Reading in the news - Mon 14 Apr

Sustainable farming: Dr Paola Tosi (Crop Science) is quoted by BBC 1 London Radio, BBC 1 West Radio, BBC 1 Wales Radio, BBC 1 South West Radio, BBC 1 Scotland Radio, BBC 1 South East Radio, BBC 1 East Midlands Radio, BBC 1 East Radio, BBC 1 West Midlands Radio, BBC 1 Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Radio,  BBC Parliament Radio, BBC News 24 Radio, and more emphasising the importance of soil recovery and drought mitigation for sustainable farming.

#UniForReading: our role as a civic university  

• Wokingham Today highlights the University as a key partner in efforts to support the local community, with the council leader praising collaborations that strengthen services and help with challenging financial times.
• Reading Today reports that the Rotary clubs of Reading have provided a multi-sensory dementia support toolkit to Braeburn Lodge, originally co-developed by Professor Rachel McCrindle (Computer and Human Interaction).

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• The Standard features Dr Olivia Haas (Meteorology), who explained that UK wildfires typically occur in spring due to dry vegetation. Republished by Inkl and AOL
• Today Headline and Envirotec Magazine highlight the Global Insect Threat-Response Synthesis (GLiTRS) project, which includes the University among its collaborators. From our news story: Some insects are declining what's happening to the 99%?.
• The Telegraph cites a University study revealing that some "super rats" are resistant to conventional poison, highlighting challenges in effective pest control.
• Professor Mathew Owens (Meteorology) is quoted by MailOnline, warning that a solar superstorm similar to a past Miyake event could strike and cause major disruption on Earth.
• Bloomberg and Business Standard report that Professor Sarah Dance (Meteorology) at the University raised concerns about the opacity of AI-driven weather forecasting models.

Health and wellbeing:

• British Heart Foundation reports that Dr Alex Bye (Pharmacy) has received Springboard funding from the Academy of Medical Sciences to support his early-career research work.
• Boing Boing highlights 2015 research from the University, which found that chewing gum can help disrupt unwanted repetitive songs by interfering with the brain's auditory memory.

Food and farming:

• Cambrian News reports on The UK Dairy Carbon Network Project, funded by the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and co-led by the University.

Heritage and culture:

• Corriere PL highlights Professor Andrew Mangham (English Literature) co-authoring research on "Empathism," a literary movement focused on emotional connection, emerging since 2020.
• The Times online reports on a study from King’s College London and the University, which shows that eating a handful of blueberries daily has positive health benefits.

Business and society:

• Novinite reports on a research project titled "Adaptation of the labor market in the conditions of membership in the eurozone," co-led by the University.
• BBC Radio 1 South interviewed Dr Melissa Carr (Henley Business School), who discussed the rise in return-to-office mandates by companies like Amazon and major London banks.
• BBC Radio Berkshire and BBC Radio Oxford broadcast an interview with Dr Rita Fontinha (Henley Business School) about the efficiency of working from home.

Other coverage:

• Cyprus Business News and Cyprus Mail announce a collaboration enabling two English-taught law programmes at Neapolis University, with degrees awarded by the University.
• In an article about censorship on campuses, The Courier Online reports that Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University, spoke at a 2024 seminar at the Houses of Parliament, in support of freedom of speech and diversity of thought.
• The Royal Gazette highlights a Reading University student who expresses honour at being selected to represent the West Indies as part of their rugby revival.
• The Guardian names the Museum of English Rural Life café among the UK’s top 50 museum cafés, on the University’s London Road campus. From our story: MERL cafe is in Guardian top 50.
• Reading Today highlights Dr Jamie Thompson (Scientist), who the Linnean Society of London has awarded the Irene Manton Prize for the best doctoral thesis in botany. From our story: Evolutionary secrets of flowering plants earn top prize.

Alumni:

• The Telegraph pays tribute to Peter Lovesey, acclaimed crime novelist and University alumnus, who studied English. Republished by Yahoo News, AOL, Kirkus and Yahoo Entertainment.
• Netweek, Infocom and Techpress report that Matteo Taglioni, who holds an MBA from Henley Business School, has taken on new responsibilities at Kyndryl.
• Zawya reports that Nikiwe Tanga, who completed her MBA at Henley Business School Africa, has been appointed as Chief Legal Officer at MTN Group Fintech.
• Corriere PL reviews a biography of Menotti Lerro, a writer who got a master's degree at the University in "The Body and Representation."
• Air Cargo Update highlights the promotion of Jamie McKean, a law graduate from the University, to Policy Adviser – Sustainable Logistics at BIFA.
• GlobeNewswire highlights that Russell Shackleton, who holds an Executive MBA from Henley Business School, will speak at the online Director’s Role and Responsibilities Training Course. Republished by Yahoo Finance, ValueSpectrum, and News R.