GCU Common Good Podcast

Professor Rohinton Emmanuel, Director of the BEAM Centre at GCU, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the phenomenon of urban heat islands and their contribution to the climate emergency. Professor Emmanuel explains how urban heat islands develop in our city centres, why some neighbourhoods in the same city are hotter than others, and how we can mitigate against this phenomenon. He also reflects on a career in academia that has seen him travel the world.

Dr Chioma Nwafor, a lecturer in financial services, joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to discuss The Paradox of Educational Attainment and Income/Poverty: Has the Nexus Broken?, a new study that examines why there is a disparity between the calibre of education and income amongst Scottish Africans. Dr Nawfor discusses the project and why previous studies into this area have been flawed. She outlines how she carried out the research and how its findings - including the requirement of a new term to replace "BAME" - can be put into practice.

Dr Chioma Nwafor, a lecturer in financial services, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about her new study, "The Paradox of Educational Attainment and Income/Poverty: Has the Nexus Broken?", which examines why there is a disparity between the calibre of education and income amongst Scottish Africans. Dr Nwafor explains the implications of this research, chiefly why we need a new term to replace "BAME people".

Dr Jane McKay joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the concept of perfectionism and how it can be used to help improve the student learning experience. Dr McKay explains the positive and negative connotations of perfectionism and its role in mental health. She discusses the HAPPY project and how our students can benefit, as well as her background in athletics, which has shaped her career in academia.

Dr Sanjukta Brahma, a Senior Lecturer in Finance, joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast, to talk about her research exploring the links between the LGBTQ community and finance. Dr Brahma outlines the four areas her study investigates, how it fills in the missing gaps in existing literature, and how it can be implemented in a practical context.

Anna Talbot, the Programme Co-ordinator with the Rhodes University Community Engagement Team, joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to talk about her work and its importance within South African higher education. Speaking with Julie Adair, Anna discusses why community engagement is vital to universities, her team's outreach work with local schools, and how the University sprung into action during the pandemic.

Adil Rahoo, the outgoing Student President at the GCU Students' Association, joins the Common Good Podcast to look back on his 12 months in office. Adil discusses how he and his team supported the transition from remote learning to face-to-face teaching back on campus, as well as their other successes during his time in office. He also looks to the future and outlines his next steps.

Dr Gillian Hunter joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to talk about how GCU is implementing sustainability in its laboratories. Dr Hunter, a lecturer in the Research Centre for Health, explains why her department is implementing the principles of LEAF and how a £5,000 grant from the University will help them cut down on their waste.

Dr Lucyna Gozdzielewska joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about World Hand Hygiene Day, which takes place on Thursday 5 May 2022. Dr Gozdzielewska, a researcher in the Safeguarding Health through Infection Prevention (SHIP) research group at GCU, talks about how the team are marking the day, as well as their wider work in raising awareness for good hand hygiene.

Dr Paul Baker joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to talk about how the GCU campus in Glasgow has become a haven for birdlife. Dr Baker, a Lecturer in Cell and Molecular Biology and a passionate ornithologist, has been monitoring the campus' bird life for four years and last year he recorded 12 species on campus, including a migratory Woodcock, which may have flown in from as far away as Russia. He discusses why birdlife is thriving and his own role in attracting it to campus, as well as his long-standing interest in ornithology and shares stories of his time spent watching birds.