Enterprising Mind of the Year Award Applications 2019
Thirteen applications were received this year. Alexandra Stephenson and Zoë Berkeley were the winners f this year’s award and Charlotte Evans and Millie Sutton were the runners-up.
Charlotte Evans and Millie Sutton (Runners-up)
Climate Crisis: A Time for Innovative Solutions’
A World in Crisis?
In our first year, second semester, we took the Geography GG1002, “World in Crisis?” module. This module was fascinating because it explained the science, and the social, economic and political implications of climate change. Then, we received lectures on the philosophy of crisis, and the existential imperative to act on climate change. We built on the idea of the Anthropocene, learning that Homo Sapiens are the drivers of our climate, disrupting and fundamentally re-altering the biology, physics and chemistry of the earth – causing us to delve into deep ethical debates about climate justice. This module was fascinating, but we both felt crushed and disempowered. We felt like the problem was existentially intractable, and too big for normal people, students and activists to solve. This module was eye-opening because it made us understand the widespread implications of our daily lives.
After further extra-curricular research we felt encouraged by grassroots movements making positive, incremental behavioural changes to people’s daily lives. We felt like this gave us purchase on the issue and academic thinking-space to create our own solution. Our ethos became – “everyone, everyday, can make a big difference”; we flipped around the dominant narrative, and felt empowered to make a small contribution towards a solution. We used our Global Challenges Programme 2018/2019 3rd place prize money to run our project (18 months and counting) to develop a St Andrews, University and personal approach.
Creative Solutions
Our project has two strands: Training in Good Environmental Practice (TGEP); and an eco- lifestyle app called ROOTS.
TGEP is a mandatory environmental educational scheme, run via Moodle, which all first-year students must complete on matriculation. It will take an hour to complete, and it aims to educate students with basic environmentally-friendly behaviour, orientate students to Transition Initiatives – as well as boosting wellbeing with good walks, gardening opportunities and food. We have written and divided the module content into five topic areas; Food, Energy, Resources, Biodiversity and Water. Our module is in alignment with the University’s bold sustainability strategy (2018-2023). We recognised an amazing opportunity to develop an innovative initiative, which will help the University meet its environmental and carbon targets. Our eco-lifestyle app, ROOTS, encourages sustainable daily actions to develop longer- term behavioural change amongst its users. Daily reminders, carbon counters, and leadership boards work together to make sustainability manageable, competitive and enjoyable.
We assembled a team, consisting of: mentors and academics affiliated with the Global Challenges Programme, University Environment Team, University Transition Team, and CAPOD. Our TGEP initiative is supported by Principal Mapstone, Professor Sir Ian Boyd, Associate Dean Dr Ian Smith, the Sustainability In The Curriculum Board (SITC). We have the support of Professor Gentry to trial run in the school of IR. On the recommendation of SITC, we aim to present TGEP to the Environmental Sustainability Board, once it has convened in March.
Skills Gained and Demonstrated
During the Global Challenges Programme, and subsequent work towards TGEP and ROOTS, we have shown and developed our capacities to think beyond the curriculum. Innovation is at the heart of the GCP, which encourages students to work “collaboratively, effectively and creatively”. We have demonstrated these 3 qualities by collaborating successfully together, and across our inter-disciplinary team. Our solutions to climate change provide creative ways to deal with the present crisis, empowering students to act. We observed the despair amongst our defeatist peers as we left our “World in Crisis?” lectures; recognising this limitation, we based our ethos around positive and manageable actions – everyday, for everyone. At each stage of the process, we have reflected on our strengths and limitations, which has led to our team increasing in size, but we continue to drive and direct TGEP’s course. Managing a growing team has required effective communication between disparate parts, as well as a clear strategy for implementation. In our recent presentation of TGEP to the SITC board (January 30th), we laid out the timeline for TGEP’s content completion, trial run and mandatory roll-out. Thus, from the moment of GG1002 inspiration, to TGEP’s snowballing support, we have gained and demonstrated creative skills to address the current climate emergency.
Unique
When TGEP is endorsed by St. Andrews as a mandatory online training module, the University will be aligning with its commitment to Social Responsibility, embedded in its 2018-2023 Strategy: to “ensure our students graduate with a clear sense of their environmental responsibilities”. Our concept of TGEP provides the means for the University to fulfil this aim. Moreover, St Andrews will be the firstUniversity in Scotland to implement such a scheme, providing the “beacon for the change, creativity” that the Principal wills our university to be for others. Furthermore, ROOTS will reach far beyond university institutions, and into the public realm. Climate change affects all, and requires all to act, and we are providing solutions to make this possible.
The world isin crisis, and our innovative solutions are urgently needed to address the global climate emergency. Whilst St Andrews is affectionately known as “the bubble”, it is in fact a highly-interconnected global institution, in which our actions have consequences far beyond our seaside town. It is known that ‘crisis breeds innovation’ – and hence this time of environmental uncertainty calls for scholars and activists to think outside the box, and design innovative ways to engage the whole population in this pressing issue – the “single greatest issue we face as a community, and as individuals” (Sally Mapstone, 2020). The world needs creative solutions at every scale, and thus schemes such as TGEP provide the guidance for every student here at St Andrews to be educated on sustainability, and then contribute positively through local actions. Should we be the lucky recipients of this prestigious award, we would put the prize funds towards the implementation costs of TGEP, and the technical costs of developing ROOTS. We believe that the climate crisis presents a time for opportunity, not despair, and we hope that soon the whole university will share our ethos.
