Now and Then #18

Issue 18, Summer / Autumn 2016

NOW AND

THEN THE MAGAZINE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON’S ALUMNI NETWORK

BAFTA WINNER & UEL ALUMNA

NICOLA LLOYD

IN SEARCH OF MY FATHER

HANNAH LOWE

UEL’S VOICES EAST FESTIVAL

SOARING TO SUCCESS

HENRY UTKU Summer / Autumn 2016

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Looking to advance, change or supercharge your career?

As a UEL graduate, you know the value of your degree and how much it’s helped you so far. But you also know that you can only progress if you keep your skills and knowledge up to date with the latest trends in your profession. That’s why postgraduate study is so important.

It will take you to the next level in your career, or help you change direction to something more rewarding. Most of all, it gives you options.

And there’s an added incentive. From this September you can now apply for a loan of up to £10,000 to cover your PG fees and other costs. This is the first time this has been made available by the Government, so why not take advantage of it?

On top of this, UEL is offering Postgraduate Scholarships which would cover up to 50% of your tuition fees and you may also be eligible for an additional Alumni Discount.* To find out more about our postgraduate loans and scholarships visit uel.ac.uk/pgfunding

*Terms and conditions apply

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Now and Then

A very warm welcome to the latest edition of Now and Then. As always, it’s packed with interesting news and features about UEL’s global family of students and alumni. In our last edition we shared with you the exciting news about the launch of our UEL International Alumni Chapters in Nigeria and Malaysia. You can now read about the launch of another new chapter in India.

IN THIS ISSUE SPECIAL FEATURES Alumna Nicola Lloyd talks to Daniel Blackman about the honour of receiving a BAFTA for her role as executive producer of the hit Channel 4 TV matchmaking show – First Dates. Meanwhile, fellow UEL graduate Hannah Lowe discusses her life as a poet, author and university lecturer – and her search for the truth about her father.

PEOPLE In our popular SeqUEL section, we profile graduates Steven Fendry, founder of Wanderös, and traditional Irish singer Kathleen Warminger. We also spotlight basketball star Henry Utku and Funke Oham, founder of the Inspirational Woman Awards. And we catch up with last year’s E-Factor winners, mother-anddaughter team Marie-Anne Rasé and Rebekha Gooden, to see how their start-up allergy-free food business is progressing.

EVENTS As well as travelling to Hyderabad and Chennai to launch our Indian Alumni Chapter, we hosted two wellattended School events. The first was for the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering and the second for the School of Psychology. You can read all about them on pages 35-37.

KEEP IN TOUCH As always, we’re keen to hear your thoughts and views on Now and Then, so please do send your feedback to the alumni team at alumni@uel.ac.uk.

Summer / Autumn 2016

UEL Alumni Network Editor Charlie Werren Design UEL Design & Publications Department Cover Nicola Lloyd, Bafta Award winner and UEL Alumna Cover Photo George Koutrouios Print and Distribution Sure Print Services ©Now and Then 2016 About Now and Then is a publication of the Alumni Network at the University of East London. It is a platform for graduates and friends across the globe to stay in touch with their university, and maintain relationships with former classmates and the wider UEL community. We aim to provide opportunities for communication, friendship and involvement.

Contact us Alumni Network, University of East London, Docklands Campus, University Way, London, E16 2RD

alumni@uel.ac.uk +44 (0)20 8223 2222 uel.ac.uk/alumni facebook.com/uelalumni @UELAlumni LinkedIn Search for UEL Alumni Network under groups and click join!

Subscribe For the latest news and interviews subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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CONTENTS 06 - Professor John Joughin opens UEL’s new bioscience laboratory 08 - UEL offers a top-class

opportunity to industry employees 11 - UEL News 18 - Cover Story: Nicola

Lloyd, BAFTA winner 21 - SeqUEL 24 - Cover Story: UEL’s Voices East Festival 27 - Cover Story: Soaring to success 29 - A real inspiration 30 - Healthy enterprise 33 - Cover Story:

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Hannah Lowe, in search of my father 35 - Recent events 39 - 10 Minutes with Felippe Johann Summer / Autumn 2016

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Professor John Joughin f opens UEL’s new bioscie laboratory

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formally ence

UEL’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor John J. Joughin, cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony for the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience’s new laboratory earlier this year.

