west sands

St Andrews in the News

February 2020

Welcome to the February edition of St Andrews in the News – the monthly e-newsletter that keeps all our alumni, parents, donors and friends in the loop about current news, information and events.

University news
View a full list of news from around the University
principal

Principal’s contract extended

The Principal has accepted an invitation from the University Court to lead the institution for a further five years after her current contract concludes in 2021. Read more.

artists impression

Wardlaw Museum reopening in April

The University’s flagship Museum will reopen in April. More than £1.3million of the total £2.1million extension and remodelling has come from philanthropic donations. Thank you to all the donors who made this possible! Read more.

principal and mark sedwill

Cabinet Secretary visits St Andrews

Alumnus Sir Mark Sedwill, Head of the Civil Service and Cabinet Secretary to the UK Government, came back to the University recently to give a talk on the UK’s current challenges. Read more.

principal and mark sedwill

Alumni Weekend tickets released!

This year’s programme is now available to view online, registration is open and tickets are on sale for the Alumni Dinner. Whether you are celebrating a special anniversary of your graduation year or just want to make a return visit to St Andrews, this is a great opportunity to catch up with your friends and see all the latest developments – including the new Wardlaw Museum, the purpose-built Laidlaw Music Centre and the new, state-of-the-art Scottish Oceans Institute building. Alumni can also register to attend the University Public Meeting (described in the next article) as part of their Alumni Weekend registration. Please don’t hesitate to ask for our help in organising a group to attend together by emailing alumni@st-andrews.ac.uk. View the programme, register to attend and book your place at the Alumni Dinner now.
quad

Annual University Public Meeting

The University’s second Annual University Public Meeting is taking place during the Alumni Weekend, but is open to everyone! Come along to the Buchanan Theatre on Saturday 4 April at 5pm to hear Professor Sally Mapstone, Principal and Vice-Chancellor and representatives of the governing body of the University talk about current key issues and opportunities. They will take questions from the audience. The event is free, but pre-registration is required: places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Find out more about the meeting and register to attend.

laboratory

The Willie Russell Laboratories

The new temporary laboratory facilities - commissioned by the University and built by Portakabin to allow valuable research to re-start after last year’s devastating fire - are now fully operational. The new facility has been named after molecular virologist Professor Willie Russell, who was instrumental in establishing the University’s virology unit. This will continue within the new complex. Read more.

teacher and class

St Andrews Prize for the Environment 2020

Three global finalists have been selected for the prestigious 2020 St Andrews Prize for the Environment. We are currently seeking support for the 2021 St Andrews Prize for the Environment and have received a number of significant donors already. Anyone interested in more information on supporting the St Andrews Prize for the Environment should contact Pamela Stephenson in the Development Office pls1@st-andrews.ac.uk. Read more.

africa summit logo

SaintsFunder

This month, SaintsFunder has a distinctly African theme! We’ve highlighted below the current projects for which we are currently crowdfunding. For more information about how to support them visit our website.

SAASUM is celebrating its fifth anniversary with the SAASUM 2020 Conference on Saturday 22 February at the Buchanan Theatre, featuring none other than the President of Ghana as its key-note speaker! The Principal will be making an opening speech.

Volunteer South Africa (Sport) and Volunteer Zambia (Sport) are our international volunteering programmes run though Saints Sport. They provide St Andrews students with the opportunity to have a life-changing experience by coaching young people in Stellenbosch and Lusaka in a variety of sports.

New release: St Andrews Negotiation Summit 2020 –created by students who wish to offer students, friends of the University and alumni insight into effective negotiation and mediation skills.

And finally - don’t forget about PLASTIC: Unwrapped or the Up in Smoke Exhibition

The SaintsFunder platform is available to all students, academics and staff. We’d love to hear from you so please contact us if you have any fundraising projects you would like to discuss: SaintsFunder@st-andrews.ac.uk.
student callers

We’re enjoying talking to you…

Our 30 student callers have already talked to many of you across the world and have enjoyed listening to your stories, memories and careers advice. They have also learned some useful skills to add to their CVs into the bargain! Thank you so much for your donations so far – our students are very appreciative of your support for this campaign!

As this is an international campaign calling out to alumni and families across the world, we have a late night calling shift on Thursdays (from 11pm to 2am GMT) to ensure the students call at a convenient local time for you.” They look forward to their late night treats during these shifts!

Kathryn Rudy

Award for Professor of Art History

Professor Kathryn Rudy of the School of Art History is to receive the Walter Scott Medal in recognition of her outstanding contribution to art history. Read more.
Alumni news
graduate outcomes logo

Graduate Outcomes

If you graduated up to 15 months ago, then tell us what’s happening in your career and help to motivate and inspire the next generation of students by filling in the Graduate Outcomes survey.

The Careers Centre can help you in return by giving you information about careers, events, jobs and work experience and how to write a CV that will get you noticed!

Make sure you update your contact details with alumni relations and you’ll receive the survey. What are you waiting for?

Alumni updates

This month we feature three very different but equally fascinating stories:

We remember Nicholas Parsons – a well-loved Rector – through the personal memories of David Caldwell (MA 1967).

Julian Fore describes how an ‘unforgettable’ International Exchange year here in 1969 changed his perspective of the world outside Virginia and developed his lifelong passion for the arts.

Finally, Dr Ian Clark (MB ChB 1972) describes what it was like to study medicine here in the late 1960s and why the 1972 Club decided to give back by setting up a class medical scholarship.