Eden Ezinne Igwe
In my first year and first semester of undergraduate study at St Andrews, I chose the modules SD1001, What is Sustainable Development?, and FM1001, An Introduction to Film Studies. Despite being admitted for English degree, film and environmentalism had become two passions of mine during the summer of my A-Levels, and I was determined to develop these interests in and out of the classroom.
Using the knowledge from these modules, during the Christmas break I developed a film/serial television concept with a sustainable world at the centre of the narrative. My idea was based around the idea of intersectoral partnership, Goal number 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the topic of a series of SD1001 lectures. The message of my film is that by being aware of your actions on others, there is less incentive to maintain livelihoods that are destructive to other people and planet.
The film follows 18-year-old Cassandra Gardner, who lives in an alternate Britain. It’s a society which aims to provide happy lives for its members in a way that does not infringe upon the rights of others to do the same. Community is built on partnership, and money has been long discarded in place of a subsistence-based circular economy. Cassandra, on the verge of leaving home to embark on higher education, is markedly disenfranchised from this society. She keeps to herself, neurotically tending to a private garden, clinging to an old £5 note she finds in her attic.
Conflict arrives as Cassandra discovers the primary condition of her higher education offer: she must partner with a local orphanage, assigned to an 8-year old boy as his part-time guardian. Through the comedic interactions between Cassandra, the boy Arthur, and other characters in the seaside town she moves to, the film encourages the viewer to leave behind the wealth-accumulating, insular view of living today and embrace the collaborative planetary consciousness needed for a sustainable and fulfilled humanity.
I ensured to utilise many of the concepts I learnt in my Film Studies module. I drew upon lectures on film narrative, to create both fabula (wider implied story) and syuzhet (primary filmic plot) narratives in my concept.
I also produced a short trailer to communicate/visualise my idea. I made sure to piece together the short trailer carefully, having experienced the attention to filmic detail expected of essays in the Film Studies module. I used a template from a Film Studies coursework exercise in my planning. The exercise consisted of a table where every shot in a minute-long clip is separated and analysed in terms of sound, effect on the viewer, and mise-en-scéne. The ethos of this exercise is to view film as a culmination of production choices where every shot has a purpose in reinforcing overall themes. I made myself a modified version of this table and used it to plan every shot in my short video, ensuring that every image shown would clearly communicate my concept to the viewer.
Although I am not currently able to afford any film equipment of my own, I showed enterprise in borrowing a camera from a friend, a tripod from a close family friend and recording dialogue and other sound on my mobile phone’s microphone, later synching audio and visuals in editing. I convinced another friend to star as Cassandra; and shot the film in a series of locations around my hometown in south west London.
Furthermore, through FM1001 I learned of the St Andrews Filmmaking Society, and as a result attended a Society workshop on film editing using a free program called DaVinci Resolve. Using the knowledge from this workshop, I was able to edit and colour grade my video on my own, to a standard I was proud of – even though I will admit I still have much to learn in video editing.
I submitted a page-long synopsis of my idea, alongside a cut of my trailer, to Flickers of the Future, an environmental filmmaking competition ran by the organisation Global Action Plan. A competition for entrants aged 18-29, they aim to nurture new media which promotes a sustainable world to audiences.
Ultimately, I knew after hearing Sustainable Development lectures about the ecological benefits of partnership and collective action that I wanted to express this ethos in a medium that could reach others. This urge was heightened by comments in Film Studies tutorials about the need for diverse on-screen perspectives, and the ability of film to connect people from different parts of society. I was determined to use my new knowledge to develop a concept of a high standard, refusing to let my limitations in experience or equipment prevent me from expressing my idea.
I have recently received the news that my entry has been shortlisted, with I and 29 other entrants invited to an industry workshop with writer and director Richard Curtis (the competition patron) on the 28th of February. I will be gaining vital insight into an industry I hope to break into, while learning more about the power of narratives in the race to mitigate our current climate crisis.
I hope that as a recipient of Enterprising Mind of the Year I can encourage others to pursue their passions both academically and creatively.
Please enjoy my competition entry video for ‘partnered’. In accordance with competition guidelines, it is under 1 minute long.
Madeline Silton
My name is Madeline Silton and I am a second year studying English Literature. One of the reasons I chose to attend St Andrews was because I wanted to expand and mature my voice as a writer. While my ultimate goal is creative writing, I chose English Literature at St Andrews because I wanted to learn from literary masters from all throughout history. Through EN1002, and within books such as Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake, my curiosity about the human condition and how writers can manipulate emotion through the use of words was piqued. While also taking a film course, FM1002, beside my English course, my curiosity on how one can write about such concepts and transport these to a visual medium caused me to progress in the writing and producing of the film I created the summer of 2019. Within Film History and Historiography, lecturers taught about key elements within film that can evoke the type of emotions I was hoping to convey to my viewers. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligary, for example, shows an unreliable narrative view through German Expressionism. I took from the idea of an unreliable narrative point of view for my own film “Empty Space.”
I began working in film at 16, as a natural extension of my love of writing (I have written numerous novels, short stories and film scripts). In the summer of 2018, I pitched my script and idea for a short film about depression to a potential investor. I was able to secure an investment of 10,000 US dollars to produce the film, which I named “Empty Space.” After completion, “Empty Space,” premiered to a sold-out theatre at the Twin Cities Film Festival. Applying for festivals is a competitive and selective process, so I was honoured to be able to premiere my film in my hometown of Minneapolis. My film was also in the running for the Audience Choice Award but came in behind a film with a budget of over 100,000 US dollars and was written and directed by an industry professional who has been working in film for over 20 years.
