News in brief

University strategy discussed
All research staff are invited to attend informal workshops with Professor Stephen Scott to discuss the University’s strategy and values, and any other issues you wish to raise.

Dates and times:

• March 5: staff from the faculties of Arts, PVAC, LUBS and ESSL
  - St George Room, University House, 10.30am to 11.30am
• March 6: staff from Medicine and Health, FBS, MAPS
  - Centenary Gallery, Parkinson Court, 9am to 10am
• March 14: staff from MAPS, Engineering, Environment
  - Great Woodhouse Room, University House, 10am to 11am
• March 16: fixed-term research staff
  - Centenary Gallery, Parkinson Court, 10am to 11am

To confirm your place, email Kim Shutler at k.shutler@leeds.ac.uk

Values workshops
Around 240 staff from Information Systems Services (ISS) are piloting a series of ‘values workshops’ to discuss the University’s core values - academic excellence, community, integrity, inclusiveness and professionalism.

The values workshops will also encourage staff to talk about ways of working together to contribute towards the strategy’s driving goal; that Leeds is ranked among the world’s top 50 universities by 2015.

A further 200 staff in finance and central student administration will take part in the values workshops later on. For details, email Kim Shutler at k.shutler@leeds.ac.uk and visit the strategy website at http://tldynamic.leeds.ac.uk/strategy

Travel survey
An online survey is asking staff and students how they usually travel to the University. The survey, at www.heepi.org.uk/leeds, will be open from March 5 until March 11. Everyone who completes it can enter a draw to win cash prizes of up to £200.

Transport co-ordinator Steffi Hasse said the aim is to monitor how people travel to Leeds and seek suggestions for improvements. For a paper version of the survey, phone Steffi on ext. 35793.

She hopes to see some positive changes since the 2005 travel survey, which found that one in three staff drove their car to work alone. Another 32% caught the bus or train, 16% car-shared, 12% walked or jogged, 6% used a bike, and 1% drove a motorcycle.

Honours
The Crusades: An Encyclopedia edited by medieval studies lecturer Dr Alan Murray has received an award from the American Library Association for being an outstanding reference tool. The four-volume encyclopedia contains 1,000 entries and is also available as an e-book.

Business School Professors Leonidas Leonidou, Professor Constantine Katsikeas, and Nigel Piercy collected the Hans B. Thorelli Award in San Diego this month from the American Marketing Association for their top-10 most cited paper, Identifying managerial influences on exporting, which was published in the Journal of International Marketing in June 1998.

Professor of polymer physics Tom McLeish will collect the European Society of Rheology’s Weissenberg award in Naples this April. The award recognises his contribution to the field.

Dr Oliver Harlen from the School of Mathematics has won the British Society of Rheology’s annual award in recognition of his original contributions to the field.

Incoming Pro-Chancellor Linda Pollard, who takes up the post from David Ansbro in August, has been appointed as deputy chair to the board of regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

Medical physics lecturer Dr John Truscott has received the 2006 Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) measurement prize award for his submission on Resonant cavity measurement of total body water.

Fourteen support staff have received awards for achieving 380 years of service for the University between them since 1966: 40 years service: Paul Ogden (Physics and Astronomy); Geoffrey Thornton (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology). 25 years service: Andrew Armitage and Astrid Tiffin (both from ISS); Jacqueline Blakeborough, Ruth Hindmarsh and Sylvia Reynolds (all from Cleaning Services); Gillian Charlesworth, Helen Emery and Timothy Norton (all from Residential and Commercial Services); Tony Gothard (University Union Porters); Angela Phillips (School of Medicine); Neil Wilson (Faculty of Biological Sciences), Mike Shires (Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine).

Obituaries
We are sorry to report the deaths of: Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Haselden, former head of chemical engineering, on 1 February. Mr Jack Pilgrim, former lecturer in both the School of Music and the School of Education, on 10 February.