QM News 60 (pdf 1305KB) - Queen Margaret University

ISSUE 60, NOVEMBER 2004
MAKING THE NEW CAMPUS
SUSTAINABLE
LEARNING MORE ABOUT ETHNIC BUSINESSES
GRADUATE NEWS

CONTENTS
01 News
02 - 03 Building a Sustainable Campus
04 - 05 The Scottish Centre for Enterprise and Ethnic
Business Research
06 Research News
07 Welcome
Reunion News
Annual Fund News
08 International News
In the Spotlight
09 QMUCGA Newsletter
10 - 11 QMUC and Apex Hotels Team Up to Offer Top Careers
12 - 13 Classnotes
14 Another Step towards RE:LOCATE
ALUMNI NEWS
Note from the Principal
2004-05 is an enormously important
academic year for QMUC. Next spring,
we will submit our application for full
university title. We continue the
intensive process of developing the
plans for our new campus. And we are
pushing ahead strongly across the
whole range of our academic activity.
The RBS Centre for the Older Person's
Agenda is taking shape, with its new
co-directors, Professor Alan Gilloran
and Ms Maureen O'Neill, now in post.
The new Centre for Integrated
Healthcare Research, a collaboration
among QMUC, Edinburgh and Napier
Universities and three NHS Trusts, is
directed from QMUC by Professor
James Law. The RBS Centre in
Community Arts, Research and
Practice is firing ahead at the Gateway.
And everywhere there are new research
projects, new degree and life-long
learning programmes being designed;
and with a 15% increase in student
numbers, QMUC's campuses are
buzzing with life and energy.
Now that the Scottish Executive has
approved the planning application for
our new campus at Craighall, East
Lothian, this issue of QM News
provides you with more information on
the development. You will also find an
insight into the work of the Scottish
Centre for Enterprise and Ethnic
Business Research. The work of this
Centre, will, in time, make a real
difference to the success of ethnic
business in Scotland.
Enjoy this issue of QM News.
02-03
04-05
Professor Anthony Cohen,
Principal and Vice Patron, QMUC
EDITED BY:
Marketing & Communications Office
QMUC
08
10-11
DESIGN & PRODUCTION:
Marketing & Communications Office,
QMUC
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Dougie Barnett
PRINTER:
Keyline of Newcastle
CONTACT:
Marketing and Communications Office
Queen Margaret University College
Corstorphine Campus,
Edinburgh, EH12 8TS
Tel. 0131 317 3000
Fax. 0131 317 3795
Email. marketing@qmuc.ac.uk

NEWS - PAGE 01
HRH Princess Alice
The Principal, Governing Body and staff
were saddened to learn of the death of
HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of
Gloucester, Queen Margaret University
College's Patron, on 29 October 2004.
QMUC is indebted to Princess Alice for
her long and dedicated service to this
institution and for the remarkable
continuity that she provided throughout
many years of change. Her involvement
as Patron spans over sixty-four years,
from 1940. She succeeded Princess
Louise, Duchess of Argyll, who was
Patron of the Edinburgh School of
Cookery, which was to become the
Edinburgh College of Domestic Science
and eventually Queen Margaret
University College.
In 1994, Princess Alice was presented
with the honorary degree of Doctor of
College in recognition of her service.
Staff and students have fond memories
of her participation in key events in
QMUC's history, including laying the
foundation stone of the Corstorphine
campus on 7 June 1968 and her
conferral of the first honorary degree,
which was awarded in 1988 to Dr
Margaret Auld, Chief Nursing Officer of
the Scottish Home and Health
Department.
Born Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott, the
Princess was the third daughter of John,
7th Duke of Buccleuch and his wife
Margaret. In 1935, she married Prince
Henry, third son of King George V and
Queen Mary. In addition to her
involvement with QMUC, she was
Patron or President of a number of
medical and welfare organisations.
HRH Princess Alice
First recipient of Claudine Morgan
Memorial Prize announced
Emma Kehoe (MSc Dietetics) is the first
student to be awarded the Claudine
Morgan Memorial Prize.
This prize, worth £200, was established
last year in memory of Dr Claudine
Morgan, former Principal of Queen
Margaret College from 1971 to 1984.
The award is made to a postgraduate
student for an outstanding piece of
research in a food studies related topic.
The prize was made possible through
generous donations from a number of
former QMUC staff members.
Emma's research addressed the
accuracy and reliability of estimating
body composition using a range of
bioelectrical impedance analysers. Her
research question addressed the issue
of whether different methods were
interchangeable when used in normal
weight and overweight individuals.
'Quality Meat Scotland' scholarship
awarded to Elizabeth Maya Hodgson
With increasing concerns regarding
obesity rates in Scotland from healthcare
professionals and the Scottish Executive,
dietary issues are, now more than ever,
high on the healthcare agenda.
QMUC has a long history of providing
excellent teaching and practical training
to those pursuing careers as dieticians
and nutritionists. This tradition
continues today and the vocational
nature of QMUC’s courses and close
links with industry and the healthcare
sector, ensure that it provides the best
possible training for future professionals.
QMUC and Quality Meat Scotland have
formed one such partnership to offer a
student scholarship which recognises
excellence in the field of nutrition.
The scholarship awards the top
performing student undertaking a BSc
(Hons) in Nutrition with a scholarship of
£750. Commencing in September
2004, the first scholarship has been
awarded to Elizabeth Maya Hodgson.
Commenting on the partnership with
QMUC, Louise Welsh, Communications
Manager at Quality Meat, said:
“People are at the heart of a successful
and prosperous industry. The red meat
sector in Scotland secures the
employment of over 30,000 people. This
covers a broad range of job
opportunities, from the traditional areas
such as farming to the perhaps less
well-known areas of developing new
meal products.
This is a confident, forward thinking
industry and we are very happy to
develop positive relationships with
establishments like QMUC to increase
awareness of the many opportunities
that are available for young people."
Elizabeth Maya Hodgson
The Royal Bank of Scotland Centre
for Community Arts Research and
Practice officially launched
The Royal Bank of Scotland Centre for
Community Arts Research and Practice,
part of QMUC's School of Drama and
Creative Industries, was officially launched
by Mr James Boyle, Chair of the Cultural
Commission for Scotland, and Councillor
Shami Khan, on Friday 1 October in a
celebration at the Gateway Theatre.
The Centre, Scotland's leading forum for
community arts research and practice,
has been established thanks to the
bank's donation of nearly £400,000
which will support set-up and running
costs for the next three years.
The Community Arts team aims to
engage a wide variety of people from all
over Scotland, many of whom have little
or no prior experience in the arts, whilst
undertaking participative research for
arts and cultural workers around the
world and informing social policy.
Children and adults of all ages and from
all social backgrounds and ethnic
groups can enjoy a wide range of
activities, with over 5,500 participating in
the programme last year.