“Empty Space” was my first short film. It required not only creative talent, but logistical and business savvy. Throughout 2019, I wrote and finalized a script, put together a budget, secured shooting locations, and hired and managed actors and crew. I also set up an LLC called “MadProductions LLC,” to streamline the business side of making “Empty Space.” I attribute the independence St Andrews requires of its students in significantly aiding in preparing me for these complex tasks.
My modules in Film and English, FM1002, and EN1002, as well as EN2003, have provided me with many skills that impacted my ability to make my film happen. While approaching 2019 I had an investor and a co-producer, the script for “Empty Space,” was still in production and my courses at St Andrews allowed me to complete a script I was proud of. I firmly believe that the understanding of good literature correlates directly with one’s ability to write good literature (or in my case, a good script). Additionally, I think the understanding of unique and interesting films impacted how I chose to use sound, colour, and props, which was taught in FM1002.
Sofia DeSimone
My name is Sofia DeSimone and in Fall 2019, I enrolled in FM4123, the Artists’ Film and Video module. As a film student with a background in screenwriting, I was at first hesitant to take a module where most of the films would be experimental, as opposed to narrative based. In fact, I had always thought of avant-garde films as being overly pretentious and purposely obtuse. However, as the semester progressed, I found that the module was pushing me out of my comfort zone and exposing me to new forms of filmmaking and narrative. The first assignment of the module required students to curate a film strand centered around a theme as if for an artists’ film festival. As an American international student, I wanted to explore a theme that was relevant to my experience in St. Andrews, so I picked the theme ‘Homesickness.’ The assignment spurred hours of research into various independent filmmakers, artists, and avant-garde film festivals. It wasn’t easy to find what I was looking for, considering that I could include any film made by any artist. It felt like I was a one-woman Oscars trying to find films that encapsulated my theme. It was difficult to access the various films, as independent filmmakers often restrict viewings of their work to museums or festivals. One film in particular (Fluorescence, dir. Carys Lewis, 2018) really caught my eye as I felt it captured the theme well. However, it was not publicly available anywhere and since I was determined to watch the film myself and include it in the assignment, I found the artist’s website and reached out to her, explaining my situation as a student interested in her work. The filmmaker in question, Carys Lewis, is an award-winning Welsh-Canadian actor, writer, and director who created the film Fluorescence as part of a series for the Welsh National Opera. Carys replied quickly and was incredibly kind. We kept up a correspondence while I completed my assignment. She provided me access to the film and answered any questions I had about her artistic process in creating it. Speaking to Carys about her limited resources, her inspiration in the film (Syrian artist Kinana Issa), and the impact that she hoped her work would have in giving a voice to women impacted by immigration made me realize how incredible the artistic filmmaking process is. Carys’ work formed the pillar of my curatorial assignment and it inspired me to try new things within my own art, photography, and filmmaking. I decided to create a professional Instagram account dedicated to my photography, something I had been hesitant to do in the past because I didn’t believe my work was legitimate enough. The support from my friends and family amazed me, and now the account has grown, with my photos being viewed over 300 times each week. Upon creating the account, I knew I wanted to make something artistic and personal, something that pushed the bounds of convention the way I had seen throughout the module. As it so happened, a friend of mine had accidentally shot the same roll of film twice in her camera. The result was a number of double exposures, combinations of different scenes and images in the same photo. As soon as I saw those photos, I knew I wanted to try the technique myself, and experiment with my film photography.
In Fluorescence, Carys blends the cityscape and the ocean through the body. I come from the state of Rhode Island, the ‘Ocean State,’ and having the sea so close at St. Andrews always helps me feel at home. I wanted the ocean to be a focal point in my own series and I decided to have the first round of photos be ocean landscapes and the second to be people. I have photos from St. Andrews beaches and Rhode Island beaches exposed with photos of my friends from home. Visually, I wanted to create a link between being home and being abroad, between nature and the body. The series took over 3 weeks to complete including the time it took to shoot the entire roll twice and then develop it. When I got the results, I was ecstatic. It was difficult for me to learn how to rewind the film inside the camera without exposing it to light and ruin the whole roll and the whole time I was shooting, there was no way to ensure that the roll would actually turn out. However, the prints were developed successfully, and after scanning each photo myself in the St. Regulus Hall computer room, I began posting a series of them to my photography account. Without the Artists Film and Video module, I would not have been exposed to the new modes of narrative and visuals that have become a crucial part of my development as a film student. I would not have been connected to Carys, who helped mentor me throughout my assignment. If I hadn’t researched the work of independent artists, I would not have had the final push I needed to create my photography account and start building a professional portfolio for myself. I came out of the module with a better understanding of film, of artistry, and of creative independence.
See more on Sofia’s Instagram account.
Sophie Nettesheim
According to the laws of quantum chaos, climate induced panic often results in the most productive form of action. The looming impacts of the climate crisis have been significantly put into perspective in my modules this year. My Aquatic Ecology module, in particular, shed light on the creative efforts scientists are taking to combat the climate crisis. The syllabus covered a broad range of engaging topics including marine mammal acoustics, microplastics and anthropogenic impacts on marine and freshwater systems. Our main piece of coursework consisted of a seminar on a topic of our choice, accompanied by a handout which was distributed to the audience during the seminar.
