News archive 2020
Exeter’s most successful philanthropy campaign comes to an end
The end of December 2020 marks the completion of the University of Exeter’s ‘Making the Exceptional Happen’ philanthropy campaign.
Dec 2020 - Celebrating our Alumni authors
Massive congratulations to our alumni authors who have had their books published.
Volunteering in the spotlight – Exe-X: The Alumnae Group
2020 has been a year of unexpected challenges, but it is also a year where we have seen so many communities coming together to support each other. Exeter’s alumnae network has been no exception.
Alumni launch ecological restoration charity during National Tree Week
Alumni David Bartholomew (MSc Conservation and Biodiversity, 2016) and Harry Fonseca Williams (MSc Conservation and Biodiversity, 2016) have recently founded an ecological restoration charity called the Little Environmental Action Foundation, or LEAF for short.
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Recent alumnae successfully launch feminist-surrealist publication: The Debutante
Recent alumnae Rachel Ashenden (English Literature, 2017) and Molly Gilroy (English Literature, 2018) fell in love with surrealism whilst studying at the University of Exeter and since graduating have launched The Debutante, a feminist-surrealist art publication - which is now sold in numerous bookshops across the world. We recently caught up with them to find out more.
EURFC alumni Lasha Jaiani to start for Georgia against England
EURFC are delighted to announce that recent graduate and Georgian international Lasha Jaiani will win his third cap for his country against England on the hallowed turf of Twickenham on Saturday, in both sides opening fixture in the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup.
New banners for the Mary Harris Memorial Chapel thanks to alumni support
A wide range of projects are supported by the Alumni Annual Fund every year. This year the University of Exeter Anglican Chaplaincy received a £700 grant to replace all three banners at the Mary Harris Memorial Chapel of the Holy Trinity, located on the Streatham Campus.
Student radio station increases their activities due to laptops purchased with Alumni Annual Fund support
A wide range of projects are supported by the Alumni Annual Fund every year which includes students societies such as Radio Falmouth (Surf Radio) at The Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union who in the 2019-20 round received funding to support their 24/7 broadcasting station.
Alumni honour former Vice-Chancellor with permanent scholarship fund
A new scholarship scheme set-up in honour of former Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Steve Smith, targeting applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds, will support six students to attend the University of Exeter each year.
Join expert discussion on saving the oceans
Scientists specialising in the marine environment will answer questions on ocean conservation during a free online event organised by the University of Exeter.
Distinguished alumnus wins prestigious prize
David Bates, who received his PhD from the University of Exeter in 1970, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Prix Syndicat national des Antiquaires du Livre d’Art 2020’ for the book La Tapisserie de Bayeux published in 2019 and co-authored with the art historian Xavier Barral i Altet.
Catching up with alumna Sophie Webb
Here Sophie Webb (LL.B. Law with International Study, 2015) tells us what she’s been doing since graduating and reflects on the highlights of her studies at Exeter and the skills and experiences it gave her.
Exeter-trained scientist honoured in Peru
A scientist trained at the University of Exeter has won Peru’s highest award for conservation.
Three Exeter alumni involved in Chiefs' triumph
Three University of Exeter alumni played a part in the Exeter Chiefs' Champions Cup victory on Saturday.
WWF and Exeter alumni join forces to protect natural habitat
A consortium of Exeter alumni have joined the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and the University of Exeter, in setting up a new PhD project to protect the Cerrado ecosystem in Brazil.
Knighthood for Exeter Honorary Professor allergy and asthma expert
A national authority on the links between allergy and asthmas has been awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours.
Alumnus and member of University Council to host virtual book launch
Exeter alumnus, University Council member, and Chair of the Campaign Board, Gerry Brown (Economics & Economic History, 1966) is hosting a virtual launch event for his new book Independent Director in Society: Our current crisis of governance and what to do about it.
Sir Steve backs first ever Giving Day
Former University of Exeter Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Steve Smith, has supported the institution’s first ever Giving Day with a donation of £10,000 to the scholarship fund.
Exeter gears up for first ever Giving Day!
The University of Exeter is launching its first ever Giving Day on 22 September, 65 years since the institution was granted its Royal Charter by Her Majesty the Queen.
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Alumna develops new business in lockdown
When lockdown forced alumna Gillian Hovell (Classics, 1983), to stop giving in-person lectures and tours she came up with a completely new way to engage her audiences and diversify her business.
Professor Lisa Roberts starts as new Vice-Chancellor at the University of Exeter
On 1 September 2020, Professor Lisa Roberts becomes the new Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive at the University of Exeter. She takes over from Professor Sir Steve Smith who is retiring from the role and who has held the post since October 2002.
Alumni fund series of BAME scholarships
Four additional scholarships will be awarded to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students attending the University of Exeter this year, thanks to the support of Exeter alumni.
Memories of St Luke's
A number of our graduates will have attended St. Luke’s College in the days before integration with the University. We welcome any news or stories they may have to share with their former colleagues.
Ron Delve (1961-1964) shares some of his memories.
