NEW FACES

Majid Shayeghi 

Programme Manager
INTO St George's, University of London 

I am the program manager for the newly formed Foundation in Medical, Biomedical and Health Sciences course at INTO SGUL which prepares students for entry in university to study medicine or biomedical degrees. I am a research scientist by training having gained a BSc in Microbiology, MSc in medical parasitology and a PhD in biochemistry. After gaining a PGCE, I began a teaching career in science and was the head of science at Croydon College before joining INTO SGUL. I am very much looking forward to contributing to the success of this newly formed program.

 
 

Julian Ford 

Technical Manager
INTO University Partnerships 

I am joining INTO along with the current team of IT specialists from SolStonePlus. I have been working with INTO full-time for the last five years as Project Manager and Technical Architect. During that time I have led the selection, design and deployment of a number of systems including SITS, ARM and the MIS. I also offer technical liaison to all INTO's partners in the USA and UK. Over the last 20 years I have assisted a number of UK Universities with their reporting and planning solutions including Kings College and the University of Cambridge. My private sector experience includes global deployments at ScottishPower, Ericsson, and Ladbrokes. I'm an industry speaker on Microsoft Business Intelligence as well as holding a BA in Business Studies from NTU.

 
 

Craig Harris 

Senior Systems Engineer
INTO University Partnerships 

Craig has been working with INTO for over 5 years. Previously in his role as a Senior Consultant for Solstone Plus, Craig has gained significant knowledge of systems, software and business processes and their most crucial roles within Higher Education. Now working for INTO as a Senior Systems Engineer he oversees, with rest of the team, the workings of INTO's key systems including support, hosting, networking, virtualisation, management and delivery to end users. Outside of the office he is a keen reader and enjoys taking the time to mess around with boats at Brighton Marina.

 
 

INTO This Week 81

01

Spook-tacular scenes as staff and students celebrate Halloween

INTO centres around the network were full of scary decorations and creative costumes as staff and students embraced the Halloween celebrations.

For many of INTO's students, Halloween isn't something they've celebrated before - but as the pictures show, plenty of them were willing to try on costumes and join Halloween parties. Staff meanwhile embraced their inner ghoul with fiendish costumes. Make sure you click some of the links below for some hilarious pictures!

At INTO Newcastle University, the centre held a Halloween party for students in a local pub. Lots of the students dressed up, with vampires, nuns, zombies and a Buzz Lightyear all making an appearance.  Staff members Lauren, Tammy and Cindy awarded prizes for the best costumes.

Over at INTO University of Exeter, staff dressed up in a brilliant collection of creepy costumes, and the centre's reception was decorated for the day. In the café, Al served up pumpkin soup, Halloween cakes and toffee apples for students to try, with all proceeds going to INTO Giving.

At INTO Scotland, students were able to try on a selection of costumes and masks, posing for frighteningly funny photographs, with plenty of treats given out for taking part. Some students even wore their masks to class and gave their teachers a shock!

Scary skulls were hidden around INTO Manchester on Monday for a Halloween version of hide-and-seek. Students won creepy prizes when they found them. Check out one student's skulls here.

INTO University of East Anglia staff decorated the centre for the day. Many of the students joined the University International Student Society's Halloween party at a nightclub in Norwich, while others attended the South-East Asian Society's party at a local club.

INTO OSU staff and students embraced the spirit of the day with lots of colourful costumes.

At INTO UEA London and INTO City University London, Centre Director Martin Halsall had to learn the hard way that tricks and treats go hand in hand. The centres held a joint Halloween party for staff and students organised by Social Programme Coordinator Andra. The second floor was covered in decorations as 150 students and staff members took over the centre in amazing costumes. Partygoers enjoyed hotdogs, party food and drinks and finished the evening with a dance-off between students and staff.

In sunny Florida, more than 180 people attended INTO USF's party, with lots of the students going all out with their costumes. A costume contest was held as well as a raffle, and students enjoyed ghoulish food and cakes. With American and international songs playing in the background, students learned a variety of dances including the Dougie, the Wobble and Cha Cha slide.

Well done to everyone who worked hard on making Halloween special for students - from all those photos, it looks like you all had lots of fun!

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02

INTO Manchester students feast on fish, chips and football

A group of INTO Manchester students attended a Burnley vs Reading match recently and enjoyed an exciting game.

The 15 students - a mix of nationalities - travelled to the Lancashire mill town to see Championship side Burnley play. Manchester is often dominated by its two world-class football teams, but in the surrounding cities and towns, there are lots of other teams playing great football.

The match was played in beautiful October sunshine where the students enjoyed the fantastic stadium atmosphere and cheered on the teams.

"It wasn't a millionaires' premiership match, but a real blood and thunder championship match," said Neil Flinders, Social Programme Coordinator at INTO Manchester. "The game was looking like a draw but after 9 minutes injury time, Reading grabbed an undeserved late goal to win 0-1."

"The students on the trip got to sample the traditional match day food, including pies, burgers and of course fish and chips!," he added. "All of the students had a fantastic time and we're now planning another trip to see Burnley vs Leeds."

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03

A very special engagement...

Love is in the air at INTO Manchester as Accommodation Manager Diana Hall and Academic Support Officer Chris Franzkowiak announced their recent engagement.

The couple met last year while working at the centre. Chris used to frequently drop in to the accommodation office and try to make Diana laugh. The pair became a couple last August after Chris cooked a three-course dinner and presented her with flowers.

Fast forward 15 months and Chris whisked Diana away to Edinburgh earlier this month, where he proposed on one knee while they enjoyed a romantic picnic in a luxurious suite in their hotel. The rest of their weekend was spent seeing Bon Iver, the band who wrote "their song", and eating a lot of haggis.

Everyone at INTO Manchester and staff around the network send their warmest congratulations to the couple and we wish them luck!

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