Dr Gertrude Mwangala Akapelwa (EdD 2020)
Gertrude is the Founder and Vice-Chancellor of Victoria Falls University of Technology, Livingstone in Zambia. Her research on ‘An Assessment of the Extent of ICT Integration in Four Zambian Universities and its Impact on Quality Enhancement in the Teaching and Learning Process’ has been presented to the Zambian Research Symposium and the Africa e-Learning conference in Kigali Rwanda.
In 2023 Gertrude won an award for ‘Africa's Educationist of the Year’ and she has been invited as a panellist on the topic: ‘Transformative Education: Climate Change Literacy and Learning’ by the organisers of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium in San Jose, California in the Silicon Valley.
On being awarded, Gertrude said she was, "Extremely overwhelmed and touched by the gesture of the University of Liverpool. I am extremely grateful."
Lucky Ali (MBioSc 2022)
Recent graduate Lucky Ali (MBioSc 2022) is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur. She has successfully launched multiple initiatives including Lucky's Café, a purpose-driven cafe and Bangladeshi kitchen with a thriving Community-building Social Hub based on the Wirral. Lucky’s Café is changing lives through the power of food, community and education. The enterprise has provided hot meals to hundreds of people in need since its launch.
After receiving the news that she would be honoured with an award, Lucky said, “The University of Liverpool Alumni Award is very special for me and I am incredibly grateful for this recognition. The University of Liverpool is the place where my dreams took flight, allowing me to spread my wings and pursue my ambitions. It taught me to believe that anything can be achieved, no matter how many setbacks, obstacles, or roadblocks we face in our journey. If we remain steadfast in our dreams and have faith in them, we are certain to reach our goals. I can't wait to meet and thank everyone involved with the awards and share this joy with them. I am profoundly grateful to each and every one of you."
Basel Alsourani (LLB Hons 2016)
Basel Alsourani is a Legal Advisor for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. After earning a Law degree from the University of Liverpool and an LLM from SOAS, he shifted from a UK legal career to focus on human rights law, engaging with international bodies like the ICC and the UN.
On receiving the news he'd won, Basel said, "I am proud of being a University of Liverpool alumnus and the knowledge that I gained during my time studying there has allowed me to uphold international law and international justice and spread my knowledge to other colleagues in the field."
Dr Nadera Hayat Burhani (MPH 2015)
Dr Nadera Hayat Burhani is a Health Coordinator at the International Committee of Red Cross, Damascus, Syria and an avid campaigner of women’s rights. She is the winner of two medals, a presidential award, and many appreciation certificates from various Afghan organisations, Australia Deakin and Melbourne Universities and the Department of Health.
On her award, she said, "I am deeply honoured to accept the Liverpool University Alumni Award 2024. Receiving such a prestigious accolade is not only a proud moment for me but also an encouragement to uphold my humanitarian career and serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication to the most vulnerable communities at national and international levels."
Hannah Colson (BA Hons Communication, Media and Popular Music 2013)
Hannah is the Director of Artist Development at Island Records. She is responsible for half of the marketing department, specialising in campaign strategy and management for the domestic development artists at the record label. Starting out through an internship at MTV after graduating, Hannah moved to London and after a year at MTV moved to Ministry of Sound to work across the dance music releases at the record label as a junior project manager.
After Ministry of Sound, she moved to Sony Music and started working for a smaller JV label, Relentless Records. Here she ran a lot of the marketing output for priority artist campaigns – including a #1 album and BRIT award win – and after a few more years, accepted a position as Head of Marketing at Island Records, where she remains today in her current position as Director of Artist Development. Throughout her successful career, she remains grateful to the amazing artists and colleagues she works alongside.
On receiving an Alumni Award, she said, "I’m very grateful for the award. It doesn’t feel all that long ago that I was working to complete my degree and anxiously (and optimistically) wondering what the future held. To look back 11 years on and see not only that everything I hoped for materialised (in more ways than just my career, of course) but that the University is giving me a seal of approval along the way is very cool. It’s an honour!"
Paul Firth (BEng Hons Mechanical Engineering 1993)
Paul is the Director of Global Music Industry at Amazon Music. Having graduated during a recession where jobs were hard to come by, he returned to a previous passion in music and started out working in a record shop. From here he worked in a number of roles in the ‘fan end’ of the music business, culminating in launching Amazon's first music streaming service and taking on his current role.
Alongside his role at Amazon, Paul is also a trustee of a music charity, Music Minds Matter, which is a sister charity of Help Musicians. He is also a board member of both the Entertainment Retailers Association and the Official Charts Company.
On his award, he said, "It is a nice honour to be recognised in this way. My wife, Rachel Kempster (BA Hons Modern History and Politics 1992), and I met at University. We were in Carnatic Halls together and then in a shared house in year two. Sadly Rachel passed away earlier this year, having lost her fight against cancer. I would not have achieved any of the things I did - including my degree - without the support of Rachel. I know she would have been proud of me, but I believe she is the real star and the one who this award should be dedicated to."
