Latest Faculty News Stories
5:2 fasting diet is a recipe for unhappiness
1 February 2013
Pushing the 5:2 fasting diet is a recipe for unhappiness
Comments by Prof Jane Ogden
National Student Survey Success for the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences
1 February 2013
National Student Survey Success for the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences
Several subjects within the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences have seen significant rises in the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS).
Music (98% overall satisfaction) and Politics (96% overall satisfaction) now top the table in their respected disciplines whilst Dance, Sound Recording, Creative Writing and Psychology all make into the top 10 in their areas.
Success of 'Any Questions?' event
31 January 2013
The University of Surrey’s School of Politics hosted BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions? in the Ivy Arts Centre on Friday the 25th of January 2013.
Psychology in the media
31 January 2013
Recently, several academics from the School of Psychology have found themselves speaking about the School’s research on Radio 4.
Surrey enjoys a record year for student applications
30 January 2013
The University of Surrey can confirm that applications for places on undergraduate courses starting in 2013 are up 38% compared to last year.
Record-breaking building features graduate’s soaring soundtrack
30 January 2013
The project to build the tallest building in Western Europe has brought together an array of former music and sound recording students, who together have helped ensure a little piece of Surrey is encaptured in The Shard.
Final Year Surrey Dance student Rachel Gildea works on BBC programme
29 January 2013
Final Year Surrey Dance student Rachel Gildea has been working on creating a television programme called Elements this January, using dance and animation. The programme has been commissioned and produced by the BBC and will be broadcasted in March 2013. It will be used in a number of primary schools nationally as a stimulus for learning.
The movement was choreographed by dance artist, Gaby Agis.
Barbican Centre's PitLAB scheme
29 January 2013
Tom Armstrong, lecturer and Programme Director in the Department of Music and Sound Recording, has successfully obtained a place on the Barbican Centre's PitLAB scheme. He will be using this opportunity to undertake development sessions for his new multimedia work, Athena and Arachne, from 11-13 February
Prof Tony Myatt, School of Arts - Artist in residency
25 January 2013
Prof Tony Myatt, School of Arts, will take up an artists’ residency next week at the Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh, joining wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson in a project called In Britten’s Footsteps.
New project: 'Gender and classifiers in natural language'
24 January 2013
In the new project “Gender and classifiers in natural language”, linguists from the Surrey Morphology Group are investigating languages which combine grammatical gender and classifiers.
Senior Lecturer (Sociology) Job advert
23 January 2013
Job Vacancy (Ref: 9203)
The University of Surrey is seeking applications for a senior lectureship in the Department of Sociology. You will join a Department that is consistently ranked world-class, was rated joint 6th in the last RAE and consistently achieves top scores in the NSS.
Deadline for DTC PhD Applications
23 January 2013
The deadline for DTC PhD Applications for the Shool of Politics is Friday 1st February 2013.
Theatre Society awarded £1,500 from the Surrey Pitching4projects
23 January 2013
Theatre Society was awarded £1,500 from the Surrey Pitching4projects fund sponsored by Santander.
It was a dragons den style competition which required applicants to present a 5minute pitch for any project. Theatre Studies was commended for its sustainability, initiative and because our main focus was helping all Surrey Students to improve their skills and confidence.
CAQD Conference and MAXQDA workshops - Marburg 6-9 March
23 January 2013
Professor Nigel Fielding is the keynote lecture and Dr Christina Silver will run a workshop at the ”Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis: Methods, Innovations, Practice” conference to be held in Marburg, Germany, 6-9 March 2013.
2nd in The Times Good University Guide 2013
22 January 2013
The Department of Sociology is delighted with its position in The Times Good University Guide 2013. Our ranking (second out of all Sociology departments in the UK) is testament to the high quality of our teaching across our undergraduate degree programmes, and the friendly and supportive nature of our lecturing staff. The high quality of teaching and learning is also closely related to the strong research culture in the Department (which feeds into The Times Good University Guide calculations). Staff are involved in leading edge research in a wide variety of areas of sociological and/or criminological enquiry, and students are able to choose from a large number of optional modules in these areas of expertise.
MA Dance Cultures student performs at the Leeds International Festival for Innovations in Music Production and Composition
15 January 2013
MA Dance Cultures student Joop Oonk was invited to collaborate with a postgraduate student in electronic music for a research project and festival performance in Leeds.
European Sociological Association Sexuality Research Network Mid-Term conference
14 January 2013
Dr Andrew King has organised a conference called ‘Sexuality in Theory and Practice’ and takes place at Kingston University on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th January.
