Reading in the news - Tue 29 Mar

University Challenge: Express, Today Online, Berkshire Live, Wales Online, Hull Live, Nottinghamshire Live, and others report on Reading's victory in the semi-finals of University Challenge, which was screened on BBC Two on Monday evening.

Ukraine: 

• Reham El-Morally (Agriculture) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about the impact of the Ukraine crisis on global food security and previewed this week’s Bridging Worlds: Sustainable Agriculture Conference hosted by the University.
• An article by Mike Schmitt (Law) on access to food allegedly being weaponized by Russia in Ukraine is published as a Lieber Institute West Point Articles of War piece.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Professor Mark Fellowes (Biological Sciences) is quoted by Wokingham Today on The University's new biodiversity nature trail on campus. Read our news story.
• Dr Tijana Blanusa (Agriculture) is quoted by The Garden (in print) on her collaborative research project on the best hedge combinations to help the environment and local wildlife.
• PhD researcher Alice Haughan is quoted by New Kerala on leading research from the University on the relationship between forest loss in India and climate change. Read our news story. 
• Professor Paul Williams (Meteorology) is quoted by Phys.org on the environmental impact of aviation. 

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about the UK's dropping of compulsory at-home testing, and its impact on the spread of Covid. 
• Dr Tara Pirie (formerly Biological Sciences) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire as part of a regular ‘coffee club’ segment and discussed her experience of having Covid. 
• Dr Jayne Morriss (Psychology) is quoted by Scientific American on her research on the psychological distress some people feel because of continuous bad news and uncertainty, partly due to the pandemic. 

Rainfall Rescue:

• Further coverage of the Rainfall Rescue citizen science project led by Professor Ed Hawkins (Meteorology) appears in India Education Diary, PA Media, CIWEM, SOTT, Health News Digest, and Energy Live News. Professor Hawkins's article on The Conversation describing the project and its findings is republished by Raw Story.

• Dr Stephen Burt (Meteorology) spoke to BBC Radio Ulster about working on the Rainfall Rescue Project. 

Read our news story.

Other Coverage:

• Dr Denise Tsang (Henley Business School) was interviewed by ITV Meridian on strategies to make computer games appeal to an older audience.
• Professor Gunter Kuhnle (Food) is quoted by the Daily Mail, Express Informer, Today Headline, The News Amed, Today UK News, Express Digest, News Colony, and Business Fast on the nutritional value of high protein alternatives to their original counterparts.
• Professor Jane Setter (English Language) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about Liam Payne's accent in a viral clip of him being interviewed at the Oscars. 
• Visiting Associate Professor, Frans Van der Colff (Henley Business School) is quoted by FASA on the future of franchising. 
• Travers Smith mentions collaborative research from Henley Business School into ESG practice amongst UK small and mid-sized quoted companies.
• Academic Venue Solutions reports that a recent episode of BBC Question Time was hosted at the University's Great Hall. 
• Lexis Nexis reports on a 2018 Henley Business School report that predicted several future changes for law firms. 

Alumni:

• Enersense and Avenza report on the appointment of a Henley graduate as Enersense International Plc's new Senior Vice President, Legal, and a member of the Group Executive Team. 
• Impressio credits a film directed by Reading graduate, Ana-Maria Sotirova.
• IOD lists a Reading graduate as an expert in the property market.