I didn't know Tim Richardson well. I sat near him at a dinner a year or so ago, but I knew of his great reputation as an inspirational teacher in his department - Physics. And I also knew that his enthusiasm drew his students into sharing his particular research interests. I also knew of the view that here was someone who had a lot to contribute in the future to the wider university. When I heard that Tim had been diagnosed with terminal cancer I suggested to colleagues in his department that a case might be made for him to receive a Senate Award for Excellence in Teaching. They agreed and we took his nomination through the full evaluation process, although out of the normal timetable - in which it was successful. I am delighted that we were able to make that award at a degree ceremony last month - even though Tim was too ill to be present.
This evening I went to what has now, since Tim's death earlier in the month, become something of a memorial lecture series, raising money for the charity Tim created in his last months. But this is not a series being played out over a number of weeks at a steady pace. Following Tim's own example (he once gave 24 back-to-back lectures to raise money for charity), it is a series of over 35 lectures crammed into a 24 hour period, with timings of 30 or 60 minutes each. I could only get to the first such lecture this evening - given as a double act by two of my Pro-Vice-Chancellor colleagues, Richard Jones and Tony Ryan. It was a model of its kind - reaching out to a wide audience from across the University, delivered with humour but also with profound material ruminating on the course of scientific explanation and advance over the centuries. I had another engagement this evening so I was unable to attend more - and with a busy day tomorrow I do not intend to return overnight - I will be interested to hear what the audience is like in the small hours. But I shall seek to go back tomorrow for further sessions, although unfortunately I have a meeting at 0900 which will prevent me listening to the Vice Chancellor explaining how we are all living in a Bose-Einstein Condensate made of Higgs Bosuns in 30 minutes. As even the title means very little to me I am sure I would learn a lot.
The range of the lectures is amazing. There are speakers from every Sheffield faculty on the programme, as well as from the Institute for Lifelong Learning and ther National Fairground Archive (and from Oxford). I have counted 17 different departments represented, from Maths to Journalism, History and Dentistry in a double act on kissing, Civil Engineering, Law in a lecture on EU actions relating to cancer, Clinical Psychology to English. Those small hours slots have generally gone to physicists, presumably in the expectation that stduents will bring their sleeping bags to hear their lecturers on topics such as how to make a good cuppa and the science of drumming (the latter from the Head of Department).
The audience for the session I was at was substantial and from all parts of the University. Retired staff had come in; there were undergraduates and professors; heads of professional services departments and secretaries; at least one family. Outside was a stall selling cakes and discusits made by students for sale to keep participants going but also to raise money for the charity fund.
This is the whole university coming together. It makes me and, I know, many others proud that we are here.
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