Dr Efrosini Protopapa choreographer to the Barbican Pit Theatre Laboratory Project
14 January 2013
Dr Efrosini Protopapa, Lecturer in Dance and Choreography in the School of Arts and Programme Director of the MA Dance Cultures, was invited to work as a choreographer on a Barbican Pit Theatre Laboratory Project with writer/curator Isabel de Vasconellos and theatre director Kirsty Housley.
Professor Rachel Brooks, news updates
14 January 2013
Professor Rachel Brooks, Head of the Department of Sociology has recently published the book Negotiating Ethical Challenges in Youth Research published by Routledge in November 2012.
Shakespeare and Contemporary Theory - Neema Parvini's Blog
10 January 2013
Please check the link to Dr Neema Parvini's Blog: Shakespeare and Contemporary Theory, Rethinking approaches to Shakespeare and early modern literature for the 21st century. Here you will find Neema interviewing various Shakespeare scholars and literary theorists from around the world in a bid to gain an understanding of the current state of play in Shakespeare studies and in literary criticism more generally.
Dr Churnjeet Mahn has been chosen as one of five UK researchers for Unbox Festival Fellowship
10 January 2013
Five UK researchers have been awarded the opportunity to work with a team made up of creative entrepreneurs and India host organisations. This unique opportunity is part of a collaboration between the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the British Council, UnBox festival and the UK’s Science and Innovation Network. The five successful researchers will work on research relevant challenges with their teams for 3-4 weeks leading up to a presentation of their work at the UNBOX festival.
Prestigious International Awards for School of Arts PhD student
8 January 2013
Ji-Eun Lee, a Dance PhD student in the School of Arts, has been selected as one of three winners of the prestigious Art Expo competition. Ji-Eun will perform her award winning work in Venice Italy later this month (Jan 2013).
New PhD Studentships
1 January 2013
The department is now inviting applications for funded PhD studentships to start in October 2013.The Ashgate Research Companion to Political Violence
19 December 2012
Prof Marie Breen-Smyth has released a new book on 'The Ashgate Research Companion to Political Violence' to see the flyer see link below
ARC to Political Violence Dec 2012 (318.1KB - Requires Adobe Reader)Surrey Entrepreneurs 'Pitching 4 Projects' competition
17 December 2012
Some of the second year BA Acting students took part in Surrey Entrepreneurs 'Pitching 4 Projects' competition and were successfully awarded a grant to support the development of a new play to go to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013.
Final Year student runner-up in the Professional Training student of the year competition
17 December 2012
Rebecca Efford, final year psychology student, was runner-up in the Professional Training year student of the year competition. Out of over 40 nominations, Rebecca was shortlisted to be one of the top three students, and competed in the final stage last Friday, giving a presentation as part of the PTY community day.
Dr Naomi Winstone nominated Rebecca on the basis of the exceptional contribution she made to the NHS trust for which she worked. An evaluation model she took the initiative to develop has been presented to the directorate, and planning is currently underway to roll out the model for wider use in the trust.
University's Professional Training Student of the Year 2012 - Mariana Vieira
17 December 2012
It has been announced that School of English and Languages student, Mariana Vieira, is the University's Professional Training Student of the Year.
Guildford College Adult Outstanding Achievement Award - Andrew Burns
11 December 2012
Andrew has won this award because of his academic prowess and his contribution to College life. He achieved distinctions on the Access to Business Diploma, acted as a student rep for his class, worked with Student Services staff on a number of issues at the College and sat on the Health and Safety Committee, all whilst balancing his commitments as a single parent. Andrew is now doing a degree in Business Management with Spanish at the University of Surrey.
Surrey Music and Sound Recording tops NSS
7 December 2012
The results of the 2012 National Student Survey are in, and Surrey’s Music and Sound Recording programmes have performed phenomenally well, moving up 14 places to take a clear top place in the entire UK. Even with results of 98% for both Overall Satisfaction and Teaching, we’re working hard to repeat and improve upon this year’s success.
Professor Sara Arber was on expert witness to the House of Lords Select Committee
7 December 2012
Professor Sara Arber was on expert witness to the House of Lords Select Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change on 4th December. Her evidence addressed the policy implications of gender inequalities in ageing.
The Committee session was chaired by Lord Filkin.
Surrey Creative Writing Students Poetry Reading!
7 December 2012
The students of the Contemporary British and American Poetry Creative Writing course in the School of English and Languages here at Surrey will be holding a reading of their work on Wednesday 12th December 2012.
