Reading in the news - Mon 4 Mar

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biomedical Sciences) discusses that a theory regarding Covid-19 escaping from a laboratory could be plausible, for The Telegraph. Republished by Yahoo! News.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Dr Kieran Hunt (Meteorology) discusses the new Advancing the Frontiers of Earth System Prediction project, a £30m scheme with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the Met Office, on how AI can help produce more accurate weather predictions for BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio Berkshire. BNN Breaking also reports on the project.
• Professor Hannah Cloke (Geography/Meteorology) is quoted in The Times and the Daily Star, discussing Britain’s weather patterns as an effect of global warming.
• BBC Radio Berkshire re-aired clips from an interview with research student Karolina Krupska (Geography) discussing her study about the need for improved bathing forecasts. Read our news story.

Food and farming:

• Professor Gunter Kuhnle (Food and Nutritional Sciences) discusses the effects of aspartame for The Sun. Republished by Web Times.  
• A trial by the University of Reading suggests silage inoculant enhances stability, dry matter and milk yields, Southwest Farmer reports.
• Professor Glenn Gibson (Food and Nutritional Sciences) responds to a study which looks at daily fibre supplement and muscle function and cognition in over-60’s for Science Media Centre.
• The Northern Scot mentions the University’s involvement in a new study to find out how the UK’s trees, hedgerows, woodlands and forests can be expanded in rural and urban settings.
• BBC Radio Berkshire re-aired an interview with PhD student Charlotte Howard (Agriculture) about her study showing how flower margins boost nature and reduce insect pests in apple orchards. Read our news story. 

Business and society:

• Professor Stuart Green (Built Environment) writes about modern methods of construction that evolve over time, but still remain with the same challenges, for Construction News.

Other Coverage:

• A new exhibition about the editing process of several revered authors features manuscripts from the University of Reading’s Beckett Collection. The exhibition, open now at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, was co-created by Professor Mark Nixon (English). The exhibition is profiled in The Times and El Diairio.
• News Magazines reports on Venue Reading, situated at the University of Reading.
• An event hosted at Henley Business School will explore the link between performance management and pay equity, Relocate Magazine reports.
• Dean of Henley Business School Africa, Jon Foster-Pedley, discusses the importance of voting for Daily Maverick.
• BNN reports on Henley Business School Africa’s Sol Plaatje Scholarship, offering opportunities for journalists.  
• Techgenyz mentions that the University of Reading offer courses through FutureLearn, a hub for courses from institutions all over the world.
• Wokingham Today reports on a choir concert taking place at the University’s Great Hall later this month.

Alumni:

• AYO Technology Solutions’ CFO, Pride Guzha, completed his MBA at Henley Business School, CFO South Africa mentions.