RETIRING STAFF:
THE CLASS OF 2013
NOVEMBER 2013
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Margaret Barker
Newcastle University Careers Service
Margaret joined Newcastle University as a Careers Adviser in 2001, building strong relationships with both staff and
students, the latter describing her as the ‘Cilla Black of the North East’. She became Manager of the Careers Adviser
team developing a reputation for training and development and introducing a peer review system which has often been
copied by other university Careers Services.
The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) the professional body for those working in HE Careers
Services approached Margaret about being a trainer on their flagship, Advanced Guidance Skills course, training other
Careers Advisers in the field. She did this for a number of years.
Margaret has a reputation for excellence and therefore it is no surprise that she was able to successfully lead the
Careers Service through The matrix Standard accreditation process, not just once but four times. As a result, Newcastle
University Careers Service was the first university careers service to achieve the standard and the first to achieve it four
times.
Not one to sit around, Margaret has her hands full with twin grand-daughters born in August and a two year old grandson
and maintains her links with the university by continuing to sing in the Bach Choir.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Dr David Brown
School of Dental Sciences
David Brown retired in September 2013 after 30 years service in the University.
As Lecturer in Oral Biology he took generations of aspiring dentists through their training in dental anatomy, histology
and development and there are probably 2000 dentists working today whose first exposure to the rather important matter
of tooth morphology was under Dr Brown's tutelage.
Latterly he was also the chair of the staff student committees and admissions tutor for the school, so many of these
students have additional reasons to be grateful as he gave them their place in Newcastle University.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mrs Jane Clubley
Development and Alumni Relations Office
Jane Cubley was first appointed to the University in May 2006 in the Development and Alumni Relations Office as our
chief fundraiser from trusts and foundations. She proved herself to be very successful in fundraising for the Great North
Museum project amongst other initiatives. She was promoted to Deputy Director and then Director of DARO in 2007.
Under her leadership the office was able to support major fundraising activities for student bursaries, the Medical
Sciences Faculty and the Business School. Our network of alumni grew significantly and became even more active in
supporting the work of the University. Her positive, can-do attitude won many friends both inside and outside the
University.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Professor Jim Edwardson
Institute for Ageing & Health
Jim has served the University since 1979 and was Founding Director of the Institute for Ageing and Health - the
University’s first research institute. He played a leading role in the development of the cross-disciplinary programme in
brain ageing and dementia and was instrumental in the establishment of the Campus for Ageing and Vitality.
At an early stage he saw the crucial need for engagement with older people and became the founding Chair of Years
Ahead – the North East regional forum on ageing – now formally recognised by Government as part of the UK Advisory
Forum on Ageing. As a result of one of the Forum’s recommendations, Voice North was set up and Jim has been Chair
since its inception – a role he will continue in retirement.
As Jim has matured in years, he has taken to keeping an allotment in Gosforth, and even took up jogging in the not too
distant past. He remains a sporadic, but enthusiastic, supporter of real ale in the County Pub, and is wonderful at
keeping in touch with colleagues, past and present.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Professor David Harvey
Agriculture, Food & Rural Development
David returned to Newcastle as a lecturer in 1979, having spent five years as a research economist with the Canadian
Department of Agriculture where he was complicit in a major effort to establish the costs and benefits of the Common
Agricultural Policy.
He moved to a Professorship at Reading University in 1985. He returned to Newcastle in 1987 to take up the Chair of
Agricultural Economics and later to become Head of Department. During his time at Newcastle he has been involved
with the NERC/ESRC Land Use Programme (NELUP), the ESRC Countryside Change Programme, and the Rural
Economy and Land Use Programme and the University’s Centre for Rural Economy.
He was President of the Agricultural Economics Society in 2004/5, is a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of
England, and has been the Editor of the Journal of Agricultural Economics since 2005. He received an award for
excellence from the Agricultural Economics Society in 2012, for ‘outstanding contribution to public policy, industry and
the profession.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Ingrid Henderson
Newcastle University Careers Service
For many graduate recruiters Ingrid Henderson was the face not only of the Careers Service but of Newcastle
University. Having worked previously on graduate development programmes for Entrust, Ingrid joined the Careers
Service’s Employer Liaison Team in November 2002 as a regional liaison officer, before being quickly promoted to
team manager.
