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Future Journalist 2020

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Think you’ve got what it takes to be the next shining star of journalism? Enjoy writing? Love being in front of a camera? We have the perfect opportunity for you!

The Future Journalist Awards is your chance to show off your writing or filming skills and win some awesome prizes.

Organised by Staffordshire University with the support of StaffsLive, the competition aims to discover the next generation of journalists in and around Staffordshire.

How we interact with media is changing and today’s journalists requires digital skills to stay ahead.

This year, contestants can choose between submitting a piece of written content, such as an article, review or blog, or they can opt to create a short video or audio clip using a smartphone.

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‘Digital shed’ maker facilities launch at GradEX 2019

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Specialist equipment which ensures that students are at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies has been unveiled this week.

Alun Rogers, Vice Chair of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP at the unveiling of the Digital Shed facilities.
Image: Alun Rogers, Vice Chair of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP at the unveiling of the Digital Shed facilities.
 
This is just one example of the University’s innovative approach which is putting Staffordshire at the forefront of digital and technological education and will help us create the highly skilled jobs that will ensure a thriving local economy.
Alun Rogers, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP

Specialist equipment which ensures that Staffordshire University students are at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies and able to plug skills gaps in the region has been unveiled this week.

Part-funded by Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the equipment is part of a ‘Digital Shed’ maker zone which will be openly accessible to students from a wide range of courses from September this year.

Inspired by Maker-spaces and ‘Fab-Labs’ the new Digital Shed, at the entrance to the Mellor building, will house a range of equipment including milling machines, 3d printers, laser cutters, a soldering station and specialist work benches and tools.

Click here to read more

Sports Journalism Student Shortlisted for Industry Prize

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Final year sports journalism student Molly Hudson has been shortlisted for Football Writer of the Year by the Sports Journalists’ Association. Molly, 20, has been encouraged to work freelance during her university studies and spent last summer working on the World Cup for the Independent.

She now writes regularly for The Times and the BBC Sport website and will be covering the Women’s World Cup in France later this year.

Molly said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award, alongside many of the sports journalists that I continue to learn from and admire. The Times have supported me, and believed in me to put me forward for the award, which was an honour in itself, and I could not have built the close relationship I have with them without the help of Staffordshire University, particularly Mitch Pryce and Ian Whittell and the depth of contacts they have from years of experience in the industry.”

“It can be hard to juggle working as a freelancer in such a pressured, and high-paced field, but the lecturers at Staffs have gone out of their way to ensure I can commit time to my uni work as well as my career and maybe even have a bit of free time too!”

Molly’s course leader Mitch Pryce said: “It’s an astonishing achievement for Molly to be recognised at this level. The SJA also have a Young Sports Journalist of the Year category but Molly has leapfrogged a level into the main award. She’s competing against the likes of Henry Winter and Jonathan Liew – genuine heavyweight professional journalists”

“It’s yet another example of Staffordshire sports journalists making a real impact in the industry. Last year our alumni were named Midlands Sports Journalist (Lewis Cox) and Welsh Sports Journalist of the Year (Ben James) so Molly is adding to our legacy. We are all very proud of her.”

Music & Sound student performs for Harry & Meghan

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Music and Sound placement student Onalenna Lorraine Oliver recently did a very high profile gig for Prince Harry and his new Wife Meghan.

Onalenna Lorraine Oliver, a level 5 placement student, is currently self employed promoting herself as a UK based African artist, Lorraine Lionheart.

“Harry and Meghan have been appointed the new Commonwealth Youth ambassadors, so the even was to officiate their new roles.  I had the opportunity to talk to them after the event and hand them the sheet music for the song I had co-written especially for the event, with a classical music composer from Venezuela”

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DPD Design Sprint at FutureFest 2017

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As part of an ongoing partnership between delivery and logistics company DPD and Staffordshire University, the Schools of Computing & Digital Technologies and Creative Arts & Engineering ran a highly successful Design Sprint competition for students as part of the recent FutureFest event in November.

Students spent a full day busily working in groups to create and design solutions for various challenge topics provided by DPD, and presented these to a prestigious panel of judges which included our own VC, Professor Liz Barnes, the CEO of DPD, DwainMcDonald, and School Deans Professor Eunice Ma and Professor David Hawkins.

Twelve teams presented their ideas with the three best teams awarded not only prizes, but also the opportunity to work further with DPD on future projects. All teams impressed the judges with their innovative suggestions and pitching skills, and picking the winners was a challenge in itself!

Huge congratulations to everyone who took part, and to our winning students!

 

 

A day at PLAY Expo Manchester

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Our Games Studies students experienced PLAY Expo Manchester at first hand when it took over EventCity earlier this month.

Dr Ying-Ying Law, our resident esports specialist, took her class to ‘the north’s biggest video game expo’ as part of their module on Esports and Competitive Gaming.

Dr Law’s lucky students had a tour from the director of the event, as well as getting to talk to the tournament organisers. They also had the chance to compete in the Smash Tournament, allowing the class to get a glimpse of how a tournament is run and to think about the mini-esports event they will be running themselves in Week 9 of this semester. It’s clear they’ve already learned a lot!

“During the tournament, they spotted a mistake made by the TO,” Dr Law said. “They spotted an incorrect match where a player from the winners’ bracket was playing against someone in the losers’ bracket in a double elimination tournament. I went through tournament rules with them last week – I felt so proud!”

Next stop for the Esports and Competitive Gaming class: Insomnia Gaming Festival!

Computing PhD Research Student scoops award at International Conference

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Mr Awad AlRasheed, PhD research student from the School of Computing & Digital Technologies, scoops the award for Best Presentation at the 19th International Conference on Knowledge Management Systems.

Supervised by Head of Computing at Staffordshire University Russell Campion, Mr AlRasheed has also been honored as an outstanding PhD Research Student by His Excellency the Saudi Cultural Attaché Dr. Abdulaziz Bin Ali Almagushi at the Saudi Embassy in London in September 2017 and presented to HRH Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, the Saudi Ambassador in the Saudi National Day Celebration.