Reading in the news - Tue 4 Jan

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) was quoted by the Daily Mail, Mirror, Yahoo!, The Guardian, and Morning Star Online (and in print) on incomplete data over the holidays and the benefits of further restrictions; The Guardian on statistical 'cold spots' that present difficulties when determining the prevalence of Omicron; the Daily Mail (in print) and BBC Radio Berkshire on the importance of publishing daily Covid statistics; Yahoo! and Huffington Post on the seriousness of Omicron despite its mild nature; Newsweek, J News and the Daily Mail on NHS isolation guidelines; Yahoo!, Morning Star (in print), and The Guardian (and in print) on the effects of Covid on vulnerable people in hospital during the holidays; and by UK Time News and BBC Radio 2 on the invalidity of conspiracies that 5G phone masts transmit Covid. He was interviewed by BBC World News on the infectiousness of Omicron; Bloomberg on the future of vaccinations and Covid immunity; CNBC News Europe on the severity of Omicron and case numbers; Al Jazeera on how the Omicron variant differs from other strains; BBC Radio 5 Live on how South Africa's data compares to the UK; he answered LBC News Radio and BBC Radio London's Covid question; spoke to LBC Radio, Talk Radio, Times Radio and other regional commercial radio stations, including Jack FM in Berkshire, about the continued unknowns about Omicron; Times Radio about the decision to keep schools open in England; BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Three Counties Radio about the different measures in place across the UK home nations; BBC Radio Berkshire about the data emerging about hospitalisations due to Omicron; BBC News 24, BBC Radio Berkshire, and BBC Radio Oxford about increasing numbers of cases of Omicron; BBC Radio Berkshire, Talk Radio and CBS News in the US about the decision not to impose any new restrictions in England ahead of the new year; BBC Radio Berkshire, LBC Radio and Talk Radio about the latest UK infection and hospitalisation numbers; Daily Mail, The Sun, the Mirror, Express, and USA News Lab on the possibility of boosters becoming less necessary in future; LBC Radio and Heart Radio Berkshire about a potential vaccine against multiple variants; TalkRADIO and LBC Radio about the record number of cases in the UK; LBC Radio about the effectiveness of masks in classrooms, and BBC Radio London about the shortening of isolation periods.
• Professor Ian Jones (Biological Sciences) was quoted by Urdu Point and Sputnik on the importance of vaccinations; by Manchester Evening News on future vaccinations becoming less of a necessity; Daily Mail, The Sun, the Mirror, Express, and USA News Lab on the possibility of boosters becoming less necessary in future; and Archyde on the lower severity of Omicron.
• Dr Al Edwards (Pharmacy) was quoted by the Daily Mail on hospitalisation numbers, and again by the Daily Mail on whether cases have peaked in the UK; by Lew Rockwell on exposure to the virus offering possible immunity; and by Slate and The National News on the accuracy of lateral flow and PCR tests.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Dr Liz Stephens (Geography and Meteorology) was quoted by Intell Asia and spoke to BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service about the deadly Typhoon Rai in the Philippines and what forecasts suggested before it hit, with the interview also broadcast on a number of US radio stations.
• Dr Ella Gilbert's (Meteorology) article on The Conversation on the potential collapse of the Thwaites Glacier and resulting sea-level rise was republished by The Independent (and in print), Yahoo!, Forbes, Smart Water Magazine, Marine Technology News, Homeland Security Newswire, Sci-Tech Daily, Science Alert, and Nestia. She also spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about the climate relevance of the Netflix film, Don't Look Up.
• Yahoo!, Idaho Statesman, Artemis, Yale News, AOL., Bakersfield and others reported on a study conducted by Yale, and involving Dr Kevin Hodges (Meteorology), that found more hurricanes were likely to shift further towards the poles and affect more of the earth.
• Professor Ed Hawkins (Meteorology) was quoted by The Independent and Yahoo! on the irreversible consequences of global warming. 
• Professor Tom Oliver (Biological Sciences) was quoted by the Daily Mail on the sixth mass extinction of biodiversity. 
• Yahoo! and Daily Beast reported on Reading research looking at 'cloud seeding' using electric charge in the United Arab Emirates.
• Teller Report, Dubai Week, and Lebanon 24 report on the Guardian’s recent list of the top 10 scientific events of the year, which was contributed to by Professor Hannah Cloke (Geography and Meteorology).
• PhD researcher Akshay Deoras (Meteorology) was quoted by the Hindustan Times on the changing temperatures observed in Mumbai.
• BBC Radio Berkshire interviewed Elena Saggioro, a PhD student and Interdisciplinary Research Fellow at the Walker Institute, about what was achieved at COP26 in Glasgow in November.