With a talent for engaging recruiters due to her fantastic people skills, Ingrid was instrumental in setting up and
maintaining employer contacts both local and national, helping the University achieve our ‘Top Twenty’ status for those
universities targeted by employers listed in the ‘Times Top Hundred’. Her enthusiasm, Irish patter and natural
networking ability meant Ingrid was well known in and outside of the University and a popular and well known
contributor to national and regional employer liaison events.
Having travelled the world as an Army WAG before settling in the north east and joining the Careers Service, Ingrid is
continuing her travels by visiting family and friends back in Ireland and more recently Australia.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Kevin James
Education, Communication & Language
Sciences
Kevin was the Director of the North Leadership Centre (NLC) until his retirement in August. Prior to joining NLC in 2005 he
was a primary headteacher for 16 years. He has been involved in the training of headteachers on the National Professional
Qualification for Headship programme since 2002.
He regularly works in local schools helping to develop their senior leadership teams and led the successful bid by North
East Teaching Schools Partnership (NETSP) to win the licence to deliver the new national professional qualifications for
educational leaders in the region.
As well as facilitating leadership and management development in education, Kevin has developed NLC's work with
business and local authorities, and lectured on the Masters in Education (M.Ed.) programme at Newcastle University
teaching students from across the globe. He has offered bespoke training packages and development programmes for
leaders and managers from education and business environments across the world including China, India, Egypt, Romania
and Germany. Kevin is also a keen musician and plays in a band.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mr Nick Keeley
Careers Service
Nick joined the Careers Service in 1991 and was appointed Director in 2003. Under his
strong and inspirational leadership the Careers Service won numerous national awards
necessitating the purchase of a trophy cabinet from IKEA to accommodate the different
trophies and framed certificates!
As a Leicester City fan he has had less need for a trophy cabinet …. Though they have had a good start to the new
season so he may get to see them play in the North East in the Premier League next season (at St James’ Park, if
not at the Stadium of Light!)
Nick was active in the relevant professional bodies: as a Company Law Member of the Association of Graduate
Careers Advisory Services where he also tutored on residential courses for careers professionals over a number
of years; and as a member of the Education and Training Task Group of the Association of Graduate Recruiters.
He is a Fellow of the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of Warwick.
He’s also a sporty chap representing Blaydon Tennis club in the Northumberland leagues and has captained a number
of teams (mens IV, mens vets, mixed vets), and enjoys running and ski-ing. Nick is well-travelled having
undertaken numerous trips to far-flung parts of the world, something he is no doubt keen to continue into
retirement.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mrs Linda Kelly
University Library
Linda joined the Library in 1973, initially as a Senior Library Assistant. In 1981 she moved to a professional position as
Assistant Librarian with special responsibility for government publications and maps. She also worked closely with
the Schools of Law and Education, Communication and Language Sciences as Liaison Librarian, where she is
held in high regard for her expertise, commitment and enthusiasm.
Her expert knowledge of official publications and legal information resources is immense. In 2006 this was recognised
at national level when she was runner-up Legal Information Professional of the Year in the BIALL-LexisNexis
Butterworth Awards for Excellence.
Linda is regarded with great affection by her colleagues, and also by those many students she helped through their
studies over the years, and for whom she showed endless care and patience.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Professor Pete Lee
Computing Science
Pete was first appointed as an RA in 1975 with Brian Randell. From 1981-86 he worked at a Digital Equipment
Company and a start-up in the US. In 1986 he returned to Newcastle as a professor. He served as Head of
School of Computing Science (2006-12) and during his period in office the School more than doubled the number
of recruited UG students, PhD completions, RAs employed by the School, and the research income per academic.