PAGE 02 - MAIN FEATURE
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS
When we hear the word
“sustainability”, what does it actually
mean to most of us - probably not
much! But to Nick Bowen, from Ian
White Associates, the landscape
architects responsible for designing
the grounds around QMUC's new
campus at Craighall, East Lothian, it
means a great deal. Nick has
responsibility for ensuring that the
grounds in the new campus
development fit with QMUC's vision
for the project - to “develop a
sustainable community for learning
and life”.
Nick explains: “Sustainability is all about
minimising the impacts that
development will have on the
environment, and maximising the
potential environmental gain. For
instance, designing buildings which
utilise natural light and ventilation
decreases their requirement for
electricity, whilst creative solutions to site
drainage can also result in creation of
ecologically valuable wetland.”
When the decision was made to move
to East Lothian, students, staff and the
local community were consulted to find
out what was important to them and
what they would like to see incorporated
into the design. The overwhelming
request that came back was for “a
green environment in which to live and
work”.
Building a sustainable campus impacts
on every aspect of design and
construction. From the materials used,
to the design of the buildings and the
exterior landscape, everything must be
considered from an environmental
perspective. So what sort of things will
Nick be incorporating into the landscape
design? Well, in addition to providing
homes for about 800 students, homes
will be provided for a diverse variety of
wildlife. A big part of creating an
environmentally-friendly landscape is
ensuring that as many opportunities as
possible are created for local indigenous
wildlife to share the site with people.
Four of the most important types of
lowland Scottish habitat - wetland,
woodland, meadow and hedgerow - will
be incorporated into the design.
Woodland will provide screening from
traffic noise and a green transport policy
will ensure that the core of the campus
will be a car-free zone, making it a haven
from traffic congestion and pollution.
Hedgerows and meadowland will
provide additional habitats and will
create buffer zones to separate human
and wildlife traffic. As well as natural
habitats created by clever landscape
design, Nick has also made provision for
a few other, man-made (but no less
popular) homes to encourage some
more unusual local residents to move in
- pipistrellus pipistrellus, or the common
pipistrelle as he is better known, is one
local resident who will find he has fourstar
accommodation ready and waiting -
in the form of a number of strategically
placed bat boxes! In fact both these and
some of our feathery friends will find a
range of ready-made roosting boxes
available for immediate occupancy.
Within the campus woodland planting
will also be nesting opportunities for the
likes of hedgehogs and insects, in log
and brash piles.
The wetland habitat to be created will be
an environmentally-friendly addition to
the site for a number of reasons. No
ordinary pond, this will be part of a
“sustainable urban drainage system” or
SUDS for short. The pond will capture
rainwater draining off roofs and paved
areas, holding it back on site rather than
contributing to downstream flooding.
So, as well as providing a solution to the
problem of excess surface water, there
will be an attractive feature that will
provide a pleasant spot which can be
used for recreation, and will be an
excellent habitat for wildlife.
The provision of an area of decking and
appropriate signage will ensure that
there is an educational benefit to the
pond. This will provide a facility where
local schools can come to teach
children about the environment and the
wonderful range of creepy crawlies that
inhabit the pond area - everything from
the reclusive common newt to sparkly
damselflies and chirping linnets and
bullfinches.
According to Nick, providing as wide a
range of habitats as possible is
important because it “helps to replace
some of the local diversity which has
been lost from our intensively farmed
countryside, and gives the campus a
further function besides accommodating
the human activities to which it will be
home”. So when QMUC moves to
Craighall in 2007, there will be more
than just students, staff and the local
community sharing the campus. There
will be a diverse range of plant and
animal life too - QMUC really is
“developing a sustainable community for
learning and life”!
Main picture:
An example of a bat box
Inset:
Nick Bowen of Ian White Associates

“Sustainability is all about minimising the
impacts that development will have on the
environment, and maximising the potential
environmental gain.”
MAIN FEATURE - PAGE 03

