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For all the latest news about the University, download our Alumni magazine, Noteworthy.
To amend or add your details to the Alumni database, or just to let us know your news, simply complete our Update Details form.
And, for the latest news – and photos – of your old pals, please visit the Where Are They Now section.
So come on, let us know what you have been getting up to since graduating!
13 December 2011
The second annual Steven Henly Award for Outstanding Commitment has been awarded to student PE teacher Martin Wragg at the University of Bedfordshire.
Martin left the RAF to fulfil a lifelong ambition to become a teacher and is now in his third year of his course. He said: “I have a burning passion for both sport and teaching and I want young people to learn the same things from PE that I have - confidence, self-esteem, physical fitness and the appreciation of teamwork.”
The Award is given in memory of Steven Henly, a student at the University’s Bedford campus who died of a rare form of cancer just a few weeks after his 21st birthday in July 2008.
A trophy and £500 was presented to Martin by Zahra and Bob Henly, Steven's parents, at a special ceremony attended by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon CBE DL.
16-18 November 2011
There are new kids on the block when it comes to your alumni community. Over 1400 people proudly graduated in ceremonies held at the Luton campus between 16 and 18 November.
Graduates from the Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies and Science, The Business School and the Health and Social Sciences Faculty attended the ceremonies.
The University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon CBE DL, said: “Our students have worked extremely hard to achieve their goals and I congratulate each and every one of them for remaining focused and dedicated throughout.“
Star names from the worlds of music and cinema joined graduates. Duran Duran keyboard player Nick Rhodes, music producer Peter Asher and film producer Katy Haber were among those honoured during graduation week at St Mary’s Church. Each received an Honorary Doctor of Arts.
They join a thriving group of more than 65,000 people worldwide who can network and reminisce about their special times at the University.
Visit our alumni Flickr site to see all the photographs.
30 June 2011
Bulldozers on Vicarage Street herald the demolition of Europa House the home of the Students' Union for the last 30 plus years. By the end of July it will be reduced to pile of rubble to make way for the latest building development at the University.
In a sentimental journey down memory lane several members of the current SU staff returned to the site in hard hats to say good bye. Among them was Linda Carter the SU Finance and Admin Manager. Linda has worked in the SU since 1987. Afterwards Linda said: “It brought back many happy memories. I met many wonderful people while working here. I had a lump to my throat as I watched the building coming down.”
For many years the old building was the home of the SU with its bar and famous SubClub hosting numerous memorable student nights. The SU is now housed in the Campus Centre.
So as this iconic building leaves the Luton skyline what memories do you have? Was it mad parties, brilliant new bands or crazy student theme nights? Whatever, we’d love to hear about them. Let us know at SUMemories.
Work will soon begin on the new Postgraduate and CPD Centre and is scheduled to be complete by December 2012.
27 June 2011
Alumni, staff and sponsors celebrated the achievements of computing alumni at the annual Graduate of the Year Awards (GOYA). Set-up last year, local company Train4TradeSkills sponsor the GOYA prize fund of £22,500 which goes to the graduates of the Computing and Technology Department who demonstrate the most outstanding career progression within five years of graduating from the University.
Winner Prajay Kamat founded his company, AiSolve, with the support of the University of Bedfordshire and the company is going from strength to strength, with clients including Coca Cola and Tesco Digital. Prajay also finds time to work on introducing new technology to the digital media market.
He said: “I’m really privileged to receive this award. I plan to invest the money in the new technology my company is creating which means computers can be used to help people learn hands-on skills like plumbing. The user will learn practical skills whilst still in a virtual environment. I’m very excited that this prize money can be used to develop the skills of lots of other people.”
The runner-up Sadeque I. Shaikh received his prize of £7,500. He added: “It’s a real honour to win this prize. I hope to donate the money I’ve received to help young IT students to carry out research in their field of computing. I’m very grateful to the University and Train 4 Trade Skills for their generosity.”
Sadeque is CEO of Tempest Informatics UK Ltd as well as having lecturing responsibilities. He was also the youngest ever Executive Editor of the specialist publication Journal of the University of Science and Technology Chittagong.
Also shortlisted for the award were: Lydia Shekiluwa, International Roaming Operations Manager at O2; Prakash Asani, founder of Asani Project Solutions; Gregory Bowrin, founder of Genesis Creatives and Justyn Stevens, Director of Pixel Aspects.
