hons Music with us, graduating in 2015.

Will is involved in many activities, including composing, performing in his pop band, Lupo, writing and teaching. Will also works at Anglia Ruskin as a Research Assistant in the Music Department – an inspiration to students and alumni alike. He was also our Mark Devin Music Performance Prize winner.

Will was nominated by Paul Jackson, Head of Music and Performing Arts.

May

Our May alumna is Ros Russell. Ros studied MSc Computer Science, graduating in 2000.

Ros describes herself as a mum, scientist, music promoter and musician. Ros is actively involved in the Cambridge Jazz Festival, which takes place this November and a number of our alumni and staff perform at this event.

Ros was nominated by Kevin Flanagan, Senior lecturer in Music. Kevin, along with many other alumni are all involved in the Cambridge Jazz Festival.

Jenny DownBA (Hons) Art History, 1997

Will CrosbyBA (Hons) Music, 2015

Ros RussellMSc Computer Science, 2000

If you’d like to nominate someone for a future month, please email me.

HelenAlumni Officer

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Do you see yourself in this picture?

This year we will be running a bespoke alumni tour on behalf of alumni that studied BA Hons Geography, graduating in the late 1970s.

We’re hoping to track down all the people shown in the photo above, so if you’re there, and haven’t heard about this event, get in touch so we can tell you all about this personalised tour of our Cambridge campus taking place on Friday 12 August 2016.

Could you help our current students to set up and run a volunteering opportunity to benefit the local community?

Perhaps you run or work for a business, charity or organisation that could offer our students some interesting volunteering opportunities?

Or maybe you would like to undertake some volunteering yourself?

All recent graduates (up to 1 year) can still register with our service and access our website to browse and apply for a huge selection of voluntary roles angliastudent.com/volunteering

If you would like to know more please get in touch: Emma HughesChelmsford Volunteering Coordinator e.hughes@angliastudent.com

Abi Dickinson Cambridge Volunteer Coordinator a.dickinson@angliastudent.com

Alternatively please contact: Helen ArnottAlumni Officer Helen.Arnott@anglia.ac.uk

At Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union Volunteering Service, we provide and promote some fantastic voluntary opportunities to expand the horizons of our students, increasing employability skills and adding immense value to their university experience.

ALUMNI VOLUNTEERING SERVICEangliastudent.com/volunteering

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Tim Reeves, Provide Outstanding Student Award winner‘Provide’ is a social enterprise that delivers a broad range of community health and social care services across boroughs in the East of England and London. The Provide Outstanding Student Award recognises excellence in undergraduate study in the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education (FHSCE) and motivates future students.

The award gives the opportunity for public recognition and celebration of the graduating FHSCE student with the highest results at the end of their final year. The 2015–16 prize of £1,000, generously funded by Provide,

was awarded to ARU student Tim Reeves who graduated in 2015 with a BA (Hons) in Learning Technology and Research.

When Tim was awarded, he said:

“I am extremely delighted to be offered this award.

Having returned to study after working for over 20 years, I found it a rare opportunity to focus on important topics and gain knowledge. My independent study sometimes went beyond that necessary for the course, but always served to broaden and deepen my understanding. Despite having been a mature student studying remotely, the degree course made a big impact

on me and my understanding of the working world.

I found that time spent was rewarded with deeper or wider knowledge of matters, not always usable for my coursework, but nevertheless serving to enrich my perspective. I wonder if more typical students realise that an undergraduate degree is a rare opportunity to focus on the chosen topic. It’s certainly worth doing more than is necessary just to pass.”

For more information about donations, scholarships and bursaries, contact giving@anglia.ac.uk

Keep in touch with the Students’ UnionDo you ever catch yourself smiling, thinking about your time spent with Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union? If so, we want to hear about it!

• What were your favourite memories with us and your club or society?

• What was the best event you attended?

• Are you still in touch with friends from your club or society?

• Do you still join us at our SU events, such as the Anglia Cup or Old Boys’ events?

We need your help to inspire new students. Our committed team pride themselves on giving students a plethora of skills that can further their lives and careers. If being part of a club or society has played a part in you getting your dream job, please complete our survey.

Click here to complete the survey

We grow and develop through feedback and shared experiences, so your opinion really does matter.