PAGE 04 - COLLABORATIONS
THE SCOTTISH CENTRE FOR ENTERPRISE
AND ETHNIC BUSINESS RESEARCH (SCEEBR)
(In Hindi)
For many, the Chinese takeaway, the
Indian 'curry house' and the Italian
pizzeria are the closest they get to
thinking about the issues of ethnic
minority businesses. Yet, these
businesses employ hundreds of
thousands of people from a range of
communities. Some figures estimate
that the 'Indian' restaurant trade (in
fact, primarily owned by
Bangladeshis) employs over 70,000 in
the UK directly. This is certainly more
than in coal mining, steel making and
probably shipbuilding added together.
Successive governments highlight the
importance of ethnic minorities to the
development of communities and
periodically launch campaigns promoting
the need to develop new business ideas
and start-ups.
Surprisingly, within Scotland, much of
the rest of the UK, and across Europe,
there is relatively little knowledge of the
ownership patterns, diversity and
structure of ethnic minority businesses.
The new Scottish Centre for Enterprise
and Ethnic Business Research is part of
QMUC’s School of Business and
Enterprise. A few years ago the early
SCEEBR team identified that many
sections of ethnic minority communities
were overexposed to market changes in
specific sectors and found little evidence
of effective support mechanisms.
For example, if a major computer factory
closes, government support agencies
appear to arrive with millions of pounds
of assistance and a relocation team. In
contrast, although hundreds of convenience
stores (often run by ethnic minorities)
close every year, these businesses
receive little governmental assistance.
The SCEEBR team has concerns that
these small business closures translate
into thousands of members of ethnic
minorities losing their livelihood, and
becoming socially excluded. In addition,
age demographics, education barriers
and restricted employable skills may limit
the possibilities for easy retraining.
Initial research by SCEEBR highlighted
an extremely low awareness amongst
ethnic minority business owners of the
key business skills and business support
services they need to keep or make their
business competitive in the 21st century.
Yet the development of effective support
is hampered by the absence of any
substantial baseline data. We may think
we know about ethnic businesses, but
do we really know:
• who are they?
• where are they?
• why are they here?
• what do they do?
For example, who would have thought
there could be 40 Pakistani-owned
mattress manufacturers in just one
English town? This amazing statistic
was recently revealed in BBC 2's 'I'll
Show Them Who's Boss', presented by
former Granada leader turned business
guru, Gerry Robinson.
Existing research has highlighted the
almost complete absence of businessfocused
baseline data on the ethnic
minority contribution to Scotland's
business communities. This is just one
of the questions that SCEEBR is
beginning to answer.
Having now gained financial backing
from the European Social Fund,
SCEEBR will begin to ascertain, initially
within Scotland, the scope and diversity
of ethnic minority business ownership.
Almost in parallel, academic research will
seek to identify the issues, concerns and
needs of these business owners. The
establishment of the Centre is a real
opportunity for QMUC to continue to
develop and lead in the area of ethnic
minority business research.
SCEEBR has recently appointed two
Research Fellows to progress its work.
Abha Rodriguez may be well known to
many through her joint ownership of the
two Surruchi restaurants in Edinburgh.
Born in Jaipur, India, and having gained
a PhD from the University of Edinburgh,
she has been actively involved with
various ethnic organisations at business,
social and cultural levels. Abha's primary
focus will be developing new grant and
research opportunities for the Centre.
Thoralf Dassler has recently completed
his PhD at Aston Business School in
Birmingham. Thoralf has seen many
changes in his life. Born in former East
Germany, Thoralf was 18 when the wall
was removed and he has seen, firsthand,
huge social and economic change
engulf a nation. He will be key in
developing the Centre's research
strategy.
Abha and Thoralf join the two existing
Centre Directors, Claire Seaman and
Richard Bent, with the wider team of
Arthur Ingram, Gordon Campbell,
Olalompe Ige and Chris Preston. In
addition, a number of research students
including Rita Welsh, Farouk Abdullah
and Ashley Unis work in the same area
and more research ideas are being
developed on a day-to-day basis.

COLLABORATIONS - PAGE 05
The highly diverse nature of Scotland's
minority ethnic communities has been
clear to the team from the very outset,
as has the diversity of ways in which the
communities have developed in different
geographical areas. Diversity between
and within communities has added to
the interest and the challenges of the
work undertaken by SCEEBR. Therefore,
a single 'ethnic minority' business
solution is extremely unlikely to be truly
effective.
Photograph by Herman Rodrigus
Perhaps the diversity of this field is
highlighted by two cases noted by
Abha.
The Habibullah family arrived in Scotland
in the 1930's and set up business in the
town of Stornoway on Lewis in the
Western Isles. On this island where the
native language is Gaelic, not English,
they have become the second largest
employer on the island. Their business
operations face the added economic
challenge of working in the remote
Highlands and Islands community.
The Edinburgh Indian Students’
Association was founded in 1883, even
before the Indian National Congress was
formed.
SCEEBR potentially crosses all
disciplines at QMUC and the team looks
forward to the collaborative development
of projects in this exciting and hugely
diverse area.
“The Habibullah family
arrived in Scotland in the
1930’s and set up business
in Stornoway in the
Western Isles.”
Picture:
A member of the Habibullah family at
Callanish, Isle of Lewis