The GOYA winners received their prizes at the Putteridge Bury campus on Monday night. The awards were decided by a judging panel that included last year’s recipients, Andrea Donafee and Luo Luo.
13 June 2011
The June edition of the ezine has gone live.
The ezine is a mix of news, events and features. This month we hear, and see with imbedded video, from staff alumnus Mark Diggle. As Head of the Careers and Employment Service at the University Mark gives his insight to a successful recruitment strategy.
And the spotlight remains focused on graduate employment with news of our Recruitment Service and online resource Jobsavvigrad.
To ensure you keep up with the latest alumni developments register your email address with us.
25 May 2011
Nineties alumnus and debut novelist, Stephen Kelman is in the running for the Desmond Elliot Prize. His book, Pigeon English is up against 2 other first time authors.
Pigeon English was the subject of a bidding war between 12 of the country's top publishers, resulting in a six-figure advance, international sales and a two-book deal.
It tells the story of 11-year-old Ghanaian immigrant Harri, caught up in gang warfare on a south London estate.
7 May 2011
Over fifty alumni, staff and family members attended the celebrations to mark the retirement of Senior Midwifery Lecturer Cynthia Stuart in May. In an afternoon of fun and laughter the guests were treated to stories of Cynthia’s life and career.
Cynthia’s colleagues prepared a ‘This Is Your Life’ style presentation that included mementos of her 33 year career and some surprise guests. This was followed by a specially written poem from lecturer Bella Madden and tributes from alumna Tina Howse and Cynthia’s family.
Cynthia was delighted with all the effort that went into the day and in keeping it a secret. Afterwards she said: “Wow, it was a great day. I was very pleased indeed.”
Photos from the day can be found at the alumni Flickr site
3 May 2011
This is a new course aimed at recent graduates who wish to gain an educational advantage in their career. It opens up numerous career opportunities for postgraduates pursuing a professional career in acting and presenting for television, or film. It would also benefit those pursuing careers in journalism, politics, and business who in the course of their work are frequently called upon to appear and present themselves and their ideas before a camera.
It is open to professionals wishing to develop their reflective practice and up-date their professional expertise in performing within the current professional requirements in front of a camera and/or in a TV studio. The course is more than a training course, by the end of it students will be able to apply the model of action research and the strategies of the reflective practitioner to their own and others screen performance, enabling them to continually evaluate and improve team and individual performance.
16 April 2011
Saturday was the last of the University Undergraduate Applicant Open Days. Events were held at both Luton and Bedford and over 2000 applicants for the 2011 academic year attended.
And for the first time the Alumni of the University were represented. Volunteers facilitated at the events and also participated in a Q+A sessions.
My thanks go to: Hannah Johnston, Natasha Reynolds, Felicia Agbaw, Barbara Banda, Bilal Malik, Edward To and Casa Sharif.
15 April 2011
A sporty fundraising student PE teacher was the winner of an inaugural award in memory of a former student at the University of Bedfordshire.
Joe O’Connor has become the first winner of the Steven Henly Award for Outstanding Commitment (to sport) at the Bedford campus.
The third year BA Physical Education (QTS) student won £500 and a trophy in memory of Steven Henly, a former student at Bedford who died of a rare form of cancer just a few weeks after his 21st birthday in July 2008.
30 March 2011
Hundreds of University of Bedfordshire students celebrated a special milestone at graduation ceremonies at the Luton campus.
Three of the University’s faculties – Creative Arts, Technologies and Science (CATS), the Business School and Health and Social Sciences – were represented during the ceremonies at St Mary’s Parish Church last week.
Honorary degrees were also presented to Cllr Waheed Akbar and to Cllr Raja Saleem in support of their outstanding service and support to the community of Luton.
28 March 2011
We are pleased to announce news of vacancies with Luton based employer, Train2Game. Train2Game is the UK’s most successful online blended learning college, providing Games Design and Development blended learning education.
They are looking for Unity3D programmers and developers. The successful candidates will have a strong background and deep understanding of 3D programming, experience in C++, C#, XNA, DirectX.
If this is you then contact Myra Smallman via email or call 0771 253 1110 for further detail. Don’t delay as vacancies need to be filled urgently and the deadline is Friday 8 April.
Train2Game also sponsor our Graduate of the Year Award (GOYA). GOYA is awarded to the graduate who can demonstrate the most outstanding career progression within five years of graduating from the University. The first place award is worth £15,000 and second place £7,500.