The ‘topping-out’ ceremony was also attended by the Dean of HSB, Neville Punchard, Head of Estates Peter Thompson, representatives from the building firm Peak Contractors and numerous members of HSB staff.

Last year, UEL was awarded a £1.2 million grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for new teaching labs. This was match-funded by the University, making an overall investment of £2.4 million.

Professor Joughin said, “The learning experience of students enrolled on UEL’s bioscience courses will be greatly enhanced thanks to these new facilities.

This development confirms UEL’s commitment to investing in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and

Summer / Autumn 2016

Mathematics (STEMM) facilities of the highest standard. We are extremely grateful for the support of HEFCE in helping to fund this project.”

Phase one of the redevelopment was completed at the start of this year when the new labs opened their doors to students.

Phase two involved an adjoining room being knocked through to make a single giant lab.

As well as having a big impact on the student experience, the new lab will enhance the University’s reputation in STEMM subjects and enable links with industrial partners and employers.

It is also hoped that the new laboratory will benefit local people who are not enrolled at UEL. Events such as taster sessions for local schools and colleges will be held at the new space. There will also be sessions aimed at science teachers, designed to give them an opportunity to update their skills and better prepare their students for life in higher education.

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UEL offers a top-class opportunity to industry employees

The University of East London has announced it will begin offering four higher and degree apprenticeships for 200 students from September 2016.

The courses will be delivered

by UEL’s School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering.

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Industry employees will have the chance to apply via their employer for UEL apprenticeships in construction site management, construction design management, civil engineering site management and digital technology solutions. Professor Hassan Abdalla, Dean of the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering(ACE) said,

“ACE has been offering professionally accredited degrees for a number of years, coupled with good industry workplacements for students, and top-quality facilities. The new degree apprenticeship degree qualification is a natural progression of our aim to provide

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a seamless transition from education to employment.”

Around 200 highly competitive places will be available to suitable applicants, who will learn the essential skills, knowledge and behaviours for their chosen field, offering a unique academic and vocational qualification.

The design and delivery of the new courses has been carried out in consultation with the School’s industry partners, including Costain, Thames Water, Atkins, Crossrail, Fujitsu and Siemens. Input from Network Rail, TfL, BT, Oracle and Accenture helped to develop the professional standards for the courses.

Professor Nora Colton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) has played an instrumental role in bringing the higher and degree apprenticeships to UEL. Professor Colton said,

“In an increasingly competitive jobs market, employers are looking for wellqualified, job-ready graduates, which is exactly what our new courses will provide.

The mix of vocational and professional competency training and solid theoretical learning will put our apprenticeship students in good stead for the future.”

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Apprenticeships are highly valued in industry, with governmentbacked research showing that employers view qualified higher apprentices as 25 percent more employable than those who took another route into work.

The same research also suggests that those with a higher apprenticeship could see increased earnings of around ÂŁ150,000 over a lifetime. Similar research findings were found by education think tank, the Sutton Trust.

UEL is also opening a University Technical College for 14-18 years olds in September this year. Students will benefit from specialist design and engineering apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3, with the opportunity to pursue a degree apprenticeship with UEL at levels 4-6.

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UEL All the latest happenings at UEL, keep up-to-date with what has been going on at your University.

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Swimming star Aimee Willmott became the second University of East London (UEL) student to qualify for this summer’s Rio Olympics after she was named in the 26-strong Team GB swimming squad.

By the time you read this Aimee, who is studying for a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, will have competed at her second Olympics following her Team GB debut at London 2012.

Immediately after the team announcement, Aimee tweeted,

“So happy to have been picked to represent GB at my second Olympic Games.

Rio here I come!”

Aimee’s selection was confirmed after her strong showing at the British Championships and Olympic Trials in Glasgow, where she won three medals, including a gold in the 200 metres butterfly.

In her main event, the 400m individual medley, Aimee was narrowly beaten by

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Commonwealth champion Hannah Miley but her time of 4min 35.52sec was inside British Swimming’s selection criteria.

Having won two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, Aimee is hopeful she can add to her medal collection in Rio. She is currently ranked fourth in the world in the 400 metres individual medley after posting a time of 4min 34.82 in Antwerp earlier this year.

Aimee, 23, combines studying at UEL’s Docklands campus with training at the London 2012 Olympic pool as part of the London Aquatics Centre Performance Programme (LACPP).

