ALUMNI NEWSLETTER • ISSUE NUMBER 5• MARCH 2012

ALUMNI

School of GeographyFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

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Welcome

Welcome to another edition of the Leeds School ofGeography alumni magazine. It has been a busynine months for the School. Much of the talk aroundthe place is the impending move of Geography fromits present site on University road to the GarstangBuilding near the Medical School. The new spacewill be refurbished and tailored to our needs andshould provide a quality environment to facilitateexpansion in the future (the old ‘East building’ reallyis on its last legs). However, it will be sad to leavethe grand building we moved into in the mid 1990s.

We have also learned recently that our current headof School, Gill Valentine, will be moving on topastures new from August. We wish her well in herfuture role as a PVC at Sheffield University as wecurrently search for a new leader! Watch this spacefor more details on both these major news items.

Once again we hope you enjoy the mixture ofarticles on our alumni and current members of staff.There are details of two reunions in this edition andit was a pleasure to attend both of them. Please doconsider coming ‘home’ and meeting old friends.

Talking of old friends, there is an interesting pieceon Phil Rees’s retirement seminar which wasthoroughly enjoyed by all who participated. Phil isstill working on research projects in the School so itis great to report that he will be around for a fewmore years yet! Also catch up with two of our topprofs, Mark Birkin and Oliver Phillips, not to mentionone to watch for the future – Graeme Swindles.

Finally, thanks again to Tessa who continues to dosuch a great job in getting these articles to pressand keeping in touch with all of you. Enjoy! And asever, drop us a line, let us know what you are upand if we can help organise a reunion we’d love tohear from you.

Contents

3 Message from the Head of School

Research News

4 School research news in brief

Meet the Staff

6 What future for the Amazon?Professor Oliver Phillips

8 Talisman: GeospaTiAL Data AnalysISand SiMulAtioN, Professor Mark Birkin

10 The importance of peatland:Dr Graeme Swindles

Reflections

12 Professors Phil Rees & John Stillwell

Profiling Alumni

14 Samantha Brear: BA Geography 2008

15 Martine Croxall: BA Geography 1990Richard Rowney: BA Geography 1992

16 Craig Morley: BA Geography 2005

Reunions

18 Class of 1990 Reunion

20 Class of 1999 Reunion

Alumni Q & A

22 Rebecca Churchill: BA Geography1990

23 Emily Ledder: BA Geography 1998

Tessa GrantExternal RelationsManager and Alumnimagazine editor

Graham ClarkeProfessor andAlumni magazineeditor

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The expertise our students can bring to your company ...even before they graduate!

Message from the Head of School

L eeds geography students have an opportunity to extend a three-year degree to a four-year programme by working for a year in industry

between Levels 2 and 3 of their degree. Whether they are a single honours or joint honours student, this opportunity will be presented to

them once they begin their degree programme with us. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain new skills, increase their employment

potential, earn some much needed money to support their studies and help them to decide upon their future career path.

Benefits for you as an employer ...

There are considerable advantages for

employers. Leeds geography students stand

out from the crowd due to their:

Ability to think flexibly and independently.

Motivation and high achievements.

Ability to analyse information and propose

creative solutions.

Ability to work as a team and value

difference.

Critical understanding of the commercial

sector and the needs of businesses.

Research, report writing and presentation

skills.

Project and time management skills.

Enthusiasm, commitment and talent.

Many of our students have gone on to work for

their industrial year companies following

graduation, bringing with them the skills and

expertise they have gained throughout their

geography degree at Leeds.

I just wanted to thank

the School for yet

another recruit. I

hope CACI will

continue to be a

source of

employment for

Leeds Geography/

GIS graduates over

the next few years.

We continue to be delighted with the quality of

your graduates, their knowledge of retail

location planning and their ability to work

effectively from day one.

Ian Thurman

Vice President, Location Planning, CACI

Interested in knowing more?

If you think your company might be interested

in placing a student for a year please contact

our External Relations Manager (and editor)

Tessa Grant to discuss this further.

A geography degree at

Leeds coupled with a

‘Year in Industry’

makes a student stand

out from the

crowd. On completion

of the ‘Year in

Industry’, I was offered

a permanent job

following graduation!

Paul Matthews

BA Geography Industrial, 2009, currently a

Location Planner at Javelin thanks to the Year

in Industry opportunity.

Recent Industrial Placements

Assistant Buyer, Mars

Demographics Analyst, Edge Analytics

Assistant Ecologist, Access Ecology

Property Management, King Sturge

Management Consultancy, Accenture

Operational Researcher, NHS

Risk Analyst, Lloyds Banking Group

Systems Implementer, Barnsley Council

Could you offer an industrial placement?

2012 is a significant

and auspicious year

– not only because of

the Olympics and

Diamond Jubilee --

but more importantly

in the world of higher

education because it

marks the

introduction of the new tuition fees.

The year is starting well for the School of

Geography - we are forecast to meet our

recruitment targets and have seen a rise in

applications for our BSc Programme. We have

sound finances despite the tough economic

climate and are currently seeking to recruit two

new Research Leadership Chairs able to

integrate their world class research and

teaching. We are also investing in the student

experience and have appointed a numeracy

fellow, alongside our existing literacy fellow to

support learning and we are further developing

our year in industry scheme. As mentioned

below, we would very much welcome offers

from our alumni to place a current student.

Indeed, the ‘Where are they now?’ section

provides testimony to the employability of

Leeds geographers.

The School remains committed to increasing

the impact of our research from a local to a

global scale. Articles from my colleagues

provide plenty of examples of the way our staff

and postgraduates are making important

contributions to international challenges on

climate change, the financial crisis and forced

migration as well as mapping emerging

social phenomenon such as cosmetic surgery

tourism and developing new ways of simulating

population and social change to inform all

aspects of planning/policy.

Lastly, on a personal note, this is my final

editorial as Head of School, as I will be leaving

at the end of August to take up a post of Pro-

Vice Chancellor at the University of Sheffield. I

would therefore like to thank all the staff and

students in the School for the support they

have given me and to offer my best wishes to

my successor for the future and the continued

success of Geography at Leeds.

Professor Gill Valentine

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Research news in briefPutting the ash clouds into perspective

Leeds student Kristina Diprose was selected as one of ten young people to representUK youth at UN climate negotiations in South Africa in November 2011. The talksbrought together negotiators and politicians from UN member states to work towards acoordinated international response to climate change. Kristina, a PhD student from theSchool of Geography, joined the international youth constituency and a coalition ofenvironmental NGOs calling for more urgent action and leadership.

As well as rubbing shoulders with the likes of UK Environment Minister Chris Huhne(as was), Greenpeace International Director Kumi Naidoo and UN climate talks headChristiana Figueres, Kristina also led environmental education workshops for Year 9pupils in Leeds and Durban to strengthen existing school partnerships. Since returninghome, she's planning follow-up seminars for young people in Leeds to raise awarenessabout youth involvement in international decision-making and to share inspiring storiesof climate action from young people around the world.

