Reading in the news - Mon 15 May

Green heating grant secured: A grant secured by the University which will fund the decarbonisation of Whitenight Campus's heating system is reported by , , , Heart Radio Berkshire, Greatest Hits Radio, BBC Radio Berkshire, , , , , , , , , , , , , , and others. Dan Fernbank (Energy and Sustainability Director) was interviewed by BBC Radio Berkshire, explaining how the heat pumps will work. Read our news story.

Climate crisis denier tweets increase: Professor Ed Hawkins (Meteorology) is quoted by , The Observer (in print), , , , , and on the "huge increase" in hate comments and climate-denier tweets that he, and many other climate scientists, have received on Twitter.

Food, health and wellbeing:

• Further coverage of the University's "Raising The Pulse" initiative as Professor Julie Lovegrove (Food and Nutritional Sciences) was interviewed by BBC 1 South and BBC Radio Berkshire. Professor Donal O’Sullivan's (Agriculture) article on the project's details is published by FMCG CEO magazine  (no link available), and Matt Tebbit (catering and bars) and Professor Julie Lovegrove (Food and Nutritional Sciences) are quoted. Read our news story.
• BBC 1 South and BBC Radio Berkshire reported on the University's collaborative research with the Whitley Community Development Association, developing customized, healthy, and affordable snacks shaped by the opinions of locals in Whitley.
• Professor Glenn Gibson's (Food and Nutritional Sciences) interview with BBC World Service Radio on how microbes first arrive in our guts re-aired. BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Cymru, and also aired the interview.
• Professor Ian Jones (Biological Sciences) is quoted by and on the severity of bird flu, and the continued low risk of transmission to humans.
• Research student, Jenny Berger’s article for , on houseplants and wellbeing, is reproduced by .
• Heart Radio Berkshire mentions Professor Carmel Houston-Price's (Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences) research using picture books to encourage children to eat more vegetables.

#UniForReading: our role as a civic university

• Greatest Hits Radio, , , and report on the line-up for the University's community festival that took place on the 13^th of May. Vice Chancellor, Professor Robert Van de Noort is quoted on how the festival aimed to bring the local community together. Read our news story.
• Matt Tebbit (catering and bars) is quoted by on the University's upcoming drinks festival, on 26-27 May. Read our news story.

Business and society:

• celebrates mothers completing MBAs including Henley Business School student and mother, Hlubi Mboya-Arnold. Jon Foster-Pedley (Dean and Director of Henley Business School Africa) is quoted on how Henley Business School Africa creates flexible and family-friendly programmes.
• An interview with teaching and learning dean, Professor Louise Hague on BBC Radio Berkshire re-aired on how the University is developing guidance on students' use of ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, and the important questions that the technology raises.

Other coverage:

• (and in print), , , and mention the average number of students enrolled for funded apprenticeships at Henley Business School.
• Dr Netta Weinstein (Psychology) wrote an article for on how parents can navigate difficult conversations with teenagers. It is reposted by , , and .
• Dr Mark Shanahan (formerly Politics) was interviewed by on the loss of his son, Rory, who ended his own life, at university, five years ago.
• Dr Manuela Gonzalez-Suarez (Biological Sciences) is quoted by , , and on the unlikely existence of a big cat living in Berkshire.
• Professor Rick Poynor's (Typography) article on conceptual art of the 1960s is published by .
• suggests studying nutrition at the University, as Times Higher Education ranks it eighth in the UK for research power in Food and Veterinary Sciences.
• mentions the University is a customer of technology company, NTT Data.

Alumni:

• A reading alumnus, James Ferguson, was interviewed by Racing TV on his career as a horse race trainer.
• reports on the appointment of Reading alumna, Cherry Wei, as asset manager at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
• , , , and mention that Iain McPherson, the owner of one of the world's top 100 cocktail bars, Panda and Sons, transferred his knowledge from a "Science of Ice-cream Course" at the University to the science of frozen cocktails.