He hired Paul Watson and Anil Wipat as lecturers into his research group, and mentored them. Now both are now
professors, who established new research groups in Cloud computing and Bio-informatics.
Pete liked fast cars. Brian Randell was known to recount that when Pete bought an Audi, with its German-engineered
safety features, Brian remarked that this would finally get Pete 'safer through the corners’. But Pete would counter
with: ‘Not safer through the corners, faster through the corners!’.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mrs Liz Lockey
University Library
Liz came to the University Library in 2000 as Head of Reader Services, having previously worked in the libraries of both
Sunderland and Northumbria Universities. While leading the reader services staff in the Robinson Library, Liz
made significant contributions to the introduction of new Library computer systems and a range of new services for
library users. She also took on university-wide responsibility for the management of institutional copyright licenses
and was our main point of contact for the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) for several years.
Before retiring, Liz was a key member of the group which planned the extensive refurbishment of the Robinson Library
in 2010-12, which provided a strong foundation for our recent successes in the National Student Survey and
International Student Barometer.
Liz’s lasting influence on the Library will be apparent to anyone who knows the Robinson Library, its vibrant and lively
environment and its reputation for excellent customer service.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mr Jon Love
Chemical Engineering & Advanced Materials
Jon Love joined Newcastle University Chemical Engineering in August 2002 from Sheffield University. He brought with
him the Partnership in Automation and Control Training - more commonly known as PACT, a consortium of major
Process Industry companies, along with their MSc programme which has flourished in Newcastle under his
guidance.
He also brought with him the draft manuscript of his book: The Process Automation Handbook - all 1093 pages of it.
Now a 'bible' to process control engineers - and to his colleagues it seems to have taken as long as The Bible to
write.
Jon has been a valued member of Chemical Engineering at Newcastle and his colleagues will miss his contributions to
teaching and his dedication to the students education.
He was also keen to share his love of sailing with his colleagues - some still have the scars to prove it.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Professor David Mendelow
Institute of Neuroscience
Professor David Mendelow was appointed to Newcastle as Reader in Neurosurgery
in 1987, then as Professor of Neurosurgery since 1992. He is also honorary
consultant in our partner health trust.
He has been the chief investigator and co-ordinator of several large multinational trials funded by the MRC to determine
the value of early surgery for the treatment of intracerebral haemorrhage – aptly titled STICH (Surgical Trial of
intracranial Haemorrhage). His reputation as a leading neurosurgeon is indisputable and the Times Magazine named
him as one of Britain’s top surgeons in 2011.
David’s commitment to improving patient care extends to work with charities. Locally, he is a trustee of the Northern
Brainwave Appeal which has raised over £1M for monitoring equipment, including a new CT scanner, to improve the
High Dependency Unit at the Regional Neurosciences Centre. Internationally, he has played a key role in supporting
his colleague, Robin Sengupta, to establish a state of the art neurosciences hospital in Kolkata, India. Before this
hospital was constructed David took periods of leave to go and conduct surgery in Kolkata. It was during one such visit
that a local politician observed David undertaking a complex operation and was so impressed that he encouraged Dr
Sengupta to build the hospital and agreed to provide the land. Opening in 2009 this is 150 bed hospital provides
neuroscience care to the people of West Bengal.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Jennifer Molyneux
Estate Support Service
Jennifer joined the University in 1984, as Housekeeper in Leazes Terrace
Student Accommodation - a job she almost left after three weeks due to another
tempting offer. But wisely she opted to stay and pursued a very successful
career over the next 29 years.
In 1993 Jennifer became House Services Manager and she constantly reviewed and improved efficiency within the
section in order to ensure value for money. Training was made a priority and her motto was ‘to stay ahead of the
game’. Jennifer was also instrumental in creating the University Mail Service and after the Estate Support Service
reorganisation of 2006 was promoted to Head of Facilities. In this post she was responsible for energy and formed
the Sustainability Team which has gone on to win many awards.