Can we change anything?

Geography PhD student represented UK Youth at Climatechange talks

An analysis of ash fallout over the past 7,000 yearssuggests ash clouds are a relatively commonoccurrence throughout history. But ash cloudshave only reached northern Europe every 56 out ofthe past 1,000 years on average. The research ispublished in the journal Geology.

Lead author of the study Dr Graeme Swindles,from the University of Leeds School of Geography,said: "The ash cloud resulting from the 2010Eyjafjallajökull eruption caused severe disruption toair travel across Europe, but as a geological event itis not unprecedented. While the aviation industryand the travelling public will welcome the news thatanother large-scale ash event isn't expected in theimmediate future, they shouldn't breathe a sigh ofrelief just yet.” To find out more click here

Dr Paul Chatterton featured in a short documentary looking atsolutions to the current world crisis, affecting us financially,environmentally and socially. Director Pelayo Canga met specialists totalk about the credit crunch, global warming and the protests that arehappening around the Globe - from the Arab world through to Spain,Greece and England and asks can we CHANGE anything?To view the documentary visit: http://vimeo.com/28510275

Paul has also had a new paper published, entitled “Demand thePossible: Journeys in changing our world as a public activist scholar.To view the paper click here

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Sun, Sea, Sand and Silicone: aesthetic surgery tourism

Dr David Bell is involved in an interdisciplinary project looking atBritons and Australians who participate in cosmetic surgery tourism,and at the countries and people that provide this service. It comprisesin-depth interviews and key on-site observations in order to explore thepeculiarly contemporary phenomenon of cosmetic surgery tourism andits connections to global flows of people and capital. Cosmetic surgerytourism has a crucial wider context: it is part of a general medicaltourism trend. Women and men travelling abroad for cosmetic surgeryare likely to become the pioneers of medical tourism and cosmeticsurgery is leading this growth industry because it is a largely privatizedhealthcare practice.

This research aims to broaden our understanding of the modes ofoperation of the organizations involved, the surgical tourist experience,and the potential implications for a globalized system of healthcareorganized around consumption. If you have previously had cosmeticsurgery abroad the research team would love to hear from you, email:k.r.jhardy@leeds.ac.uk

The impact of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) onUK river ecosystems

Asylum seekers and refugees’ experiences of forced labour

Pharmaceuticals find their way into theenvironment through sewage. Much recentresearch has focused on quantifying thepresence of PPCPs in the aquatic environmentand on understanding the ecotoxicological effectsof acute exposures of standard organisms (algae,invertberates, macrophytes and fish) in thelaboratory. However, very little is known about thelong-term effects of low level (chronic) exposuresand mixture toxicity to organisms in the aquaticenvironment and how these may impact onecosystem structure and function.To find out more contact: Steve Hughes, PhDstudent in the School of Geography.

Dr Hannah Lewis is an ESRC Research Fellow investigatingexperiences of forced labour among people who are refugees orseeking asylum. Her research interests include community andsocial relationships, migration and refugee studies; UKimmigration and asylum policy particularly in relation todestitution among refused asylum seekers; housing,volunteering, leisure, multiculturalism; and the ethics andmethodologies of research with migrant populations.

If you would like to find out more about Hannah’s researchplease email: h.j.lewis@leeds.ac.uk

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What future for the Amazon?Professor Oliver PhillipsChair of Tropical Ecology, School of Geography

The Amazon forest is vast and magnificent. So

huge in fact that it is possible to fly over it for

hours on end, with nothing below but a

seemingly endless carpet of green, interrupted

here and there by winding, giant rivers and

small ox-bow lakes. Sometimes the rivers are

coloured milk chocolate by the mud which

washes off the towering Andes to the west.

Sometimes they are sparkling and transparent,

draining the ancient, crystalline rocks of the

great Brazilian Shield to the south. And

sometimes they are like black tea, stained by

the tannins washed out from billions of leaves

rotting on the forest floor of the north, where

lush vegetation often grows on deep white

sands. The Amazon is many things to many

people. To a biologist or a physical geographer

it is something akin to paradise.

The sun glints back at you from these watery

surfaces, and it is easy to imagine that it was

always like this, and that it always will be. Yet

the forest is changing, and in many ways not

immediately obvious to the human eye. One

fifth of the Amazon rainforest has been

destroyed. While there are some optimistic

signs that deforestation can be controlled, the

destruction is undeniable, and more subtle

changes are occurring too. The climate is

changing. Where the big mammals and birds

are hunted out for food, the trees that need

these animals to disperse their seeds may

continue to fruit year after year, but their

seedlings have little chance of survival,

suffocated under the deep shade and heavy

load of fungal pathogens supplied by their

parents. Intensive hunting - eventually - can kill

tree species just as effectively as it kills

animals.

But there are reasons for hope too. One of

these is that people are realising the valuable

role that forests play in our climate – not only

do they recycle huge amounts of water and

bring rains that feed crops even beyond their

borders, but they also store huge amounts of

carbon (100 billion tonnes of it in the Amazon,

to the nearest 10 billion or so), so keeping it out

of the atmosphere. This benefits us all. Our

research has also found that for decades now,

trees in the forests which do remain have

actually been growing bigger, taking up an

extra half billion tonnes of carbon each year. In

fact, over recent decades tropical forests

worldwide have absorbed one fifth of global

fossil fuel emissions. In several ways then

nature, is doing us all a very big favour in

helping to slow climate change.

The question is though – for how long can this

continue? Like most of the world, tropical

forests have already warmed noticeably.

Continuing climate change means that it is

Sometimes the rivers arecoloured milk chocolate by themud which washes off thetowering Andes to the west...

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inevitable that the Amazon will become hotter

this century. It may also become drier. While

plants may be able to deal with extra heat, if

the great Amazon water-cycle becomes

disrupted and droughts also intensify they may

well find it harder to cope. Our research team

of more than 60 scientists has worked

throughout the Amazon for years, and now we

have the first solid evidence that drought can

cause big carbon losses in tropical forests,

mainly through killing trees.

We based our study on the unusual 2005

drought in the Amazon. This gave a glimpse

into the region’s potential future climate, in

which a warming tropical North Atlantic may

cause hotter and more intense dry seasons.

By measuring thousands of trees for years

before the drought and then through the event

itself, we were able to discover how they

responded to the unusual conditions.

The 2005 drought reversed decades of carbon

absorption in which nearly six million square

kilometres of Amazon forest has helped to slow

climate change. Yet in fact to our eyes, most of

the forest appeared as before - tree deaths did

increase but not enough to affect the complex

structure of the forest. Only by examining the

records from dozens of plots did we discover

an increase in the death rate of trees, one that

was linked to the increase in moisture stress

experienced. So, at the small scale of each plot

the effects were very modest, but because the

region is so vast, these small ecological effects

can scale-up to have a large impact on the

planet’s carbon cycle.

