Fond Farewell For Popular Scientist
14 September 2010
Mike GReenwood pictured with colleagues and wellwishers at his presentation, above, and below.
From analysing the material content of Turin Shroud to filming cockroaches in Bristol for Attenbourgh's 'Trial of Life' alongside helping introduce the first degree awards here at the University - it's been quite a career for Dr Mike Greenwood, who retired recently as Assistant Dean and Head of School of Science in the Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences. He talks to Connected about his time at Derby.
One of the champions of science at the University has retired after more than 34 years of service to the institution.
Dr Mike Greenwood joined the then Derby College of Art and Technology back in January 1976 and has seen many changes to the institution in that time. But he has always had a commitment to try to ensure that science has featured prominently within the academic structure at Derby.
Staff, students and well-wishers took part in a farewell celebration for Mike in the Multi-Faith Centre on September 10 and he told Connected he has had a career to remember at Derby - and that his links with the institution will hopefully continue.
He said: "It has been 34 years, about 250 days and I take away some fantastic memories from that time. The institution has changed in name several times in that period and we have never stood still. It is a wonderful community and it has been very fulfilling and enjoyable."
He was first a lecturer in Biology with an expertise in physiology back in the days when we delivered University of London External degrees but had no responsibility for setting and marking exams or making the actual awards, and was one of pioneers of helping, what is now the University, to receive the green light to award its own degrees through the CNAA - Council of National Academic Awards. This was a major step-change meaning that in the late 1970s, for the first time Derby could set the academic quality control, delivery, examination and be responsible for the awarding of BSc degrees in science.
At that time Kedleston Road was a very different place - its iconic South, North and East Towers stood proudly as they do today, but there was a fishpond where the Atrium is now situated and technical workshops - later devastated by fire - where B-Block and T-Block are now based. Since the 1970s, the college went on to become Derby Lonsdale College HE and then Derby College of Higher Education, before University status was granted in 1992.
When University status was achieved, Mike was part of the then new School of Health and Community Studies under the direction of Mike Cullen, and for some years was based at the Derby Royal Infirmary as a principal lecturer in physiology. This was in the early 1990s when he helped set up degree awards from the then purely vocational diplomas in Allied Health subject areas before going on to head up the Biology department in the mid 1990s. Since then, biology and forensics and pharmacy joined together and science became part of a School of Health and Community Studies.
He played a leading role in the Biological Sciences provision gaining an excellent rating as part of a QAA audit in 2000 and has helped broker deals to bring in much exciting scientific equipment such as the electron microscopy unit to support teaching, research and help promote consultancy activity.
As part of his research expertise using this specialist equipment some years ago he was invited by a textiles company in Ambergate to help test material taken from the 'Shroud of Turin'. The material cut from the ancient burial cloth, which is suggested as bearing the image of Christ, was to be carbon dated by academics at the University of Oxford to help test some material for carbon dating analysis. The work, published in 'Nature', proposed the cloth to be medieval in age and hence although very unusual and old (13C) was technically a 'fake'.
Mike, being asked to image the fibres said: "Using the electron microscope I was involved in the project and able to show it was probably Egyptian cotton in origin". "However, having touched these fibres this apparently made me a tertiary religious relic!"
As the University developed in the last decade Mike said: "It was a concern at the time of a restructure that Science was not represented at a senior level within the School so I wanted to help make sure that it was a clearly defined component of the new Faculty.
This was directed by Dawn Forman who oversaw the formation of the School of Science, of which Mike was appointed as Head and joined the Faculty's executive team.
As part of his farewell, he enjoyed endorsements for his contributions from notable academics and stakeholders alike including Dave Sharman, from Hanson UK, who praised Mike's support in helping set up the exciting academic and training partnership between the University and the quarrying industry.
So with such variety in his post, will he miss it all? The short answer is no, because he aims to remain very much a key stakeholder for the University. He is a Trustee for the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust for example, and hopes to continue some of the exciting collaborative links which have been developed with them and University academics.
He concluded: "What is great about Derby is that people are always willing to develop and share ideas - it is a real community here."