Over the years we have been entertained by Jennifer’s stories of her menagerie of animals, which she kept in a small
holding behind her house, her restoration of her Victorian house, not to mention the 1948 Vauxhall vehicle she and
her partner restored and kitted it out as a Military Staff Car.
In retirement Jennifer’s many interests have seen a continuation of her passion for sustainability, purchasing an area of
woodland to increase diversity where she and her partner now run courses in green woodworking and they provide
material for environmental projects as well as providing charcoal. She looks back fondly on her years at the
University, but does sometime wonder how she ever found time to come to work.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Dr Mitchell Ness
Newcastle University Business School
Mitchell has taught successive generations of marketers research methods and analytical techniques. In his teaching,
Mitchell brings rigor but also accessibility, enlivening substance with digressions about West Brom, deep sea
diving, living in Spain and his other extracurricular passions.
In his research, Mitchell applied his expertise in multivariate statistics to understand consumer behaviour in numerous
fields ranging from organic foods to wastewater reuse. As a conscientious, knowledgeable and approachable
supervisor, Mitchell’s research students have always regarded themselves as fortunate.
In retirement, Mitchell will combine continuing to teach and supervise PhD students in the Business School with his
outside interests.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Barbara Phillips Kerr
Newcastle University Careers Service
First Appointed: 1990
Barbara came to Newcastle University to work as a Careers Adviser in 1990, working with most Schools in that time
and developing connections with staff and students from across the university.
During her time in the Careers Service, Barbara managed the Employer Services Unit and then became part of the
strategic team that defined the new look service in 2005/6 promoting enterprise and entrepreneurship and
employability in the curriculum. When she became Assistant Director of the Careers Service, she continued to
work as a Careers Adviser but also managed the information, advice and guidance remit across the award winning
service.
BPK, as she is affectionately known by colleagues, was a big champion of enhancing the student experience and
played a key role in developing the ncl+ initiative and ncl+ awards and was responsible for the creation of the ncl+
pen, sought after by students and staff alike and recently photographed in the hands of David Cameron.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Professor Tanja Pless-Mulloli
Institute of Health and Society
Professor Tanja Pless-Mulloli took early retirement in March 2013 after working in the University, in what eventually
became the Institute of Health & Society (HIS), for over 20 years.
Tanja was promoted to senior lecturer in March 2000 and to a personal chair in 2005. She was also an Honorary
Consultant in Public Health. Her areas of research interest were focused around public health and epidemiology
with a particular interest in the effects of pollution on people with chronic health conditions including asthma and
lung cancer.
She was also keenly interested in health within sustainability and worked in this area with colleagues in NIReS
(Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability) where she was the Faculty of Medical Sciences link in the
Sustainability Societal Challenge theme.
In IHS Tanja was extremely successful in attracting overseas students to study in Newcastle and she built up
close relationships with many of them, some of which continued long after their studies were completed. In her
spare time Tanja likes to travel particularly to the middle and far east (and visit former PhD students!) and to work
in her garden which she had landscaped as a treat for herself on a milestone birthday!
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Professor Nick Simmons
Institute for Cell & Molecular Biosciences
Before moving to Newcastle, Nick took up an appointment at St. Andrews where he
lowered his handicap, and developed his life-long love of the local Scottish delicacy…
the meat-and-bean pie! Between rounds on the Old Course he found time to teach
Physiology, and establish a research laboratory to investigate membrane transport
mechanisms in red blood cells, the gut and kidney. He arrived in Newcastle in 1985 as the established Reader in the
Department of Physiological Sciences. He was promoted to a personal chair in Epithelial Physiology in 1996 and made
a big impact, raising the research profile of the (then) Physiology Department so that it was ranked equal 2nd
in two research assessment exercises.
Scientifically, his greatest achievement was to be among the first to identify that it was possible to reconstitute
mammalian organ function in vitro by the use of cultured cell lines. That observation underpins the scientific
development of the use of cultured cells in almost every biomedical laboratory in the university sector and in the
pharmaceutical industry today.