Lisa Bates, LACPP head coach, said,

“We’re all ecstatic that Aimee has made the team.

The way the team has been selected, Aimee wouldn’t be in the team if she wasn’t in medal territory. She’s going to be very competitive in Rio.”

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UEL ROAD TO RIO: SWIMMER AIMEE WILLMOTT ‘SO HAPPY’ TO BE SELECTED FOR OLYMPICS

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UEL AND NEWHAM COLLEGE TO DEVELOP NEW STATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

The University of East London has joined forces with Newham College of Further Education (NC) to develop a new strategic partnership that will bring exciting benefits to students in east London.

The two institutions, who are campus neighbours, have set up a ‘joint project’ to map out key areas of cooperation with the aim of developing a more coordinated approach to Further and Higher Education provision in the local area.

The new partnership was cemented by the signing of a memorandum of understanding at a launch event at UEL’s Docklands campus in April.

Professor Joughin, ViceChancellor of UEL, said, “The synergies that exist between FE and HE are of increasing importance for all of us. This strategic partnership between our two institutions will provide significant future opportunities for our local community.”

The focus of the alliance will be to provide courses across the two institutions with clear progression routes and, ultimately, to secure an integrated pathway from Further to Higher Education in the local 14

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area. The vision is to ensure that everyone with the ability to benefit from Further and Higher Education can do so with courses that are accessible, affordable and appropriate to them.

Di Gowland, Principal of Newham College, said, “We are delighted to be developing a strategic partnership between two of the largest providers of Further and Higher Education in London. This will enable Newham College and the University of East London to develop an unrivalled range of seamless education opportunities for both local people and our wider communities.”

The alliance allows both UEL and NC to continue with their own individual, distinctive areas of activity tailored to their respective missions.

One of the key areas of collaboration between the two institutions will be sharing knowledge about the educational and skills needs of the local area, its learners and employers to assess how well the supply of Further and Higher Education courses meets demand in east London.

its low energy use, environmental comfort and noise control.

UEL’S STRATFORD LIBRARY WINS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD AT PROPERTY ‘OSCARS’ UEL’s Stratford library has won a prestigious Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) award in recognition of its stateof-the-art, low-energy design.

The library, which opened in 2013 at a cost of £14 million, won the ‘Design through Innovation’ category, beating off competition from the Wimbledon Arts Studio and the University of the Arts.

“We’re delighted that our library at Stratford has won the RICS award for innovation,” said Peter Thompson, UEL’s Head of Estates.

“We strive to adopt new ways of delivering services to our students and to give them the very best opportunities to learn in world-class facilities. This award recognises the innovations that

have been achieved and is very welcome.”

The Stratford library has a BREEAM Excellent rating.

BREEAM is the world’s foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings.

The library raises the bar on low-energy design by focusing on operational energy. Despite being in use 24/7, it consumes less than half the energy of UEL’s other campus buildings.

Its success hinges on its intelligent design, with energy being supplied only when needed.

The RICS award is the latest in a string of accolades for the innovative building, which has been recognised elsewhere for Summer / Autumn 2016

Lynn Robinson, Director of RICS South, said, “Every year the RICS Awards attract a significant number of quality entries and this year was no different.

Selecting this year’s shortlist of 41 schemes was a challenge as the talent, vision and exceptional skills behind them was nothing short of remarkable.”

“It goes without saying that our judging panel of ten industry experts found deciding upon the eight category winners particularly tough, not to mention the overall Project of the Year title.”

The eight regional category winners – Building Conservation, Community Benefit, Commercial, Design through Innovation, Infrastructure, Regeneration, Residential and Tourism & Leisure – will now progress to the RICS Awards Grand Final in October 2016 at The London Hilton.

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ANOTHER ACCOLADE FOR UEL’S AWARDWINNING ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

The quality of the University of East London’s architecture department has been recognised by the Guardian University Guide.

The prestigious guide to UK higher education has ranked the University second best for architecture in London and 11th best in the country in its 2017 league table, which was published earlier this year in May. The statistics represent a rise from third place to second in London and a significant climb of 15 places in the national standings. It is just the latest accolade for the department, which is part of UEL’s School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering.

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In the 2015 National Student Survey, UEL students gave architecture a 98 per cent ‘overall satisfaction’ rating, which was the highest score in London.

Two UEL architecture lecturers were also part of the design collective that won the Turner Prize 2015 - the UK’s most prestigious visual arts award.