I chose to give a seminar on the topic of coral reef restoration, specifically human assisted coral evolution, as this field has always been particularly alluring to me. Assisted coral evolution is a novel approach to reef restoration which is becoming increasingly popular in tropical areas threatened by coral bleaching. Scientists are essentially planting new corals in areas devoid of healthy reefs and breeding hybrid corals in places predicted to be affected by future sea temperature changes. While coral bleaching is not necessarily a new phenomenon, the alteration of coral genomes arose with excessive bleaching events in recent years as a result of anthropogenic activity.
My seminar was designed to inform an audience that had close to no knowledge on the topic, emphasising the incredibly innovative techniques scientists are employing to breed hybrid super-corals that are resistant to increased thermal conditions. During my research, the concept of ‘tackling a drastic change in climate with even more drastic scientific techniques’ stood out to me, and I grew very aware of the irreplaceable role of coral reefs in marine ecosystems. I concluded my seminar by introducing various coral reef restoration projects globally and summarising their diverse funding opportunities including the “Adopt a Coral” foundation organised by coralgardeners.org.
The importance of assisted coral evolution became a shocking reality to me when I traveled to Raja Ampat, located in northern West Papua, Indonesia in January. The area is termed a ‘hot spot’ for coral reef biodiversity and is located in the heart of the coral triangle. After diving many reefs in the area, I was quickly exposed to the dramatic climate related threats to the area, putting coral reefs at risk in the event of just 1ºC sea temperature increase. The extent of climate induced stress was evident in some areas where the reef had turned a pale colour; an indication of bleaching.
The research center at which I stayed embodied the concept of eco-tourism and prioritised the education of the island locals and guests. I was particularly fascinated by their ongoing reef restoration research, the Yaf Keru Project, launched by a University of St Andrews alumni several years ago. The main aims of the project involved restoring reefs that had endured significant bleaching and other human induced damage by planting coral fragments onto vast cable structures. Over the course of my stay on the island, I went on ‘conservation dives’ and planted coral fragments, significantly restoring the condition of the house reef. It was inspiring to see areas of where planted coral structures were thriving, having established a healthy reef with abundant fish activity. I discussed the goals of the project with the local marine biologists and it was sobering to hear their perspective on the increasing tourism in the area and how that would affect the future of coral reefs.
Essentially, the breeding of hybrid corals for warmer seas is an incredibly novel approach that is still in development. I suspect that new breeding methods will continually be developed to keep up with the unpredictable progression of climate change and will only be a temporary method of avoiding species extinction. Engaging in this type of research not only demands enterprising challenge, but has also triggered my commitment to the reef restoration project. After some reflection, I look to gain further hands-on experience in labs that breed hybrid corals and promote such projects with a sense of urgency on social media platforms. With the help of my friends on the island, I am motivated to monitor the progress of the Yaf Keru reef restoration journey and communicate the importance of such efforts through my writing on various environmental commentary platforms including the environmental subcommittee newsletter at St Andrews. Finally, in light of the irreversible effects of climate change, it is my hope that generations after me will be able to experience the reefs in a similar condition.
Felicia Armstrong-James
I have taken a great interest in MN1001. Being my degree, I have taken the initiative to deepen my understanding of the module by participating in the PSC Skills Award where I have gained knowledge in the way people think and how their views and opinions may effect business ideas.
I also joined the Social Enterprise Enactus where we are using our business skills to plan and organise our project in Dundee called ‘Recovery Dundee’. We have think outside the box to come up with creative solutions on how to overcome possible problems that may arise within the project. We have weekly meetings where we brainstorm ideas on how to market the business which we did by hosting a workshop at the allocated place including music and face painting, but more importantly how to get funding for it which we may do from bake sales and cooking breakfasts/lunch for the locals.
I have also started my own small business where I do commissioned art. I advertise this through my Art account on Instagram which has a large following account and is useful for exposure to my website.
I need to be smart about the times to post when people are most active and to ensure my posts stick to a theme that the audience find attractive which is likely to gain me more exposure. It’s also important to stay active and keep the followers updated on daily activities and keep them hooked to your account which will further help promote my business. It has paid off and gained me some commissions however it has been increasingly challenging due to the work load at university.
To the module more directly, I have done independent research by watching various Youtube videos to understand the different topics within MN1001 and kept updated daily with the Financial Times and The Economists so I’m aware of all the current affairs that could affect the world around me and my daily life.
I’ve read up certain articles about areas I’ve found difficult and creatively developed the information into posters and booklets to help the information to stick into my head.
Sam Winton
During my module on Theories within International Relations I encountered a variety of theories which dealt with the construction of identity and knowledge. This was of particular interest to me and caused a great deal of reflection of my part about what constitutes my own identity. I realised that sport was a huge part of it, which was quite a transformation from just a few years prior.
This prompted further reflection, as I analysed the reasons that I had never got involved in sports before coming to St Andrews. I began to see multiple barriers had been present throughout my life. Whilst some of these barriers were more tangible, most related to the preconceptions surrounding sports and how society has helped reinforce a certain perception of sport, as a hostile space to specific core groups. After identifying these groups, I began researching further and saw that this problem was widely acknowledge by national governing bodies across sport. I began communicating with British Rowing, Sport England, UK Sport and Coventry Council’s European City of Sport 2019 team, learning from their own observations.
From here I began to think of ways that I could address these problems. I saw an opportunity to create a social enterprise which worked with athletes and clubs providing a model of inclusivity and accessibility, supporting their projects. Utilising their ideas, I have then created frameworks and policy suggestions which have since been taken up by national governing bodies, particularly Scottish Rowing.
