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| Doctor Austin Head of the Zombie Institute for Theoretical Studies 1996 - 2014 |
To all my
students,
The time has
come for me to retire as Head of the Zombie Institute for Theoretical Studies.
I want to thank each and every one of you for giving me the honour of teaching
you about a subject I care so very passionately about. I have been so fortunate
to have such a brilliant career, it has been wonderful. I know that all of you
will carry on the study of Zombies and Zombieism, and take it to places I could
only dream of. There are further details of my retirement in the official press
release below.
I know the
Institute is in safe hands, and will continue to deliver you all an excellent
dose of Zombie Science.
Stay safe out
there,
Doctor Austin
PRESS RELEASE
Issued:
18/08/2014
For Immediate
Release
WORLD-RENOWNED THEORETICAL ZOMBIOLOGIST DOCTOR AUSTIN
RETIRES
World-renowned
Theoretical Zombiologist Doctor Austin
is to retire from his post as Head of the Zombie Institute for Theoretical
Studies, at the University of Glasgow, on Monday the 25th of August 2014. Appointed
in 1996, Doctor Austin has been responsible for the development of the Prion
Zombieism Theorem as well as the Institute’s public engagement programme. The
latter took the form of the spoof lectures and tutorials, Zombie Science 1Z, Worst
Case Scenario and Brain of the Dead.
Supported by the charity Wellcome Trust, these events have been seen by over
40,000 people since their inception in 2010. Two of these shows are currently
taking place at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Doctor Austin
has worked extensively on the subject of Zombiology, spending time researching
Kuru in Papua New Guinea during the 1960s and studying variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the 1990s. As Head of the Institute he has taken
awareness of Zombieism to an all time high. Of his decision to retire, Doctor
Austin has said, ‘I have enjoyed every moment of my time at the Zombie
Institute and have been humbled to work alongside a lot of truly wonderful
people. I am particularly proud of the public engagement programme through which
I met so many interesting and varied individuals. I’ve always believed that
science isn’t for a select few, it’s for everyone, and that’s what drove me
during my years touring the world.’
The University
of Glasgow have yet to announce a successor for the Institute, which first
opened on campus in 1803. Doctor Austin has stated that he will remain on as
Zombiologist Royal to Her Majesty the Queen, until such time as an appropriate
replacement is selected.
Doctor Austin
will present his final public lectures at the Edinburgh Fringe, every night
until the 25th of August. The sixty minute shows’, Zombie Science: Brain of the Dead and Worst Case Scenario adopt Doctor Austin's unique combination of
comedy and science. Worst Case Scenario sees
the audience make decisions on dealing with a Zombie outbreak. The choices they
make alter the outcome - meaning no two shows are ever the same. Brain of the Dead allows the audience
to experience life as a Zombie.
Asked about
this, and his future plans, the Doctor said, ‘the Fringe is a brilliant way to
end my career, it’s a fascinating place, full of terrifically talented people.
I have spent my whole life exploring strange environments, and this is no
exception. But after a long time on the move I look forward to spending my
retirement with my family and allowing the next generation to push the study of
Zombiology to exciting new levels.’
Notes to Editors
About Doctor Austin;
Doctor Austin
is a Theoretical Zombiologist at the University of Glasgow and has been Head of
the Zombie Institute for Theoretical Studies since 1996. His theories on
Zombieism have been published worldwide in publications as diverse as The
Times, The Guardian (Las Vegas), The Daily Mail, Playboy (Russia), The Zombie
Times and The Metro. Doctor Austin has appeared on the BBC, Sirius XM (USA),
RTE Television (Ireland) and is the author of Zombie Science 1Z, a guidebook to
the science of the undead, first published in 2010.
Lecture Details;
Zombie Science:
Brain of the Dead – Edinburgh Fringe 2014
18th - 25th
August at 7.10pm (1hr)
Tickets: £6.50
- £10.50
C Venues,
Adam House, Chambers Street, EH1 1HR
Fringe Venue 34
C Venue Box
Office: 0845 260 123 / www.cthefestival.com
Zombie Science:
Worst Case Scenario – Edinburgh Fringe 2014
18th - 25th
August at 10pm (1hr)
Tickets: £6.50
- £10.50
C Venues,
Adam House, Chambers Street, EH1 1HR
Fringe Venue 34
C Venue Box
Office: 0845 260 123 / www.cthefestival.com
Web Links;
@ZombieScience1Z
##Ends##
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| Doctor Austin with Her Majesty the Queen |
