In the news: 10-16 July 2020

A round-up of mentions of our students and staff in the media during the past week.

Speaking to The Times this weekend, fine artist, painter and student Samantha Ellis, talked about how she’s used art competitions to channel her creativity in lockdown (feature behind a paywall).

Dean of Learning and Teaching Ale Armellini was interviewed by BBC Radio Northampton’s John Griff about our approach to teaching and learning and how this meant our students could continue with their studies during lockdown (starts at 1:16:30).

Film Studies student Jack Lawrence spoke to the Daily Mail about what it was like to have Covid-19. His story also featured in several other publications.

Social Work (MA) student Nancy Tsvara appeared on BBC Radio Leicester talking about the charity she created to help deliver ethnic traditional foods to vulnerable members of her local community (starts at 2:37:55).

The University joined the Light it in Read initiative to highlight how the UK’s entertainment sector, post-Covid-19, needs financial support by having our Energy Centre’s ‘Power Tower’ illuminated in red, as reported in Live Production and other tech blogs.

Our Institute for Creative Leather Technologies helped healthcare clothing charity Scrubs Up for Northants NHS, dyeing half a tonne of material to be used to make clinical ‘scrubs’, as reported in Northants Life.

The finalists for the 2020 Graduate Fashion Foundation Awards have been named, including our very own Footwear student Anna Melegh, as reported by Fashion United.

Fine Art student Georgia Watkins talk to BBC Radio Northampton’s Wayne Bavin about her photo-diary project #lookingoutlookingup that is collecting people’s photographs as they look up or out of their windows during lockdown and explains how you can take part (starts at 2:20:12).

During the same show, Senior Lecturer in Journalism and former Westminster correspondent Kate Ironside gave an update on where we are with Brexit and what’s coming up, including the new, points-based #immigration system announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel (starts at 3:10:30).

Our regular coronavirus expert Dr Steve O’Brien was back in the BBC Radio Northampton studio talking about the politics of face masks and updating listeners about the latest developments with the pandemic  (1:12:20; 1:48:15; 2:10:45; 2:18:50).

Childhood and Adolescence MSc Psychology student Devyani Singha spoke to BBC Radio Three Counties about her experience of the lockdown and how the University has been super supportive (from 12:30 in)

Senior Lecturer Clare Bramer’s research into Adult Nursing students’ views about online learning was reported in the Nursing Times.

Paul Smith from our Business Support team spoke to BBC Radio Northampton about their work during the pandemic supporting people who are starting new businesses (starts 2:13:00 in).

Our oldest ever PhD student, Dr Charles Betty, received his doctorate two years ago. Now, at the age of 97, he’s researching the impact Covid-19 is having on the ex-pat community in Spain, as reported by the Olive Press.

University staff buddied up with international students living in halls during the pandemic spoke about the initiative, as reported in the Chronicle and Echo.

Senior Lecturer in Engineering Abdeldjalil Bennecer praised the work of one his apprenticeship students in achieving his Level 6 Non Destructive Technologies Engineer Degree, as reported in several trade publications, including Operations Engineer.