A few species were found to be especially

vulnerable, including some palm trees which

couldn’t get enough water to feed their huge

leaves. This means that as well as releasing

carbon, we can expect drought to have some

subtle but important effects on the forest’s plant

and animal species too. No other ecosystem on

Earth is home to so many species. If we fail to

stop climate change much of the forest itself

may remain, but the complicated fabric of life

which underpins it will certainly change. Some

species will gain. Others will lose, and many

adapted to the wettest areas may find

themselves with nowhere to go.

Yet the biggest danger to the Amazon is

probably not climate change. It is not even

hunting, or logging and agriculture and the

deforestation which accompanies it. Rather it is

the combination of climate change plus

development: a drier forest is certainly a

vulnerable forest but it will still remain a forest

unless it burns. Fires, set to clear land for

farming, can escape out of control in a drought.

Amazon trees evolved without fire and so they

have none of the protective features like thick

bark or heat-resistant seeds which their

relatives in areas which burn naturally have

evolved. Once burned, the canopy thins, dead

wood accumulates on the ground, the hot

tropical sunlight pours in, and the whole system

can be primed to burn again.

To keep the Amazon standing in a changing

climate will require better ways of living in the

region, with much less use of fire, and much

more value accruing to those forest dwellers

prepared to protect their land. Other models of

development exist. Using mixtures of compost

and charcoal, indigenous peoples have

managed to turn patches of normally nutrient-

starved tropical soils into artificial, rich ‘black

earths’ that can yield bountiful crops in small

farms. The push of industrial farming into

forests is driven by some unlikely forces –

including the meat that we eat (many cows in

Britain are fed with soya beans grown in the

Amazon), and global commodity demand which

make monocultures such as palm oil

plantations more attractive investments than

the hyper-diverse locally-managed forests they

replace. With knowledge and action these

forces can be reversed. And, last but not least,

if we can find ways to reward those countries

that help us all by keeping their climate-

protecting carbon-rich forests intact and

standing, the Amazon and its millions of

species may still have a bright future. It is in all

our interests to make sure it happens.

To find out more about the research

undertaken by Oliver Phillips visit his webpage

here.

Fires, set to clear landfor farming, can escapeout of control in adrought.

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The project will build on letters ofsupport from partners who includeGoogle, Ordnance Survey, and the HomeOffice .

My research is concerned with the movement

of people in cities. Social scientists at the

present time are engaged in the challenge of

constructing large-scale simulations of city

regions which can help to understand the

impact, and response strategies, to disease

outbreaks, plan transport networks, and

allocate land use to meet local development

goals. Simulations of this type are now under

consideration by the European Union for

funding as a Technology Flagship project

(www.futurict.eu) which would pump hundreds

of millions of euros of funding into this sub-

discipline over the next decade.

Those of you with long memories and greying

temples who were my contemporaries as

students in the 1970s or early 1980s may have

vague recollections of ‘urban and regional

modelling’ in the work of Alan Wilson, John

Stillwell, and several others. At that time, the

models were largely theoretical, powered by

abstract spatial relationships and the

occasional anecdotal insight about patterns of

commuting. In the 1980s, the advent of

Geographical Information Systems transformed

the situation into one in which the capture of

spatial data was commonplace, and models

became much more faithful representations of

geographical behaviour in the real world. My

own work at GMAP, with Alan Wilson again,

Martin Clarke and Graham Clarke, even

showed that such models could be exploited for

commercial gain in our work with retail and

service organisations like Asda-Walmart,

Exxon, Ford and HBOS. The more important

underlying message from these endorsements

is that the models really can be made to work

effectively.

Nowadays one of the dominant scientific

narratives is about data intensive research,

also known as the Fourth Paradigm (see for

example http://blogs.nature.com/ fourth

paradigm/). I’ll allow the more diligent amongst

you to identify the first three paradigms as this

month’s homework! In this latest paradigm

shift, the natural sciences are increasingly seen

as moving from the laboratory to the computer

(experiments ‘in silico’) the classic example

perhaps being the human genome project. Now

that the genome has been decoded, all we

need to work out is what it actually means. For

geographers, and indeed other social

scientists, similar challenges are emerging.

Take communications as an example. Every

day in the UK alone, mobile phone companies

are capturing hundreds of thousands of geo-

located text messages and ‘tweets’, and much

of these data are freely available for research

use. As with the genome, what we have to do

now is to try and figure out what it all means,

and this is what we need the models for.

The TALISMAN project has a focus on

GeospaTiAL Data AnalysIS and SiMulAtioN –

a somewhat contrived acronym I know! Our

aim is to begin to exploit reserves of spatial

data, which are not only vast but growing

rapidly, using a combination of modelling

techniques ranging from the classical (not just

Alan Wilson’s spatial interaction models, but

random utility theory and choice modelling,

Hagerstrand’s time-space prisms perhaps) to

much more novel approaches like agent-based

modelling and microsimulation. TALISMAN is

one of six nodes which are supported by the

Economic and Social Research Council to

constitute the National Centre for Research

Methods (www.ncrm.ac.uk) with guaranteed

funding for the next three years. It is the only

one of these nodes which draws from

geography as its disciplinary basis. The work

has a theoretical and intellectual dimension

which is immensely challenging (because the

abundance of hard evidence forces us to

rethink hitherto abstract ideas about ‘who does

what where’) but it is also very applied, and the

project will build on letters of support from

partners who include Google, Ordnance

Survey, and the Home Office, as well as

academic collaborators in four continents.

Please keep your eyes on the School of

Geography and ESRC websites for more news

on our progress. Do get in touch with us

directly if you feel that geographers could help

with the analysis of spatial data in your own

organisation or community!

TalismanMark Birkin talks about his research projectGeospaTiAL Data AnalysIS and SiMulAtioN

Mark Birkin is Professor of Spatial Analysis and Policy. His major research interest is insimulating social and demographic change within cities and regions, and in understandingthe impact of these changes on the need for services like housing, roads and hospitals.Mark is a co-editor of the journal Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy and a member of theeditorial board of Transactions in GIS. He is also on both the programme committee forthe European Social Simulation Association and the International Conference on e-SocialScience.

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This map has been produced by our partners at the Centre for Applied Spatial

Analysis at University College London. It shows variations in Twitter traffic across

London during a weekday. Contemporary information sources such as Twitter promise

researchers the opportunity to understand movement patterns in cities much more

deeply than ever before, and to shed new light on the (social) networks by which they

are connected. Geographers are also using new methods to increase public

engagement with the discipline: this map was viewed hundreds of thousands of times

after being ‘retweeted’ by Stephen Fry!

Equilibrium price distributions in a local network of petrol stations. A model reproduces

the reaction of Individual retailer ‘agents’ to disturbances such as a rise in crude oil

prices, or aggressive price cutting by a competitor outlet or chain. The model is

calibrated against daily price data, provided in this case by a third party, but which

now could just as easily be captured from volunteered geographical information such

as tweets or blogs.