PAGE 06 - RESEARCH NEWS
INNOVATIVE USE OF ULTRASOUND IN
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE RESEARCH
RENOWNED ACADEMIC
RESEARCHER APPOINTED
DIRECTOR OF CIHR
The subject area of speech and
language sciences is buzzing with
ultrasound these days. Well not
literally buzzing because by definition
ultrasound cannot be heard.
Ultrasound is a familiar technique for
imaging babies in the womb but it has
been used very little for imaging the
tongue. In fact, QMUC is only place
outside North America using it for this
purpose. This is a bit surprising because
the two situations present a somewhat
similar problem: the tongue, like the
baby, is largely hidden from normal view,
at least while it is carrying out its normal
functions of speaking and swallowing.
Ultrasound provides an easy and
convenient technique for viewing
through flesh, without disturbing or
harming what you are looking at. It is
therefore possible to use it routinely on
groups (children and adults with speech
disorders, for example) whose tongue
movements would not otherwise be
monitored routinely.
Admittedly, ultrasound images of the
tongue do not produce good pictures,
compared with, say, X-Ray or MRI. In
an ultrasound image, the surface of the
tongue looks like a faint streak of light in
a thick mist. However, with practice, it
provides a lot of information, which can
be used, for example, to help a client
with a cleft palate.
Another advantage of using ultrasound
for speech research is simply the fact
that the technique is so widely used.
Most specialist phonetic instrumentation
only sells to about a hundred universities
world-wide and requires loving maintenance
and understanding. Ultrasound units
tend to be robust and reliable.
One thing that current ultrasound
systems are not good at is telling you
about movements. This is unfortunate,
because the whole point of the tongue
in speech is that it is moving in specific
ways to produce the required sounds.
The ultrasound images are captured on
video at the rate of one every 40
milliseconds, which is a long time in
phonetics. QMUC has got round this
problem with the help of Alan Wrench,
Managing Director of Articulate
Instruments, a QMUC spin-off company.
Alan has created some superb, userfriendly
software which extracts the
maximum possible accuracy in the time
domain, linking the images to the
acoustic speech signal and providing a
screen display for comparison and
measurement.
It is also important that the ultrasound
probe does not move, relative to the
head, during a recording. Bruce Davies,
of Heriot-Watt University's Department
of Engineering, designed and built for
QMUC a modified motorcycle helmet
which overcomes this problem.
The use of ultrasound in speech and
language therapy at QMUC has already
made some impact internationally. Six
staff have presented conference papers
on their ultrasound work. Four staff
attended a special workshop on the
development of ultrasound for speech in
Vancouver last June. Professor Fiona
Gibbon, Head of Speech and Language
Sciences, has been asked to host a
special session on ultrasound at the
American Speech and Hearing
Association conference in Philadelphia
this November and Nigel Hewlett is
giving a keynote address on it.
The acquisition and specialist
modification of ultrasound for speech in
speech and language sciences was
largely supported by a Science
Research Investment Fund grant from
SHEFC.
Professor James Law, previously
Professor of Language and
Communication Science at City
University, London, has been appointed
Director of the Centre for Integrated
Healthcare Research (CIHR) at QMUC.
Filling a major gap in Scotland's health
research, the Centre has been set up to
increase research capacity in nursing,
midwifery and the allied health
professions (including physiotherapy,
radiography, podiatry, speech and
language therapy, art therapy and
nutrition). The Centre was established
earlier this year following the successful
bid for £2.45 million from the Scottish
Higher Education Funding Council
(SHEFC) by a consortium of higher
education institutions (QMUC, Edinburgh
and Napier Universities) and NHS
partners (Lothian, the Borders and
Lanarkshire NHS trusts), led by QMUC.
The grant will support the research work
of the Centre to improve the health of
the people of Scotland in three main areas:
· Maximising recovery from acute
illness and trauma
· Early years and parenting
· Improving the management of
enduring conditions
A fellow of the Royal College of Speech
and Language Therapists, Professor
Law has played an active role in
developing research in the field of
speech and language disability in
children. Amongst other projects he is
currently examining the relationship
between language and social
disadvantage for the Sure Start Unit in
England. He was voted one of the top
ten speech and language therapists in
the UK in 2002.
The CIHR website (www.qmuc.ac.uk/cihr)
is currently being developed and will
soon contain lots of useful information
on research in nursing, midwifery and
the allied health professions.

ALUMNI WELCOME - PAGE 07
ALUMNI WELCOME
For all alumni enquiries
please contact:
Development and Alumni Office
QMUC
Duke Street
Edinburgh
EH6 8HF
Tel: 0131 317 3821
Fax: 0131 317 3380
Email: alumni@qmuc.ac.uk
Web: www.qmuc.ac.uk/visitors/
A warm welcome to our graduates
and friends to this dedicated alumni
section in QM News, which brings
you news of your former classmates,
friends and staff members.
We have received many compliments
from graduates on the new format of the
magazine. The Classnotes section has
been particularly popular. The Personal
Update form on the back of the address
sheet has also been a great hit, with
many of you keeping us up to date on
your contact details, and requesting
information on how to make a gift
towards helping today's students make
the most of their time at QMUC. Please
do keep in touch with us, either through
the form, online, or of course, by
contacting us at the address below.
In this issue, you can catch up on the
career of someone who is well known to
those of us in Scotland, journalist and
newsreader, Loraine Webber, who is a
graduate of the BA in Media and
Communications. Loraine is on
maternity leave at the moment so
warmest congratulations to her on the
new arrival but she tells us that she will
be back at the newsdesk very soon.
Sadly, this is my last issue of QM News
as I am leaving the University College to
take up a new position and Lorraine
Urquhart will be the Acting Development
and Alumni Manager until a new person
is appointed. I have enjoyed my three
years at QMUC immensely and am sorry
to say goodbye. Many of you are proud
and enthusiastic supporters of QMUC,
whether graduates from Atholl Crescent
or more recently and long may it
continue! I will follow QMUC's progress
to the new campus at Craighall and
hope you do too.
With all best wishes,
Joanne Finnie
Development and Alumni Manager
REUNION NEWS
Diploma in Hotel, Catering and
Institutional Management 1988-1991
Please note the date for the reunion is
now 27 November 2004.
Contact the Development and Alumni
office or Sandra Black (nee Owen) direct
on Sandra@strathmiglo.wanadoo.uk or
telephone 01137 868288.
Diploma 1 & III 1960-1961
Dorothy McLauchlan (nee Coutts) is
trying to make contact with former
classmates from Diploma 1 & III class of
1960-61 for a reunion and would love to
hear from anyone in her class.
Contact Mrs McLauchlan on telephone
01764 652 688.
ANNUAL FUND NEWS
QMUC would like to sincerely
acknowledge the gift from Queen
Margaret University College Graduates'
Association for their cobblestone at the
Gateway project.
QMUCGA join the prestigious list of
supporters which includes Dame Judi
Dench.
Donations ensure that we can
support students and future
campaigns. If you would like to
donate or explore opportunities to
support our work, please contact our
Development Team on:
tel: 0131 317 3821 or
email: development@qmuc.ac.uk.

