Newsletter May 2007
1)Congratulations
Congratulations to all the PhD, PsychD and MSc students who were awarded their degrees at the higher degree ceremony at the cathedral on March 30th 2007.
Following the ceremony the School of Human Sciences hosted a reception in the University Hall where Head of Department Professor Jennifer Brown congratulated our graduates and thanked all the staff who contributed to their success. She also presented the Clare Whelan Memorial Prize for the best MSc Forensic Psychology dissertation to Darius Cavina and Sarah Disspain.
2) Successful PhD viva
Congratulations to all the PhD, PsychD and MSc students who were awarded their degrees at the higher degree ceremony at the cathedral on March 30th 2007.
Following the ceremony the School of Human Sciences hosted a reception in the University Hall where Head of Department Professor Jennifer Brown congratulated our graduates and thanked all the staff who contributed to their success. She also presented the Clare Whelan Memorial Prize for the best MSc Forensic Psychology dissertation to Darius Cavina and Sarah Disspain.
2) Successful PhD viva
Congratulations to Carly Sees who successfully passed her viva on 2nd April.
Carly was one of the PhD students funded by the Dovegate bursary scheme and her doctoral work focussed on the association between masculinity and progress within the therapeutic community.
3) Foyer improvement project
The Environmental Psychology MSc students recently undertook a project to redesign the departmental foyer. The project has been sponsored by Professor Jennifer Brown and is being led by Dr Birgitta Gatersleben. The decision to carry out the redesign follows research conducted last year that suggested that most students, staff and visitors felt that the foyer was not as welcoming as it could be and did not adequately reflect the prestige of the department.
The first stage of the redesign employed a number of environmental psychology theories and models that explain how people assess and evaluate their surroundings. On the basis of these conceptual frameworks, and an analysis of the earlier research, the group produced seven mood boards which were displayed in the foyer area (see photo attached. Each board visualised a different approach to creating a more welcoming, comfortable, legible and interactive space.
At the end of the first stage Birgitta commented
“Our research has shown that the foyer could do a far better job at projecting an image for the department that is welcoming, dynamic and creative. I hope this project provides the opportunity to design a space that far better reflects this image to visitors, staff and students alike.”
The feedback from the questionnaires were used to inform the final design work which is currently on display in the foyer. It is expected that some of the work will be carried out over the summer.
Carly was one of the PhD students funded by the Dovegate bursary scheme and her doctoral work focussed on the association between masculinity and progress within the therapeutic community.
3) Foyer improvement project
The Environmental Psychology MSc students recently undertook a project to redesign the departmental foyer. The project has been sponsored by Professor Jennifer Brown and is being led by Dr Birgitta Gatersleben. The decision to carry out the redesign follows research conducted last year that suggested that most students, staff and visitors felt that the foyer was not as welcoming as it could be and did not adequately reflect the prestige of the department.
The first stage of the redesign employed a number of environmental psychology theories and models that explain how people assess and evaluate their surroundings. On the basis of these conceptual frameworks, and an analysis of the earlier research, the group produced seven mood boards which were displayed in the foyer area (see photo attached. Each board visualised a different approach to creating a more welcoming, comfortable, legible and interactive space.
At the end of the first stage Birgitta commented
“Our research has shown that the foyer could do a far better job at projecting an image for the department that is welcoming, dynamic and creative. I hope this project provides the opportunity to design a space that far better reflects this image to visitors, staff and students alike.”
The feedback from the questionnaires were used to inform the final design work which is currently on display in the foyer. It is expected that some of the work will be carried out over the summer.
4) News from the Developmental Psychology research group
Professor Martyn Barrett participated in a briefing seminar for Tessa Jowell (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and Minister for the Olympics) recently. The seminar focused on “Young People, Britishness and the Olympics 2012”, and was aimed at exploring how the Olympics and other sporting events may be harnessed to foster a greater sense of Britishness amongst British children and young people.
Martyn also participated in a briefing seminar for the Commission for Racial Equality. This day long event focused on “Identity, Young People and Integration”, and explored the extent to which identity perspectives can be used in policy making on racial and ethnic inclusion, social and national cohesion, and the formulation of anti-discrimination measures.
5) News from the Environmental Psychology research group
Professor David Uzzell has recently been appointed Visiting Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Sociology at the University of Umeå in Sweden.
David Uzzell also gave a talk to BPS London and Home Counties Branch on Changing Behaviours for Sustainable Communities earlier this year. This was followed in February and March by papers at the Sustainable Cities Conference, at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford on Environmental Psychology for a Sustainable City. He has also taken part in seminars at the University of La Coruña on The Contribution of Environmental Psychology to Social Education and Health, and in the Geography Department at UCL on Environmental Psychology, Sustainable Development and Place.
Dr Birgitta Gatersleben was quoted in the Sunday Times (April 15th 2007) in an article titled New economy seats ‘invade personal space’. The newspaper reported that if personal space is invaded, it provokes a stress reaction and quoted Birgitta as saying “Airline seating already places passengers within each other’s intimate personal space, but sitting side by side allows them to avoid eye contact and so control their environment. Placing them in a face-to-face situation for many hours removes that control and is bound to cause insecurity. They’ll feel like sardines packed in a box.”
