People

A marathon task

Staff from across the University are raising money for charity by running in the London marathon next month.

Lindsey Gill, from External Relations, has managed to raise more than £2,000 for Cancer Research UK. Lindsey says: 'I'd always wanted to do the London Marathon but the fact that my two-year old nephew, Toby, has been ill for the last 18 months has motivated me to stop thinking about it and actually do it! I have two half marathons booked in before the big day so hopefully they will give me the motivation and practice that I need!'

Lindsey Gill with her nephew Toby

To sponsor Lindsey for her chosen charity of Cancer Research UK, the UK’s leading cancer charity, with a dedicated team of 3,000 scientists and an annual scientific spend of around £213 million, see www.justgiving.com/lindseygill.

The Students' Union’s Senior Administrator, Lynsey Clark, is running the Marathon for the charity Scope, a national disability charity which focuses on people with cerebral palsy. Lynsey explains: 'Scope is a charity close to my heart, as my two-year old son Jacob was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy a little over a year ago. Through Scope I have received a lot of help and support. They have also put us in touch with befriending groups, so we can talk to other parents and children in the same situation. This is great as it can feel very isolating.'

To sponsor Lynsey for her chosen charity of Scope, see www.justgiving.com/lynseyclark.

If you are running in the London Marathon, the Wyvern team would like to hear from you. Please contact us at wyvern@essex.ac.uk so that we can feature your achievement in a future issue.

Antisemitism expert informs public policy

Dr Paul Iganski, Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology, was called as an expert witness to give evidence at a hearing of the All-Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism last month.

Dr Iganski followed the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, in answering questions posed by MPs in a Select Committee-type hearing. The Committee was chaired by Dr Denis MacShane MP and included the former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith MP.

Drawing on the recent book Hate Crimes Against London’s Jews, co-authored by Dr Iganski and researchers from the Metropolitan Police Service, Dr Iganski provided evidence on the profiles of offenders involved in antisemitic crime.

Dr Iganski's appearance before the Committee was prompted by a written submission he made on behalf of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research that reported on a survey he conducted on police forces in the United Kingdom and their use and collection of data on antisemitic incidents. The research revealed that in contrast to the recording of racist incidents that is carried out by all police forces, only a minority of forces have systems in place for the recording of antisemitic incidents, including some forces that have substantial Jewish communities in their force areas. In questions, the Committee drew Dr Iganski on the consequences that such omissions have for the effectiveness of policing antisemitic crime.

Teaching success for Biological Sciences

Dr Richard Jurd, from the Department of Biological Sciences, has been given a National Teaching Award by the Open University (OU) for 2005-2006.

Dr Jurd said: 'My nomination came as a total surprise, although it was not such a surprise as actually winning! Like many academics in traditional "face-to-face" universities, I undertake some tutoring for the OU through its distance-learning programmes. I have done this since 1976, having been encouraged to apply by the founding Professor of Biology at the Essex, John Ashworth.'

'My award is really for the continuing support of students who undertake OU courses in biological sciences, especially those who are housebound, have disabilities or other health problems. I believe that my role, as a teacher with OU and as a Principal Teaching Fellow at Essex, has provided opportunities for a lively exchange of ideas in teaching practice, and innovation between two very different but outstanding higher education institutions.'

Dr Jurd will be awarded £1,000 for personal professional development (this is one of only eighteen awards Europe-wide) by the OU's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brenda Gourley, at a luncheon in April. He plans to use this on studying specific learning disabilities (such as dyslexia and related conditions) amongst HE students.

Also in the printed March edition of Wyvern:

• Compelling read now in paperback
• A week in the life of...Caroline Dombleby
• Students vote for new Sabbs
• Playwright wins coveted prize