Alun MinifeyStudent Opportunities Manager Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union

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In the newsAcademics call for less ‘hip op’ in hip hop

A study of popular music lyrics shows negative portrayal of older people and ageing.

Researchers believe that a negative portrayal of older people in popular music lyrics could have a detrimental effect on the health of the elderly. Read more here.

Research into positive prejudice towards gay men

Psychologists at Anglia Ruskin are exploring the issues around “positive prejudice” towards gay men in the UK, looking at how a ‘stylish and witty’ stereotype can be damaging.

Academics believe even seemingly positive stereotypes have the potential to be damaging as they paint gay men as one dimensional figures and prevent people from seeing someone’s true personality. Read more here.

Cricketers are better off batting the ‘wrong’ way

A new study highlights technical and visual advantages of using a reversed stance.

Cricketers have a significant advantage if they bat with the ‘wrong’ hand, according to new research published in the journal Sports Medicine.

Co-authored by Professor Peter Allen, the study found that cricketers adopting a reversed

stance (right handers batting left handed, and vice versa) are far more likely to reach first-class and international level. In fact professional batsmen are seven times more likely to use a reversed stance than amateurs. Read more here.

Did you know?

Our Honorary Award holder and Former England and Essex cricket captain Graham Gooch OBE delivered an Excellence in Sport public lecture at our Cambridge campus on 12 April.

We often have special guests back to deliver public lectures. If you’d like to know when these events are announced, contact the Alumni Office.

How the financial crisis hit staff development

Research by our academics has found that investment in staff development was sacrificed following the global financial crisis.

The study, led by Dr Diane Keeble-Ramsay and Dr Andrew Armitage, has won a 2016 Emerald Literati Network Award for the best paper published in the European Journal of Training and Development. Read more here.

Junk food can cause kidney damage

A new study, led by Dr Havovi Chichger and funded by Diabetes UK, has found that glucose

transportation in junk food diets is very similar to that seen in type 2 diabetes.

The researchers tested the effect of high fat and high sugar diets on blood sugar levels and the different glucose transporters in the kidneys. The effect of the diets on these transporters was compared with the changes seen in models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Read more here.

What makes a mathematical genius?

Dr David Pearson, Reader of Cognitive Psychology, has explored different viewpoints on what makes a mathematical genius.

A recent study of 77 eight- to 10-year-old children demonstrates that visuo-spatial skills (the capacity to identify visual and spatial relationships among objects) have an important role in mathematical achievement. Read more here.

Link between stress and conspiracy theories

New research shows that people who believe in conspiracy theories are more likely to be suffering from stress, or have experienced stressful events, than non-believers. Read more here.

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B O O K S

Nationality Brazilian

Adriana Renata Wagner has written a novel titled Nationality Brazilian. It tells the fictional tale of a young woman’s quest for adventure and love. Learning about herself, her talents, and her strengths as she travels on the roads of Europe.

The book is available on Amazon and Kindle. To learn more about Adriana and her new book, visit: arwagner.com

Adriana Renata Wagner (Cambridge)BA (Hons) Business 2003

Social Selling Luxury

Our alumnus Jukka Aminoff’s latest book is Social Selling Luxury. The book addresses how over 90 percent of buyers begin their buying processes online and identifies ways that brands can create competitive advantage and create long-lasting customer loyalty. The book also raises the pressure for luxury brands to create new sales strategies within the online world.

Jukka’s book is available as an e-book from Amazon.

Jukka Aminoff (Cambridge)MA Marketing and Innovation, 2012

The Words in My Hand

Guinevere Glasfurd’s debut novel, The Words in My Hand, launched with a special event at Heffers in Cambridge, just days after being awarded ‘Book of the Month’ by The Times. You can read our full press release here and Guin’s book is available to purchase from Amazon.

Guin Glasfurd (Cambridge)MA Creative Writing 2011

London Gig Venues

Carl Allen has written a new book London Gig Venues, which was launched on 15 April and provides an encyclopaedic insight into the world of London’s live music venues past and present.

London’s Gig Venues is a complete history of the live music venues in London from the 1930s to the present day. Each entry includes basic details such

as how to get there, as well as all the key background information, including live recordings, noteworthy gigs and infamous incidents and a history of the building before its life as a live venue.