In order to build this coalition I realised I needed to create an expansive communication network as well as fundraising network. Once again, I turned to my studies for an idea. I saw through my study of Economics that if I created a successful social enterprise that supplied a service to these clubs, I would be able to offer an incentive to join the coalition greater than the obvious positive externalities. Custom sports kit is a highly profitable industry, with a large demand for quick service. Knowing I had limited knowledge in this area I began collaborating with Rival Kit in Edinburgh, who also started their own company as students. With their help I was able to create Here For Sport and launch the first two ranges of kit, one of which is made of completely recycled materials. This kind of kit is rare on the market.
Now, after just one year, we have partnered with Saints Sport to become an official team kit provider. Working with the team there we created an event to launch the brand within St Andrews, planning and executing a Masquerade Ball. After planning the event, just one week prior the venue cancelled and yet we were able to recreate the event and plan an entirely new one in less than one week, moving venues and changing much of the original template. The event was a huge success. I saw how the students were keen to engage more with the brand after the event and from here was able to book three fashion shows, further building the brands reputation and network
This wouldn’t have been possible without the lessons I learnt throughout 2019 and 2020 at the University. Not only has the university taught me many of the soft skills essential to setting up and running my own business, but it has also become the locus for much of the business activity. I recognise the power of the community at St Andrews, and its willingness to support one of their own.
Ethan Andrews
BL4216, Structural Based Drug Discovery, culminated in a series of presentations with a simple yet intriguing theme–design a novel drug and sell it to an imaginary board of investors. Hearing of this project immediately perked my interest; with my background in science from my three years of biochemistry modules, along with my previous business experience from helping found and manage a student-run umbrella company, I finally had a chance to merge my two passions and skillsets into one end product. From the day this assignment was given, my team of two others (Peter Velickovic and Sarah Benstock) and I immediately got to work.
We examined a plethora of potential diseases and decided on targeting pain, as pain management is in dire need of new and improved treatments. Once we knew our goal, it was then time to dive into the pharmaceutical science. We looked at existing painkillers, along with those that had failed, with one key question in mind: how can our drug be better? It seemed that every current pain treatment was plagued with issues; side effects, potential for addiction/abuse, ineffectiveness–no existing drug was free of problems. However, through our research we found some positive properties in different molecules that could be combined to make a new drug that would be complication-free. Basing our design on previous research, we created an opioid derivative that had specifically designed properties to enable it to function exclusively in certain tissue environments; essentially, the drug would only have an effect at the area that was producing the pain. If an individual’s back was hurting, our drug when taken would only activate at the specific back tissues that were the source of the pain signal. If someone were to take our drug with no pain present, there would be no effect on the body. Not only would this design drastically reduce our drug’s potential for abuse, but it would also significantly decrease the chance of typical opioid side effects. Through our design, we could deal with a majority of the issues that currently plague pain treatment and take a large step towards reducing the growing opioid addiction epidemic. We moved on to creating graphs and models to show how our drug could work, and that supported how our drug was an improvement on those that are used currently (Figure 1).
Once we had the design, it was time to think business; this is where I knew I could shine, and I took on the company role of CEO for the biggest presentation. We started by doing the required pieces of the assignment; we created an imaginary company, Novera Pharmaceuticals, and a logo to match (Figure 2). We then drafted a rough business plan that would support our scientific data. However, I knew that in order to “sell” our drug to these investors, we had to think beyond what was asked of us. I started by designing a rudimentary website that would mirror what a real pharmaceutical company would have (https://ea6131.wixsite.com/novera), and then designed/ordered business cards which had a scannable QR code to access this website, which we could pass out during our presentations (Figure 3). I then thought about branding–as I learned with the umbrella company, branding is essential to successfully selling a product. However, a problem existed; I did a survey on word association and found that a large majority of people had an innate aversion to the words “opioid” and/or “fentanyl”–we had to do something about this to market our drug. It was common practice that this type of molecule ended in the suffix “-yl”. I realised that there was already an existing word ending in a similar suffix that we could use to remove this immediate negative association–and have a little fun–and thus our drug was named Daffodyl. I also designed a box which used smooth colour gradients in an attempt to solidify this positive connection (Figure 4).
But branding wasn’t the only way I knew I could expand from the original assignment. I drafted a marketing plan detailing how our company would theoretically enter the painkiller market, utilizing healthcare organisations, prescribing clinicians, and the general public. I used Photoshop to make a patent (Figure 5) and create an imaginary Kickstarter that showed how we had raised the money to get us to the current stage we were at (Figure 6). I created an imaginary balance sheet and income statement, describing how we had “used” our money we raised so far and how we would utilize any future investments. My insight into marketing and finance helped me develop a convincing and practical narrative beyond the basic scientific information.
All of these additional pieces were well beyond the initial prompt; no other group in the class drafted financials, made websites/business cards, explored branding, or made a patent. Expanding on the assignment did not feel like adding random additions in the hopes of bonus points, but rather a genuinely fun means by which to combine two of my passions which had been previously isolated. Weaving together an interdisciplinary narrative–combining scientific data with business insight and artistic freedom to guide the investors through our operation–felt natural as each piece fell into place, creating a storyline that could grip the potential investors. While all my colleagues excelled in their knowledge of the science, I feel my ability to integrate business, science, and some art, allowed me to take a step beyond; as in the real world, to truly sell a product scientific information on its own is likely not enough. We received a first on our project with one of the best grades in the class; but beyond grades, I found a way I could finally express both my scientific and entrepreneurial self. This project inspired me to pursue a new career path, and I have now accepted a master’s offer to study pharmaceutical and biotech entrepreneurship next year to continue this passion!