Example 1. Crime Data

Many service organisations use geodemographic data to inform performance analysis and the allocation of resources. In this research, we

demonstrate that land use is equally important. For example, crime rates are high in areas of City Living according to the Office for National

Statistics neighbourhood classification, but primarily because of high levels of retail and business activity. This work is informed by land use

data newly released by the Ordnance Survey and related to the government’s Open Data initiative. More details: JISC GeoCrimeData.

So what does the data tells us ..?

Would you like to keep up to date withnews, events and graduate jobs?Join our facebook group, search under,University of Leeds, School of Geographyalumni.

Example 2. Twitter Data

Example 3. Retail Data

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Meet the staff Dr Graeme Swindles, Lecturer

Geography was one of myfavourite subjects at school… so Idecided to read it at university,which set my career path!

After graduating from Durham University with a

BSc (Hons) degree in geography I went to

Queen’s University Belfast to undertake a PhD

entitled ‘Reconstruction of Holocene climate

change from peatlands in the North of Ireland’.

This firmly established my interest in

environmental change over the past 10,000

years. After a brief stint working as an air

pollution scientist, I took a post as lecturer in

physical geography at the University of

Bradford (2007-2010). I am currently a lecturer

in earth system dynamics in the School of

Geography, University of Leeds.

I am particularly interested in how peatlands

respond to climate change and currently work

on several projects with colleagues in the

School including examining the long-term

dynamics of peatland in Peruvian Amazonia

and using palaeoenvironmental data and

computer models to investigate how the

hydrology of peatlands respond to rapid

climatic change. Analysis of peatland

responses to past events will improve our

understanding of what might happen in the

future - peatlands represent a significant global

carbon sink which is under threat.

In addition, I research volcanic ash layers

which are preserved in sediments and peats. In

a recent paper1 we presented an analysis of

volcanic ash layers found in peats and lake

sediments across northern Europe. We used

these along with historical records to calculate

that ash clouds from Icelandic eruptions have,

on average, reached northern Europe every 56

years over the past 1,000 years and there is at

least a 16% likelihood of this happening in any

10 year period. So ash clouds punching into

Northern Europe is a relatively common

occurrence. This is a good example of how

looking to the past can be very useful!

My research takes me to many interesting

places including Ireland, the Shetland Isles,

Peruvian Amazonia and Arctic Canada. Apart

from research, much of my time is taken up

with teaching our large cohort of undergraduate

students in the field, laboratory and lecture

theatre which is both enjoyable and rewarding.

What is in store for the future? Well, lots of

things! I am trying to develop some new

projects looking in more detail at the dynamics

of Arctic peatland and permafrost and I’m also

collaborating with archaeologists to see how

prehistoric people may have adapted to abrupt

climate change. Watch this space!

1Swindles, G.T., Lawson, I.T., Savov, I.P., Connor, C.B. and

Plunkett, G. 2011. A 7000-yr perspective on volcanic ash

clouds affecting Northern Europe. Geology 39, 887-890.

Contact me at g.t.swindles@leeds.ac.uk if you want a copy!

Graeme’s research interests are in the past! He is interested in using evidence from thepast to help understand how environments may change in the future. In particular heresearches the nature and causes of rapid climate change, long-term ecological andhydrological dynamics of peatlands, volcanic ash deposition and human responses toclimate change in prehistory. Visit Graeme’s web page here

Analysis of peatlandresponses to past events willimprove our understandingof what might happen in thefuture.

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Worldwide, peat stores make up at least a third

of global soil carbon. In the UK, peatlands are

the most important carbon store on the land

surface. However, recent work by staff in the

School of Geography has shown that natural

underground pipes are important pathways for

carbon loss in peatlands. Professor Joseph

Holden, Professor Andy Baird and Dr Pippa

Chapman have discovered that flows

transported through subsurface natural pipes

contribute 13% of river flow and yet contribute

21% of the fluvial carbon loss from peatlands.

They have monitored the carbon losses

through different natural pipes and found that

pipe outlets were also hotspots for greenhouse

gas release. However, despite being natural

features of peatlands, mapping the pipes by

using ground penetrating radar has shown

human action has accelerated the development

of pipes and hence the rate of underground

carbon loss. This is important because much of

this additional degradation is not visible on the

peat surface until pipes become so large that

they collapse to form gullies.

The team are now working with a local

company, Dinsdale Moorland Services, as part

of a TSB and NERC funded Knowledge

Transfer Partnership to use the geophysical

mapping techniques to improve our

understanding of peatland carbon stores and

losses while at the same time developing more

targeted peatland restoration actions.

The team hope that the work will also inform

management actions on peatlands such as

best practice for windfarms which, while acting

as a renewable energy source, also often

disturb sensitive peatland environments when

they are constructed, thereby potentially

releasing stored carbon from the peat into

rivers or the atmosphere.

To find out more about our work in this area

contact the research team here

For Peat’s Sake ...

Worldwide, peat stores makeup at least a third of globalsoil carbon.

Peatlands are the mostimportant carbon store onthe land surface.

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Reflections: Reflections: Professor Phil Rees looks back over 40 years in the School and the relationships that helped toshape and inform his career.

In July 2009 my colleagues John Stillwell and

Martin Clarke organized a symposium,

supported very generously by the School, to

mark my impending retirement from the School

shortly after my 65th birthday in September.

The papers presented at the Symposium were

assembled into a book Population Dynamics

and Projection Methods edited by John and

Martin and published by Springer

in 2011. The Springer web site enables you to

buy individual chapters as well as the whole

book. The symposium brought together as

speakers and audience many of the people

with whom I had worked over the previous four

decades.

To read how those pictured above helped

shape my career visit:

http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/alumni

A celebration ofthe work ofProfessor PhilRees

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I recall one afternoon, back in the 1970s,

wandering over from the Annex (41 University

Road and home to most of the Geography

postgrads in those days) to the main

Department (our current east Building) with a

new postgraduate colleague. On entering the

building, my companion espied a rather

unusual structure on display in the foyer (see

photo below). “What the hell is that?”, he

proclaimed with the curiosity of a promising

scholar, pointing to the structure confronting us.

“What’s an aquarium doing in a Department of

Geography? Who does research on fish

populations?”, he questioned. As we moved

closer, his inquisitiveness appeared to intensify

and I could see that he was considering

alternative interpretations. “My God”, he

declared, “Its an objet d’art! Is there someone

in the Department that does sculpture?”

I realised it was time to intervene and offer

some explanation in defence of its creator who

happened to be my supervisor, Dr Phil Rees,

as he was at the time. So I launched into a

rather feeble attempt to explain individual time-

space transitions and population accounting

methods based on different types of data.

“Wow”, he said, “so quantitative population

geographers still use physical models!”.

Reflecting on this, I realise that Phil has always

been creative in presenting important

demographic concepts in a variety of formats:

textual; algebraic; mathematical; graphical as

well as physical! And I have always felt very

privileged to have been one of his PhD

students; not the first, John King and Paul

Smith were already under his wing when I

started my research as an ESRC funded

student in October 1973, but one of the early

cohort in a Department governed in those

years alternately by Alan Wilson and Mike

Kirkby.