Carl Callaghan, Head of Architecture at UEL, commented, “We are delighted to be recognised by the Guardian as second best in London for architecture.”

“This improvement is due to the success of our students and excellent teaching by staff in architecture and design.”

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“Our recent leavers are also excelling. We are thrilled that Ruth McIntyre, who graduated from UEL in 2014, has recently won Best Young Woman Architect at The European Women In Construction & Engineering Awards.”

“We are also very indebted to the outstanding contribution made to the School by the Sto Foundation, who sponsored out international lecture series, and to national and international practitioners who contribute to the teaching, reviews and lecture series.”

RUGBY GREAT JASON LEONARD OBE ‘VERY PROUD’ TO RECEIVE HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON

World cup winner Jason Leonard OBE was acknowledged for his services to rugby union when he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of East London at its annual Sports Awards ceremony.

Jason, whose 114 appearances for the Red Rose make him England’s most capped player, was a member of the 2003 World Cup-winning squad and won four Grand Slams.

In 2015, he became the first player from the professional era to be elected as President of the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

Jason, who was born in Barking and began his rugby career at the local club, said his east London roots made him especially proud to be honoured by UEL. “It’s a huge tribute and is something I’m very proud of,” he said. “It means a lot to be recognised by the area where I grew up.“east London is always going to have a special place in my heart. I still have a strong affiliation with Barking Rugby Summer / Autumn 2016

Club and I still do a lot of work in the area with charities and schools. “For me, it’s always a pleasure to go back and give something to the area. I’ve played rugby all over the world but to go back and pass on my experiences is an honour.” Jason was awarded an MBE in 2002 and an OBE two years later but admitted he was taken aback when he learned he was being made an honorary Doctor of Science by UEL. “When I opened the letter, I couldn’t believe it,” he said.

“As it got closer and closer to the event, it began to sink in and you feel proud of being given the opportunity to receive this award.

I have heard nothing but good things about the university. It’s on the rise and growing. I know for a fact that it’s gone up the sporting table recently. I get an impression of real pride from both the students and staff that they’re part of something special.

They seem like a real family.”

Jason’s conferment was watched by hundreds of UEL’s most successful sporting students at the University’s Sports Awards ceremony at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in June. Among them was Olympic swimmer Aimee Willmott, who took home the Individual Achievement award.

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Love is 18

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By Daniel Blackman

Not many people can claim to have beaten Ant and Dec to a prestigious television award but UEL alumna Nicola Lloyd has the BAFTA to prove it.

The award is sitting on her desk at the Holborn offices of TV production company Twenty Twenty after she and her colleagues scooped the prize of Best Reality and Constructed Factual Show for their work on the hit Channel 4 series First Dates.

Nicola, a 38-year-old UEL Communication Studies graduate and now executive producer of the hugely popular fly-on-the-wall dating show, recalls the moment at the British Academy Television Awards in May when the announcement came that they had triumphed over I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, Gogglebox and The Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds. “It was a shock to win,” she says. “My heart was racing. It was a complete adrenaline rush

walking down to the stage. The team and I went from spectators to winners in a moment.”

So how did the daughter of a prison psychologist mother and a PE teacher father find herself on stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall receiving the industry’s highest accolade?

“Life began in Glastonbury, but when I was still young we moved to London, so I finished my primary school and went to Wanstead High School in east London for a year,” she says. “Because of mum’s job we moved around a lot.”

The family, including Nicola’s older sister and young brother, later moved to the spa town of Cheltenham, on the cusp of the Cotswolds.

“Then the time came to think about university and careers thankfully, I knew what I was good at and what I wanted to do,” Nicola recalls. “I enjoyed creative subjects like drama, and I was good at English, so journalism or TV was the natural path to follow.”

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Nicola decided to move back to east London to study for a degree in Communication Studies at UEL in 1999. Studying at the Barking campus and living in Redbridge Halls, both now closed, she excelled academically and socially.

“The course was perfect,” she says. “It really spoke to me, and being in London made it the best place for media networking.

“There was one unit where we had to find two weeks of work experience, which I found at Marie Claire magazine.

I ended up getting a first for my coursework and presentation.

The mix of study and real-life work experience made all the difference. It’s UEL’s unique selling point.”

