Lecturer killed in Ethiopia
Professor Simon Thirgood, Honorary Professor in Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, was killed in Ethiopia on 30 August.
Professor Thirgood, who had been working on a biodiversity project at the time, was killed when a building collapsed on him during a high windstorm.
Professor Daniel Haydon, Professor of Population Ecology and Epidemiology, said: “Simon was a great scientist and conservation biologist. He was a good friend to this university and an inspirational supervisor to his students.”
Rise in Glasgow applications
The number of new students at Glasgow University has increased by 8% year-on-year bringing the numbers of new entrants to 4720.
Applications to the university also jumped by 12%, from 23,934 in 2008 to 26,866 in 2009.
Laura Laws, President of the SRC, expressed her delight at the figures.
She said: “It is wonderful to see such a huge rise in student applications to Glasgow. Similar figures across the UK prove that a university education is still considered a valuable asset: people are taking the opportunities provided by the recession to re-skill and continue their education.”
However Laura was unable to comment on whether Glasgow University would be able to increase its places in the future.
She explained: “Glasgow University will always look to accept the best students and we need to ensure there are resources available to deliver an excellent academic experience for all of the students here at the University.”
£19m boost for health research
The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Chief Scientists Office (CSO) have awarded the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (SPHSU) at Glasgow University £19m.
The award will allow the Unit, which is internationally recognised, to continue its studies into social and environmental influences on health.
The MRC has contributed £15.5 million to the latest award, with the CSO committing an additional £3.5 million over the next five years.
Professor Sally Macintyre, Director of SPHSU, welcomed the funding saying: “It is really important that social and public health policies, which often affect many people and cost a lot of money, are based on the best possible evidence.”
