Debris on mountain road cropped Source: @theaftertimes on Twitter

Brighton Geography and the 2023 Morocco Earthquake

Please note that some people may find the information and images below distressing.

Every Spring we bring the human geography students on our 2nd year BA(Hons) Geography programme to Morocco, to practice their fieldwork skills. Since 2011 we’ve visited important sites in the city of Marrakech, and built a close working relationship with the community of Imlil village in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, including meeting local residents and their families. When in the area, our students study the challenges of living in this mountainous environment.

Unfortunately a rare but devastating example of such challenges occurred on Friday Sept 8th 2023, in the form of a terrible earthquake that had its epicentre close to Imlil. We know that our former and current students will want to know about how the area has dealt with the impact. So over the past few days we’ve been checking that our community partners are safe, the extent of the damage, and – most importantly of all – what we can do to support Imlil’s people.

Continue reading “Brighton Geography and the 2023 Morocco Earthquake”
Title Belong at Brighton with images of students on campus in the background

Starting at uni with us in 2023?

We know you’re going to have a brilliant time here and to get your student life off to the best possible start find out all the information you’ll need by visiting the dedicated Starting at Uni pages on the University of Brighton website.

Come along to one of our online events, details of the next one below 👇

Get ready for your course: School of Applied Sciences

Friday 28 July 2023 – 10-11am online
Hear about how you can prepare for your subject and ask any questions to get your studies off to the best start. For students studying: biology, ecology and conservation, biomedical science, geography, and environment, or pharmacy.

Online enrolment

You can enrol from August 21 and we’ll send you an email to remind you.  Once you’ve enrolled, you’ll be able to access My Studies where you’ll find all the information you need to prepare for your course.

Still have questions? Chat to a current student online.

Close up of young people in white lab coats using a pipette and test tube

A taste of student life at our Applied Science and Engineering residential summer school

Our on campus residential summer school is open for applications from year 12 students who are thinking about applying to science and engineering courses at university. Apply now.

The summer is school is a real opportunity to try out what it’s like to study at university, learn and use the facilities on our Moulsecoomb campus and stay on site in student halls.

During the day participants take part in a programme of science and engineering taster lectures and practical sessions run by academics and student ambassadors which could include sessions such as blood typing or a session on fungi in the labs. There are also sessions about applying to university, a student life Q&A, a session from the library team and a talk from Brighton Students Union.

In the evenings there are social activities which could be a trip to the beach, a BBQ or bowling before heading back to the halls of residence. Participants share a student flat in our Moulsecoomb halls, with their own bedroom in a flat with 6-8 students and shared living room/kitchen.

In the evenings there are social activities which could be a trip to the beach, a BBQ or bowling before heading back to the halls of residence. Summer school participants share a student flat in our halls, with their own bedroom in a flat with 6-8 students and shared living room/kitchen.

By the end of the week everyone will have tried out lots different science and engineering sessions, made new friends and have a much idea of what it’s like to move to university!

Applications are open until 31 May. We would love to see you there!

Group of students on the seafront at Bexhill on Sea

A study visit to Bexhill’s urban greenspaces

Geography and environmental sciences students taking the specialist urban geography module Cities & Social Change recently travelled to Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex to learn about coastal towns in transition.

The group visited key sites of green infrastructure around the town which had received substantial regeneration monies over the last decade. And they were joined by local experts Adrian Gaylon, sports development officer, and Frank Rallings, former head of planning, at Rother District Council.

Students observed the innovative seafront planting scheme on Bexhill’s West Promenade. Beautiful herbaceous perennials provide year-round colour and structure that thrives with minimal maintenance in an aggressive coastal micro-climate.

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Field trip to Sicily 2023 – days one and two

Our level 5 Geography BSc(Hons) and Environmental Sciences BSc(Hons) students visited Sicily on a week-long field trip. Environmental Sciences BSc(Hons) student and (we think) brilliant photographer, Lizzie Pallett, documented the trip.

Day one – Lava fields of Mount Etna

Day one of the Level 5 field trip to Sicily! First stop: the lava fields of Mt Etna.

Continue reading “Field trip to Sicily 2023 – days one and two”
Dr Lorna Linch up a snowy mountain

Winter Skills in the Scottish Highlands

Dr Lorna Linch, Principal Lecturer in Earth Science and expert in all things icy at the University of Brighton, has taken part in a 5-day Winter Skills training course in the Scottish Highlands. The aim of the course is to learn and develop core winter skills required for mountain walking under winter conditions whilst undertaking ascents of the mountains in and around the Cairngorms.

Continue reading Winter Skills in the Scottish Highlands
Laura Evenstar

Meet Dr Laura Evenstar

Dr Laura Evenstar specialises in geomorphology, sedimentology and superficial ore deposits from tectonically active arid regions around the world. Laura is the course leader for Geography BSc(Hons).