Soon after graduating, Nicola secured her first job with TV post-production company Blue Turtle, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Although her career has taken her all over the world – she was in Los Angeles last year to help oversee the filming of an American version of First Dates and she’s off to France soon with the show’s now-famous French maitre d’, Fred Sirieix – she has made east London her home.

“I moved into a flat with uni

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friends after graduating and we lived together for about four or five years, which was great.

It’s amazing how the area has changed.”

She now lives in Dalston with her husband, Adam, who runs his own celebrity temporary tattoo business. And no, they didn’t meet on a blind date.

“I met my husband on set in Ibiza back in 2008 as we were working on a show together,” she says.

“Four years later he whisked me back to Ibiza and asked me to marry him. Everyone was actually surprised he managed to pull it offwithout me realising before.”

Nicola is hoping there will be more wedding bells soon – for two of the couples who have appeared on First Dates and have since announced their engagement.

“Maybe we’ll wrangle wedding invites,” she laughs.

The show, in which single people in search of love are filmed on a blind first date in a London restaurant, is as popular for its mismatches as its success stories, but Nicola says the production team make every effort possible to find people who are compatible.

“The first thing to know is that everyone in the team is so passionate about matching the right people,”

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she says. “We really want them to be happy and find love.”

“When it comes to matching people, the walls are covered with applicant profiles drawn from the 100,000-plus people who apply. The buzz and energy in the room is something to behold. There’s a lot of passion, and we spend a lot of time really trying to understand a person, their story and what they are looking for.”

Thanks to the discrete, fly-onthe-wall filming, there are no directors shouting ‘action’ or ‘cut’ in the restaurant. The naturalistic style captures all the excitement, nerves and awkward first compliments that have endeared the show to millions of TV viewers.

Throw in the honey-tongued wisdom of Fred, the patter of Merlin the barman and the waiting staff who step in to help things along, and it is clear that Nicola and her team have found a winning formula.

“We are doing things the old fashioned way,” she says. “because of websites and Tinder make dating feel disposable. It’s not what people are looking for. So have a meal, be vulnerable, be positive and be who you are.”

Seq UEL Our amazing alumni on life after University

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STEVEN FENDRY, MBA INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, 2015

He added, ‘I chose to study at UEL because the MBA programme was flexible and allowed me to travel as often as possible, which is a passion of mine – a passion which I have turned into a flourishing business.”

Steven only graduated from his MBA International Business programme last year. Since leaving us he has really been on a journey.

We asked Steven what he enjoyed most about his time at UEL and here is what he had to say, “I enjoyed living in the city of London. It was a great experience and not even in the same ball park as what I would have experienced if I stayed in the US. London is one of the world’s largest hubs for international business, which is what I wanted to study. Living in a massive international business hub provides much better context for international business than a small college town.”

After graduating from UEL, American-born Steven took on the role of Strategic Investments Analyst for a Fortune 500 company. He said, “Without my MBA from UEL I would have never been considered for the position.”

“You don’t have to imagine the workings of international business from a text book. You are thrown into the middle of it every time you step out of your front door.”

“In addition, I never understood why one would study international business in one’s native country.

It’s like being a primatologist and never having spent time with a primate. The complexities that come from being international are so much better understood by actual international experience.

Being an American, my experience in the UK was so valuable, and not just for refining my preferences in tea (Yorkshire if you’re wondering).”

It was while he was in this post that he came up with the idea for Wanderös, which he founded in 2015. The company offers remote professionals and creatives the opportunity to explore dozens of countries across the globe over the course of six, 12 or 18 months with other passionate travellers, handling all travel, lodging and logistics so that customers can focus on work, passions, and enjoying their travel experience.

Steven said, “My experience and education at UEL helped prepare me with the skills I needed to effectively strategise and manage a company with so many moving parts.”

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When we spoke to Steven he had some great advice to offer to other alumni. “I would tell alumni (and students alike) two things,” he said. “The first being that one’s education should never be ‘done’. If you stopped learning since having left school, your skills, potential and competitiveness have started to stagnate. Learn more always.”

“The second thing I would say is if you want to find the opportunities that you are interested in, get creative. There is a whole world of opportunity and there is no reason you have to take the same paths to success that anyone else has taken.”

