Anna Hargreaves, alumna and legacy pledger, on her journey from Bristol to Santa Fe

Anna Hargreaves with her husband Drew at Santa Fe Botanical Garden

How does an English Bristol grad who studied French, Spanish and Political Science end up working in Public Health in Santa Fe, USA you might ask? Meet Anna Hargreaves, an incredible woman who has done just that and more, and who credits Bristol with giving her an amazing head start in life.

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‘The alumni community offers a network and relationships that last a lifetime’: Geraldine Keefe on the US alumni network

Geraldine Keefe smiles in front of a leafy, outdoor background.

Geraldine Keefe (MEng 2000) is the new Chair of the University of Bristol Foundation, working to strengthen the University’s community of over 4,500 Bristol graduates in the US. She is the head of Investment Banking for the Midwest Region at Goldman Sachs. Passionate about education and music, Geraldine holds a number of board roles, including at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Old Town School of Music, and The Posse Foundation Chicago Advisory Board. Here, she shares the story of her start at Bristol and how it’s impacted her life today.

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Colonel Anne McClain, NASA astronaut and US Army Officer, on space exploration and following your passion

Colonel Anne McClain, NASA
Colonel Anne McClain (image courtesy of NASA)

NASA astronaut and University of Bristol alum Colonel Anne McClain (MSc 2005, Honorary DEng 2023) returned to the University recently to accept her Honorary doctorate, and talk about her space experience, her journey to becoming an astronaut, and the next decade of space exploration. Colonel McClain’s incredible career has seen her fly 20 different aircraft as a Senior Army Aviator, train as a US Navy test pilot, and serve as a Flight Engineer on the International Space Station (ISS), where she spent 204 days and led two spacewalks. In 2020, she became part of the Artemis programme, a NASA-led mission to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024 – with this mission, Colonel McClain could become the first woman to step on the moon.    (more…)

‘I couldn’t wish for a more interesting job’: Ben Emmerson CBE KC, 2023 Alumni Award winner for Global Citizenship

This year’s Alumni Award winner for Global Citizenship is Ben Emmerson CBE KC (LLB 1985, Hon LLD 2015), one of the world’s preeminent international human rights lawyers.  (more…)

Fred Moss (BA 2013): transforming company cultures through peer learning

Most office workers will be familiar with the annual cycle of employee training. You log on to a website, read some module material, complete a quiz and you’re done. It’s a tried-and-tested (if somewhat uninspiring) format that peer-learning company Hive Learning are aiming to disrupt.

Founded in 2013 by rugby world cup winning coach, Sir Clive Woodward, and digital venture builder, Blenheim Chalcot, Hive Learning’s technology is based on a combination of network science and nudge theory – borrowing some of the principles that draw users into social media. Users of the platform can come together with their colleagues to learn about a wide range of topics, which cover everything from improving resilience in the workplace to becoming a more inclusive company.

Bristol alumnus Fred Moss (BA 2013) has worked at Hive Learning for seven years, during which time he moved to New York to set up the company’s US business. We caught up with him to learn more about life in the US and how Hive Learning is reimagining corporate learning.

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Wolfson Foundation support three exceptional researchers to join the University of Bristol

Three outstanding international academics will join the University of Bristol this year after being awarded the prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowship. These fellowships enable exceptional international researchers to undertake a flexible 12-month period of sabbatical leave to join a UK university, to foster international collaboration and enrich scientific research. (more…)