Mummified nits: The Daily Mail, Guardian (and in print), BBC Newsround, The Independent, Yahoo!, Brinkwire, and around 100 other outlets report on Reading-led research which found human DNA can be recovered from the 'glue' headlice used to stick eggs to the hair of ancient mummies. Dr Alejandra Perotti (Biological Sciences), who led the study, was interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire. Poet and academic researcher, Dr Sam Illingworth, was inspired to write a poem about the University's findings for his blog, The Poetry of Science, and he also discussed it on his podcast. Read our news story.

Trigger warnings: The Mail On A Sunday (in print), Daily Mail (and an opinion piece in print and in Mail+), The Telegraph (and in print), Yahoo!, The Sun (and in print), The Times (and in print, and in a letter to the editor), the Greek City Times, Daily Star (in print), The College Fix and Times Radio reported on the University having once provided prior warning to seminar students about a particularly explicit line in an ancient Greek poem. The Telegraph references a recent article by the Vice-Chancellor about why such ‘trigger warnings’ are courteous.

New Year Honours:

• Greatest Hits Radio, The Caterer, Public Sector Catering, London News Time, Reading Chronicle, Berkshire Live, and BBC Radio Berkshire report that Matthew White, (Director of Campus Commerce) was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours for services to the catering and hospitality industry. 
• London News Time, Imperial College London, Wokingham Today, and RDG Today report that Professor Wendy Barclay received a CBE for her virology research, which was based at Reading until she and her team moved to Imperial College London in 2007.

Watermelon juice: Dr Charlotte Mills (Food) was interviewed by Food Unwrapped on Channel 4 for a piece filmed at Reading on the health benefits of consuming watermelon juice.

Inspirational quotes: Professor Patricia Riddell (Psychology) spoke to BBC Radio 4 about people’s fascination with inspirational quotes, with the interview played on BBC World Service and other stations.

Other Coverage:

