10 May 2019

“I discovered my signature style in Dundee” - Johanna Basford OBE

University of Dundee alumna Johanna Basford OBE has shared how her final year studying at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) was the key to developing her signature style. The 36-year-old ‘Queen of Colouring-Books’, who has gone on to sell more than 20 million colouring books worldwide, returned to her alma mater last month to see how this years’ students were getting on ahead of their Degree Show as it opens to the public next week. A pioneer of the adult colouring book trend, Johanna graduated with a degree in Textile Design from DJCAD in 2005. She says it was t...

9 May 2019

Setting our sight on infectious diseases

From the 12-15th May, the University of Dundee's Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research (WCAIR) is running an international research conference. ‘Setting our Sights on Infectious Diseases’ encapsulates the philosophy of the Centre. At the conference, scientists from around the world will join us in Dundee. Together, we will look at innovative ways to speed up the drug discovery process for infectious diseases. This includes from the start of a drug discovery programme through to clinical studies. Professor Ian Gilbert of WCAIR said, “Our focus will be on diseases that mostly affect...

9 May 2019

Balancing art and motherhood a labour of love for Iliana

All art students face several arduous years dedicated to their creative labours but for Iliana Francia-Elliott, who found out she was pregnant with her second child partway through her studies, the journey was particularly tough. Iliana is one of around 300 graduating student exhibiting at this year’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and Architecture Degree Show, which opens next weekend. The exhibition comes just over two years since Iliana gave birth to her son Danny, little brother to Kayleigh (8). Though delighted by the news, Iliana’s joy was tempered slightly by the rea...

9 May 2019

‘Disturbing’ scale of plastic pollution revealed

Research carried out at the University of Dundee has shown the scale of plastic pollution in the Firth of Forth to be much worse than previously thought. The study was carried out by Suzanne Grimes as part of her undergraduate dissertation last year. After examining 16 coastal locations either side of the Forth estuary, she retrieved a total of 20,281 pieces of plastic from a total area of just 48m2. Worryingly, 71.51% of this pollution was in the form of nurdles, small plastic pellets about the size of a lentil that are melted down to make plastic products. The area is home to plastics manufacturers, su...

9 May 2019

New exhibition to mark life of trailblazing teacher

The life and work of a pioneering textile artist, designer and teacher is to be celebrated in the next exhibition at the University of Dundee’s Lamb Gallery. Marion Stewart taught embroidery and stitched textile design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art for 25 years, inspiring a generation of students. Born as Marion Gracie in Glasgow in 1931, she studied at the Glasgow School of Art under influential tutor Kathleen Whyte, and taught in Glasgow and at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen before coming to Dundee in 1959. Matthew Jarron, University Museum Curator, said, “As a teacher, M...