Reading in the news - Tue 21 Dec

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) was quoted by the BBC Online on the societal problems that Omicron could cause; by The Sun (and in print) on the protection that boosters provide against Omicron, and by Today Headline on false-negative test results. He answered BBC Radio Surrey's Covid questions and spoke to BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio West Midlands about restrictions based on models.
• Dr Jane Parker (Food) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about the challenges that those with continued loss of taste and smell will face at Christmas; and was quoted by BBC Radio Norfolk and BBC Radio Oxford on smell training. 

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

• Mirage, Eurek Alert!, Phys.Org, University of York, and News Medical report on the SysRisk project, involving Reading researchers, that assessed environmental risk management in collaboration with the government. Read our news story.
• Professor Paul Williams (Meteorology) was quoted by Carbon Brief on reliance on the wind as an energy source.
• Professor Ed Hawkins (Meteorology) was quoted by Euro News on extreme weather events. 
• The University's research working with the United Arab Emirates to investigate the possibility of using electric charge to influence rainfall was mentioned by Noticias Concursos.

Other Coverage:

• The Times (and in print) mentions Reading research showing that regular consumption of dates benefitted gut health. 
• Professor Rosa Freedman (Law) was quoted by The Telegraph on self-declaration of gender complicating laws around single-sex spaces.
• Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers (History) was quoted by History on the Christmas traditions of medieval England. 
• NS Packaging, SP News, and Packaging South Asia reported on an EIT Food-funded project on sustainable packaging including academics from the University of Reading. Read our news story. 
• The Reverend Mark Laynesmith (University Anglican Chaplain) spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about his journey and faith.
• Travellers Times reported on lost artefacts that were donated to the University's Museum of English Rural Life.
• CHRO reported on Jon Foster-Pedley's (Dean and Director of Henley Business School Africa) webinar that discussed battling lockdown fatigue. 
• Biz Community report on Henley Business School Africa as the first business school in the country to achieve Level 1 BBBEE. 
• Henley Business School's appointment of Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo as an associate and founding member of its Dunning Africa Center was reported by This Day Live, Today, Pulse, Nigeria News, and G9IJA.
• Zambian Observer and Lusaka Times quote a business leader and writer on his education history, including studying at Reading, as he defended his economic credibility.