The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on the way we work, our jobs, career plans and professional development. The University of Bristol, together with hundreds of alumni volunteers, is here to provide resources, advice and insight to members of our alumni community.
Category: Alumni
“I made lifelong friends at Bristol and for that I am forever grateful” – Alumni profile of William Lewis
William Lewis (BSc 1990, Hon LLD 2010) is the CEO of Dow Jones & Company and publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Prior to this William served as the Chief Creative Officer for News Corps, the parent company of Dow Jones and Editor-in-Chief of the Telegraph Media Group.
Why did you choose to study Politics and Economics at Bristol?
I’d been interested in politics from my early teens – I remember watching election nights in 1983 and 1987 avidly. I also did pretty well in Economics at A-level, largely thanks to a superb teacher called Horace (later Emma) Wills. So the two subjects together were a natural fit. But I suspect the fact my older brother Simon had studied PPE at Oxford ten years earlier was also an influencing factor.
Alumni interview: Sam Rowley, Wildlife Photographer
For many of us, choosing what we want to be when we ‘grow up’ can be a life-long mission, but not for Bristol alumnus, Sam Rowley (Bsc Biology 2016). Since the age of ten he’s known exactly what he wants to do: travel the globe capturing some of the world’s most beautiful animals on film.
Now, Sam works for the BBC’s Natural History Unit and since graduation he’s photographed and filmed animals in countries such as Ethiopia, Madagascar and India. But his most recent achievement took place much closer to home, when Sam won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Lumix People’s Choice Award for his depiction of mice fighting on a London tube station platform.
We caught up with him to chat about his recent win, Bristol wildlife and top tips for aspiring photographers.
Healthy Minds: Supporting wellbeing through university and beyond
Bristol alumnus, Ashley Dunn, is a man who’s always on the move. Currently working as a postman, he keeps his step count sky-high by delivering letters and parcels up and down the hills of Bristol. Since graduating in 2018 with a degree in Philosophy he’s also chalked up two triathlons, a half marathon and a 10K. Next year, the 30-year-old will tackle the challenge on every runner’s bucket list: the London marathon.
But running wasn’t always a way of life for Ashley. He started his fitness journey with the University’s Health Minds programme. This initiative, which started in 2016, aims to help students experiencing mental health difficulties to support their wellbeing through a bespoke exercise programme. Students benefit from the physical activity itself, but also by being paired up with a mentor – a member of the fitness team with advanced mental health training – who coaches them throughout. For Ashley, taking part gave him a much-needed boost during a very difficult time.