I teach on a range of different subject areas

Within the first year we explore the large-scale interactions of the earth and climate and how it has changes from the formation of the planet, 4.6 billion years ago, up to the modern day.  Towards the later part of the courses I teach my main passion, how landscapes form and change as they are sculpted by movement of ice, water and wind.

Within Dynamic Landscapes module my students learn about a range of different landscapes and how they form. At the end of the course they construct their own research project on the landscape element they are most excited by. The chance to choose their own area of interest’s beings out a passion in the students and led to some fascinating projects! In the past we have had students work on understanding desert dune migration in Afghanistan, slumping of landslides off the highest volcano in the Solar System (Olympus Mons), and even mapping out river systems in Martian Meteorite craters. The students love taking ownership of their projects!

Within the first year in the Earth and Ocean System option module we explain how the climate over the last 4.6 billion years has changed in response to development of different life forms. We read science articles on different theories for the origin of Life and debate their findings. And, to finish the course, we visit the Natural History museum where we utilise the fantastic displays to refresh everything we have learnt over the year. The students love the mixture of different learning styles to understand these fascinating topics!

My students get involved in my research

I engage students into a variety of different research activities. For example, at undergraduate our students work together to analyse a series of rivers in the Atacama Desert. This cutting-edge research is being used, combined with my own, to model how the Andean Mountain chain has uplift over the last 10 million years.

Our undergraduate dissertation students have the opportunity to work on and create high profile research data which feeds directly into future published academic papers. For example, previous students have constructed detailed geomorphic maps of the Afar Region, Ethiopia, to unravel East African climate change while other students have mapped out landslides in the Atacama Desert to produce risk maps for the most vulnerable communities in southern Peru. There are also opportunities for students to do a summer internship on these topics funded by Santander!

You can find out more about Dr Evenstar’s research here.

We support our students at every step of the way

We operate an open-door policy so that, at any time, a student can pop in for a chat about any personal or academic issues they are facing. As a personal tutor, for any of my students that feel they need some extra support, I provide a weekly to monthly catch up sessions, to discuss anything from time management to report writing!

What I love most about teaching

I love watching how our student come out of their shell over the time they study with us. My favourite classes to teach are the final years sessions when the students are comfortable with you as a lecturer and happy to questions what you are teaching them or even mock your jokes!

My favourite location in Sussex is

Cuckmere Valley, it has such a beautiful geological history with amazing walks.

Nick McGlynn

Meet Dr Nick McGlynn

Dr Nick McGlynn is course leader for Geography BA(Hons).

How I like to teach

I teach Human Geography, specialising in lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) equality issues and community spaces.With all of the progress that’s been made it’s easy to forget that LGBTQ people still face marginalisation and exclusion in our society, and really value having distinct LGBTQ spaces.

I bring high energy and enthusiasm to all of my lectures, using plenty of videos, group discussions, class polls, and sometimes a bit of quick research right there in the classroom. Learning isn’t about just sitting and listening, it’s about actually doing stuff!

One of the field trips I lead takes students to the Soho area of central London. We explore why Soho became an LGBTQ neighbourhood over the past 40 years, and document changes to the area by making our own ethnographic observations. Students get to visit LGBTQ venues, observe the nightlife, and hear from experts like local journalists about the politics of LGBTQ spaces and the issues faced by Soho businesses and residents.

You can read more about the Soho trip here

Human Geographers often use ‘qualitative’ data, like audio-recorded interviews or written stories. But graduates from lots of degrees leave university not really knowing what to do with this kind of data! I teach students how to analyse qualitative data effectively and rigorously, so that they can evidence the conclusions they draw from it. This includes training in step-by-step techniques like Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), and specialist software like NVivo which helps organise and manage very large qualitative datasets. Students practice these during our 2nd year Morocco field trip, using them to analyse the data they gather in the field while doing their own group projects.

What I like most about teaching

Getting to see students learn and develop during their time with us. It’s so great when you see a student’s marks consistently getting better and better, because they’re listening to their feedback and actually enjoying what they’re learning!

We’ve got a really superb staff-to-student ratio, so we get to teach in small classes and genuinely get to know our students. This means we’re able listen and give advice tailored to individuals, their needs and their situations. No student here is ever just another face in the crowd!

My favourite location in Sussex

I love walking along the Brighton seafront. In winter you wrap up, watch huge waves crash and roar as flocks of starlings swirl around the pier. In summer it’s shorts and t-shirts, baking in the heat as you go to get an ice-cream. Amazing all year round!

Listen to Nick’s podcast

Podcast: Nick talks discusses his research into LGBTQ communities in both rural and urban areas and his high energy teaching style

Watch a video

Find out more about Dr McGlynn’s research.