The deadline for applications is Friday 29 April. For more details and an application form please visit our website.
18 March 2011
This year’s quarterly Noteworthy ezines kick off with a profile of legal eagle Kelly Blake.
Kelly, now a Court Duty Officer working for the Bedfordshire Probation Service, looks back fondly on her time studying at the University and talks enthusiastically about the new opportunities that opened up for her.
“Being a mature student with responsibilities including children and a mortgage, I had more to lose. But I knew this was what mattered and that it would be worth it, so I just got on with it.”
To read the full profile
5 March 2011
Change is good, they say. And in the last four years the banking industry has change dramatically. Whether it is the financial crisis or bosses bonuses much has been written and discussed in the media.
This makes it a particularly challenging and interesting time to be working in the sector. Alumnus Edward To (BSc Computer Science and Management Science, 1994) knows well as he works for a large international bank at Canary Wharf, London.
But change has also marked out Edward’s career since graduating in the 90s. His choice of combined honours prepared Edward for moving from IT to management. It was one of the main reasons for choosing a degree at the then University of Luton. Edward says:”The breath of the course was very good. The degree has stood me in good stead for a changing work environment.”
Edward works as an Operational Risk Analyst: “not what I’d imagined I’d be doing when I graduated. I ensure steps are taken to eliminate financial losses from our systems and customers. It’s about being proactive, precise and paying attention to details. Besides working in the heart of the financial district there is a real buzz about what I do. Although I am part of a large organisation I feel a sense of purpose at the end of the day.”
Edward was delighted to return to his alma mater for a recent Open Day. With other alumni he helped prospective students and their families by discussing the career prospects of a Bedfordshire graduate.
His advice to all students would be: “Learn a variety of skills. To achieve your ultimate goal it is worth breaking it down into smaller targets. Be proactive and if an opportunity comes along don’t be afraid to take it even if you are not sure where it will lead.”
21 February 2011
This year’s edition of your Noteworthy magazine is on its way to you. Its full of news and features including a profile of Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Maggie Alphonsi, details of the new Campus Centre and class notes from alumni around the world.
Celebrating its second year in full colour the magazine is your essential guide to developments at Luton and Bedford, forthcoming events and how you can help current students.
If yours does not arrive in the post please contact the alumni office to make sure we have your current address.
14 February 2011
We would like to invite graduates of the Department of Computer Science and Technology, to apply for the 2011 Train2Game Graduate of the Year Award (GOYA).
The GOYA was established in 2010 by a generous donation from Train2Game, a local Luton company. Train2Game is the only online blended learning college that offers people the chance to qualify as a Game Designer, Game Developer or Game Artist and Animator with TIGA Diploma (TIGA is the independent awarding and examination body for the blended learning courses ).
The GOYA will be presented to the graduate who can demonstrate the most outstanding career progression within five years of graduating from the University. The first place award is worth £15,000 and second place £7,500.
It is a condition of the award that the recipients will receive half of the prize money with the other half being donated to an area of support of their choosing within the University.
Details can be found at GOYA page of the University website. Applications must be received in the Development and Alumni Relations Office by Friday, 29 April 2011.
7 February 2011
Students and staff lent a helping hand for the first ever live broadcast from the University of Bedfordshire’s state-of-the-art media facilities. And recent graduates Igor Drozdov and Maksim Max Popov, who both now work in the media department, were on-hand to liaised with the BBC production team on technical issues.
The BBC Politics Show East was transmitted live on Sunday lunchtime from the TV studio at the Luton campus in response to the protests in the town the day before.
Presenter Etholle George was joined by Kelvin Hopkins, the MP for Luton North, and Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt, who is also MP for North East Bedfordshire, in front of a specially-invited audience for the 20-minute show.
1 February 2011
Three distinguished former students of the University met Level one LLB Law students in January. The alumni were invited to one of their lectures to address the students on gaining relevant work experience and the importance of preparing an eye-catching CVs and cover letters. At a busy Q+A sessions afterwards students from Luton and Bedford campus quizzed them about their alumni careers.
The alumni, who all work locally, volunteered their time for the session arranged by Ajaz Hussein from the Careers Dept. The alumni are:
Kelly Blake (LLB, 2007) is a Court Duty Officer working for the Bedfordshire Probation Service. She prosecutes in the Magistrates Courts and advises judges on community sentencing issues in the Crown Court.