PAGE 08 - ANNUAL FUND
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Reporting on QMUC's first alumni
reunion in the state of Oman, in April
2004, thirteen graduates attended a
lunch hosted by Peter Whitelaw,
Head of the International Office, who
was representing QMUC at the Gulf
Higher Education Exhibition in
Muscat.
One graduate is engineer Mohammed
Al-Bahanta, who gained an MSc in
Information Management in 2002 and is
now Head of ICAO (the International Civil
Aviation Organisation) International
Standards at Salalah International
Airport.
He commented: "The QMUC meeting in
Oman has been more than just an
opportunity for me to meet with my
friends many of whom I hadn't seen for
a long time. It has given me
opportunities to make some new
contacts that otherwise would never
have been possible."
Former classmate Mansoor Al-Shabibi
who is now Head of the Medical Library
at the Royal Hospital in Muscat agrees:
"It was a great pleasure to meet with
other colleagues again here in Oman
after a long time. I hope this will
continue for ever."
If you would like to arrange a reunion or
catch up with staff from the International
Office, please contact Peter Whitelaw on
pwhitelaw@qmuc.ac.uk.
QMUC reunion in Oman, 2004
Name:
Loraine Webber
Course:
Communication Studies
Current Job:
Television Presenter/Journalist
1. Why did you choose QM?
At the time there was no other
course quite like it on offer.
2. How has your degree course
influenced your career?
I probably would not be in this job
today - the course helped me
make contacts and gave me the
confidence to pursue a career in TV.
As luck would have it - the day I after
I graduated from QM I started work
at STV!
3. How did you get to where you are
today?
By working hard and getting lucky!
4. Describe a normal day at work:
There isn't - every day is different!
Some days I will be out on
location covering a story, some days I
will be presenting the programme in
studio. If I'm not assigned to
reporting or presenting duties - then I
would be researching stories for
special reports and news features.
5. Most memorable moment at QM?
I think this must be getting the
chance to take part in an exchange
scheme to SUNY Brockport. I spent
my second year of study in America
and it was a wonderful, eye-opening
experience!
6. Biggest regret?
I wish someone had told me to
smarten up a bit - my student years
were mainly marked by some really
bad fashion mistakes. Parrot
earrings - yes really!
7. If you could relive your university
years, what would you do
differently?
Drunk less of my student loan in the
Union and attended more morning
lectures!
8. What ambition would you most like
to achieve?
I have been lucky enough to achieve
my ambition to work in a vibrant,
exciting industry that I love. I am
now about to take some maternity
leave - so I guess my next ambition is
to enjoy the challenge of
motherhood!
9. Any advice for new graduates?
Get as much experience as you can
through work experience and
placements. Contacts are vital in this
industry!
Many thanks to Lorraine for taking
the time to share these valuable
insights!

QMUCGA NEWSLETTER - PAGE 09
QMUCGA NEWSLETTER
by Graduates’ Association President, Pat Denzler
QMUCGA
DIARY DATES & CONTACTS
President's Report
At the June AGM, I am delighted that it
was agreed I should serve another year
as President. As membership continues
to grow, there is increased uptake of the
holiday home, Madras Lodge, in
Gullane. A wonderful benefit for
members as it is located just five
minutes from the beach. Bookings are
now open for 2005. An interpretation of
the “Joy out of Life” artwork (now
relocated from the entrance to The
Bakery at Corstorphine) is available as a
hand-painted silk scarf (£35 each) which
can be ordered direct from Heather
Butlin Silks (heather.butlin@btopenworld.com)
Atholl Crescent Award for Personal
Development
Past President, Liz Brash represented
the Graduates' Association at the July
Graduation presenting the Award to Vida
Rahmani who graduated in Dietetics and
Nutrition. Many congratulations from us all.
left to right: Vida Rahmani, Liz Brash
Social Programme
A welcome to new Committee
members, Joyce Dalgliesh from
Auchterarder and Margaret Wilson and
Dorothy McLauchlan. The Principal
attended our opening meeting and gave
us an outline of the challenges and plans
for the move to the new campus at
Craighall. A trip to the races at
Musselburgh in May is scheduled with
plans for a “Madras” lunch for our
November networking lunch and an
outing to the Strathearn countryside in
the spring. Contact Pat or Liz for more
details.
Madras Lodge
Booking Secretary, Margaret Wyatt's
hands-on approach has boosted
bookings this year and members are
encouraged to book early for 2005.
Short breaks or summer weeks are still
available. Legal opinion is being sought
on a new approach to the interpretation
of Miss White's will which will hopefully
use trust resources with better effect.
Membership and E-mail
The monthly e-mail letter keeps
members up-to-date with events, and
networking lunches offer the perfect
opportunity to exchange contacts and
information. Following September's
lunch, members went to view architect,
Richard Murphy's award-winning mews
conversions as part of Edinburgh's
“Doors Open” Day. Please contact Mary
Cursiter to register for the news sheet or
book for lunch.
AGM 2004 and 2005
The AGM was a great success in the
Conference Suite at the Corstorphine
campus. Our thanks go to Professor
Richard Kerley, Dean of the Faculty of
Business and Arts. It was good to learn
the Gateway Theatre will continue in
Leith Walk with its diverse creative
industry and community drama. The
continuing challenges of building a new
campus is likely to be the theme again
next year; please diary Saturday 11th
June for our AGM 2005.
AGM 2004 - Members enjoy lunch after the meeting
I hope to meet many of you at a
networking lunch or at one of this year's
social events.
With all good wishes
Pat Denzler
Networking lunches
Last Saturday of the month
September 2004 to April 2005
(not December)
Contact:
Mary Cursiter
E: mcursiter@qmucga.org.uk
To help on Committee & Gateway
visits contact:
President, Pat Denzler
10 Abercromby Place
Edinburgh EH3 6LB
T: 0131 558 1378
E: pdenzler@qmucga.org.uk
QMUC Graduates' Association
All graduates, present and former staff of
QMUC are eligible for “life” membership
of 40 years.
Cost:
£25 in graduation year, £30 for others
Contact:
Membership Secretary, Mary Cursiter
15 Magdala Crescent
Edinburgh EH12 5BD
T: 0131 337 0448
E: m.cursiter@btinternet.com
Madras Lodge
Contact:
Bookings Secretary, Margaret Wyatt
11 Langton View, East Calder,
Livingston, West Lothian EH52 0LE
T: 01506 494 483
E: Margaret10@blueyonder.co.uk
AGM 2005
Saturday 11th June 2005
Conference Suite, QMUC, Corstorphine
10.30am Coffee
11am AGM
12.45pm Lunch
Contact:
Treasurer, Liz Brash
5 Hillview Drive, Edinburgh EH12 8QW
T: 0131 334 7152
E: ebrash@qmucga.org.uk