Memories of St Luke's
A number of our graduates will have attended St. Luke’s College in the days before integration with the University. We welcome any news or stories they may have to share with their former colleagues.
Keith Mollard (PE Diploma, 1958-9) shares some of his memories.
Memories of St Luke's
A number of our graduates will have attended St. Luke’s College in the days before integration with the University. We welcome any news or stories they may have to share with their former colleagues.
Alan Laurent (1976-79) shares some of his memories.
Aug 2020 - Celebrating our Alumni authors
Massive congratulations to our alumni authors who have had their books published.
Student’s business idea helps local brewers survive lockdown
A University of Exeter Business School student handed independent craft breweries a lifeline during lockdown by helping them tap into new online markets.
Alumnus selected as Cyprus’ Attorney-General
Congratulations to George Savvides (Law, 1982), who was appointed at the end of June 2020 by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades to the position of the Attorney–General of the Republic of Cyprus; the highest independent and autonomous institution in the country.
Three Flashbacks and a Flash-Forward: Returning to Student Life at Exeter, Decades On
Alumnus and current student Mike Cooper (English and Drama, 1975) shares his story of studying at Exeter several decades apart.
Westcountry medical graduates receive thank you hampers
Graduates in medicine-related subjects at the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth have received hampers thanking them for their work
Important notification regarding the data the University of Exeter holds about you
We were informed at the end of last week (10 July 2020) that Blackbaud has been the victim of a ransomware attack. The University of Exeter uses Blackbaud systems to hold the data of our alumni and supporters and we understand that historic backup files were accessed.
Female editor inspires Exeter students with media ambitions
Monicha Tully, the editor of Arcadia magazine, visited Exeter on 30 January 2020 to speak to budding journalists about her career path and to give some top tips on breaking into the media scene. This event was organised by the student team behind Exeter’s RAZZ magazine and went ahead with support from the Alumni Annual Fund.
Students from the Cornwall campus clean up on the beaches
Three guesses on how The Beach Clean Project spends its time?! This student society based in Penryn was awarded £150.00 from the Alumni Annual Fund this year for new litter pickers that can extend to up to six feet to get at that hard-to-reach rubbish.
July 2020 - Celebrating our Alumni authors
Massive congratulations to our alumni authors who have had their books published.
Catching up with Jack Berringer (Politics & International Studies 2014)
Jack Berringer (Politics & International Studies 2014) is an account manager for Burson Cohn & Wolfe in Belgium. Here he reflects on the highlights of his career since graduating.
Catching up with Tomas Plaza Reneses (BA International Relations 2015)
Tomas Plaza Reneses (BA International Relations 2015) is a Health, Nutrition and Population Consultant with The World Bank in Washington DC, US. Here he reflects on the highlights of his time at Exeter and how the skills and experiences it gave him have helped in him in his career to date.
Memories of St Luke's
A number of our graduates will have attended St. Luke’s College in the days before integration with the University. We welcome any news or stories they may have to share with their former colleagues.
Carol Walters (Education and Maths, 1988) shares some of her memories.
Next-generation triple antibody test for Covid-19 given green light by MHRA
University of Exeter scientists have developed a revolutionary new device that could allow health professionals to test patients’ antibody response to Covid-19 in as little as seven minutes.
Alumni Industry Insights, Hong Kong – 24 June 2020
The first of our virtual events organised by the Exeter Hong Kong Alumni Group (EHKAG) took place on Wednesday 24 June. The event featured three speakers and was hosted by Chris Tang (LLB Law 1996).
Celebrating our Alumni authors
Massive congratulations to our alumni authors who have had their books published.
Alumni Profile: Becca McAuley
Becca McAuley (BA International Relations 2018) reflects on her career since graduating and her current role of Sub-Editor at the Daily Mail.
Alumni Profile: Jamie Pitts
Jamie Pitts, BSC Sociology and Criminology (2017) reflects on his career since graduating and his current role as an Executive Project Manager for Cancer Research UK.
Alumni Profile: Susan Kendall
Susan Kendall (Geography & French 1980) reflects here on her life in law, what brought her to live in Hong Kong and recalls her time in Exeter and shares how she has got back involved to support current students and the alumni community in Hong Kong.
Alumni Profile: Duncan Gorst
We recently caught up with alumnus Duncan Gorst (LLB Law –European- Magister 2012) who is an associate at Hogan Lovells in Munich, Germany. He tells us what he’s been doing since graduating and reflects on the highlights of his studies at Exeter and the skills and experiences it gave him
Alumna film wins Berlinale award
A film which alumna Naomi Pacifique (English and Creative Writing, 2015) produced was recently awarded a Silver Bear at the Berlinale International Film Festival.
Alumnus launches business to help people offset their carbon footprint
Alumnus Jacques Sheehan (Politics, Philosophy and Law, 2013) and his business partner Jack Curtis, have set up a new website designed to make it easier for individuals and businesses to combat climate change.