Ewan McCall
Over the course of this year, and thanks to Malcolm Petrie’s Nationalism and Unionism in Scotland and Chandrika Kaul’s Media and Politics in Britain, I discovered that treasure chests are not just the stuff of fiction. This year, with the help of what I learned in these two modules, I managed to find and open two sixteenth-century cast iron armada chests in the unassuming landscape of a modern Scottish office. However, as with people and treasure chests alike, it’s what’s inside that counts.
The journey to that point begins as I helped to clear out old furniture and supplies at a Scottish law firm. While doing this, I came across a bundle of very old looking papers which were due to be thrown into a skip along with around 25 tonnes of other items, but realising that they were at least 250-years-old asked if it would be possible to hold on to them. This was just as well, as among them was a previously unknown letter belonging to the political economist and Fifer Adam Smith. I can vividly remember opening up the inconspicuous document and finding his name and title of “Professor of Philosophy in the University of Glasgow” written out at the start of the 15-page document. However, not feeling fully confident in this period of Scottish history at the time, I did not follow it up. This was when Nationalism and Unionism came in, with the first few weeks focussing on the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, giving me the confidence to research further into this bundle of documents which I had gained permission
The journey to that point begins as I helped to clear out old furniture and supplies at a Scottish law firm. While doing this, I came across a bundle of very old looking papers which were due to be thrown into a skip along with around 25 tonnes of other items, but realising that they were at least 250-years-old asked if it would be possible to hold on to them. This was just as well, as among them was a previously unknown letter belonging to the political economist and Fifer Adam Smith. I can vividly remember opening up the inconspicuous document and finding his name and title of “Professor of Philosophy in the University of Glasgow” written out at the start of the 15-page document. However, not feeling fully confident in this period of Scottish history at the time, I did not follow it up. This was when Nationalism and Unionism came in, with the first few weeks focussing on the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, giving me the confidence to research further into this bundle of documents which I had gained permission from the law firm to research.
At this point I managed to contact experts to confirm the document was authentic and that it discusses a previously unknown case at the Court of Session involving the young Smith claiming debts from a landed noblewoman, and eventually selling his own feu duties to avoid further conflict. Given Smith’s theories on the optimisation of the land for greater productivity in Wealth of Nations, this could potentially be a clue to how he reached the view that the landed gentry manage land inefficiently holding back the commercial growth of Scotland. This is a significant clue to his early life as he destroyed most of his correspondence leaving our knowledge of his formative years largely blank. As the module progressed through to the Victorian era I felt equip to delve further into the firm’s historical records, and soon uncovered information regarding Sir Walter Scott, Queen Victoria even the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes – Dr Joseph Bell (pictured).
Having done the module, I realised that it was the Scottish Enlightenment which intrigued me most being as it was a transformational period for both Scotland – going from one of the least urbanised to the third most urbanised nation in Europe – and the World. I therefore set about looking through the firm’s deposits at the National Records of Scotland, but found there was a large gap over this period. It turned out they were sitting under our noses all along. In one of the office’s reception areas, two large chests were tucked in against a wall, accepted as part of the furniture. I started to make enquiries about them, and found that they had been with the firm longer than anyone could remember, and similarly had never been seen open. Rumours around their pedigree included that they were once hidden behind a false bookcase, or that they were found in a hidden attic at the firm’s former New Town headquarters.
By this point, I was being employed by the firm to write a 25,000-word company history based on the discoveries being made, and felt that opening these chests could serve as a great backdrop for introducing people at the firm to the project that myself, the Marketing and Communications teams were now engaged in. Being hugely out of my depth on the hard details of how to write this book, I had also received help from Professor John Cairns and James Hamilton, Curator of the Signet Library who were invited along to the opening of the chests by Mark Stewart, a master antique locksmith (who opened both without any damage). Over the two hour event, we managed to showcase the work we had done from a research, marketing and communications standpoint as well announce a campaign focussed on values of the Scottish enlightenment. However, the star of the show was the chest opening itself. We had decided not to check beforehand if anything was inside, with Mark only uncoupling the last bolts directly before opening. For all we knew, there could be nothing inside. The first to be opened delivered just that, piling on considerable pressure for the second to yield some results. The rush of excitement and relief in the room was electric as the second chest was opened to reveal, coated in a thick layer of coal dust, thousands of pages of letters and documents filled to its lid.
The next day, I took a closer look at these documents, and found beneath masses of Victorian writs and wills some heartbreaking letters between two Fife families working in India during the 1780s, revealing a tragic turn of events which I am now doing my dissertation on with the help of Professor Colin Kidd. However, I only came to fully understand what they discussed through talking to my Semester 1 Media and Politics tutor Dr Chandrika Kaul as the module included discussion on India and Empire. This opened my eyes to some of the insights the letters had about Scots in Empire, interracial struggles and historical mental health, all areas which I think are still relevant today. More than writing about these discoveries, I have enjoyed discussing them with others in the field as their infectious passion has inspired me to complete this jigsaw of lives and letters. I cannot thank them enough for helping to save these stories from the dumpster of history.
Babs Khalidson
1) Background
As an MSc Artificial Intelligence student with a Biomedical Sciences Bsc, I have always looked for ways to combine both domains in a meaningful manner.
