New-style central research support

THE Virtual Research Unit (VRU), a new central unit to support staff bidding for and carrying out research, opens on 1 August.

The VRU brings together research support elements of Registry, International Relations, Finance, Personnel, Business Services and the Strategic Planning Unit to provide a one-stop shop for research information, proposals, developments and contracts. It will support and complement work already undertaken by research administrators and research leaders in the schools and faculties and simplify dealings with central administration. New staff often find it hard to make the right connections because assistance with funding opportunities, costings, staff contract information, authorisation of bids and corporate information, is split between different central departments.

The VRU will be a 'virtual' office with key contacts meeting regularly, and in daily contact via email. There will be information packages, FAQs, templates, regularly updated statistical data available on staffcentral under 'VRU', and a training programme of seminars and workshops.

Hungry cat catches children's book prize

TOP-FLIGHT creative and technical skills have earned a Brighton MA Sequential Design/Illustration student a prestigious publishing prize and a £1000 cash award.

Dermot Flynn, who completes his MA in September this year, beat art students from HE institutions throughout the UK to win the 2002 Macmillan Prize for Children's Picture Book Illustration.

The prize, funded by Macmillan Children's Books, was set up in 1985 to stimulate new work from young illustrators in art schools and to help them launch their professional careers.

Dermot said: 'For my submission I had to produce a 32-page children's picture book with four double-page spreads fully finished and the remainder of the book sketched out. We could use a well-known story, like a fairytale, or write our own. I wrote my own story about a hungry cat in the city who catches a pigeon! 'I produced the book using computer generated artwork. I really enjoyed the challenge of coming up with a story and illustrating it with entertaining images that would appeal to small children.'

The winning entry went on display in a Macmillan Prize exhibition at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design where Dermot was presented with his award. He plans to spend the prize on computer equipment and hopes his success may lead to a job offer with a publishing company or freelance commissions.

The Macmillan Prize for Children's Picture Book Illustration is awarded annually for work by an illustrator which the jury consider to be an original contribution to the field, and which children will enjoy. The judges included children's book illustrators, Macmillan Children's Books managing director Kate Wilson and art director Ann Glenn.

Play with dollies

FEW stage plays take supply chain management as their theme, but for Peter McCullen, who lectures in the subject at the Brighton Business School, it proved an inspired choice.

Peter conceived and scripted Dolly Goes to Dijon - a comic tale of three dollies and their epic journey from a Korean factory - which was performed at the Marlborough Theatre in this year's Brighton Festival.

'It's the story of dollies made in a factory who look forward to glamourous lives but then get shoved into a steel container and become stock in a supply system,' said Peter. The play is an adult fable, featuring a Doctor Marten-wearing Marxist dolly and even Basil Brush.

It was performed by the Extra Theatre Company, whose seven members met at last year's festival when they were extras in a production of Brighton Rock. 'During the interval we decided to do something for ourselves in next year's festival,' said Peter.

Fun fashions on show

FASHION and Textiles graduates showed off some innovative and striking collections at two recent catwalk shows, at Southern FM's Fun Day 2002 and during the university's Graduate Fashion Week.

Southern FM sponsored the university to make garments for its charity event, paying for models, fabrics, production and prizes. A creation by Vicky Fong, second year textiles student is pictured on the main page of this issue of Channel on-line. Graduate Fashion Week included a catwalk show with 24 collections by final-year students. Katie Gaudian's fun, interactive designs (shown here) featured glowing UV-sensitive fabrics and slinky springs. Matthew Dixon won the Portfolio Award for a tailored collection based on hinges. Other designs were by Amy Roberton (printed textiles, architecture and flowers), Emma Lakin (knitwear with a magic theme) and Denise Taylor (on the theme of lying in bed).

First Mauritius graduates

THE first cohort of MA Education from the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) graduated on Thursday 11 April at the Paul Octave Wiehe Auditorium, Reduit, in Mauritius.

Twenty-five students received their awards from Paul Griffiths, dean, Faculty of Education and Sport, and Prem Saddul, director of the Mauritius Institute of Education at a magnificent ceremony. Representing the School of Education were Maggie Carroll, head of school, Katrina Miller, course leader and course tutor, John Smith, course tutor, and Linda Rice who is engaged with the MIE in a British Council funded project to support children with special educational needs.

The graduates, mostly secondary school teachers, studied a two-year part-time programme identical to the MA Education, but delivered intensively twice yearly in Mauritius. Email tutorial support via the students' critical studies groups enables Katrina Miller, course leader, to liaise with all the students. Both School of Education and MIE staff tutor the students through the dissertation with feedback shared electronically.

Asthmatic mountaineer takes the steepest path

IAN Everitt, deputy supervisor at Student Services, is to climb Mount Snowdon again - despite suffering from asthma.

Following a previous successful ascent with the university's Mountaineering Club, this time he is taking the Crib Goch path, the most challenging route up the peak. He will be accompanied by two other people - one a mountain instructor - for safety reasons, and has already collected over £300 in sponsorship for the Rocking Horse Appeal, for the Royal Alexandra Hopsital for Sick Children.

'I have only climbed Snowdon once, and up a fairly easy track,' says Ian. 'I was lucky that my parents brought me up to believe there was nothing that I couldn't do, just be sensible and know your limits. I know that it will take me a lot longer than most of my climbing friends to climb this route, but then this is about a challenge to myself and raising money for a very good cause.'

Design students have V for Vision

TWO final year graphic design students have come up with a new corporate identity for Visions, the festival of animated theatre, dance and visual art which returns to Brighton this autumn.

Student designers and illustrators in the School of Architecture and Design were asked to pitch for the job of producing a flexible corporate identity appealing to Visions' audiences and reflecting its experimental character.

The contract was awarded to Dawn Parsonage and Rachel Spencer for their quirky logo based on a 3D plastic mould of the letter 'V'. The versatile design can be back-lit to create a shadow on an exhibition wall, photographed for stationery, and even made into a jelly to promote children's events. Subject leader Lawrence Zeegen said: 'The opportunity for students to undertake a commercial project is a vital part of their education as graphic designers. The re-branding of visions has been a real asset to the course.'

Dawn and Rachel said: 'It was good to work on a live brief, especially one so diverse and on such a scale, with a client open to innovative concepts.'

Visions 2002 comes to Brighton 24 October - 2 November. Details on ext 3194 or at: visions.fest@brighton.ac.uk

Veggie chef victory

YVONNE Younger, chef at Mithras House, scooped second prize for a vegetarian dish in this year's regional university chefs competition. Yvonne's prize-winning entry was seared mango, asparagus and haloumi salad (flavoured with a splash of lime scented avocado oil), followed by homemade mushroom and cashew sausages, a sweet potato mash with mustard and pea pesto, finished with a caramelised red onion and creamy mushroom sauce.

The Southern Region heats of the contest, organised by the university caterers association TUCO, were held at Thames Valley University.

Yvonne is pictured flanked by Gabrielle Efford and Margaret Poulton of Pelican Buying Group.