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Two members of staff at the University of Nottingham have been recognised in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Professor Nick Miles (pictured above) has received an OBE in recognition of his work to further UK/China educational interests. Professor Miles is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), leading on the University’s activities at the campus, which has 5,500 students and more than 500 staff.
Melanie Futer, Manager for Off-Campus Student Affairs, was awarded an MBE for services to higher education and community engagement. She has transformed the University’s engagement with its local community and worked to educate students on their responsibilities as residents of that wider community.
Individuals recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List attend Buckingham Palace or another royal residence throughout the year to receive their honour from Her Majesty the Queen, or another member of the royal family, in person.
Deepening educational ties
Professor Miles has been based in China since 2009 and took charge of UNNC in April 2010, following a stint as Dean of Science and Engineering. Prior to this he was a Head of School and subsequently Associate Dean in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham, UK.
Professor Miles said: “This is the culmination of the hard work and dedication of many people and organisations, in both the UK and China, to further and deepen our educational ties. In recognising their efforts I'm very pleased and proud to be receiving this honour.”
Professor Miles joined The University of Nottingham to study for a PhD in 1978, after a first degree in mineral processing at the University of Leeds. He was appointed Professor of Mineral Process Engineering in 2000. He is a member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Minerals Engineering Society.
Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Professor Nick Miles has been awarded an OBE. This national honour is a welcome recognition of Nick's key contribution to leadership of our University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus.
“This honour highlights his outstanding contribution to higher education on a global scale, and we are proud that Her Majesty has recognised the international contribution of a key member of our University.”
Social responsibility
Melanie Futer took up her post as Manager for Off-Campus Student Affairs in 2004. She conducts an ongoing dialogue with students on issues of social responsibility and lifestyle management, delivered through a scheduled series of events, literature and on-street activity designed to ensure appropriate behaviour towards neighbours.
Her commitment to the local community has seen the perceived boundaries between the University and its neighbours replaced with an accessible point of contact for a range of important and sometimes contentious issues.
With her support, campaigns developed by students on crime awareness and waste management have led to material produced being adopted in literature by Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire Police. She informs and influences the direction of the University Community Engagement Strategy and represents the institution at a vast array of events, meetings, and formal police and local authority groups.
Working with partners
Mrs Futer said: “I am thrilled and very proud to receive this award. To be honoured with an MBE is just fantastic, and it reflects the work we do with all of our partners, as well as the strides we have been able to make together in community engagement.”
Stephen Dudderidge, Director of Student Operations and Support, said: “I am delighted that Melanie has been recognised in this way. The creation of the role of Manager for Off-Campus Student Affairs in 2004 represented a new direction for the University of Nottingham and indeed the higher education sector at the time.
“Over the last nine years, Melanie has transformed the University’s engagement with its local community and provided an essential conduit for individuals, local groups and local authority representatives. Melanie's education campaigns directed at students living in the community have also led to positive relations with the University's neighbours. She thoroughly deserves this award.”
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PICTURES OF Nick Miles and Melanie Futer are available from tim.utton@nottingham.ac.uk, 0115 8468092.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottinghamhas 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It was ‘one of the first to embrace a truly international approach to higher education’, according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2013. It is also one of the most popular universities among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities, and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong and the QS World Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fundraising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news…