2) Learnings from the course
Last semester (S1 2019), I took a module called Artificial Intelligence Practice (CS5011) whereby Dr Alice Toniolo taught us how to implement AI algorithms across the 4 main areas of AI: Logic, Search, Machine Learning (ML) and Uncertainty.
ML is an area of most interest to me and it was through the ML assignment, that I decided to take things further. The assignment involved creating a helpdesk ticketing system that was able to predict which appropriate response team a customer should be assigned to based on their responses given. This required us to optimise the algorithm’s parameters to improve its accuracy whilst comparing the results with other classification algorithms. From this assignment, I learnt how to set up a multi-layered perceptron neural network (ML algorithm), encode the dataset and then make predictions. These skills combined with understanding how to optimise an ML algorithm were essential for the next machine learning projects I worked on.
3) Projects
3.1) Deep Classification of Sharks, Belugas and Dolphins
Problem
Monitoring the number of sharks, belugas and dolphins can be very useful for institutions that are concerned about climate change and species preservation. However, manually sifting through months of data can be time-consuming and labour intensive. Moreover, classifying aquatic animals poses several challenges such as background noises, distortion of images, the presence of other water bodies in images and occlusion (Rathi et al., 2018).
Strategy
Aquatic life classification can be automated with the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), which are machine learning algorithms suited for image classification. herefore, I decided to create 3 image datasets from Google Images, where each contained around 250 images of Belugas, Dolphins and Sharks. After I cleaned the datasets by removing irrelevant images, I trained a CNN with the data and it was able to classify the fish with a 90.6% accuracy on the test data set.
There is still room for improvement as this model could be improved with a larger data set, however, it still has some great use for saving time by automating manual classifications done by marine biologists in industry
3.2) Deep Learning Detection of Alzheimer’s
Problem
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder marked by cognitive decline with no validated cure (De Strooper & Karran, 2016). Hence, a great deal of effort has been made by the scientific community to detect it early to slow or prevent disease progression (Galvin, 2017). Advanced neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been developed to identify structural and molecular biomarkers (Veitch et al., 2019). Nonetheless, analysis of large-scale neuroimaging data sets can be time-consuming requiring specialists to manually look for features in images that represent at a stage in disease progression.
Strategy
Like the previous project on aquatic animal classification, stages in Alzheimer’s can be predicted by CNNS using MRI imaging data. Knowing this, I acquired a +5000 MRI image dataset with an Open Database License (ODBL) from Kaggle, which contained 4 classes of images representing 4 stages of Alzheimer’s progression: Non-Demented, Very Mildly Demented, Mildly Demented and Moderately Demented.
After that I trained, the CNN based on the 4 image classes. I initially got a prediction accuracy of 75% using ResNet50 (CNN model with 50 layers deep) without optimising the model. To improve the accuracy, I tried a different CNN model called ResNet101, which has been trained on more than a million images from the ImageNet Database, has 101 layers and can classify images into 1000 object categories. I also improved the accuracy by training the model multiple times with various parameters to find the optimal parameters. By doing so, I managed to increase the prediction accuracy to 97.2%
4) Conclusion
Machine learning has the power to not only save us time but also provide accurate (sometimes more accurate) predictions that can be useful across multiple industries. The two projects I worked on have the potential to become useful tools in industry that can help save the lives of aquatic animals and humans alike. Future work would involve using larger datasets and potentially building applications that would enable the CNN models to make predictions at a larger scale.
References
- De Strooper, B., & Karran, E. (2016). The cellular phase of Alzheimer’s disease. Cell, 164(4), 603–615.
- Galvin, J. E. (2017). Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease: lessons learned and applied. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 65(10), 2128–2133.
- Rathi, D., Jain, S., & Indu, S. (2018). Underwater Fish Species Classification using Convolutional Neural Network and Deep Learning. http://dhruvrathi.me/http://www.dtu.ac.in/Web/Departments/Electronics/faculty/sindu.php
- Veitch, D. P., Weiner, M. W., Aisen, P. S., Beckett, L. A., Cairns, N. J., Green, R. C., Harvey, D., Jack Jr, C. R., Jagust, W., Morris, J. C., & others. (2019). Understanding disease progression and improving Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials: Recent highlights from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 15(1), 106–152.
Devon Riegel
My name is Devon Riegel, and I am a postgraduate student participating in the Master of Researchin Neuroscience program. Last semester, I produced an informational video for my Masters courseentitled “The Breath of Death: The Effect of Air Pollution and Climate Change on Alzheimer’s Disease Incidence.”This video was submitted for an assignment in which we were asked to create a TED Talk-esque video describing a new or innovative field of neuroscience. For my video, I discussed an emerging subfield of neuroscience and epidemiology research studying the effects of climate change and pollution on Alzheimer’s Disease incidence. My video was particularly creative and innovative for two specific reasons: my attention to detail for production value, and my analysis suggesting far-reaching implications of this research.
First,I spent a significant amount of time creating a video that would achieve a high caliber of production quality. I learned how to use a green screen for filming to create a video inspired by the production of theYouTube series,PBS Eons. I created my own illustrations and animations using Photoshop and PowerPoint respectively, and spent many hours editing the video myself. I wanted to create a video that not only fell within the guidelines of the assignment but also had high production and entertainment value so I could share the video online and reach people beyond the St Andrews academic community. I posted my video to YouTube after receiving my mark and have gained nearly 100 views. I hope more people find my video out of interest in this field of research, and I hope that whoever watches my video learns something new about neuroscience and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Second, in my conclusion in the video, I suggested that the results of this field of research could lead to far-reaching, positive consequences. I indicated that further understanding in this field could incite greater urgency to manage air pollution levels, possibly via changes to national or international policies managing the amount of pollutants allowed within a given urban area. While we were certainly encouraged to draw conclusions that extended beyond the research we presented, I feel as though my analysis was particularly innovative in suggesting the ways in which this field of research could extend beyond the lab. This field of research could potentially affect the lives of millions by enacting greater restrictions on acceptable pollution levels, which could in turn have a positive effect on Alzheimer’s Disease incidence and the global climate crisis.
