Autumn 2002 PW 5 - Cranfield University

4
NEWS FEATURE
www. cranfield.ac.uk/alumni
They’ve got the
Vice-Chancellor Frank Hartley
talks to Pamela Taylor
Make mine a double,” said
Professor Tom Stephenson,
Head of Water Sciences.
Michelle Everitt and Clive Temple duly
obliged by putting on a double
celebration when the School of Water
Sciences arranged the opening of its
new laboratories to coincide with its
21st birthday on 3 April.
Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive of
Water UK, officially opened the new
laboratories. Her speech, to an audience
including the Vice-Chancellor, Water
Sciences’ alumni, and many leading
industrialists, stressed the importance
of the new facility to the international
water and environment sectors.
She also congratulated the Water
Sciences’ team on securing facilities that
will promote research and development
for the sector.
A particular pleasure for the Water
Sciences team was to welcome so many
Tom Stephenson speaks at
the birthday reception
of its former students both to the launch
and to the birthday celebration dinner
in the evening.
Over its 21 years, some 285 students
have graduated from Water Sciences.
Considering the alumni group to be its
greatest asset, the school remains in
contact with more than 85% of these
‘Water Babies’. At international
conferences and major exhibitions such
as IWEX, staff from Water Sciences
regularly meet up with alumni who
sport the Water Sciences’ fountain lapel
badge. The newsletter, Influential, keeps
everyone in touch.
Two more very welcome
guests at the launch were
the School of Water
Sciences’ founding father,
Walter Lorch, together
with his wife, Diana
(pictured right).
It was the vision of
Walter and Diana both to
found a centre to promote
the development of
process technologies in
water and wastewater
technology, and then to
bring their embryonic centre to
Cranfield University.
The champagne and flowers
presented to them by Professor Tom
Stephenson were a tribute to their
inspired vision.
Over time Water Sciences grew and
grew, first under the direction
of George Solt who worked
like a beaver to get the school
established within the
university. George set up shop in
the temporary buildings behind
the library and with the able
assistance of Rita Edwards got
the Water Sciences show on the
road. George, like Walter, was
equally tenacious and visionary.
Using his ability to spot a winner,
George lured Tom Stephenson
down to Cranfield and groomed
him for the job. Tom hasn’t let
him down!
“
It’s the best 21 st birthday
present we could have.
”
Professor Tom Stephenson,
Head of Water Sciences
George and his wife, Jen, joined the
Water Sciences’ team for the birthday
celebration dinner in the evening. He
paid tribute to Tom, the staff and also to
all the school’s former students, many
of whom are working in the water
industry.
Tom said: “In our
21st year, Water
Sciences now has
state-of-the-art
laboratories which,
when com-bined
with the facilities in
the Pilot-plant Hall,
mean that our
research and our
teaching capabilities
are far greater
than before and
ensures that Water
Sciences can offer
even more of a
service to its clients.
“It’s the very
best 21st birthday
present that we
could have.”
George Solt