Reading in the news - Fri 19 Jul

Resilience rucksacks: BBC News reports on the University of Reading’s Resilience Rucksack scheme, which has seen more than 1,200 mental health rucksacks full of wellbeing products donated to school children in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Dr Stella Chan (Psychology) spoke to BBC Berkshire Radio about the scheme.

Future leaders fellowships: Two researchers from the University of Reading, Dr Luke Barnard (Meteorology) and Dr Miriam Sorace (Politics and International Relations) have been named Future Leader Fellows by the UKRI, Wokingham Today and Reading Today report. Read our news story.

Health and wellbeing:

• The Daily Mail and MSN quote Professor Bhismadev Chakrabarti (Neuroscience and Mental Health) on a study that found a link between altered gut bacteria in children and autism.
• Dr Alex Bye’s (Pharmacology) article for The Conversation, about whether aspirin could potentially prevent heart disease, was republished by Gazeta web.
• BBC News quotes Dr Kimon Andreas Karatzas (Food Microbiology) explaining why some people are more susceptible to food poisoning. 

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment

• Professor Hannah Cloke (Meteorology/Geography) is quoted by News Day France and apa on Europe’s heatwaves.
• Sky News spoke to Dr Simon Driscoll (Meteorology) who discusses a study that found days are getting longer due to climate change.

• TTG mentions research on clear-air turbulence (CAT) from the University of Reading.

Food and Farming

• phys.org reports on FruitWatch, a citizen science initiative from the University of Reading that enhances predictions for when fruit trees will flower.

Other coverage:

• Wokingham Today mentions that Berkshire Animal Connection Centre (BACC) has had corporate groups from the University visit the centre.

Alumni

• WWD and Yahoo! News report that Caroline Pill has been promoted to a new role in luxury recruitment at Heidrick & Struggles. Pill holds a certificate in life and career coaching from Henley Business School. 
• UC reports Vice-Chancellor Pedro Bouchon of Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile earned his PhD at the University of Reading.
• Ms Lynda Biribonwa earned a masters at the University, Monitor reports.