News Archive

Meet our 85-year-old graduation star - Reading in the news Fri 8 Dec

Here is Friday's media report.

Graduate gran: An 85-year-old grandmother picked up a PhD from the FTT department at yesterday’s graduation ceremonies - her fifth degree from the University of Reading. She was interviewed by BBC Radio Berkshire (1 hr 18 mins 48 secs), and regional television pieces are to follow. Reading Chronicle also ran the story. Read our news story.

Brexit negotiations progress: Dr Mark Shanahan (Politics and International Relations) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire (approx 10 mins) alongside Wokingham MP John Redwood immediately after this morning’s government announcement on Brexit, citizens’ rights and the Northern Irish border. He then provided further analysis to BBC Berkshire (1 hr 24 mins 45 secs) later in the morning.

Global warming: Professor Bill Collins (Meteorology) is quoted in several articles around the world after providing comments to the Science Media Centre on a new study that suggests the UN’s global warming forecasts are about 15% too low. Articles appear in Jamaica Observer, Daily Sabah in Turkey and African Reporter in South Africa, Gulf Times in the US and the Daily Sun in Bangladesh, among many others.

Other coverage

• Visiting Professor Dominic Swords (Henley Business School) spoke to BBC Radio Oxford (11 mins 25 secs) about family businesses supposedly dying out
• Greenpeace mentions the smart drinks system being trialled at the University of Reading, in collaboration with Coca-Cola, in an article discussing the use of plastic to make disposable items like drinks bottles. The University drinks machines were introduced to dramatically reduce the number of plastic bottles sent to landfill by the University. Read our story
• Professor Glenn Gibson (Food and Nutritional Sciences) is quoted in a story on Latest News Network on research that suggests taking a probiotic could help mothers who are breast feeding to pass on important bacteria to their babies
• A report led by the University of Reading on the impact on agriculture of a 2013 TV show in Kenya and Tanzania, which followed farmers as they were advised on using new methods to solve problems, is referenced in a story on Sustainable Food Trust about a new farming reality show in Kenya
• Reading research (Psychology) showing pain threshold studies might be skewed by the fact men are more likely to sign up to take part in pain studies is reported by Mel Magazine in the US
• A book on investment in developing economies, co-authored by the late Professor John Dunning (formerly Emeritus Professor of International Business at Henley Business School), is referenced in an All Africa story on Uganda’s foreign direct investment prospects
• Diana Legacy, Gloucestershire Live and Belgian website Nieuwsblad are among outlets to report on research by Reading Emeritus Professor Philip Lowry (Biological Sciences) that shows morning sickness is a sign of good health for pregnant women