John Page - a determined vision of a brighter future
John Page, a dedicated teacher who was passionate about giving others the opportunity to travel to aid their research and understanding. He left a generous gift in his Will to the University of Sheffield to support travel bursaries for students in the School of Architecture and Landscape, students in Urban Studies and Planning, as well as to support students and early career researchers in neurosurgery and Prostate Cancer.
John became a Professor in Building Science in 1960, and remained at the University until 1984. His impact on Building Science was profound - he was one of the founders of the Research Design Society, and presented for BBC Schools in 1975 on post-war housing in Sheffield.
A popular figure among both colleagues and friends, John’s relationship with the city was a close one. He was a regular attendee at University events, and especially passionate about building collaborative, interdisciplinary working groups. He knew the importance of bringing great minds together for rigorous debate, and attended many national and international conferences over the course of his respected academic career.
Outside of teaching, John was passionate about renewable energy. He attended the 1955 International Symposium on Applied Solar Energy as the first ever UK member of the organising body, the International Solar Energy Society. He became the first Chairman of the UK branch in 1974, and remained committed to helping drive the group onward until well into his 90s.
John’s firmly held belief in a better world for future generations is immortalised through the kind gift he left in his Will. His legacy will empower more students and researchers to share their findings more widely with others, just as he had done, without financial burden. In particular, it will fund travel bursaries for scholars in the School of Architecture, the Departments of Urban Studies and Landscape Architecture, as well as students of Urology and Neurosurgery.
John’s legacy has already opened numerous doors for students and early career researchers here at the University.
John Page Travel Bursary
Orla, a final year student at the University of Sheffield used the John Page Travel bursary to travel to Auroville in Southern India. Orla went on to write her dissertation on the sustainable lifestyles in Auroville and how our existing cities could adopt such strategies to mitigate the massive impact cities have on the environment.
The John Page bursary gave me the most incredible experience to go and investigate pioneering sustainable architecture in India. Auroville is an experimental commune/ township founded in the 1960's of about 3,000 people from all over the world who have come together to try and live more harmoniously with nature and escape typical capitalism driven lives. I was particularly interested in the architecture of Auroville, the commune has research institutes looking into sustainable building design and the town itself was full of amazing, low impact designs. I was able to learn about how they farm and generate energy on the commune in environmentally responsible ways.
Orla
Abhishek, a PhD student here at the University, used his John Page travel bursary to travel to Nepal and India.
I am profoundly thankful for the John Page Travel Bursary, which has significantly enhanced the scope of my research endeavours. This funding has facilitated my exploration beyond the initial geographic confines of my PhD project, enabling me to investigate domestic life in various Himalayan villages across Nepal and India. This journey has exposed me to a diversity of cultures, practices, and interpretations of domestic space and life (gharelu jiwan), enriching my academic perspective and personal experiences. I regard this experience not only as a boon for my academic growth but also as a significant milestone in my personal development.
Abhishek
John Page Built Environment Travel Bursary (Landscape Architecture)
Wanida, a final-year PhD student in the Landscape Department at the University of Sheffield.
I am deeply grateful for the financial support I received to attend three important conferences. The first was the IGU Congress at Maynooth University. Following that, I participated in the IGC Conference at Dublin University. Afterwards, I travelled to London to attend the AC Conference at Imperial College, London. At each of these conferences, I had the opportunity to present various aspects of my PhD research, offering different perspectives on my work and networking with many academics. Given that these conferences were primarily focused on geography, my expertise in landscape research was highly relevant.
Waninda
The University will be forever grateful to John for his lifelong commitment to learning and teaching, and for his most generous donation that will extend his legacy through those who come after him.
How do you want to be remembered?
No matter the size of the donation, leaving a gift in your Will is an extraordinary way to support the University and to celebrate your life. If you’d like to talk about your own legacy, you can speak to our Philanthropy Manager David Meadows. David is a Sheffield graduate himself and would love to have a confidential chat with you about supporting the University.
T: +44 (0) 114 222 1073
E: d.meadows@sheffield.ac.uk