Blog posts

Head of Department – Chemical Engineering

Professor Andrew Livingston has accepted an extension to his appointment as Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering to 30 September 2016.

After graduating in New Zealand and a period in industry, Andrew Livingston took a PhD at Cambridge, subsequently joining Imperial as a lecturer. He was appointed a professor in 1996 and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2006. His research interests centre on membrane technology for chemical and pharmaceutical applications. Professor Livingston leads a research group of PhD students and post-doctoral research staff; his awards include the Cremer and Warner Medal of the Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Royal Academy of Engineering Silver Medal, and, amongst a number of academic distinctions, an MSc in Economics from the LSE.

Professor Livingston was first appointed Head of Department in 2008.

New supplier for print facility at South Kensington

From 1 February the Office Depot print facility at the Sherfield building will be taken over by a new supplier, Service Point.

Service Point will be able to provide all services previously available through Office Depot, and will also be able to service all our campuses through various print sites located in and around London.

For further details and updates please check the Purchasing pages or contact Victoria Stanger if you have any queries.

New redistribution network for unwanted resources

The Energy and Environment Team are inviting staff to register for the free Waste Action Reuse Portal (or WARPit), a network for loaning, giving or claiming unwanted resources within the College.

Using this network saves the College money, frees up space, diverts resources from landfill, reduces carbon emissions and saves on the costs of removal and disposal.

Register for the service

More information can be found on the WARPit website. Queries should be directed to Lisa Holland or Helen Swanton.

Are you doing something for National Science and Engineering Week?

National Science and Engineering week takes place this year from 15 – 24 March and provides an opportunity to engage the public with Imperial research. Staff who are participating in events to promote their research during that week – whether talking to a school or running a science show – are encouraged to contact Katie Weeks (x46129) in the Communications and Development Division who will be publishing a full programme for the College.

Guidance for staff on social networking sites and personal internet presence

Online resources have been developed by HR to provide guidance to staff on the personal use of social networking sites. The guidelines aim to protect the reputation of both staff and the College, and outline the implications for breaches of College policies.

If staff refer to the College on social networking sites, key points to follow are:

  • A disclaimer should be posted to protect the College
  • Confidential information related to College employment should never be disclosed
  • Staff should never post information which may be deemed abusive of offensive
  • Staff should discuss with their manager if information on a site might entail a conflict of interest
  • Sites must not be used for accessing or sharing illegal content

Read the full guidance

Disability Survey

All staff are invited to complete an online Disability Survey by Friday 8 February, regardless of whether or not they have a disability or line manage someone with a disability. Responses will help shape how the College caters for the needs of staff with disabilities.

The departments with the highest response rates will be entered into a draw to receive a gourmet food hamper to share. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and is anonymous.

Take the survey

Library Services

Ms Frances Boyle, Assistant Director (Library Academic Services), and Ms Susan Howard, Assistant Director (Library Resource and Innovation Services), have accepted appointment as Acting Co-Directors of Library Services with effect from 1 January 2013, following the retirement of Mrs Deborah Shorley.

Provost

Professor James Stirling CBE FRS has accepted appointment as Imperial’s first Provost, taking up the position by August 2013. The new role was created following the changes to Imperial’s leadership model announced in April.

The Provost will be responsible for the delivery of the College’s core mission: education, research and translation, and will report directly to the President & Rector, who will give emphasis to the College’s external affairs including development. The President & Rector and the Provost will together have responsibility for the strategic direction of the College.

Professor Stirling joins Imperial from the University of Cambridge, where he was Head of the Department of Physics from 2011. Completing doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge, Professor Stirling joined Durham University as Lecturer in 1989 and became Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Physics in 1992. He was the Founding Director of the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology between 2000 and 2005, and from 2005 to 2008 he served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, before joining Cambridge as the Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Cavendish Laboratory.

Professor Stirling was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics in 1992, Fellow of the Royal Society in 1999 and was appointed CBE for services to science in 2006. He was a member of the Physics Sub-Panel in two RAE (2001 and 2008) and was Deputy Chair of the 2008 panel. He is a member of the Council of the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s Research and Innovation Strategic Advisory Committee.

Faculty Operations Officer – Natural Sciences

Ms Nazia Hirjee has been appointed permanently as Faculty Operations Officer – Natural Sciences with effect from November 2012, a role she has held as on an acting basis since May 2012.

Ms Hirjee joined the College in February 2009 as Faculty Finance Officer, a role which she held until 2012. Prior to joining the university sector, she spent 10 years working in financial services at JPMorgan Chase in project and operational roles. Ms Hirjee is a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA) and holds a BA Hons in Geography from St Hugh’s College, Oxford. She was a Trustee of the Women & Health charity in Camden for two years until May 2010.

Automated Switchboard Service

ICT will shortly be launching an interactive voice recognition (IVR) system to provide an automated switchboard service. Callers will be prompted to name the person or department they wish to speak to and the IVR system will route the call to the intended recipient.  If the name is not recognised by the system or if the caller wishes to speak to someone they can say “switchboard”, “operator” or press 0 to route the call to switchboard operators. Staff can also use the system as an internal directory enquiries service, for example by dialling it and requesting “give me the number for John Smith”.

The system will go live for internal calls on Monday 3 December 2012, and for calls from outside on Monday 17 December. Staff can test the system now by dialling ext. 43434 from a College extension or Mobex and requesting their number.

Where details are not recognised by the system staff should check their College Directory entry is in place by visiting the College Directory.

Staff with queries should contact Stuart Kerr, Telephone Services Manager (s.kerr@imperial.ac.uk).