The early 1970s were exciting days for

quantitative geographers and I had completed

a degree in Geography and Economics, taking

a final year course on Urban and Regional

Analysis taught by Phil, Alan and Christine

Leigh that I had found particularly inspiring (and

did the exams for all my courses for two years

in the summer of 1973!). I should say also that I

had encountered Phil previously in my second

year as an undergraduate when he arrived

from Chicago in 1971 with a rather strange

Anglo-Welsh-American accent (using words

like ‘gotten’ and ‘for sure’) and a rather large

PhD thesis which he brought to his first lecture

and proudly used as his lecture notes!

Phil offered me the chance to stay on as a

postgraduate student under his mantle and I

was very pleased to accept, although I confess

that my decision to do so was partly driven by

the opportunity for another three years of

playing university rugby and cricket! In the

event, Phil was very good about my extra-

curricular activities, though I recall some rather

‘difficult’ 9-10am supervision sessions following

late nights out on the town. As all those who

have been supervised by Phil will know, those

sessions could be rather intense – but Phil’s

characteristic approach of ensuring that all

thoughts and ideas were always

comprehensively converted into written notes

and diagrams, photocopied and presented to

you at the end of the meeting, were immensely

valuable for subsequent reference.

I very much enjoyed my regular meetings with

Phil; whenever I tried to articulate some point

or other in a rather naive way, he seemed to

understand what I was thinking and it was rare

that, sometimes after an extended period of

pause for thought, an answer was not

forthcoming. I also felt well looked after – my

peers might see their supervisors once a month

and those with Alan Wilson as their supervisor

were lucky if they saw him once a term!

Since I have known him, Phil has always given

sound advice on both research related and

career matters and, on almost every occasion,

his advice has proven to be right. I was always

astounded by his knowledge of all matters

relating to ‘the Census’ and of the way in which

the national statistical office (OPCS in those

days) operated. I felt certain that Phil knew

more about the Census process than any one

who actually worked for OPCS, including the

National Statistician. The population /

demography conference circuit, both in the UK

and abroad, was one with which Phil engaged

closely and in which he always appeared to

feel very comfortable. It was a great bonus for

me to attend conferences and meet many of

the key population researchers across the

world – many of whom Phil introduced me to –

and all of whom knew Phil personally or by

reputation. He seemed to come into his own at

conferences and meetings, enjoying the

opportunity to mix with kindred spirits.

Conference chairs came to rely on Phil to ask

questions and take copious notes on all the

presentations, regardless of their relevance to

his own interests. But Phil also relishes

discussion of more serious matters in less

formal circumstances, see below!

I have thoroughly enjoyed studying and

working alongside Phil since those halcyon

days in the 1970s. I have been fortunate that

we have been friends and colleagues, but I

also know him as a most esteemed academic

whose reputation is truly ‘world class’ (check

out his CV here if you want the details). It was

a great pleasure for Martin Clarke and I to be

able to bring together so many of those people

who have worked with Phil over the last 40

years to celebrate his retirement in 2009,

although we both realised that retirement was

never on the cards. Perhaps semi-retirement

will allow for the creation of another new

‘object’. We will need something to enliven our

new building!

Reflections: Reflections: Professor John Stillwell recalls a 40 year relationship as student, colleague and friend of a world-class population geographer!

‘Fishtank’ or objet d’art!?

Getting down to some serious business at a Dialog-Plus meeting at Penn State in 2005

14

Samantha Brear BA (Hons) Geography 2008,Emergency Management Specialist in Iowa

I graduated in 2008 with a BA in Geography

having completed a dissertation on Hurricane

Ivan that hit the Cayman Islands in 2004. This

led to several research trips to the islands, my

own personal experience of a hurricane and

their effects and an ongoing interest in

emergency management related to this type of

major weather event.

Encouraged by Dr. Grainger and particularly

enjoying my modules in Natural Disasters and

Geopolitics, I planned out a career path in the

disaster management field starting with

volunteering with the Red Cross in Los Angeles

to expand my knowledge and to help me

decide what area of emergency management

would best suit my expertise and help me make

a difference. I soon realised that if I wanted to

get involved in the field in the States on a

Federal level, I would need a Masters degree in

Emergency Management. So, I began a

Masters and also interned with the local

government, helping them with re-writing their

emergency management plans and working for

a private consultancy group where my project

work included hands-on emergency

management training with multiple healthcare

workers to see if they were prepared for a virus

pandemic.

During this time I also worked for the Red

Cross in disaster response work, including

assisting during and after a massive apartment

block fire on New Year's Eve that resulted in 48

people being made homeless. In addition, I

participated in "ride-alongs" with the local fire

department to familiarise myself with the

workings of the response teams and gained

valuable experience of the work of the

emergency responders.

Having completed my Masters in 2011,

together with my internship and volunteering

experience and with a network of disaster

management contacts, I was able to secure a

post as an Emergency Management

Programme Specialist at county level in Des

Moines, Iowa. With responsibility for

emergency management planning in the county

and coordinating the three 911 dispatch

centres in the county. I will be working closely

with local police and fire departments as well

as other state and federal agencies. It’s an

exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to

the challenges ahead.

My geography degree at Leeds has set me in

good stead for my speciality work in emergency

management planning. The professors that

taught and encouraged me at the School of

Geography had a profound impact on my

career and where I am today.

If you are interested in this field of work please

look at the International Association of

Emergency Managers website, www.iaem.com.

Profiling alumni

The professors that taught andencouraged me at the Schoolof Geography had a profoundimpact on my career andwhere I am today.

““

15

Martine Croxall BA (Hons) Geography 1990,Presenter: BBC News24 / Extreme Weather, Green.TV

The fortnightly Extreme Weather series

features the latest reports and analysis on

extreme weather events around the world. If

there’s a drought, hurricane, freak snowstorm

or severe flooding, Extreme Weather will cover

the story and the science behind the headlines

– with expert analysis from leading

meteorologists and weather data from Vestas.

In the first episode of Extreme Weather Martine

looked at the devastating floods which hit

Thailand, claiming 500 lives and costing the

country an estimated $4 billion, freak snow

storms in the US, the coldest places on earth,

dust storms in Texas and the likelihood of

climate change bringing on more extreme

weather. Subsequent episodes have featured

South East Asia battered by tropical storms,

severe flooding in Australia, deadly tornadoes,

the Texas drought and the foggiest places on

Earth.

To watch these episode and tune in to

upcoming reports visit: http://green.tv/

videos/extreme-weather-2011/

Richard Rowney graduated from The University

of Leeds in 1992 with a 1st Class Honours

degree in Geography. Shortly after, Richard

embarked on a successful career within the

financial services industry and is currently the

managing director of Life & Pensions at

LV=, one of the UK's leading and fastest

growing insurance companies.

