People

 

Mo waves goodbye after 42 years

One of the University’s longest serving members of staff said goodbye to colleagues last month after working at Essex for 42 years.

Mo Lee joined the University in October 1967 as a secretarial assistant in the Registrar's Office. She is one of very few remaining members of staff who remembers working in Wivenhoe House while the Colchester Campus that we know today was being built.

During her time at Essex Mo has worked in various roles across several administrative sections. Since joining the Communications and External Relations section she has been involved in producing prospectuses, planning corporate events, acting as the University's UCAS correspondent for many years and, perhaps most notably, was instrumental in designing and implementing the University's two admissions systems. That these systems are both still in use is a testament to the knowledge and skills that Mo, and the MIS developers she worked with, put into this critically important project.

In her most recent role, as Office Manager in Communications and External Relations, Mo was responsible for devising and improving processes and procedures, for implementing new technologies and for the numerous logistical aspects required to run an effective large complex professional services section.

Monica Illsley Deputy Director of Communications and External Relations said: ‘Mo’s administrative skills, her willingness to take on new projects and to embrace new technologies (of which there have been a great many over the last 40 years!) and her hard work and attention to detail have been valued by her colleagues over the years and by the University itself and she will be missed.’

Picture caption: Mo Lee

Mayan prints donated for fund

A set of Mayan-inspired prints have been donated to the Department of Art History and Theory to raise money for a travel fund launched in memory of the late Dr Tim Laughton.

The unique prints, by artist Mike Aakhus, will go on sale shortly at £375 each. Money raised from their sale will go to the Tim Laughton Travel Fund which aims to support students wishing to undertake research in Latin America.

The fund, which already stands at more than £1,000, was launched at a recent symposium on the art of Mexico and Central America from pre-Columbian times to the present, which had been co-organised by Dr Laughton and Professor Valerie Fraser. Speakers included established academics and postgraduate students from UK universities, the British Museum and a contemporary art institute in Costa Rica.

To make a donation to the fund, contact the Development and Alumni Relations Office, e-mail: daro@essex.ac.uk.

Picture caption: One of Mike Aakhus’ prints

Obituary
Martin Waite

Martin Waite, who died on 24 March after a long illness, was a distinctive and important member of the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. He came as a mature undergraduate to the then Department of Computer Science in 1983 and retired shortly after a period as Deputy Head (Teaching) in 2007.

Martin had a strong personality and character, acquired on a slightly unusual path through life. In 1964 he started a degree at Imperial College in civil engineering but dropped out after two years, and instead took one of the earliest qualifications in computer programming in the UK. Then, after working as a programmer, he changed direction completely and became a plumber and builder. Much later Martin would draw a comparison between staff missing the deadline for marking an assignment and trying to organise a group of tradesmen.

Martin described his time as an undergraduate as ‘three gloriously happy years’. He was probably the only second-year to get an assignment extension on the grounds that he had to finish Artexing his ceilings!

After graduation he worked as a research assistant with Professor Simon Lavington. The group gained a silver medal from the British Computer Society and, in 1987, Martin started as a lecturer in the Department. Initially Martin worked on specialised parallel hardware for novel languages but became more interested in teaching so, in 2001, was promoted to Principal Teaching Fellow.

Martin made great and rapid changes in computer science postgraduate provision and became Deputy Head (Teaching) at the time computer science was ‘under the spotlight’ as part of the 2003 Institutional Audit.

Martin was always very self-directed and had strong views about the structure of the curriculum. When the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering was formed in 2007, he took a leading role in defining the first version of its new combined undergraduate curriculum. The impact of his ideas will be felt for years to come.

Sadly, Martin’s retirement was short-lived. He is survived by his wife Fiona, his daughter Chloe and his son Tom.

Dr Sam Steel, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering

Picture caption: Martin Waite

Also in the printed May edition of Wyvern:

• A economical farewell
• Marathon man
• Conference honours Essex philosopher