London Gig Venues is published by Amberley. Find out more here or purchase a copy from Amazon.

Carl Allen (Cambridge)BSc (Hons) Geography 2000

Played Up Pompey

Neil Allen published his first book in October, called Played Up Pompey featuring interviews with 24 Pompey fan favourites on their time at Fratton Park. It contains Robert Prosinecki, Paul Merson, Sylvain Distin, Ron Saunders, Hermann Hreidarsson, Lomana Lualua, Alan Knight, Matt Taylor and a host of other names. The book was the Christmas bestseller in Waterstones’ Portsmouth branch and is also available on Amazon.

Neil has been involved in journalism for 20 years, the last nine as chief sports writer at

Off the bookshelf

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the Portsmouth News, covering Portsmouth Football Club. Neil also still participates back on campus for the Anglia Cup every year since it started 1994, with his old football team.

Neil Allen (Cambridge)BA (Hons) English 1996

CBT and Mental Health by Dr Nick Wrycraft

Dr Nick Wrycraft had a book launch at John Smith’s bookshop, Chelmsford on 26 November 2015 to celebrate recent publications of three books that he has written, jointly written and jointly edited, together with colleagues from clinical practice Alison Coad and Vanessa Skinner.

CBT Theory: Fundamentals and Cases was co-written with Vanessa Skinner, is a book of case studies outlining a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach in working with people with different anxiety and depression related mental health issues.

CBT Approaches for Children and Young People: A Case Study Approach was co-edited with Alison Coad, and again consists

of a number of case studies, but of children and younger people, and uses a CBT approach based on the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) model but adapted to working with children and younger people.

Nick wrote Assessment and Care Planning in Mental Health Nursing to accompany his module on the pre-registration mental health nursing course. The book looks at how we carry out assessments with people with mental health issues, considering engagement and the style of communication that is used, and how we collaboratively develop plans of care.

Dr Nick WrycraftAdult and Mental Health Nursing

Attraction Explained

Professor Swami’s newly published book, titled Attraction Explained focuses on the science of how we form relationships. His book can be purchased on campus in John Smith’s bookshops or on Amazon.

Professor Viren SwamiProfessor of Social Psychology

Art Schools in England

Author, Hywel James has got in touch to let us know about his book which covers many art schools, including our former Mid Essex Technical College and School of Art, in Chelmsford. Entitled Art Schools in England 1945 to 1970: an anecdotal history, it offers first-hand accounts by former art and design students. Hywel tells us that the book is about what courses were like and how it felt to be a student of art and design at colleges large and small during a period half a century and more ago. Hywel also informs us that our alumnus Neal French is one of many artists and designers featured in the text. Neal French, a sculptor and ceramic designer, a former professor at Middlesex University, studied at our Chelmsford campus, under the sculptor, TB Huxley-Jones. The book is in Kindle format and available from Amazon.

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23rd Annual Anglia CupOn Sunday 8 May 2016, the 23rd annual Anglia Cup was held in Cambridge.

The Anglia Cup was founded by Steve Walton in May 1994 as a way of pitching the main five Anglia football teams against each other, with the Students’ Union also competing along with other alumni teams and current students. The team’s kits were donated from Wycombe Wanderers FC and for the last five years they have borrowed a strip from Portsmouth FC.

Steve Walton and his team, which consists mainly of members from the ‘Anglia Fourth’ and ‘Anglia Fifth’ teams (from 1993–1997) have long been called ‘The Founders’ as a nod to them being the founding members. The Founders have provided a team in every single tournament and this year there were three players

present, who had participated in the first Anglia Cup, and they were our alumni, Lee Joslin, Neil Allen and Steve Walton.

Neil Allen, being the only person to have played in them all, shared some funny memories with us. “Over the years at Anglia Cups we have seen the fire brigade called to deal with exploding BBQs, a car drive onto the pitch to spark a mass brawl, an opposition side pull out of a game because it was raining and a procession of rugby teams thinking it was hilarious and incredibly original to take to the pitch drinking from a can of beer.”