Stephen Reid (LLB, 2007) is finishing his training contract with Pictons and expects to qualify as a solicitor in April. After that he has set his sights firmly on a legal career in the US. Before the end of this year he hopes to pass the Bar exams in Nevada and start practicing in Las Vegas. Stephen enthused:”It’s a great lifestyle over there and I’ve already made lots of contacts.”
Wayne McBean, (LLB, 2006) qualified as a solicitor in January 2010 and works at Machins in Luton. He specialises in civil litigation. Visiting the campus centre for the first, Wayne remarked:”It’s fantastic. This building is so conducive to studying. It looks really professional.”
30 January 2011
Since graduating, Mary Emeji (nee Ikedianya) has pursued a passion for writing and this year will see the publication of her third collection of poems. As a double Law graduate (with 2.1 in LLB and a Distinction in LLM), Mary is on the track of training to be a solicitor.
However, Mary has always had a passion for poetry and began writing poems whilst in school. Her first book The Bond of Love, published in 2009 explores the feelings, commitments, and challenges that come with true love and affection. Mary says of her book: “My poems are life affirming and speak directly to the reader. You can often recite them to a loved one. I feel very fulfilled to see my work in print.”
A second volume followed last year. The Love Of God is a collection of inspirational poems on God’s love for all mankind. Mary believes in the power of words and as a committed Christian, the power of faith.
Mary promotes her work with regular readings in libraries and literary festivals. Mary enjoys these events, during which she gets to interact with her many fans and sign copies of her books. This passionate lover of poetry says of her work: “My poems portray the power of words through the lines, diction, symbolism, rhythm and rhyme. They have the effect of captivating the reader’s mind and conveying them into a new realm of imagination as the printed words come to life in their mind; thus making them feel the atmosphere of the poetic theme. Poetry is simply priceless!”
A third collection is due to be released this year, with Mary taking as her theme 'the fundamentality of life'.
All Mary’s collections of poems are published by ShieldCrest. They can be previewed and purchased via Mary's website www.maryemeji.ning.com
21 Jan 2011
The first novel by marketing graduate Stephen Kelman has made it on to the list of the best novels of 2011, Waterstones 11.
Pigeon English tells the story of a boy living on a deprived London estate who falls into crime, sparked a bidding war that earned him a six-figure advance and a two-book deal with Bloomsbury.
After finishing his degree Stephen worked variously as a warehouse operative, a careworker, and in marketing and local government administration. He decided to pursue his writing seriously in 2005, and has completed several feature screenplays since then.
20 Jan 2011
The University’s Graduate Internship Scheme was launched in March 2010 and has been going from strength to strength. To date, it has placed more than 100 graduates into employment.
Business Decision Management graduate Radu Razvan Cotosman landed a role as a Marketing Assistant at Bell Packaging Ltd. He said: “This experience will be beneficial for me in the future as I was able to put theory into practice and I have gained valuable work experience. I would recommend the Graduate Internship Scheme to other students as it could help to launch their career.”
The University works with local companies to set up graduate internships for unemployed or underemployed graduates, from any UK university. The aim is to help them gain experience and to get them on the career ladder in these tough economic times. This year we will strengthen our services to offer graduates and employers a professional recruitment service.
For more information and to register vist the Recruitment Service website
10 Jan 2011
We have received a good response to our 'Where are you now' campaign. Since the launch in the local press last year, over 100 former students have been in touch. Word has also spread through the social networking site Friends Reunited.
The campaign aims to re-establish contact with students who studied at any of our campuses prior to gaining university status in the 1993. We want also to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of the former colleges in making the University the leading institution it is today.
We would like to run an event later in the year to honour these graduates, so if you know someone who gained a qualification, such as a HND, please encourage them to contact us through our website.
6 January 2011
The University is running a series of Applicant Open Days in February, March and April. I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to become an alumni volunteer. You can help us to recruit the students of tomorrow. The dates and times are as follows:
| Bedford | Luton |
| Sat 12 Feb 11-2.30 | Sat 19 Feb 11-2.30 |
| Sat 12 Mar 11-2.30 | Sat 19 Mar 11-2.30 |
| Sat 9 Apr 11-2.30 | Sat 16 Apr 11-2.30 |
We’d like you to volunteer a few hours to talk informally to prospective students and their parents. They are trying to get an appreciation of what life will be like at Bedfordshire. If you would like to help please call direct, on 01582 489270.
We will provide lunch on the day and the opportunity, if you would like, to discuss your career options with staff from our careers office.