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KATHLEEN WARMINGER, INDEPENDENT STUDY, 1996

For many years Kathleen has performed with an Irish storyteller at prestigious festivals and venues as far afield as the Yukon, as well as visiting schools, libraries, museums, heritage sites and community groups. They work with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

In recent years they have successfully launched a volume of folk tales about County Antrim, published

by The History Press, Ireland, which is selling well both on and off line.

Recalling her time at UEL, Kathleen said, “I had a most enlightening time personally and academically.

The nature of independent study threw people of such diverse ages, backgrounds and interests together,”

Kathleen is a traditional Irish singer.

She has had both a successful solo career as well as being a vocalist with a renowned trad band, recording and touring extensively with them for eight years. She notes appearing at Glastonbury in 2005 as one of the highlights of her career.

“For me, it was an educational experience far beyond the subject I was seeking to research. It allowed for me to understand a little of the structures and conditioning, both institutional and social, that determine success and/or failure in education.

The space for this dialogue, running concurrently with engaging with academic concepts and methods, was not always easy, but ultimately possible.

Surprisingly to me, it was within my grasp.

Having confidence to examine literature, culture, art and social issues still remains hugely beneficial to me as a folk artist. I share my traditional Irish background as a writer, and in song and story, with audiences of every age, background and ability.”

Kathleen has one piece of advice she would like to share with other UEL graduates.

“Learning is life-long and hugely individual and I would never presume to be able to advise others, but I find good old fashioned manners will help you go far,” she said.

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UEL and community enjoy inaugural Voices East festival An afternoon of thunderstorms couldn’t dampen the fun at UEL’s Voices East festival held in june of this year, as a lively family fun day wrapped up UEL’s inaugural civic engagement festival.

Voices East offered panel discussions, workshops, musical performances, food trucks, a bouncy castle and much more over three days at the Stratford campus. The festival showcased and celebrated the University’s many civic engagement initiatives. A lecture by Professor Carl Hart of Columbia University and a well-attended reception opened the festivities on Thursday evening.

Panel discussions ran all day Friday, drawing experts who spoke on subjects ranging from raising awareness of tuberculosis to responding to the refugee crisis to building education opportunities in east

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London. Participants from the London and Global Scholars programmes also gave special presentations.

Dr Aura Lounasmaa, a lecturer at UEL, spent most of Friday at Voices East. Aura works with Dr Corinne Squire on the ‘University for All’ civic engagement project, which offers refugees in the Calais Jungle classes on telling one’s life story. Corinne introduced the panel discussion on refugees.

Aura said Voices East “is a really, really good idea.”

“It’s been a good day,” she said.

“It’s been a relaxed day – and I think that’s very important because we’ve had a lot of people come from outside of UEL who have been involved with these projects and they’ve felt it has been a relaxed and comfortable environment to come and talk about their work.”

Student Rebecca Millen hosted a booth for the ‘Afreec’ civic engagement project, which helps disabled people in Zimbabwe.

Afreec was one of many other civic engagement projects which hosted informational booths at the festival.

“I’ve connected with so many people from different UEL departments.

I can’t wait to collaborate with some of the people I’ve met here,” Rebecca said.

The Stratford campus opened its doors to the community on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, in particular, locals turned up to enjoy a bouncy castle, face-painting, circus training, balloon animals and more.

“It’s nice for the community,” said Stratford resident Julie Nash, who brought her two daughters to Voices East. “It gets people out. We get to meet other people. It’s especially nice for the kids.”

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After graduating, Raj secured a position at Coventry City Football Club in a commercial capacity.

He worked there for 14 years before moving to Watford FC as commercial director and, four years later, switching to Glasgow Rangers FC to head up their commercial team.

He is currently chief commercial officer at Port Vale FC and CEO of Arena Red Ltd, which consults for several professional football league clubs. Raj is a strong advocate of UEL and has been back to the University to speak to students about his successful career in the football industry.

Raj said he choose to study at UEL because of how helpful staff were when he was choosing his degree course. He also praised the academic staff.

“The University lecturers were very supportive,” he said. “There was a vibrant atmosphere amongst the students and great London attractions on your doorstep. UEL gave me the hunger and desire to better myself. It’s why I am where I am today.’

His one bit of advice for all alumni and current students is: “Faith and belief are essential to achieving what you want in life, be it professional or personal. So never give up.”

As a graduate of the University of East London, from as little as £20 a month you can enjoy our worldclass SportsDock facility, including our Fitness Centre, our Strength & Conditioning Room and a range of exercise classes in the Studio.