Richard joined Barclays in early 1992 and

during his fourteen year tenure was Small

Business Risk Director, Chief Operating Officer

of Premier Banking and Integration Director for

Woolwich and Barclays retail bank.

During his time at Barclays, Richard completed

his banking qualifications and became an

Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers

and then undertook an MBA at Henley

Management College. Richard was fortunate

enough to participate in a six month course at

Harvard Business School in 2006, where he

studied alongside some of the future senior

leaders of global companies.

Richard joined LV= in February 2007 as Group

Chief Operating Officer and was appointed to

the Board in August 2007. As Group COO,

Richard was responsible for the transformation

programme that saw LV= successfully re-brand

and develop trading businesses that have

delivered unprecedented growth and

recognition. In March 2010 Richard was

appointed Managing Director of LV= Life &

Pensions leading a strategy to become the

UK’s leading ‘in & at retirement’ and protection

specialist.

Richard remains passionate about education

and for the last four years has been Vice-Chair

of the governing body of Bournemouth & Poole

College.

Richard Rowney BA (Hons) Geography 1992,Managing Director of Life & Pensions at LV=

16

Craig Morley BA (Hons) Geography 2005HM Diplomatic Service, Foreign & CommonwealthOffice

After graduation in 2005, I took up a job as a

lecturer at a university in Hebei Province, China

(just outside Beijing). I taught what can best be

described as a “culture” module to

undergraduate English majors, covering topics

such as the politics, economics and history of

English-speaking countries. My contract ended

in Summer 2006 and, shortly after, I took up a

role with the Chinese Government as an Editor

of English language feature stories (for foreign

publications) for the Xinhua News Agency.

I left that role six months into my contract and

took up another contract position working for

the British Embassy in Beijing as locally

engaged member of staff investigating visa

fraud and abuse. My contract at the British

Embassy ended in November 2007 and I

decided it was time to return to the UK.

I decided to turn my journey home into an epic

train journey from Beijing to my parents’ village

of Finstock, Oxfordshire. I took the trans-

Siberian express - from Beijing to Moscow (via

Mongolia). After a few days sightseeing in

Moscow, I took the train to St Petersberg where

I stayed with a Russian family for a few days

for some more sightseeing. I then boarded the

train from St Petersberg to Berlin (via Minsk

and Warsaw). I’d never been to Berlin before

so that was a treat - especially for someone

who was obsessed with all things World War II

as a child!

The next legs of the trip were non-stop to

Oxfordshire, via Cologne, Brussels and London

Waterloo. A trip which took me just over two

weeks and one I will never forget!

After arriving back in the UK I took up a few

temping jobs before securing a permanent

position as Constituency Assistant to the MP

for Reading East, Rob Wilson. Within two

months I was promoted to Parliamentary Aide

where I spent two years working for Rob,

helping him with his reelection in the 2010

General Election.

Two weeks after the Election I started my

career at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office -

something I had been working towards since

my final year at Leeds. The recruitment

process took a year, with a really intense

period of vetting. I was delighted when I turned

up on my first day and learned of my first job in

the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), in

the Conflict Department’s Peacekeeping Team.

I’m still in this position, although my tour comes

to an end in May 2012 when I can either take

up an overseas posting or another London-

based role.

My job has a great deal of responsibility

attached to it. I lead on UK policy for three UN

peacekeeping missions (in Western Sahara,

Timor-Leste and Kashmir). I also co-manage

the UK’s £450m budget for UN peacekeeping

(1/3 of the FCO’s budget!) and work on building

strategic alliances and partnerships on UN

peacekeeping issues. I accompanied my head

of department to Pretoria in September 2011 to

further develop our relationship with the South

Africans on a range of conflict issues. They are

an increasingly important partner for us on a

whole range of issues in Africa.

However, my most interesting trip with the FCO

so far was visiting the UN peacekeeping

mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in

October last year. The mission was set up in

1991 to monitor a ceasefire between Morocco

and the Frente Polisario - a Sahrawi

independence group. I spent two days with the

peacekeeping mission: mostly meetings and

briefings on the first day; but on the second day

I had the opportunity to visit two team sites.

One on the Moroccan-occupied side of the

Berm (a sand wall which acts as a separation

Travelling onthe TransiberianExpress

17

barrier between the two sides) in Smara, the

other in Mehaires on the Polisario-controlled

side.

The trip not only made me more aware of the

vastness of Western Sahara, but also the

hardships UN troops go through in order to

keep the peace in some of the most remote

and harsh regions of the world. I’m hoping to

use my trip to help shape the UK’s approach to

the mission’s mandate renewal at the UN in

April - which will include drafting text for the UN

Resolution passed by the Security Council.

I thoroughly enjoy my job at the FCO and am

looking forward to what will hopefully be a long

and fruitful career. Looking back however, my

experiences in China, my interest in domestic

politics and my desire to work for the FCO are

all thanks to the fantastic time I had at Leeds

studying Geography. It broadened my horizons

and allowed me to get where I am today! I also

wouldn’t have met my beautiful wife - who I met

whilst living in China!

Craig with the Western Sahara UNpeacekeeping mission

Craig meetingDavid Cameron

18

Friday 1 July 2011 was a fantastic afternoon

of sharing tales and getting up to date with youall. After half a lifetime apart it is amazing quitehow quickly we once again reverted to type i.e.,afternoon drinking, talking about how greatgeography is and moaning that the kids of todayhave no idea what hard work is.

I must admit that there was some trepidation in this return journey -

would the Leeds of today live up to my rose tinted view of the past?

Whilst the buildings in the University, and indeed in the centre of town,

have changed the atmosphere remained as I remembered and

cherished it. More to the point each and every one of those in

attendance lived up to my memories - both students and staff. I

managed to spend a few hours on Saturday walking the old haunts of

Devonshire, the Hyde Park Picture House, Woodhouse Moor etc.,

before catching the train back home, happy days! The only

disappointment of the day was the fact the Old Bar was closed for

renovation - surely Martyn that should have been your first

consideration when arranging the date...

Thanks to one and all who arranged the get together

and to everyone who made the effort to come back

and celebrate a key part of all of our lives - it felt like

21 hours rather than 21 years since I had last seen

the majority of you (other than the grey hair, few extra

pounds etc...)! I look forward to our next get together.

Jonathan Fairhurst

Meeting up with old friends ... Class of 1990 visit old haunts

Thank you very much forhosting the Class of 1990last Friday - we all had awonderful afternoonback in the School ofGeography.

I think it has whetted ourappetite so we may notleave it another 21 yearsbefore we come backagain.

Martine Croxall

“

“

D ĂƌƟŶĞ��ƌŽdžĂůůTerence Paul

Simon Breasley

Billy Wheeler Claie Gill

Andy Taylor

19

Meeting up with old friends ...Class of 1990 visit old haunts!

On behalf of the class of1990, I would like to thankthe geography staff for their support and turningup on a Friday afternoonon the last day of term. In1990 I never would havethought I would bechatting with Mike Kirkbyover a glass ofwine 21years later!