Alumnus launches Law support network
Alumnus Ikenna Henry Onyebuchi has co-founded a new network to help international and BAME aspiring lawyers understand the process of breaking into the legal industry in England & Wales.
2020 Volunteers of the Year named!
After a tough decision making process, the Alumni Volunteers of the Year for 2020 have been announced.
Becoming a junior doctor
Alumna and doctor Molly Dineen gives a update after her early graduation and working on the NHS frontline – written for Wesleyan, original article can be viewed here.
Alumni launch new site to analyse global COVID data
Exeter alumni Richard Londesborough and Mike Laflin have launched a new site to understand how COVID-19 is impacting the world.
Memories of St Luke's
A number of our graduates will have attended St. Luke’s College in the days before integration with the University. We welcome any news or stories they may have to share with their former colleagues.
Edwin Astill (1966-1970) has used lockdown time to send us some memories.
Free online course to improve employability of international UK graduates and alumni
The British Council is running a free Study UK: Preparing for Work online course, aimed at international final-year student, graduate and alumni.
Celebrating our Alumni authors
Massive congratulations to our alumni authors who have had their books published.
Alumna helps small businesses stay on track
Katie O’Connor (Business Economics, 2017) has helped to set up an online venture that supports independent businesses during the lockdown and helps them to grow post lockdown.
University of Exeter Startup Team launches COVID-19 Startup Support Fund
The University of Exeter’s Student Startup team has launched a new funding initiative, designed to support innovative projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alumnus discards the dreadlocks to raise money for Bude food bank
Alumnus and full-time musician James Dixon (Bio-Chemistry, 2010) has lost his trademark locks in order to raise more than £4000 for his local food bank. James had planned to change his ‘surfer-dude’ look for a while, but when lockdown hit it presented the perfect opportunity to bite the bullet and raise money for charity at the same time.
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ChargedUp supports the fight against COVID-19 by switching its charging stations to hand sanitiser stations
ChargedUp, Europe’s largest phone charging network, Co-Founded by Exeter alumni is switching its network of charging stations to hand sanitiser stations, in an initiative dubbed CleanedUp aimed at supporting the UK’s efforts to combat COVID-19.
Alumni support helps students facing hardship during pandemic
The University of Exeter’s Emergency Assistance Fund, set-up to provide financial support to students facing hardship due to the coronavirus crisis, has double the funds thanks to long-term supporter Santander Universities and alumni donations.
Alumni father and son help get masks to the NHS
The Masks for NHS Heroes fundraising campaign has raised more than £2 million to provide protective equipment for NHS staff around the UK. However distributing more than a million masks along with gowns and other equipment is a logistical challenge, so alumni father and son David and Cameron Wilkinson offered up some help.
Ensuring essential supplies get where they’re needed
We often think of transport workers as being the backbone of Britain, but in the current crisis many organisations are supporting in more ways than you might expect.
Student society Exeter Student Nightline wins National Award
Exeter Student Nightline is a student-led volunteer helpline for students, and this month were awarded the ‘Nightline of the Year’ award, supported by Accenture at the Nightline Association (NLA) Spring Conference. We caught up with current Nightline Co-President, Emma Meehan, to find out more about the award, the important work the group does supporting students, and their achievements this year.
Exeter alumna shortlisted for Rising Star Award
Virginia Stuart-Taylor (Modern Languages, 2012) has been shortlisted for a WeAreTheCity 2020 Rising Star Award.
Father and son doctor duo work at the same hospital in fight against COVID-19
A graduate from the University of Exeter is working alongside his clinician father in a Westcountry hospital in treating patients battling COVID-19.
Medical students joining fight against COVID-19 honoured in first Exeter virtual graduation
Medicine students who opted to graduate early to accelerate becoming junior doctors in the COVID-19 crisis
March 2020 - Celebrating our Alumni authors
Massive congratulations to our alumni authors who have had their books published.
Crawling into the record books!
Next month at the London Marathon, numerous people will attempt to break World Records. However back in 1977 alumnus Ian Bailey (Geography, 1979) broke a very different kind of endurance record when he set about crawling more than nine miles for Rag Week!
Going for gold (in pyjamas)
Alumna Jennifer Graham (Exercise and Sports Science, 2012) will be joining thousands of runners taking on the London Marathon next month, but in slightly different attire to the others.
Alumnus takes Mrs Doubtfire to Broadway
Iconic family film Mrs Doubtfire is to reach a whole new audience thanks to a musical adaptation hitting Broadway this spring.
Fundraising campaign hits target one year early
£60 million raised to support students and research at Exeter
Penryn Travel Bursary launched thanks to alumni
A new scheme to support prospective students attend open days on the Penryn Campus has been launched thanks to alumni donations.
Taking to the Stage
The South Devon Players Theatre and Film Club is based in Torbay, Devon and was set-up in 2005/6 to create opportunities and experience for local performers seeking to work professionally in theatre. The company was founded by Exeter alumna Laura Jury (Masters in Education, 2013) and has progressed well including winning awards both locally and in New York in 2019. They are also currently undergoing a rapid expansion.