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Education that InspiresResearch that Changes the World
Graduates’
review 
Spring2009
HomecomingHomecoming
EventEvent
27th June 200927th June 2009
Join us for a day ofevents and activitieson campus
www.le.ac.uk
Read about theRoyal Visit inDecember 2008
Read about theRoyal Visit inDecember 2008
Join us for a day ofevents and activitieson campus
Inside:Inside:
 
Feature Articles
Royal Visit
Official opening of the David Wilson Library
Page 4
2
GRADUATES’ REVIEW
· SPRING 2009
COVER IMAGE:
HMThe Queen
.
Read about December’s Royal Visit when Her Majesty The Queenofficially opened the University of Leicester David Wilson Libraryon the 4th December 2008.
Welcome…
...to the new edition of the Graduates’Review 2009. I am excited aboutreturning to the University, 30 yearsafter graduation, as the new Directorof Development. I am sure like me thatyou have many happy memories ofyour time here and are keen to stay intouch with friends and keep up withthe latest developments.There’s a lot to catch up on –in a yearthat saw Leicester win the prestigiousaccolade of THE University of the Yearand HM The Queen accompanied byHRH The Duke of Edinburgh officiallyopen the new David Wilson Library.There’s something for everyone in thisissue whether your interest lies inground-breaking research, bookingyour place for Homecoming on 27thJune or hearing about alumni eventsand new developments on campus andin the City.Enjoy the read and let me know yournews and views on what we are doingand how we can improve things for you.
Steve O’Connor
Director of Developmentemail: sjo18@le.ac.uk
Steve O’Connor
Director of Developmentsjo18@le.ac.uk
Helen Richardson
Annual Fund Officerhr15@le.ac.uk
Jon Angell
Data Management Officer jpa2@le.ac.uk
Rosemary Faint
Development Assistantrlf9@le.ac.uk
Kathryn Whitehurst
Major Gifts, Legaciesand Bequests Officerkw42@le.ac.uk
Karl Brown
Alumni Relations Officeralumni.relations@le.ac.uk
Garden Enigmas
Stemming the decline of bee populations
Explosive Forensic Applications
Fingerprinting metals
The People’s Economist
Economics graduate Professor David Blanchflower
Homecoming: 27th June
Our annual event for Alumni, friends and supporters
Percy Gee
Major refurbishment & extension of the Students’ Union
Page 6Page 10Page 16Page 20Page 26
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The Team
© University of Leicester 2009
Contact:
Development and Alumni Relations, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH
.
Email: alumni.relations@le.ac.ukJoin us on University of Leicester Alumni AssociationUniversity of Leicester Alumni.Visit the Alumni Relations Website @
www.le.ac.uk/alumni
for the latest alumni news, events, 2009 Personalia and obituary notices.
 
GRADUATES’ REVIEW
· SPRING 2009
3
A
s many alumni will know, the lastyear has been momentous for theUniversity in many ways but nonemore so than when we officially markedthe 50th Anniversary of the granting ofthe Royal Charter by hosting a historicvisit by HM The Queen accompanied byHRH Prince Phillip to open the DavidWilson Library and celebrated winningthe highly respected Times HigherEducation University of the Year award.As part of our 50th Anniversarycelebrations I was delighted to welcomeover 6,000 graduates and friends to theUniversity campus for the highly successful‘Celebrate Leicester Day’. It was a splendidopportunity to meet so many alumni andsupporters who were keen to learn aboutour important work and to visit our newfacilities, including the David WilsonLibrary which was open for viewing. Theofficial opening of the Library by HM TheQueen and HRH the Duke of Edinburghwas a special moment in the University’shistory and I am sure you will enjoyreading about their visit in this issue.Our RIBA award-winning Library has beenour biggest building project ever (at a costof £32 million) and could not have beenachieved without the magnificentfundraising support of our principalsponsors, long-standing friends of theUniversity and alumni, many of whom arelisted on pages 30 and 31. I have writtento thank all our donors personally but Iwould also like to take this opportunity tothank you again for your generoussupport without which the Universitywould not continue to grow and flourish.I am pleased to say that the majorimprovement of the campus continueswith the unveiling of our ambitious £1billion Development Plan, the biggest everundertaken in the university sector. Thiscurrently includes the £15 milliontransformation of the Percy Gee Buildingwhich is remembered fondly by manygraduates. This development aims todevelop one of the best Students’ Unionfacilities in the UK and alumni will havethe opportunity to view displays in thePercy Gee Building, take part in a speciallystaged debate in the Queen’s Hall and aplanned auction in the Redfearn Bar aspart of our popular Homecoming eventon 27th June 2009. Full details andbooking information for the Homecomingcan be found in the enclosed flyer, oronline at www.le.ac.uk/alumni.I know alumni put great store by thegrowing reputation of the University andour success in league tables has beensignificant – rising to our highest everposition. We also continue to receiveaccolades for our teaching quality and theNational Student Survey 2008 – thecountry’s largest and most comprehensivetest of student opinion, conductedindependently of institutions – whichrevealed that 92% of Leicester’s full-timestudents were satisfied with theirexperience. This endorsement wasbettered only by Cambridge amongstmainstream universities in England. Ouroutstanding work was further recognisedin 2009 by The Higher Education FundingCouncil (HEFCE) when we received thenews that Leicester’s research fundingwould rise by over twice the nationalaverage –confirming the University’sstatus in world-leading research. In thisedition of the Graduates’ Review you canread how our research has led to newscientific discoveries.Our alumni community is fundamentallyimportant to our future prosperity and asyou read this magazine I hope you willcontinue to feel great pride in yourUniversity which, with over 21,000students may be very different to theLeicester you knew, but retains the values
‘Elite without being elitist’
Introduction by Professor Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor
“The official opening of theLibrary in December by HMThe Queen and HRH theDuke of Edinburgh was aspecial moment in theUniversity’s history and Iam sure you will enjoyreading about their visit.”
and commitment to inspirational teachingand world-changing research. In winningthe coveted award of University of theYear we were described as ‘elite withoutbeing elitist’ and I believe that with thisringing endorsement we are poised foreven greater success in the future.
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