Martyn Pilley

Really great to see everyone again and revisitLeeds, the University and the GeographyDepartment after all these years!

Pete Hindmarsh

“ “

“

“

Pete Hindmarsch

Jonathan Fairurst Simon Breasley

�ŚĂƌůŽƩ Ğ�̂ ƚĞǁ Ăƌƚ

Emma Bull

20

Meeting up with old friends ... Let’s Party like it’sReunions are often nerve-inducing affairs.

Fear of the unknown, not living up to

others’ (or indeed, our own) expectations,

digging up old tales lost to the years that

have passed, and those awkward “sorry,

who are you?” moments have all served as

personal reasons for me not attending

various events over the years.

Take John Cusack’s character, Martin Blank, in

the 1997 movie Grosse Pointe Blank. Blank, a

contract hitman (a career path somewhat

encouraged by his disaffection toward his

hometown, and the folk who live therein),

reluctantly accepts an invitation to attend his

ten-year High School reunion. Once back in

town, he’s reunited with his once-scorned high

school sweetheart whom he’s never quite got

over, and faces the dilemma of what to tell his

old classmates what he now does for a living.

Not really my idea of an enjoyable evening out.

OK, so perhaps it’s a tad melodramatic to be

making comparisons to the reunion at Grosse

Pointe, but the thought of reuniting hasn’t really

appealed over the years. Sure, back in 1999

when we graduated from the School of

Geography, there were many promises to ‘keep

in touch’. But remember folks, this was right

back at the dawn of the digital age, we hadn’t

been using email for long (I can still remember

the lectures on how to use search engines and

email) and very few of us had mobile phones

as undergraduates. The world wasn’t nearly as

connected as it is today. Even now, in the age

of social networking, it’s been years since I’ve

seen my closest coursemates, bar the odd

photo on Facebook.

In the first couple of years following graduation

there were meet-ups with close friends, but

over time contact waned, folks moved on and

as the 10th anniversary of our graduation came

and went in 2009, the prospect of a ‘reunion’-

proper seemed very unlikely.

Then, in late Spring this year I happened to be

working in the same building as one of my

fellow long-lost Geographers, Dmitri Wychrij. I

don’t recall the exact details, but the idea of

organising a reunion was mooted. I flippantly

agreed it was a good idea (well, it was ‘about

time’) but deep down thought it might just go

away, if I forgot about it. Not so …

It wasn’t long before I received a Facebook

message from Dmitri, suggesting a couple of

possible dates. This really wasn’t going to go

away. Dusting off my Geography Yearbook, I

promptly set about tracking down all those that

we were no longer personally in contact with.

Legitimate facebook stalking at its best.

Suddenly, those Grosse Pointe-inspired nerves

were no longer there – this was actually quite

exciting. “What if we manage to get everyone

back together? How cool would that be?”

One by one, I found and messaged the vast

majority of those who had contributed to the

Yearbook. Now, sit back and wait for the

replies to come in. Some did reply, others

didn’t. A few yes’s, mostly nos. Perhaps we’d

left it too late – should’ve organised something

sooner, kept everyone interested. I was bitterly

disappointed. “Shouldn’t have even bothered”.

Having said that, the process of finding these

long lost souls and reconnecting, albeit

virtually, was rather cathartic in itself. An online

reunion, of sorts. It was great to see old faces

again, amidst their post-University lives, and as

the day of our now mini-meet approached it

didn’t really matter that attendance on the day

would be even poorer than many of the

lectures.

I was first to arrive at our meeting place of

choice: The Original Oak in Headingley (where

else?). While sipping from my first pint, the

nerves set in again: most of those who would

be attending I hadn’t seen at all since

graduation. “What would we talk about?” While

I’ve stayed in Leeds since University, others

would be coming from further afield. “Would it

be worth their effort?”

I soon discovered that the nerves would be

short-lived (perhaps that was the beer?). One

by one, familiar faces from years-past started

to appear in the Oak’s beer garden. Tim

John Cusackin Grosse Pointe Blank

In the garden of the OriginalOak in Headingley

21

Meeting up with old friends ... Let’s Party like it’s (class of) 1999!Newman, Dmitri, Charlie Webber. So far, so

bald. At least the four of us had something in

common, 12 years on.

The conversation was flowing faster than the

booze. At the end of the day, these guys

weren’t my closest pals at Uni, but we were

exchanging stories and recalling events from

our days together at a rate of knots.

Then more; Robin Hiley, and Claire Brown

(incidentally, Clare’s the only one of us to have

put her degree to use, and is now a geography

teacher. Clearly, she was paying attention

during lectures!). Next up, Cat Robertson and

Lizzie Fox– still inseparable after all these

years.

The conversation and laughter continued as

the sun drew in, and the afternoon became

colder. Still, we sat in that beer garden retelling

tales of field trip tomfoolery, and updating each

other on what we are all up to these days.

Finally, our last – and arguably most

distinguished – invitee arrived; Prof Graham

Clarke. Graham was Head of School in our

final year, and we were all looking forward to

catching up with him. Graham hasn’t changed

much over the years. Granted, his hair is a lot

whiter these days, but he’s still got his razor-

sharp wit, and he could still drink me under the

table today, as he could back in 1999.

Graham was on top form, and before long, our

little gathering was getting on so well that it felt

like we’d never been apart. Photos, beer and

chat galore – my nerves had been completely

misguided! The finer details of what happened

next will remain a closely guarded secret

amongst those in attendance, but let’s just say

it involved our old Yearbook, a red pen, and

some very candid ‘regrading’ of each and every

entry.

As the good times continued and dusk settled

in, a brief, obligatory, visit was made to the

SkyRack before we jumped on the Number 16

and headed into town for a spot of karaoke and

a Chinese buffet, Graham still in tow, to end the

night in style.

Our small, but perfectly-formed reunion had

been a total success! A great night out,

catching up with old friends – we really should

have made the effort sooner. As we clambered

into our respective taxis at the end of the

evening we all agreed that 12 more years was

far too long to wait, and that we should plan a

further meet-up for 2012.

And with that, we’re back where we started. To

all of you from the Class of 1999 – we’re

planning to get together again on Saturday, 23

June 2012 in Leeds. So, if you want to know

exactly what was scribed in your Yearbook,

forget any nerves or trepidation you might

have, and get in touch. We’ll be looking forward

to seeing more of you on our post-graduate

‘field trip’ next year!

brianjonfletcher@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/brianjonfletcher

Graham Clarke with theyear book - but where’sthe red pen?

Montpellier field class in1999 singing competitionin full flow!