PAGE 10 - FEATURE
QMUC AND APEX HOTELS TEAM UP
TO OFFER TOP CAREERS
Scotland is well known as a favourite
destination for visitors from around
the world and Edinburgh, in
particular, has become a year-round
tourist and conference destination. It
is no surprise to learn therefore, that
hospitality and tourism are amongst
our fastest growing industries,
creating a demand for highly skilled
and experienced professionals to
work in the sector.
QMUC has a long history of providing
hospitality training, from the domestic
science taught to our Atholl Crescent
students, to the BA (Hons) degree in
Hospitality and Tourism taught today
which now includes a range of subjects
such as marketing, human resources,
finance and languages. The practical
element to our courses is still paramount
and all students are required to gain
experience working in the sector before
they graduate. As a result, our
graduates are in demand and go on to
enjoy successful careers in a variety of
jobs in the sector around the world.
One of the favourite destinations of
QMUC graduates is the Apex Hotel
Group, one of Scotland's most
successful four star hotel chains and
awarded Scottish Hotel Group of the
Year 2004. Seven QMUC Hospitality
and Tourism graduates (four of whom
are pictured) work in a variety of
functions, from events to sales, across
the group which now includes three
hotels in Edinburgh and the Apex City
Quay Hotel & Spa in Dundee. The group
is now expanding south, with a new
hotel near Tower Bridge in the City of
London opening in May 2005.
In such a competitive industry, it is vital
that business and education respond
together to the need for highly qualified
staff with the practical skills and
knowledge required to succeed. With
this in mind, QMUC and Apex Hotels
have linked up to form the Apex Hotels
Scholarships to support the best
Hospitality and Tourism students through
their remaining years at QMUC, not only
financially but with practical experience
gained behind the scenes in the hotel
group.
The first recipient of the Apex Hotels
Scholarship is Alana Bathgate from West
Lothian, who was the top performing
student on the BA Hospitality and
Tourism course at the end of her first
year. All her hard work has paid off as
she will now receive £1000 per year to
support her studies for the remainder of
her degree course, as well as a paid
placement with Apex Hotels.
Norman Springford, founder and
Executive Chairman of Apex Hotels,
recognises the skills which graduates
bring and the benefits of maintaining
close links with higher education
providers such as QMUC.
He said: “It is vital for an employer such
as Apex to foster close relations with
undergraduates. As in any industry, we
need highly trained, skilled and
motivated personnel and we've found
that universities such as QMUC are vital
in this regard. The Apex Hotels
Scholarships recognise the best student
in their year and we hope that Alana will
benefit from finding out more about the
industry and our company from the
inside out.”
On meeting Norman Springford to
receive her award, Alana said: “I'm
delighted to be awarded the scholarship
which will make a huge difference to my
life, financially and in my career. I'm
working part-time in a coffee bar at the
moment to support myself so this will
really help with financial worries. It's
really prestigious to have this on my CV
and to be able to gain some experience
before I graduate. I'm hoping that it will
impress future employers and make a
difference when I'm looking for a fulltime
job!”
We look forward to bringing you news
on Alana's progress and information on
future scholarship recipients. Further
information on Apex Hotels can be
found at www.apexhotels.co.uk.
Main picture:
Norman Springford, Executive
Chairman of Apex Hotels, with four
QM alumni employees
Inset:
Alana Bathgate, scholarship winner

“I'm delighted to be awarded the
scholarship which will make a huge
difference to my life, financially and in
my career.”
FEATURE - PAGE 11

