News
Alumnus of the Year 2006
An Essex graduate from the Department of Electronic
Systems Engineering, Dr Michael Hollier, has been named Alumnus of the
Year.
Michael was awarded his PhD in 1995 and also won the BT publication
prize. During his time at Essex, he produced a software-based process that
enables speech traffic carried over telecommunication networks to be
monitored automatically for quality. This software, which works by
identifying distortion in speech and automatically grading the
communication to determine whether or not it has met a minimum performance
standard, was a significant advance for BT at the time.
Since his graduation, Michael has led a BT spin-off company,
Psytechnics, which uses this product. He has progressed to work with
multimedia applications, as his company has grown in size and stature. Its
function now is to introduce systems into digital communication channels
to monitor speech quality automatically for both fault detection and
network control.
Michael will receive his award during the July graduation. He is the
fifth recipient of the annual award which recognises the achievements of
Essex graduates.
New exhibition of cross-disciplinary art
A new exhibition of artworks selected in collaboration
with University staff across different disciplines goes on display this
month in the Albert Sloman Library.
UECLAAcross aims to open up the University of Essex Collection of Latin
American Art (UECLAA) to a wider audience, by demonstrating how works of
visual art may act as a catalyst for cross-disciplinary thought.
The works are being displayed in the balcony foyers of the Library’s
upper floors, locating them close to the library holdings for the subject
area each work touches upon.
Academic staff in four University departments and centres - Psychology,
Sociology, Human Rights and Art History - helped select the works for the
four foyers.
The long-term cross disciplinary exhibition is part of the Arts and
Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded Wider UECLAA project, aimed at
provoking interest in the Collection among a wider academic and
non-academic audience.
The Library was chosen because of its wide-ranging use by academics,
students and visitors with diverse research interests.
Three works exploring the visual effect of the stripe were chosen in
collaboration with Professor Arnold Wilkins, of Psychology; Dr Lynne
Pettinger, of Sociology selected works relating to the sociology of
prisons; Clara Sandoval, from the Human Rights Centre, chose work focusing
on the use of children as revolutionary soldiers in Colombia, and Dr
Deborah Povey, of Art History, chose work by Brazilian Albano Afonso which
explores the techniques used by Georges de la Tour.
Essex alumni aid Pakistan links
Research and recruitment links are being developed between
the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering (ESE) and a number of
universities in Pakistan, with Essex alumni playing a prominent role.
Head of Department, Dr Anthony Vickers, returned to Pakistan this
month, following up a visit he made earlier this year.
His initial visit was arranged following contact with an ESE graduate
working at COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) in
Islamabad.
Dr Vickers met with four Essex ESE and Physics graduates, all members
of CIIT’s Board of Advanced Studies and Research, and accepted an
invitation to participate on the Board. One of the Essex alumni was also a
senior member of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
The visit explored wide-ranging opportunities for collaboration, which
include opportunities for masters and research students to come to Essex.
In liaison with the British Council, Dr Vickers visited two other
highly regarded institutions in Karachi, NED and FAST, where he met senior
academics in the fields of telecommunications and computer engineering and
discussed research links.
His visit also took in Lahore, where he visited the Government College
University Lahore, and attended higher education fairs in each of the
three cities.
In Lahore, he met another Essex ESE graduate who is actively involved
in the Pakistan Higher Education Commission.
Dr Vickers said: ‘Essex ESE alumni are in many senior positions in
Pakistan. We had useful discussions about future links, as well as
discussing their fond memories of their time at Essex.’
On his return to Pakistan this month, Dr Vickers was a keynote speaker at
an International Conference on Higher Education for Development.
Also in the printed May edition of Wyvern:
- New department will explore new horizons
- Strange success in league tables
- Identifying sporting talent
- Study in Southend increased
- Celebrating 150 years of Freud
