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Montage of alumni voices on our blog. Featured are the Singing Dentist, aka Dr Milad Shadrooh, Dilani Selvanathan, Siti Kasim and Matt Kay.

Our graduates have gone on to do a variety of interesting and exciting things throughout their careers and beyond.

Our blog shines a spotlight on the voices of our alumni and friends and on the transformative effect gifts of time and donations from alumni have had on our students and the wider University.

Headshot of alumnus Dhanushka Hapuarachchi Alumni profile - Dhan Hapuarachchi
28 January 2021

(Materials Science and Engineering BEng, 2004; Materials Science PhD, 2010)

In my role as Service Delivery Manager: On-Wing Services (Europe) at Rolls-Royce, I am based at London Heathrow airport, close to our operational base, and I lead a team of twenty-four aero engine mechanics and one service operations officer. We have a global planning team which operates 24/7 as the department covers the globe, but my region is mainly Europe.

Headshot of alumnus Aaron West Alumni profile - Aaron West
31 January 2021

(Theoretical Physics BSc, 2017)

LGBTQ+ History Month is first and foremost an opportunity to educate on the issues we have faced and continue to face as a community. While history is in the name, it is all about the present. This is more important than ever, as policy-makers are increasingly swayed by misinformation. LGBTQ+ history month is a great way of reaching and teaching these people to get the change we need and deserve.

Headshot of alumna, Evie Lewis Alumni profile - Evie Lewis
1 February 2021

(English Literature MA, 2019)

My current research is very much informed by and carries on from my MA dissertation. Following on from my research into literary linguistic and formal experimentalism, I am now exploring the limits of discourse and language, and am interested in novels that have silences, gaps, or absences at the centre of their narrative – the expressive potential of this but also its limitations.

Alumni profile - Abby Crawford
7 February 2021

(Law LLB, 2012)

 I grew up with such limited information about the history of the LGBTQ+ community, and I wasn’t ever given the opportunity to learn about the impact and contributions of LGBTQ+ people at school. If we don’t include LGBTQ+ people in our shared history, it essentially erases people from the narrative, and this sends such a strong message to young people that ‘people like you don’t matter’.

Headshot of alumna Charlotte Byrne Alumni profile - Charlotte Byrne
8 February 2021

(Hispanic studies BA, 2013)

There is still so much work to be done. While representation has grown over the last ten years or so, and it’s fantastic to see, I still believe there is a danger of tokenism and queer-baiting across the media... Give us complex trans characters in video games or gay couples in mainstream romance fiction - not a minor queer character to tick boxes, or a shot of a girl/girl kiss in a film trailer that might just be a symbol of a platonic friendship!

Headshot of alumna, Annabelle Sami Alumni profile - Annabelle Sami
1 February 2021

(English and Drama BA, 2016; English Literature MA, 2018)

One of the best things about studying in London, and specifically in the East End, is that I was studying with, and being taught by, a diverse group of people. East London has a rich history of migration and revolutionary resistance which makes it an exciting and inspiring place to live and explore. 

Headshot of alumna, Laila El azhary Alumni profile - Laila El azhary
9 February 2021

(Documentary Practice MA, 2020)

There are a lot of things I learned while making this film. I got to understand some of the struggles that Kurdish people face. I got to learn about their history which is not something we are taught in schools. I also learnt about the frequent misrepresentation of them as a community.

Photo of Dr Anthony James Alumni profile - Anthony James
10 February 2021

(Medicine MBBS, 2014)
The journey of self-discovery for LGBT+ people is often a stressful and scary time, but one benefit of all the soul searching that comes with this is the development of a deep understanding and self-awareness of out characters, ambitions, strengths and weaknesses.

Headshot of alumna Samerah Saeed Alumni profile - Samerah Saeed
9 February 2021

(Biochemistry BsC, 2008; Medicine MBBS, 2013)

Personally, I find the most exciting part of being a surgical trainee is learning how to operate. It is always a great feeling to have learnt or improved upon a skill. However, the most satisfying and humbling feeling is being able to contribute to a person’s wellbeing, or at least being able to support them in a time of difficulty. I am very honoured to have been able to work for the NHS throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Headshot of alumnus Navjot Sawhney Alumni Profile - Navjot Sawhney
31 January 2020

(Engineering  BEng, 2012; Aerospace Engineering MEng, 2013)

The humanitarian engineer who co-founded The Washing Machine Project, a social enterprise dedicated to designing and distributing a manual hand-cranked washing machine to displaced and low-income people around the world. "Engineers around the world have the power and responsibility to bring about change; small scale inventions will truly transform the lives of people in need."

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