Author: Grace

‘I want to engage fellow alumni in ways that are meaningful to them’: Dee Brecker (BSc 1989), new Chair of the Alumni Association

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Dee Brecker (BSc 1989) is a Director at Ten Years’ Time, a philanthropy consultancy that create learning experiences for donors and organisations to interrogate their wealth, unlearn harmful practices and develop holistic and reparative approaches to philanthropy. She’s also a leadership coach and is passionate about supporting people of colour and women at all stages of their professional journeys.

A Zoology student at Bristol in the late 1980s, Dee worked for nature and conservation projects before moving into high-value philanthropy and communications. She’s worked in higher education, the charity sector, government and the arts, leading teams at King’s College London, London School of Economics (LSE), the Cherie Blair Foundation and Carers UK, among others. She is former Chair of Blind Aid and former Trustee at CASE Europe and brings a wealth of expertise to her new role as Chair of the University of Bristol’s Alumni Association. As she looks ahead to her new role, Dee reflects on her time at university and what inspires her work.

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Seedcorn Fund: Innovative climate research

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The Cabot Institute Seedcorn Fund provides vital funds to support bold and ambitious interdisciplinary climate research projects. Supported by alumni and friends, the Seedcorn Fund demonstrates the remarkable impact philanthropic support has on cutting-edge research and shows how our Bristol community is helping to change the world one step at a time.

These three amazing climate research projects were made possible through Seedcorn funding. (more…)

‘Shakespeare has been a passport through my life’: celebrating the 2024 Alumni Award winners

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In celebration of Bristol’s 2024 Alumni Award winners, the University hosted a special dinner in The Orangery at Goldney Hall, bringing awardees and their guests together to honour the remarkable achievements of these Bristol graduates.  (more…)

‘Fail quickly and move on. And always cherish and celebrate your unsung heroes’: Jonathan de Pass on his unique career path

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Jonathan de Pass (MBChB 1979) graduated with a degree in Medicine in 1979. After working as a junior doctor, and a spell at business school, he joined an investment bank specialising in financing pharmaceutical and bioscience companies. In 1996 he founded Evaluate, a provider of data and intelligence to the bioscience industry which would become a market leader.

A recipient of an honorary graduate degree this year, Jonathan shares insights into his unique career path and his advice to those starting out today. (more…)

New Infectious Diseases Suite opens

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The University of Bristol’s new Infectious Diseases Containment Level 3 Laboratory Suite, supported in large part by alumni and friends, has opened this month. The CL-3 Lab is one of the highest security labs used in academic research in the UK, significantly increasing the University’s capacity for critical research and strengthening Bristol as a centre for excellence on dangerous pathogen research.   (more…)

Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2023: Gowri Shankar (MSc 2012)

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For Volunteers’ Week 2023, we’re celebrating our incredible Bristol Volunteers who give their experience, advice and time to support our students and alumni community.

Gowri Shankar Sivabala (MSc 2012) is the founder of SpaceNXT Labs, an innovation start-up specialising in industrial design and technology, and is a mentor for entrepreneurial start-ups around the world. Based in Sri Lanka, he studied an MSc in Integrated Aerospace Systems Design at Bristol and now supports current students through the online platform Bristol Connects. We hear from Gowri Shankar about his experience as a volunteer. (more…)

Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2023: Savannah Coombe (MSc 2023)

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For Volunteers’ Week 2023 we’re celebrating our amazing volunteers who have given their time, insights, and expertise to support our students and alumni community.

International student Savannah Coombe (MSc 2023) is Deputy Editor of Bristol-based non-profit communication agency Resource Media, which champions resource efficiency and sustainability, and she also holds the position of Chairperson of the Badock Hall Association.

Savannah shares with us her experiences as a student in Badock Hall, working on the UoB student newspaper Epigram, her career as a journalist, and what being a volunteer means to her. (more…)

Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2023: Sarauniya Shehu (LLB 2016)

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For Volunteers’ Week 2023, we’re celebrating our incredible Bristol Volunteers who give their experience, advice and time to support our students and alumni community.

Sarauniya Shehu (LLB 2016) studied Law and is now Public Affairs Manager at the National Housing Federation. As a volunteer for the Bristol Mentors programme, she reflects on the value of mentoring and why she finds it so rewarding. (more…)

‘It’s a fantastic continuation of my student journey’: Suwei Jiang on her role as a member of the Alumni Association Committee

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Suwei Jiang (MBA 1997) moved to the UK from China in 1996, a year before joining the University of Bristol to study for her MBA in International Business. After graduating, she joined PwC as an Associate, and she is now a partner leading the China Business Group in London. She is also an advisory board member for the Confucius Institute for Business at LSE, an ambassador for the Women in Finance network in China, a mentor for the 30% club and a member of the University of Bristol’s Alumni Association Committee.

Suwei shares some of her university memories, her reasons for joining the Committee and why she finds it so rewarding giving back to her alumni community. (more…)