Professor Andrew Grieve who believes "you should do things when you're young enough to enjoy them but quit while ahead" has decided to take his own advice.
Former Dean retires A former Dean and Court member, at the age of 60 Andrew - more commonly known as Andy - is looking forward to his retirement so he can savour his numerous hobbies - woodwork, hill walking, travelling, gardening, reading for pleasure and the recent arrival of his first grandchild.
Born in Callendar and brought up in Perth, his first experience of Dundee University was as an undergraduate dental student when the University was still Queen's College. He then practised dentistry as a locum in Dundee for a brief period but the reluctance to leave student days behind and the enjoyment of teaching enticed him away from the practising world of dentistry and back to life as an academic.
In 1964 he returned to Queen's College to take up his first teaching post but soon left Scotland to lecture at Birmingham University where he was later promoted to senior lecturer. Andrew returned to Dundee for the last time 15 years later where he has taught since.
He was appointed Dean of Dentistry in 1993 and has enjoyed serving as a member of Court from 1994.
"At Dundee I have had the privilege of being able to travel widely but I have also had the opportunity to take part in the broader aspects of university life.
It has been extremely enriching to have had that experience," he told Contact. Andrew has also served as member of the Government's General Dental Council for the past ten years.
Bow-tied historian Chris Davey has, himself, become a piece of the University's history. Held in regard by colleagues, not least for bringing a sense of fun to the campus, and trusted by all students in need of a compassionate ear, he retired at the end of last month after 36 years with the department.
The history man Originally from Sussex and with a BA in history from the London School of Economics he arrived in Queen's College as a member of the department of modern, social and economic history and was, also for five years, a member of the department of constitutional law and history in the law faculty. Promoted to senior lecturer in 1979 he has taught British and Scottish History from 1500 to the present to history students of all years.
As well as being dedicated to his first love of teaching Chris has found time to represent students, his department and the university both informally and formally throughout his career. He was elected to Senate in 1969 as the first students' assessor and served on Court for a total of 14 years during the 1980s and 1990s.
He was president of the Dundee Association for Union of Teachers in the 1970s and also bridged the gap between the arts and sports by serving as honorary vice-president of the sports union and as a member, latterly chairman, of the arts collections and exhibitions committee. In the early 1970s Chris was Faculty Dean of Students and more recently has served his department both as disability support officer and examinations officer.
Among his many personal memories he includes appearing on the staff team of University Challenge in 1983 and presenting Stephen Fry for an honorary degree in 1995.
As he looks forward to a new stage in his life Chris states "People are important and I have had the opportunity to help these people and serve a community. I will be able to take with me all the many friendships I have built up over the years."
He will still find himself busy with numerous commitments including his role as chairman of the Dundee Scout Association and as an active member of his church. He also has prospects to publish work on the subjects of 19th century Dundee and agricultural improvement in 18th century Forfarshire.
Robin Adamson has retired as director of applied language studies after 32 years. Originally from Perth, Australia, she graduated in French and English from the University of Queensland then spent three years near Paris as a school English assistant during which she embarked upon a gently impassioned relationship with France, a relationship that has enriched her teachings, research and personal life: "It has been an incredible privilege to have been involved in languages. You get to experience a whole new culture and gain wonderful friendships so I will be taking a lot away with me when I leave."
Au revoir Robin When Robin arrived at Dundee she joined a small department within the arts faculty as a part time French lecturer and was instrumental in the building up of this department to include German, eventually becoming, in 1978, the modern languages department. Here she taught as a half time lecturer until its closure, due to altering government policies, in 1988. Robin was then invited to set up a new department under different auspices and it is since then that she has worked as director of applied language studies, promoted to senior lecturer in 1991.
She has served on Senate (from 1990) and Court (1993-1997), and amongst many other activities has set up an exchange with a university in Grenoble, is a member of the Dundee-Orleans town twinning trust and has carried out extensive published research in the field of discourse analysis, second language acquisition and communicative methodology in language teaching and learning. Her most recent co-publication, Nuffield French for Science Students, was released just a month prior to her retirement.
In recognition of her work and dedication Robin was decorated by the French Government in 1990 for services to the French language and to Franco-British relations becoming Oficier de l'Ordre des Palmes academiques.
On retirement she plans to relax in France for a month with her husband and spend new year in Australia.
Sports grounds superintendent, Bob MacDonald, retired at the end of last month after 30 years of loyal service.
"I've enjoyed every minute of my time here, it's a shame to have to be leaving," he says.
During his 30 years here Aberdonian Bob has overseen the relocation of the original sports grounds from Downfield to Riverside where he has created a beautifully landscaped 22 acre site full of wildlife in what was once Dundee's waste dumping ground. In 1970 Bob became a founding member of the Scottish Institute of Groundsmanship now regularly running courses for groundsmen all over Scotland.
The sports grounds have also been the site of Bob's home for the past 20 years and in his retirement he looks forward to renovating and landscaping his new home and garden in Monifieth.
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