In conclusion, I believe that my work in creating this video is exemplary of work that goes beyond the basic expectations I was asked to follow for the assignment. I believe that my video sets an example of high quality and accessible work that can be created by a postgraduate student that can be appreciated by a diverse population,whether or not viewers of the videopossess a background in science. By receiving recognition for my work by the University of St Andrews, I hope that more people watch my video and learn about this exciting field of research in a way that inspires them to think critically about the effects of global pollution and climate change.
Alan Benny
The Demise of the Archaic
Module: MN1001 Management
Coming from Indian Heritage, you can be certain that cultural events have a high standard to meet. The sheer scale of these events always confused me, as I could never quite understand how people put all the countless components into a coherent whole. How could such a select few people take on such a burden and still be in alignment with the required tasks and more importantly the rules of regulations of not only the government but also the that of the Indian community itself. However, this year, I decided to confront this dragon of chaos and was named Chief Coordinator of the Christmas Night, I was also given a team of juniors to work with, ages ranging from 12 to 17.
Having Studied MN1001 in the first semester, I was really quite shocked at how much applicable skills I had learned, whether it be interpersonal, or task related, I felt confident in my ability to coordinate/manage this mammoth task. So, I reflected on previous events and analysed how they were executed, but I would be no entrepreneur nor Indian if I didn’t “spice things” up.
Tasks Assignment and Task Execution
As described in the principles of bureaucracy, it is necessary to recruit based on merit and also necessary to divide labour based on attributes i.e. specialization. This was my first problem as I was only given a team of juniors who haven’t formed bespoke attributes yet nor have a background for merit, so I decided to recruit based on potential. So, I decided to deploy a questionnaire, where I posed everyone in the team a series of questions from which I then decide which task suits them the best e.g. the gaming and technology enthusiast would be given the backstage audio and presentation tasks.
As for execution, I realized that I couldn’t just leave the methodology to the youth, I decided to deploy the theory of Taylorism. This idea focuses on the sheer efficiency of tasks being done i.e. how to do each task as efficient as possible. So, after I brainstormed and outlined in detail how each task should be executed, it was just up to them to execute- I call it oiling the chain.
However, this events success I attribute to the theory “transformational leadership”. This theory places great emphasis on the manger to worker relationship being that of positive/kind nature e.g. raising their motivation to more than just the task. So, I explained to each one of them, that their parents would take great pride in their contribution and the fact that their taking such a responsibility at a young age will pay dividends in the future. However, the 12-year old don’t deem this enough, SO, this is where I implemented the theory of transactional leadership, where a transaction occurs, in this case, I used toys.
I’ve also learnt that, monitoring progress/performance is an integral part of ensuring deadlines will be met. I done this by implementing a checklist and an individual to do list which was visible to everyone on notion and Microsoft teams.
Note – before implementing these strategies, there was a board meeting with my higher-ups where we discussed previous effectiveness and the pros and cons of each strategy-a critical approach.
Food
Typically, we order food, but this year I decided on homemade. The previous theories mentioned placed huge value in the curation of the final product which was enough food to feed 100 to 150 people with extras. The key here was to divide the different array of dishes across multiple people. But Indian people are very particular and narrow minded with their food, so to decide what specific dish we should serve, I decided to do a poll
Dancing/Stage Programmes
By far the most challenging aspect even with the above theories, working with people really is difficult especially U12 kids-as stated in the human relations perspective. Dance practice/choreography started later than initially scheduled, and so we were working under a time constraint as well, so I decided to employ pareto principle and Parkinson’s law: all components of Taylorism. On the day, with the understanding that people aren’t machines, I left plenty of space for human error in terms of transitioning from dance to dance. Although the end product wasn’t flawless, the mistakes ended up being perceived as comedy by the crowd.
Seating
Since Indians are unpredictable in attendance it was hard to place the right number of seats. Hence, I decided to have an “adjustable seating plan team which placed out more seats in accordance with attendance”. (A modern organization must be flexible and able to adapt to change)
Evaluating cost
I’ve also learned that an effective manager delegates/outsources work, so I decided to get in contact with an uncle who handles finance with an accounting background. And so, my workload was reduced, and we have an all-time low in overhead costs. In fact, we actually made a profit, which went to the community fund and people who helped cook the food.
Evaluation
I realized that looking back at how events were executed previous times was incredibly useful. Many times, before implementing an idea, historic data/chequered history played a huge role in critically evaluating each.
After evaluating this event as a whole, I have come to realize that whatever the theories may be, you can never predict human behaviour under pressure as many people forgot some of their dance moves.
Definitely need to improve the scheduling/time management aspect, hours were wasted on small talk and on dances that didn’t make the deadline i.e. more diligence is required.
Conclusion
By using these cocktails of approaches in conjunction with charisma (one of the 3 types of authority by Max Weber) and positive reinforcement, I could not have been prouder of my team or how the event turned out.
Side note: I can send the entire finale dance and photos of the event. In fact, I encourage you to attend the next event-all events in Kirkcaldy, Fife which