Dr Miro Griffiths MBE (BSc Hons Psychology 2010)
Dr Miro Griffiths MBE is the Co-Director of the Centre for Disability Studies, an internationally renowned research centre within the University of Leeds which is dedicated to understanding disabled people’s position in societies across the globe. After graduating with a degree in Psychology in 2010, Miro went on to gain a master’s in Disability Studies at the University of Leeds where he now works as a Disability Studies scholar in the School of Sociology and Social Policy.
Alongside his academic work, Miro supports the Liverpool City Region on fairness and social justice, advises the UK Government on personalisation of health and social care agendas, the European Commission on disability hate crime and self-directed support provision, and the British Council on inclusivity approaches. Miro holds advisory positions on several research-funded projects in the UK and across Europe. Project topics include archives and history, welfare and social security, humanitarian crisis management, and disability advocacy.
He is a former Disability Advisory Committee member at the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission and a founding member of the European Network on Independent Living Youth Network.
On being recognised with the award Miro said, “This recognition evokes a powerful sense of belonging. I am reminded of the challenging lectures and the vibrant scholarly environment. My time at the University of Liverpool was not just about acquiring knowledge; it was an opportunity to develop critical thinking, construct precise lines of argument rooted in existing knowledge and evidence, and find value in the creativity and experimentation of our own ideas.
This recognition may be attributed to me but it is a testament to the enduring influence of scholars, support staff, and fellow learners, who influenced my thinking and current trajectory. It's a humbling reminder of how the University of Liverpool encouraged me to recognise that our voices matter in shaping fairer, just, and accessible societies for all."
Felix Hagan (BA Hons Popular Music 2010)
Composer and co-founder of theatre company SpitLip, Felix Hagan began his career in music in London, before relocating to Manchester and building his first studio. Felix toured internationally as a musician with Felix Hagan & The Family, as well as working as a session player for other artists. He graduated from the University in 2010 with a BA in Popular Music. Since then he has gone on to form his theatre company, with which he wrote ‘Operation Mincemeat’, a musical based upon the true-life tale of a spy mission from the First World War. The musical won an Olivier Award for ‘Best New Musical’ this year.
He said: "Liverpool as a city and an institution holds a huge and mightily important place in my heart. Liverpool is the city of my father's birth, and I grew up listening to endless tales of seeing The Beatles play every lunchtime at The Cavern, and the magic that seems to pulse through the very veins of the city. I was over the moon to be accepted here, and I fell so deeply in love with the place the second I arrived. That love endures to this day, and to receive such an award from a place that truly shaped who I am as a musician and a person is a great honour indeed."
John Hardman (BCom Hons 1962)
John Hardman, whilst currently enjoying retirement, was a former businessman most known for his position as Chairman and Chief Executive of Asda. After graduating from the University of Liverpool with a BComm he qualified as an FCA member. He then joined the RCA Corporation running their Picture Tube operations in Europe and then all their operations in South America. Whilst based in New York he travelled the world before returning home in 1980 where he joined Asda as Finance Director. Throughout the 1990’s he acted as a retail consultant for the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. He made an appearance in the Channel Five 2020 documentary Inside Asda: Bigger, Better, Cheaper?.
On his award, he said he was "quite honoured in my retirement."
Dr Nicola Hodson (BSc Hons Chemistry with Materials Science 1988, PhD Mechanical Engineering 1992)
Dr Nicola Hodson is the Chief Executive of IBM UK & Ireland. She has had a prolific career in various businesses, including being headhunted by Microsoft. Nicola is also on the boards of Beazley Group and Drax Group plc and is Deputy President of techUK. She enjoys family life with her husband and five sons.
On her award, she said, "It is a massive honor to be recognized by the University and so positive to be able to reconnect. Thank you so much for the award it means a great deal to me."
Dr Amir Khan (MBChB 2004)
Dr Amir Khan graduated from the University’s School of Medicine in 2004. Following graduation, Dr Amir worked as a junior doctor at hospitals across Merseyside, before qualifying as a GP in 2009 and since then has worked as a GP Partner in Bradford. Between being a GP, Dr Amir also works as a TV Doctor on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine and published best-selling books including The Doctor Will See You Now. He also has regular slots on BBC's SpringWatch and Gardeners World.
Outside of Amir’s television presence, he is the President of the RSPB and the Vice President of the Wildlife Trusts and takes pride in the balance between his clinical and media work as a way to highlight often taboo subjects to the nation.
On being recognised with the award, he said, "I am truly honoured - I am so grateful to the UoL who I think played a big part in shaping me as a person, without whom I don't think I would be able to achieve all I have today. It is easy to feel like a very small cog in a ginormous machine when you are at university, particularly as a working class boy from a historically marginalised group of people - but this award shows anything is possible and I couldn't be prouder."