His scholarship in his chosen field is evident. He has published more than 170 articles, work which has been cited more
than 4200 times, and he has been an Editor of numerous physiology journals. His scientific reputation is emphasised by
the success of his former students and postdocs, including senior lecturers and 2 Professors in ICaMB .
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mr Gerald Tomlinson
Computing Science
Gerry Tomlinson worked in the School of Computing Science for 28 years in a variety of support roles culminating in
Senior Computing Officer.
Gerry was renowned for the high quality of his work and his particular attention to detail. Despite this he became one of
the University’s leading experts in the minutiae of managing Microsoft Windows and related software, much to his
chagrin.
His pointed, well researched (and often awkward) questions to ISS earned him a reputation amongst his colleagues
both enviable and undesirable, depending upon how one looked at it. Gerry is a keen lover of live music and
cricket.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mr Ashley Wilton
Newcastle Law School
Ashley Wilton has been a staff member of the University since 1973. He has held the offices of Dean of Law,
(Founding) Director of the Newcastle School of Business Management (now the Newcastle University Business
School), and the Dean of Law, Environmental and Social Sciences.
He was Head of Newcastle Law School from 2001 to 2010 and has served several terms on Senate and Council.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Dr Kevin Windebank
Northern Institute for Cancer Research
Kevin graduated from Oxford and – uncommon in his time –went to America and
received his oncology training at the Mayo Clinic.
He has been a consultant paediatric oncologist in Newcastle for over 20 years. He is a fantastic clinician and a very
gentle and caring person. His special interest and expertise has been in the treatment of childhood leukaemia and
lymphoma and he has become a world expert for a rare childhood disease of dendritic cells, called “Langerhans
cell histiocytosis”.
He has been an enthusiastic teacher and for a long time organised undergraduate teaching in Paediatrics in the
Children’s Services Directorate at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He was on the
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) panel for Higher Education, visiting other medical schools. He was involved in
the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH ) membership exams, helped to set up the membership
exams in India and Egypt and is currently the chief examiner of the College.
He is a connoisseur of real ales and a non-obsessional cyclist: from coast to coast and pub to pub, to quote Sir Alan
Craft; and he has a caravan in the Lake District.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Mr Jim Wood
Careers Service
Jim Wood is a rare breed, one of the very few people in the North East to support a
football team worse than Sunderland: Hartlepool United. After spending more than fifteen years teaching in some of
Newcastle’s toughest schools, Jim joined the University in 1993 and has become well-known across the University
for establishing ‘Students into Schools’ and from this the very successful Career Development Module which has
provided invaluable work experience to students through experience in schools, as volunteers and most recently
through part time work.
As Assistant Director of the Careers Service, Jim contributed not only professionally but personally to the University,
helping make the office an enjoyable place to work. His prowess in fantasy football is legendary, usually resulting
in a ‘top four’ finish in the Careers Service Fantasy Football League.
Jim retired in September and is greatly missed, having livened up many a meeting with his cryptic comments and use of
mind mapping. Colleagues, however, still benefit greatly from his passion for gardening and growing vegetables, a
passion which Jim is cultivating into a third career. Indeed, through his new business ‘Five Peas’ Jim is continuing
to transform people’s lives, this time through teaching them to grow their own vegetables and enjoy their gardens.
RETIRING MEMBER OF STAFF
Dr Alan Younger
Agriculture, Food & Rural Development
Alan joined the University in 1977, from Fisons Ltd, as a Lecturer in Grassland, and was appointed Head of the
Department of Agriculture in 1997. When the University was restructured in 2002, Alan continued as Head of the
new School of Agriculture, Food & Rural Development, and has remained in this position since.
Alan has been a member of various University committees over his career, including an elected member of Senate,
1996-99. He is a highly-respected researcher in Grassland and Forage Science, and has been Editor and Chair of
many external Committees in this area. His leading research in the area of Open Cast Restoration, conducted at
the School’s Cockle Park Farm, has been the basis of the good practice used in much of the UK coal restoration
since.
THANK YOU
AND
BEST WISHES TO ALL!