Neil also said, “We usually make a whole weekend of it, which can affect the timekeeping on the Sunday. This year we started our first game with eight players and lost 1–0! The football side of it has actually been secondary for a long time. Instead it is an opportunity for good friends who spent their

university days together to stage a reunion – with the added bonus of a spot of football.

“We occasionally get detracting comments from the opposition, focusing on the size of bellies and slowing football ability. Yet we started playing in the Anglia Cup before the vast majority of our opponents were even born. It’s not about winning, having two 49-year-olds in your starting XI and no proper goalkeeper has a habit of dictating that. We just turn up to enjoy ourselves and attempt to convince we can still play a bit.”

Anglia Fourth and Fifth team members: Back (left to right); Steve Brownless, Adam Crook, Herb Gosnell, Richard Gray, Simon Nicholl, Lee Joslin Front (left to right); Steve Walton, Geoff Stone, Peter Coe, Richard Clegg, Neil Allen, Tom Ferry.

You can also see some photos on our Facebook page.

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E V E N T S

Ruskin Gallery

The Cambridge School of Art Degree Show 2016 takes place 9–18 June 2016. This is an annual exhibition of degree work by graduating students from Cambridge School of Art. Find out more here.

Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebrations

A FREE event for you all to enjoy, this event takes place at our Chelmsford campus on Saturday 11 June.

Mumford Theatre

Tickets are now on sale for Aladdin, Cinderella and The Magic Flute at The Mumford Theatre. You can book your tickets here.

The Mumford Theatre also holds FREE weekly lunchtime concerts on Friday’s during term-time, at 1.10pm. You can just turn up on the day.

Community Events

Also, don’t forget to keep checking our upcoming community events webpage for updates, we’d love to see you there.

Dates for your diary

Queen’s Birthday

facebook.com/angliaruskin

twitter.com/angliaruskin

For a full list of activities visitanglia.ac.uk/communityevents

Chelmsford campus

Saturday 11 June 10am–2pm

Join us at a free family event to celebrate the

FREE family activities including: Circus workshops • Photobooth with free photos • Royal treasure hunt • Face painting • Music acts • Arts and crafts • Food stalls • Lawn games • Storytelling • Cup cake decorating • Puppet show and more…

90th

26 ARU CONNECT JUNE 2016

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Pursue your passion at ARUNew £10,000 postgraduate Master’s loan for September 2016*

£1,000 scholarship for Anglia Ruskin alumni** and subject‑specific scholarships

*Terms and conditions apply**Excludes distance learning courses

Interested in studying a Masters, PhD or other postgraduate qualification?

Talk to a tutor at our Open Day on

Saturday 11 June Chelmsford campus 10am–2pm Cambridge campus 10am–3pm

For further information and to register anglia.ac.uk/opendayanswers@anglia.ac.uk 01245 68 68 68

@angliaruskin

facebook.com/angliaruskin

For further information visit anglia.ac.uk

ARU CONNECT JUNE 2016 27

B E N E F I T S

Benefits and ServicesWe’re always looking for benefits and services that will be of interest to you. Keep checking our webpage for the latest offers, including those shown here.

If you have any ideas on what we could offer, please get in touch.

Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anglia Ruskin University or the Editor.

Contact usAlumni OfficerHelen Arnott

Development ManagerJon Anscombe

Post:Corporate Communications and Events Anglia Ruskin University Bishop Hall Lane Chelmsford Essex CM1 1SQ UK

Tel:+44 (0)1245 684761

Email:alumni@anglia.ac.uk (Alumni)giving@anglia.ac.uk (Development)

Visit:www.anglia.ac.uk/alumni www.anglia.ac.uk/makingadifference

Alumni Directory: www.anglia.aluminate.net

Social networking: Join us on

Facebook & LinkedIn

@angliaruskinNext editionIn our next edition we’ll have more ‘Alumni of the month’ showcases, some exciting event announcements and we will be revealing our 2016 Success in Business winner.

If there is anything else you’d like to read about in Connect or anything you’d like us to include on our Alumni website, please get in touch.

We always welcome your feedback.

Let us know Did you study a postgraduate course with us? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

What did achieving your degree mean to you?

Click here to give us your feedback and keep us up to date with all your news.