If you think your story might be of interest to other alumni, then email the editor (Sue Hill) at sem28@st-andrews.ac.uk. We will consider a number of stories each month for publication.
Alumni clubs
View a full list of University of St Andrews Alumni Club activities
Arizona
On March 29th at 2:00pm, Arizona's alumni group is having a social in downtown Phoenix (TBD venue). Last year, over 40 alumni attended events, so come to see some familiar faces and many new ones! Leave the shaving foam and raisin receipts at home. Contact Fred to stay in the loop.
Contact: Fred Arbona
Email: fredarbona@gmail.com
Phone: 480-371-8688

Berlin
Join the University of St Andrews Alumni Club at Club von Berlin (CvB) for their next event on Monday 23 March 2020 from 7.30pm. Entry for the event are priced at €10. The forum will be a Panel Discussion: Artificial Intelligence (AI), featuring Victoria Albrecht, founder of Springbok AI and St Andrews alumna (2014), discussing Artificial Intelligence. Purchase tickets.

Frankfurt
Join the German Verein for their monthly Frankfurt Alumni StAmmtisch! Going forward, the group will be meeting every 3rd Thursday of the month for a few drinks and to have a good time. The event is open to members and non-members of the Verein. The next StAmmtisch will be on Thursday 19 March from 7pm at Moloko. Register now.

London
Join the London Alumni Club for the first Alumni Pub Night of 2020! Bring your old St Andrews friends, make new ones, and find out about our upcoming events. The Club will be in the upstairs bar at The Fellow (24 York Way, N1 9AA), which is a 2-minute walk from King's Cross, from 6.30pm on Thursday 20 February 2020. Pop in for a drink or stay for a few! Register now.

Madrid
Come along and join the University of St Andrews Alumni Club, Madrid for their next event on Friday 21 February 2020 from 8pm. The meet up will take place at the Dry Martini Bar, Calle de Hermosilla 2, 28001 Madrid. Feel free to pass on the word to other St Andrews alumni and friends in the area. Please follow the Club's LinkedIn and Facebook pages for more information on the event.

North Germany
The North Germany Alumni Club is looking for new members interested in contributing to organising future events (whether small, large, formal or informal!) in the region, feel free to get in touch via LinkedIn with Salvatore Coppola-Finegan or email via salvatorecoppola@pm.me.

North West of England
Join the North West of England Alumni Club on Thursday 12 March 2020 at the Cultureplex for a casual drink social from 6pm, aiming to bring together a network of local alumni, and strengthen our bubble-away-from-bubble. The existing members of the committee will be there, so be sure to chat to one of us about getting involved. We're still looking for enthusiastic participants to help us grow and develop the Alumni Club in the future. Register now.

San Francisco
Join alumni from St Andrews and other UK universities on the third Tuesday of each month at the bar on the fourth floor of the University Club (800 Powell), from 7pm to 10pm. Preferred dress code is business casual. Register now.

Seattle
Are you an alumnus of St Andrews? Do you stay in the Seattle area? The University of St Andrews Alumni Club, Seattle is on the look out for alumni to take over the leading of the Club in 2020. If you are interested can you, please get in touch with Alumni Relations alumni@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Toronto
Toronto Alumni After-Work Drinks - Thursday 12 March 2020 at Terroni Price, 1095 Yonge St from 6.30pm. Join fellow alumni at this relaxed and informal event, organised by the University of St Andrews Alumni Club, Toronto. This will be the perfect opportunity to catch up with your friends and reconnect with some ‘old’ familiar faces. Alex Hayes, from the University of St Andrews' Development Office, will be in attendance and looks forward to meeting you and bringing you up to date with news from St Andrews. Feel free to pass on the word to other St Andrews alumni in the area. Register now.

Vancouver
Join the University of St Andrews Alumni Club, Vancouver for their next networking night on Thursday 19 March 2020 from 6pm at The New Oxford, 1144 Homer Street. If you know any fellow Vancouver based alumni not currently in the Club please share this event and invite them. As always, plus ones are more than welcome! Alex Hayes, from the University of St Andrews' Development Office will be in attendance and looks forward to meeting you and bringing you up to date with news from St Andrews. Register now.

Washington D.C.
Join fellow alumni at the next Happy Hour on Thursday 20 February 2020 from 6-8pm at Penn Social, just a block south of the National Portrait Gallery. Penn Social is easy to get to from either the Gallery Place or Archives metro stations. Located on the corner of 8th and E st it's just a few minutes walk from either station. This relaxed and informal event, organised by the University of St Andrews Alumni Club Washington D.C., will be the perfect opportunity to catch up with your friends and reconnect with some ‘old’ familiar faces. Register now.
What's on
See the Byre Theatre’s full programme
See the Music Centre's full programme
two masks on stage

Scottish Community Drama Association Division Final 2020

Byre Theatre, Wednesday 19 February, 7.30pm
Watch Scottish Community Drama at its finest with this exciting competition of one-act plays.
conference

SAASUM

Buchanan Theatre, Saturday 22 February, 11am to 5pm
SAASUM is celebrating its fifth anniversary with the SAASUM 2020 Conference on Saturday 22 February at the Buchanan Theatre, featuring none other than the President of Ghana as its key-note speaker! The Principal will be making an opening speech. If you’re interested, please buy your tickets now.
stanza logo

StAnza 2020

Byre Theatre, Wednesday 4 to Sunday 8 March 2020
Find out how to book the amazing readings, exhibitions and installations that are taking place this year in Scotland’s international poetry festival.
Alumni Authors
book cover

The Secret to Not Drowning

 

Colette Snowden, MA 1993


book cover

Peace at Last:
A Portrait of Armistice Day, 11 November 1918

 

Guy Cuthbertson, MA 1998


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