English and Creative Writing Applicant Days - Blog
5 December 2012
By Beth Palmer
If you’re applying to University this year, the chances are you’ll be invited to an Applicant Day by those institutions that make you an offer. You might already be feeling pretty popular and wondering how you’re going to fit in visits to your top choices alongside the demands of your A-levels. As an Admissions Tutor I’d recommend that you find time to attend some of these events if you can – particularly if you can’t quite make your mind up!
University of Surrey Big Band - Gold award
4 December 2012
Congratulations to the University of Surrey Big Band who have returned from the regional stage of the National Concert Band Festival in Southampton with a gold award!
Leveson and Press Freedom: Is an Unregulated Press 'Free'?
30 November 2012
Dr Paul Hodkinson from the Department of Sociology has posted a blog on the Leveson enquiry.
Please click here to read the blog
Jonathan Steffen: Making a Living as a Writer
27 November 2012
As part of the University of Surrey Careers Service’s ‘Welcome to my World’ series of talks on Wednesday 21st November our students had the opportunity to attend a fascinating talk from Jonathan Steffen on the topic of how to make a living as a writer.
Karen Da Silva works on pop video for singer Marlon Roudette
26 November 2012
Sound Fellowship Award
23 November 2012
Vice Chancellors Prize for Researcher of the Year
22 November 2012
Success of MA student, Jane Chan
21 November 2012
BNA Festival of Neuroscience
21 November 2012
Erica Hepper - Today Program on Radio 4
21 November 2012
Widening Access Fund
20 November 2012
Methods of Failure
20 November 2012
How Political Journalism lost the US Presidential Election to Nate Silver
If the morning after the Presidential Election in the United States left both the electoral map and Republican politicians feeling a little blue, there was another occupational group in need of collective introspection: the class of political journalists, commentators and pundits, who in the cause of the campaign had increasingly wilfully disregarded the lessons of the academic disciplines that form journalism’s very foundation.
Impressive training year earns award for language student
20 November 2012
New awards
8 November 2012
Excellent news - Dr Sabine Braun and Professor Margaret Rogers in the Centre for Translation Studies have been successful in securing new research funding from European Commission:
Prof. Dr Sruti Bandopadhay visits the University of Surrey
7 November 2012
Prof. Dr Sruti Bandopadhay is an ideal combination of performer-scholar in
the dance field of India.
Congratulations Peter M Boenisch
7 November 2012
Peter M Boenisch, Professor of Dance and Theatre at the University of Surrey, has joined the Editorial Board of Theatre Research International as Contributing Editor.
The journal, currently edited by Charlotte Canning and Paul Rae and published by Cambridge University Press in association with the International Federation for Theatre Research, is one of the leading international academic publications in the field of theatre studies. Between 2005 and 2011, Boenisch was the journal’s coordinating Book Review Editor.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=TRI
Congratulations to Professor Allan F. Moore
6 November 2012
Congratulations to Professor Allan F. Moore who won the award of "Inaugural Outstanding Publication Award of the Popular Music Interest Group of the Society for Music Theory" for his magnum opus Song Means.
EPRG Seminar and Book Launch today
6 November 2012
EPRG Seminar – 6th November at 13.00
Room 02AC02
Professor Nora Räthzel (University of Umeå, Sweden)
‘Changing individuals’ behaviours vs individuals changing the conditions of their behaviour’
Updates on achievements in Music and Sound Recording
5 November 2012
Music
- Clive Williamson organised and ran the British Contemporary Piano Competition and was invited to teach and perform at Dartington International Summer School (one of the top international music programmes)
- Steve Goss has received a commission for a new Piano Concerto and the acclaimed guitarist, John Williams is performing Steve's Guitar Concerto with the English Chamber Orchestra.
- A recent graduate (2009) Finlay Dow-Smith (now called Starsmith) has had number 1 songs with Kylie Minogue and Cheryl Cole. For more info
Sound Recording
- Liz Ng: current national fencing champion
- Joe Yon: was mixing a range of current affairs programmes live on BBC radio 4 whilst still a student
- Iain Campbell: was signed to Island records during the course
- Scott Barnett, graduated this year, has worked on projects for Peter Gabriel, Beyoncé, Jeff Beck, John Leckie, Bernard Sumner, Hot Chip.
- Four Tonmeister graduates and two current students have been involved in the preparation for Peter Gabriel's "So - Back to Front tour. http://petergabriel.com/livedates/
- Graduates Pete Sene and Mark Claydon helped with preparation along with Placement students Nguyen Green and Olli Jacobs.
- Graduates Dan Lavi and Scott Barnett are helping out on the tour as keyboard tech and drum tech.
- Peter Gabriel has employed a Tonmeister placement student in his personal writing room at Real World Studios for 10 years.