If you would like organise a reunion but have lost touch with many ofyour former classmates, drop me a line and I can put you in contact withothers from your year group: Tessa Grant, t.j.grant@leeds.ac.uk

22

Alumni Q & AEmily Ledder, BAGeography 1998

I work for Natural England, which is an

Executive Non-departmental Public Body

responsible to the Secretary of State for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The

purpose of Natural England is to protect

and improve England’s natural

environment and encourage people to

enjoy and get involved in their

surroundings. My role sits within the part

of the organisation working with farmers

and land managers in agri-environments

schemes. These schemes provide

funding to deliver good stewardship of

land and management which improves

the quality of the environment. I am also

the Natural England’s hedgerow specialist

and champion this habitat both internally

and externally.

Fondest memories of timespent at UoL?

Hanging out with housemates in the parlour

of the 4th Floor, Dobree House, Charles

Morris, celebrating the end of exams sat

outside the Union in the sunshine with a

Snakey-B, playing hilarious games of racket

ball, geography fieldtrips.

Favourite courses/modules?

It’s quite hard to cast my memory back so

far! I think I remember really enjoying

glaciology and things to do with rivers

best. Probably easier to remember my least

favourite.......soil science and meteorology.

Too scientific for me!

Typical night out as a UoLstudent?

Students Union, Ritzy’s, CocSoc.

Fellow graduates youremain in contact with?

Since graduating I have kept in touch

sporadically with Emily Cronin (nee Ray) and

Rosemary Slack, plus a handful of other ex

University of Leeds graduates.

Most embarrassing momentas a student?

It was probably so embarrassing I have

erased it from my memory!

Has a geography degreebeen useful in your careerchoice?

Different elements of my degree have been a

thread throughout my career to date, ranging

from understanding maps and cartography to

the science of soils and geomorphology.

If you could bringsomething extinct back tolife what would it be?

The Baiji River Dolphin

If you were a kangaroo,what would you carry inyour pouch?

My Sprocker Spaniel, Spindle.

What is your favouriteholiday destination?

The mountain regions of the UK, especially if

they have a dusting of snow.

23

Alumni Q & ARebecca ChurchillBA Geography 1990

Hospital Director—SpireSouthampton Hospital

Fondest memories of timespent at UoL?

Too many to recall - keeps me smiling.

Favourite courses/modules?

I loved the natural resources and

environmental risk courses as I found them

thought provoking and topical (e.g. was BSE

a risk to humans?). It also got me a job on a

coalmine in central Queensland when I

travelled around Austalia after my degree - I

blagged my way into doing a risk study after

polluted water was pumped over the highwall

and the rain dried up so it wasn't washed

away and diluted and the cattle for 100 miles

started to get sick. My work prevented the

graziers making a claim against the mine.

Has a geography degreebeen useful in your careerchoice?

Yes, it gives you a broad range of skills

which have stood me in good stead

throughout my career. I have to say though,

even today it does still raise some eyebrows

and cries of incredulity in interviews!

Typical night out as a UoLstudent?

Lots of snakebite and a curry!

Fellow graduates youremain in contact with?

Not all Geography students though - Martine,

Karen, Paul, Tony, Simon, Lindsey and Scott

(you all know who you are!).

Most embarrassing momentas a student?

Singing a Geography Rhapsody to Queen's

Bohemian Rhapsody at the Geog Soc review

dressed in gowns, stockings and

suspenders! Thanks for making me relive it!!!

Which living person do youmost admire and why?

My friend who is a single parent and is

battling breast cancer. She has remained

positive and happy the entire time (a year

and a half so far). She has not complained or

felt sorry for herself once. It is humbling.

If you could bringsomething extinct back tolife, what would it be?

The Javan Tiger or a Female Pinta Tortoise

for Lonesome George so he wouldn't be

lonesome any more!

If you were a kangaroo,what would you carry withyou in your pouch?

Wine and Chocolate (for emergencies of

course).

What is your favouriteholiday destination?

Anything with wide open spaces (Australia,

South Africa, Antarctica) and the Galapagos!

If you’d like to complete a Q & A drop me an email:geo-alumni@leeds.ac.uk

24

The write stuffStudents in the Faculty of Environment arehoning their writing skills with expert adviceand help from Livi Michael, a professionalauthor and member of the Royal Literary Fund

Livi is the second author to be appointed in the

faculty under an RLF Fellowship scheme which

is run in partnership with British universities

and colleges. The scheme funds and places

professional writers in institutions for a two-year

period, during which they offer writing support

and advice to undergraduates.

“We were keen to offer writing support within

the faculty and the RLF scheme seemed like

an ideal solution,” says Pro-Dean for Learning

and Teaching Martin Purvis. “We applied in

2008 and were lucky enough to get our first

fellow – Paul Sayer – almost immediately. That

proved so successful that, when Paul’s time

with us was over, we jumped at the chance to

host Livi’s fellowship.

“Livi is with us two days a week. Students

consult with her on a voluntary basis,

sometimes responding to a tutor’s

recommendation. They book in for hour long

slots during which they can discuss particular

problems. Last year, Livi delivered just over

200 consultations in total and held

surgeries in the Schools of Geography and

Earth and Environment. Although the service

is confidential, we’ve received feedback that

students really value the help that a

professional author like Livi can provide.” Livi,

too, is enthusiastic about the Fellowship,

saying: “It’s a fabulous scheme, and one of the

best ways of employing a writer’s ability to help

people understand the features that

make a good piece of writing. Often it’s not the

fact that students haven’t been working hard,

instead they’ve almost been doing too much

and they’re drowning in a sea of information! I

talk to them about things like note taking, how

to frame an argument and sentence

construction. Although I’ve no specialist

environmental knowledge, I can see clearly

how essay structure and writing style can be

improved.

“Personally, it’s given me the freedom and

income to work on my next novel. The scheme

is a great initiative and I’d love to see more

disciplines and more universities take on RLF

Fellows to help their students.”

The RLF’s Director of Education Steve Cook

says: “When the Fellowships began in 1999 it

was more common for English departments to

host Fellows. Over the years we’ve got better

at broadening the base and now we’re

delighted that around a third of

Fellows are working mainly with science,

business or social science students. Leeds is a

flagship post in this respect. “For our Fellows,

working on campus is a refreshing change from

the normally reclusive life of a professional

writer: they love the variety of students they

encounter and feel that they have something

unique to offer in return. Students are generally

appreciative of the help they get and kind

enough to tell the Fellows what improvements

they see in their work. That makes for excellent

job satisfaction!

“We trust that University staff see the Fellow as

an ally in the overall enterprise of helping

students get the best possible marks and

learning experience. We provide added value

to what the University already offers. And the

wonderful thing is that it’s all paid for by the

independent charitable income of the RLF,

thanks to bequests made by authors such as

Somerset Maugham and A.A. Milne.”

More information visit www.rlf.org.uk/ and

www.livimichael.com/

How do I get back in touch with peoplefrom my course?

If you have lost touch with friends from your coursethe first place to look for them is on the on-linenetworking database at www.alumni.leeds.ac.uk. Ifthe people that you are looking for are not on thedatabase you can email Tessa Grant att.j.grant@leeds.ac.uk. If we have contact details forthe person concerned, we will contact them and askthem to get in touch with you.

Finding Lost Friends

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