• The Reading Chronicle reported on the University reaching the quarter-final in the BBC's University Challenge for the first time ever.  
• Professor Adrian Palmer (Henley) was quoted by The Herald (in print), Manchester Evening News (in print), Western Morning News (in print), and other regional outlets on customer rights when returning items.
• The Star (in print) reports on the Generation Delta project, an initiative led in partnership with the University that aims to increase the number of BAME female professors. Read our news story.
• Dr Mark Dallas's (Pharmacy) article on The Conversation on risk factors that can determine the likelihood of developing cognitive decline was republished by The BBC, Yahoo!, The Hindustan Times, Alter Net, and Pittsburgh Courier. 
• Professor Rodney Jones (English Language) was quoted by Medical Xpress, News Medical, Packaging Insights, Food Ingredients First, and Nutrition Insight on his research on an EIT-Food funded project that found health claim regulations could be failing to meet objectives. Read our news story.
• Farming UK reported on an EIT-Food Funded project that is developing a way for farmers to reduce the environmental impact of their fertilisers while maintaining quality yields. Read our news story.
• Provisioner Online and Packaging Insights report on an EIT-Food funded project in collaboration with the University that aims to develop sustainable packaging concepts. Read our news story.
• Live Trading News, News Max, Talk 99.5, KABC, KMJ Now, and Elle reported on research from the university that found beneficial compounds in Champagne that could help deter dementia and Alzheimer's disease. 
• Dr Cosmas Anyakudo (Law) was mentioned by The Sun as a speaker at the Ndigbo Royal Heritage Worldwide conference. 
• Agriland, Irish Examiner (and in print), and Farming Life Newsletter (in print) reported on a PhD study conducted in collaboration with the University on grassland sustainability which won an international award.
• Professor Helen Parish (History) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about why we celebrate Christmas Day on 25December and why there are 12 days of Christmas.
• BBC Radio Oxford mentioned the University's involvement with a project that offers English lessons for people who have arrived from Hong Kong to help settle in the UK.
• Dr Mark Shanahan (Politics and IR) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about this year's politics. 
• Professor Jo Phoenix (Law) spoke to LBC Radio about gender and single-sex schools. 
• Professor Mark Pagel (Biological Sciences) and Dr Andrew Meade's (Biological Sciences) research on the historical use and stability of words was mentioned by Scientific American and Fuenti Tech. 
• Scholarship Positions reported on the Centenary Scholarships being offered by the University to international students for 2022/23. 
• A program led by Professor Andrew Kakabadse (Henley Business School) on Board Practice and Directorship Development was mentioned by Capital.gr. 
• Professor Emeritus John Cottingham's (Philosophy) essay on the human soul was mentioned by the Methodist Recorder (in print) and Church Times (and in print).
• Professor Hella Eckardt (Archaeology) was quoted by Essex County Standard (in print) on the University's research on Colchester Museum's award-winning exhibition, decoding hidden stories of Colchester's earliest inhabitants. Read our news story.
• Professor Rosa Freedman (Law) was quoted by SOTT following a new parliamentary report about gender self-declaration.
• Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers (History) was quoted by The Blaze on medieval eating and drinking habits. 
• Maidenhead Advertiser reported on Reading archaeologists' unearthing of an 8th-century monastery. Read our news story.
• Eminetra reported on a survey co-led by Reading that found significant changes in school curriculums to focus on diversity.
• The University’s support for academic debate around Loddon Valley development plans on the University's land was reported by Bracknell News (in print).
• Reading Chronicle (in print) and Wokingham Today reported on the approved plans for Shinfield Film Studios to be developed on University land. 
• Daily Express (in print) mentioned Henley Business School findings that many workers are reassessing their jobs. 
• The University was mentioned by Farmers Guide for independently assessing a trial that investigated growing cover crops as part of a solution to improve soil organic matter.
• Funding by Huawei for a Reading-based research project was mentioned by The Spectator.
• Professor Arlene Astell (Psychology) was mentioned by The Courier and University of St Andrews for her collaborative work developing meaningful ways to communicate with those living with advanced dementia who have lost speech.
• Dr Rebecca Berkley's (Education) column on music teacher education was published in Music Teacher (in print). 
• Professor Jacopo Torriti (Construction Management and Engineering) was quoted by MSN on concerns over rising energy bills. 
• Healthy Magazine (in print) reports on research from the University on health benefits of eating two apples a day. Read our news story.
• Professor Emeritus Jane Gardner's (Classics) obituary for Professor James Noel Adams, who was head of the Classics Department in the 1990s, was published by The Times (and in print). 
• Musician Geoff Goddard, who worked at the University, was remembered in Record Collector (in print).
• Medical News Today mentioned Reading research that found probiotics benefitted cognitive function.
• Business Today reports that Reading graduate Datuk Siti Zauyah has been appointed as a board member on Westports Holdings, Berhad.
• A graduate of Henley Business School was mentioned by Beijer Group, Tanalys, and Placera for being elected to the Nomination Committee of Beijer Electronics Group AB.
• University graduate Asuquo Ekpenyong was named by Opera News as the possible next Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria.
• The Fatu Network reported on Reading graduate Falalo M Touray's appointment as traditional chief of Kombo South Constituency.
• The University's Harris Garden was listed by Berkshire Live as a great place to go for a winter walk. 
• A photo of a Reading student from 1968 was published in Woman's Weekly’s ‘What You’re Wearing’ feature (in print).