PAGE 12 - CLASSNOTES
1936
Mrs Helen Margaret Murdoch, Diploma 1
with Needlework endorsement. I am still
very interested in the college and all that is
going on with my old Atholl Crescent
friends.
1939
Mrs Irene Hayward (nee Anderson),
Diploma 1 with Needlework Endorsement.
Married Kenneth in 1940. Taught at
Wellington Shropshire for 6 years. One son
and two grandchildren. Head of
Department at Wrockwardine Wood
Comprehensive School for 11 years.
Mrs A Mitchell (nee Bradshaw),
Diploma 1. Also completed Certificate in
Dressmaking (1942). Although it is over 60
years since we started our courses, four of
us keep in regular contact.
1942
Mrs Sheila Webb (nee Stevenson),
Diploma 1, Certificate of
Needlework/Dressmaking (1939) and
followed a career in teaching.
1945
Mrs Margaret Millican MBE (nee Johnson),
Diploma 1 and Canteen Management
(1947). Now retired has been governor of
many schools local councillor and
chairman of Buxton Opera House. Have
two children and four grandchildren. We
own a hotel in Buxton, now managed by
our son.
1949
Mrs Nansi Cubley (nee Gibson Williams),
Certificate in Institutional Management.
Pursued a career in teaching.
1951
Mrs Elizabeth Cleland, Diploma 3. BEd
(Hons) Sussex University, 1975. Taught in
Burntisland, Fife, Merstham-Surrey and at
Eastbourne College of Domestic Economy,
Sussex.
1953
Mrs Margaret Anne Booth (nee Christie),
Diploma in Institutional Management.
Married and had a family and returned to
work as a part-time lecturer in FE, then as
a secretary and a home help organiser
until retirement.
1954
Miss Margaret Scott, Diploma Institutional
Management. Was domestic administrator
QMC from June 1981 and retired in July
1989.
1955
Mrs Wenda Jones, Diploma 1. Married in
1958, my surname remained the same! I
have two children and two grandchildren.
I taught for many years at secondary level
and in further education.
1956
Mrs Patricia Cornish (nee Witney),
Diploma in Occupational Therapy. I admire
QM's efforts to 'keep in touch' with the farflung
of your flock.
1957
Mrs Nancy Berkeley (nee Robertson),
Housekeeper Matron Diploma, 1957.
Married Miles. Four children, seven
grandchildren. Worked with the British
Overseas Service in Kenya prior to getting
married. Now living in Australia.
1958
Lady Macpherson of Biallid (nee Jean
Butler Wilson), Diploma 1. 1958: Married.
Have three sons and one daughter.
1959
Mrs Elizabeth V Cormie, Diploma 1.
Despite being retired I am always busy
with gardening, grandchildren, voluntary
guiding in the Georgian House, St Giles,
and the Sea Bird Centre at North Berwick.
1961
Mrs Dorothy Mclauchlan (nee Coutts),
Diploma 3. My friends from other classes
are amongst the best. I still have regular
contact with my hostel 'mother' - Sylvia
Cottington, now Russel.
1962
Mrs Jill Walton (nee Hunter Williams),
Certificate in Institutional Management.
Cathy Moon (Peel) and I had a lovely
holiday last year. We both have a son and
a daughter.
1964
Mrs Barbara Purdie (nee Hill), Diploma 1.
I have four children and two grandchildren.
Now retired.
1968
Mrs Evelyn Crombie (nee Salvesen),
MSAOT Occupational Therapy. Married,
three children, farming arable farm with
husband in Fife.
1973
Mrs Anne Watson (nee Elphick), HND in
Hotel, Catering & Institutional
Management. Married in 1979 and have
two sons. Worked as Medical Secretary
and Medical Records Officer. Currently a
housewife doing voluntary work.
1976
Mrs Patricia Collins (nee Chalmers),
Diploma in Home Economics. Married to
Tony for 26 years, one daughter and a
son. I still bake and decorate cakes for
weddings.
1979
Mrs Cheryl MacNeil (nee McKinlay),
Diploma in Home Economics. I have lived
in Tasmania for 15 years. I will be
celebrating my silver wedding anniversary
in Edinburgh with several friends from
QMUC. I look back on my years at QMC
with great fondness.
1981
Mrs Louise Runciman (nee Robertson),
BSc Speech Pathology and Therapy.
Working as Paediatric Team Co-ordinator
within Speech and Language Therapy
Department. Married in 1983, three
children.
1982
Mr Paul Edward Barron, HND Institutional
Management, then worked in the hotel
industry throughout Scotland. MSc,
Strathclyde University Hotel School in
1993, PhD at University of Queensland,
Australia in 2004. Now a Senior Lecturer in
Human Resource Management, University
of Queensland Business School. Married
with two daughters.
Mrs Elizabeth Bruce, Diploma Health
Visiting. Retired in 1999 from health
visiting.
1983
Mrs Carol Rÿnders-Ritchie (nee Ritchie),
Diploma in Occupational Therapy. Living in
Wageningen, NL with Chris and son.
Working as OT in hospital in Amhem.