Professor James P Kingsland OBE (MBChB 1984)
Professor James P Kingsland OBE is a primary care physician, clinical professor, and former Senior Partner in an award-winning practice. He advises on health reform in India, Nepal, and Singapore, and was awarded the OBE in 2012 for contributions to healthcare. He co-designed England's Primary Care Networks, leads efforts to address health inequalities, and chairs the UK Digital Clinical Excellence Forum. A founding member of the Faculty of Disaster Medicine for Southern Asia, he is also Clinical Director for Saving Lives International and has served in various advisory roles, including with the UK Department of Health and Singapore’s Ministry of Health.
On the news of his award, he said he was, "humbled, honoured and delighted. As a physician with 40 years of experience, I’ve designed and led major national and international service transformation projects during a distinguished career in clinical practice which are now regarded as a world authority on healthcare reform."
Rev Canon Dr Ellen Loudon (MA Popular Music Studies 1996, PhD Music 2011)
Rev Canon Dr Ellen Loudon graduated with a master’s in Music in 1996 and graduated again from the University in 2011 with a PhD in Music. Ellen began her career as an actor before becoming a Senior Lecturer in Drama at Edge Hill University until 2001 when she began to explore the possibility of full-time ministry in the Church of England. She was appointed Canon Chancellor of Liverpool Cathedral and Director of Social Justice for the Diocese of Liverpool in 2016.
Ellen has done significant work in supporting the Liverpool City Region, from taking on the role as independent chair of VS6 which is the consortium group that represents the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) to sitting on the Liverpool City Region Serious Organised Crime Group which provides the strategic direction for issues of serious and organised crime in the region.
On being awarded, Ellen said, “I am proud of my academic achievements and I am grateful to the University. Being recognised for my contribution to the civic life of the city and region is an honour. I have lived in Liverpool for nearly 40 years - serving as a priest and social justice activist in the city and region that I love is a blessing. So, being able to celebrate this with this award is humbling."
Jesse Lyu (BA Hons Marketing 2013)
Jesse Lyu is the Founder and CEO of rabbit inc., focused on revolutionising AI through natural language interaction and AI-native gadgets. After launching his first project, Timeet, he founded RavenTech in 2014, which Baidu later acquired for $100 million. Now, with rabbit, he aims to make AI more accessible while ensuring responsible innovation, crediting his entrepreneurial foundation at Liverpool for shaping his journey.
On his award, he said, "As a proud alumnus, I am deeply honoured to be recognized by the University of Liverpool for this award. I attribute many of my achievements today to my time at Liverpool, where I was given the space and opportunities to figure out what I liked and wanted to do with my life after graduation. This award motivates me to keep pushing the boundaries of AI and making a real impact on human-machine interaction."
Cooper McAuley (LLB Hons 2022)
Cooper McAuley is a Motor Litigation Paralegal at DWF Solicitors. After graduating from the University of Liverpool, Cooper has been developing in her career with the goal to become a solicitor. She currently resides in Northern Ireland to be with her family as she continues to build towards achieving her professional aspirations.
Alongside her aspirations to develop her legal career, Cooper is also passionate about raising awareness about epilepsy after losing someone close to her due to the medical condition. She aims to spread greater awareness and highlight how crucial it is to raise the profile of this condition and support those affected by it.
After hearing the news that she'd won an award, she said, "Being recognised by a Liverpool Alumni Award is an incredibly humbling and gratifying experience. It feels wonderful to be acknowledged for my achievements and contributions. This recognition not only validates the hard work and dedication I've put into my career and charitable efforts but also strengthens my connection to the university and its community. It's an honor that motivates me to continue striving for excellence and making a positive impact."
Seponono John Molifi (MSc Programme and Project Management 2016)
Seponono John Molifi is a Project Development Specialist in South Africa. He began after graduation as the Programme Manager (HIV Point-of-Care testing) for the National Health Laboratory Services where he has gone on to do extensive work in combating the HIV epidemic.
On his award, he said, "I am delighted to have been awarded an Alumni Award, this award came at the time when I needed something that will symbolize my commitment to improving the lives of the People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in South Africa. This recognition is a significant achievement in my career and acts as strong extrinsic motivator to continue to advance my career. This award places me among the greatest individuals who make great contributions and positive impact globally. I wish to remain committed as the Ambassador for the UoL and hope to continue my academic journey with them."
Sharon Young MBE (BEng Hons Mechanical Engineering 1997)
Sharon Young MBE has spent the majority of her career working in the railway industry, including 22 years with Transport for London (TfL), finishing with Crossrail, before moving into the rail sector as a consultant with WSP.
On receiving the award, Sharon said, "Its an absolute honour to be recognised and even more so considering my friends nominated me in the first instance. I loved every minute of my time at Liverpool and made some lifelong friends and I have a huge amount of great memories already from my 4 years at the University and for a life with those friends post student days. Receiving this award adds one more amazing memory to close the album."
Back to: Alumni