Why we give: Patrick and Anne Foster
Patrick Foster (BSc 1974) and his wife, Anne (née Dryden, BSc 1973), have supported the University of St Andrews philanthropically for over three decades, enabling undergraduate field trips in Geology and Geoscience and funding microscopes for the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. Here, Patrick explains what motivated them to extend their support to the Digital Nexus building as part of the Making Waves Campaign.
My family connections to St Andrews go back some years: my mother attended St Leonards School, and my cousin studied Law at Dundee when it was part of St Andrews. I remember attending a Chemistry open day before applying, at which I sat opposite my future wife, so coming here to study was a no-brainer.
Studying Geology at St Andrews was a life-moulding experience for me. I was due to embark upon a joint honours course in Chemistry and Geology but dropped the former in the first week. The Geology Department at the time, under Professors Walton and Drever, had a very hands-on method of teaching with plenty of field trips, to Barcelona, Mull and Arran, and day trips in the surrounding area, combined with benchwork twice a week. The small Honours class size meant that lifetime friendships were formed.
Geological jobs were plentiful when I graduated in 1974, and I went to work for De Beers as an exploration geologist in Africa. I returned to the UK three years later and studied for an MSc at London Business School before starting my career in the City as a mining analyst. Over the next 25 years, I worked for Rothschild & Co, Barings, ING and ICAP before setting up my own mining consultancy. I travelled widely and lived for four years in Toronto but was never far from the mining industry.
We were the lucky generation as students, with grants and expenses paid for field trips, so supporting today’s students to have those opportunities was an easy decision. We have been pleased to support them with funding for field trips and for updating the Department’s microscopes.
When we heard about the Digital Nexus building as one of the two capital projects under the Making Waves Campaign, we were keen to come in as early funders. The building will house the School of Computer Science, which is currently spread across sites and lacks the infrastructure to support the students, staff and research of today. Computer Science is something that the University of St Andrews is clearly very good at and there is excellent research coming out of St Andrews in this field, but the facilities need updating.
As part of the project, the New Technology Centre and the John Honey Building will be demolished to make way for the Digital Nexus building, which has been designed with flexibility for future growth, acknowledging modern learning and working styles and incorporating digital technologies that increase creativity, productivity and collaboration.
Both Anne and I are scientists and understand how important it is to invest in this area. We have been very impressed with the staff in the School of Computer Science and know that having the Digital Nexus building on the North Haugh will be better for everybody. It will provide a central hub designed to facilitate interdisciplinary activities for academics and students alike.
We are delighted to support this project and hope that our support may inspire fellow alumni and friends to follow suit.
More information about the Digital Nexus building.