CLASSNOTES - PAGE 13
1984
Mrs Moira Korus (nee Burns), Lived in
Toronto since 1987 and have worked in
nephrology, urology and transplant. I have
worked as a Transplant Co-ordinator with
paediatric renal patients since 1995. We
have two children.
1985
Miss Joanne Barrie, BA Nursing Studies,
1985. Living in Melbourne for almost 10
years and work as Clinical Nurse Specialist
in ICU and as Project Nurse in ICU. I have
a PGDip in Advanced Clinical Nursing
(Melbourne University).
1986
Mrs Heather-Jane Fleming (nee
Ferguson), HND Hotel, Catering &
Institutional Management. Thanks to my
varied skills/subjects studied at QMC, I am
now in a brilliant job within social work.
Married to Richard and we have two girls.
1988
Mrs Dawn Gauntlett (nee Kilpatrick), BA
Nursing Studies. I have been married for
15 years, we have two daughters. I am
working as a Community Liaison Sister in
an acute hospital in Guilford.
1989
Mr John Forker, HND Information
Studies. Moved to New Zealand in 1998
and settled in Nelson in the South Island.
Have been running a health and fitness
centre since 2000 and love it out here!!
1990
Mrs Fiona Rose, BA Communications
Studies, 1990. Emigrated to Canada in
1991. Worked in marketing for a book
publisher in Toronto for eight years.
Married with two daughters. Now works
in newspaper publishing as an editor.
1992
Ms Liz Begg, BA Communication Studies.
I am currently employed by Dundee City
Council as a Community Safety Worker. I
think of my time at QMC as a good base
for developing my career ideas and future
direction.
1993
Mr Theodore Beattie, BSc in Podiatry
(Conversion). Married Susan Adams (same
degree and year) in 1998 and took over
established practice in Carlisle 2002 after
working in the NHS for 11 years. Son
Thomas was born Oct 2002.
1994
Mr John Masawe, MSc in International
Health. Married with five children. Apart
from clinical duties in the Hai District
Hospital in Tanzania, I'm involved in 'Adult
Morbidity and Morality Project'.
1995
Mrs Aisling McCloskey (nee Moore),
BSc in Communication Studies. I was an
exchange student at QMC in 1995 - met
my Scottish husband there and am now
expecting our first baby! We live in the US
but visit Edinburgh regularly.
1996
Mrs Jane Blake (nee Burns), BSc in
Physiotherapy. Now settled in New South
Wales with three daughters. Busy, tropical
lifestyle with one city practice and one
beach practice employing six physios.
1997
Ms Julianne Leggat, BSc (Hons) in
Occupational Therapy. I went to work in
Indiana and then South Carolina, spending
nearly six years in the States. I have since
moved to New Zealand - West Coast
(South Island).
1998
Ms Esther White, BSc in Occupational
Therapy. Esther has worked as an O/T in
London and then in New Zealand. She
then worked as Sen:1 for Croydon Social
Services with Elderly Rehab. She is now
working as an O/T in Yogyakarta.
1999
Ms Roseanne Cetnarskyj, BSc Genetic
Nursing (1999). I have embarked on a
PhD in Public Health with Edinburgh
University having been awarded a research
training fellowship. This should be
submitted December 2004.
2000
Ms Lorna Thomas, BSc (Hons) Biological
& Health Sciences. Completed Master of
Arts (MA) in Disability Studies - graduated
December 2003 from University of Leeds.
2001
Ms Jill Breivik, BSc Podiatry. I recently
started, with a colleague, a podiatry
practice in the Irish village of Rush.
Ms Julie Roberts, BA Communication
Studies. I did my MSc in Human Resource
Management and work as an HR Business
Analyst for The Royal Bank of Scotland. I
had a fantastic time at QMUC.
2002
Ms Mathilda Opoku-Agyakwa, PgCert in
Applied Social Development. Now a Social
worker in charge of a Regional Hospital in
Accra. I provide HIV/AIDS counselling and
health education on Malaria prevention.
2003
Varun Singh, BA International Hospitality
Management. QMUC has provided me
with a quality education. Now, I am
working with the Ramada International
Hotels and Resorts as the Food and
Beverage Manager. I love QMUC.
We would like to thank everyone for the
hundreds of entries we received for the
Classnotes section. We will continue to
publish this information in the
newsletter, however we also plan to
include the full listing on the Alumni
website, in the near future, at
http://www.qmuc.ac.uk/visitors/ag.htm
In Memoriam
Wendy Allan, BA International Hospitality
Management, 1997
Wendy was a very hardworking and
conscientious student, as reflected in her
excellent results. She started her career at
QMUC on the HND course and completing
it successfully, she articulated on to the
degree programme where she excelled.
She was always a very positive and
proactive person who participated fully in
both academic and social activities. She
made a significant contribution to the lives
of her friends as well as to the quality of
the learning environment of the course.
She was extremely popular with her
student peers and with the staff who
taught her. Those who knew Wendy are
greatly saddened by this untimely loss and
send her family their deepest condolences.

RE:LOCATE UPDATE
ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS RE:LOCATE
In 2007, Queen Margaret University
College plans to move to a
purpose-built new campus at
Craighall in East Lothian. This will
be Scotland's first new university
campus for a generation.
A gathering of community leaders,
politicians and potential students took
place in October following the
welcome announcement that QMUC's
plans for the building of the new
campus had been passed by the
Scottish Executive.
The community meeting in
Musselburgh heard from the Principal,
Professor Anthony Cohen, along with
representatives from the architects,
the landscape architects and the
project managers.
The planning application for the new
QMUC campus already has the
backing of East Lothian Council, but
the scale of the scheme meant it
could not go ahead until the Scottish
Executive had given its approval.
Building work can now begin as early
as April next year.
QMUC's development team is now
finalising the plans for the new
buildings on the site. Focus groups
have been meeting to ensure the
views of academics, students, and
support staff influence the final layout
and design of the campus and its
high-tech buildings.
The site will boast "environmentally
intelligent" buildings, modern
academic facilities, a public square
and woodlands. A learning resource
centre, combining the latest
technology and teaching resources in
one building, will be central to the
development.
Professor Anthony Cohen said:
"That such a major development has
been approved in this way is a tribute
both to the expertise of Queen
Margaret's project team and to the
willingness of the community and
other interested bodies to work with
us to produce a crucial national and
local asset. The design of this campus
is already producing radical and
innovative thinking about the spatial
organisation of learning, teaching and
research for the 21st century; and will
demonstrate that the creation of
sustainable, environmentally intelligent
buildings sensitive to our unique
landscape is achievable, on budget
and on time."
East Lothian Council leader Norman
Murray said:
"We are pleased the Scottish
Executive saw no reason to challenge
the decision of the council's planning
committee to grant outline planning
permission. We are continuing to
discuss particular points with the
developers and look forward to
welcoming QMUC to East Lothian."
Musselburgh MSP Susan Deacon
added:
"This is a very exciting development
which I'm sure will be a real asset to
Scotland and the local area. I look
forward to seeing the new campus
take shape."
Academic buildings from south west
View through Learning Resource Centre
CONTACT:
Marketing and Communications Office
Queen Margaret University College
Corstorphine Campus, Edinburgh, EH12 8TS
Tel. 0131 317 3000 Fax. 0131 317 3795
Email. marketing@qmuc.ac.uk www.qmuc.ac.uk