It’s even cheaper when you pay for an annual membership, so be sure to check out all the information at www.sportsdock.co.uk and start your fitness journey with us today!

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Henry Utku

Soaring to success Henry Utku graduated from UEL in 2013 from a degree in Sports Science. A basketball player for the University, he now works on basketball operations and events for the National Basketball Association (NBA) – a role he took up straight after leaving university.

Reflecting on why he decided to study at UEL, Henry said, “I decided to study at UEL because it gave me the ability to continue focusing on the sport I loved while also studying. I learnt a lot of things in the classroom such as physio, strength and conditioning and nutritional information which I could put into practice on the court. All of these made me the athlete I am today.”

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The UEL basketball team won both the league and the cup while Henry was playing – an achievement which is still a source of pride for Henry.When asked about his time at UEL, Henry said, “The professionalism and support of the sport staff is great. David Cosford, the Director of Sport, was a large reason for me joining UEL because of my experience working with him in Norwich at the UEA Sportspark.

“Matthew Tansley was a huge support during my year at UEL. Having someone who supports and cares about the scholarship athletes is such an important asset. Finally, Richard Buscombe was my tutor during my time at UEL and supported me throughout my degree at UEL. He is a great teacher and someone I enjoyed learning from.”

Good work Team UEL in helping Henry get where he is today.

If you would like more information on sports scholarships at UEL visit: uel.ac.uk/Sport/ Scholarships

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A real inspiration Funke Oham

Earlier this year, the fourth Inspirational Woman Awards took place at UEL’s University Square Stratford campus. Funke said, “UEL really supported me to keep this vision alive. The event brings together inspirational individuals who encourage, motivate and inspire each other to achieve their goals.”

Funke is also a published author as well as an award-winning social entrepreneur, public speaker and qualified life and performance coach with several years’ experience coaching and mentoring women.

Funke turned her own life around from the tragedy of losing two babies into a support group that helps other mothers who have suffered the same painful but often hidden tragedy. She also campaigns on maternal and neonatal issues. Her first book, Always a Mum: How I survived my baby loss, addresses issues of motherhood in relation to loss, faith and loss, living again after loss and finding purpose in pain.

Funke Oham is passionate about encouraging and inspiring women to discover their purpose and maximise their potential.

Since graduating with a psychology degree at UEL in 2002, she has spearheaded the concept of a ‘Women Mentoring Women’ network to connect, support and isnpire women to be all they were created to be.

Her recent initiative, ‘Inspirational Woman Awards’, celebrates International Women’s Day and recognises inspirational women who have risen above adversity to inspire individuals to live their dream.

She is behind the website Always a Mum (AaM), which is for any woman who has experienced the loss of a baby or is trying for a baby. Having experienced a “little delay” before conceiving, she uses this as a medium to reach out to other women who are trying to make sense of their pain by telling her story.

You can find out more about Funke’s initiatives on the following websites:

www.inspirationalwomanawards.com www.womenmentoringwomen.me www.alwaysamum.com

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Healthy enterprise A brand new range of allergy-friendly health foods for nurseryaged children won the University of East London’s 2015 E-Factor entrepreneurship final in London, last November.

The final was held at the prestigious Level 39 venue in Canary Wharf, where My Gammies Ltd beat off strong competition to secure a £6,000 investment and a range of business support in the coming year.

UEL psychology student Rebekha Gooden and her mother and business partner, Marie-Anne Rasé, a UEL alumna, impressed judges with their range of fresh bread, waffles, cupcakes, energy bars and cassava chips free of wheat, gluten, dairy and nuts.

We were lucky enough to grab some of Rebekha’s time to ask her a few questions for Now and Then.

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Now and Then

Tell us a bit about your story?

My name is Rebekha. I joined UEL in 2012 to study psychology due to my interest in counselling. I have a four-year-old daughter, Ly’ora, so the majority of my time is spent between being a mum, completing my studies and growing my business. I have just finished my final year at the University and it has been tough juggling everything while aspiring to attain my degree. Having said that, my studies have really flown by and I have enjoyed the journey.

Despite my struggles, I will miss being a student.

What gave you the idea to set up My Gammies?

The idea to start up My Gammies originated from my daughter, Ly’ora. Although she was born a healthy baby, she developed eczema at a young age which would flare up if she ingested dairy. She also developed a potentially fatal peanut allergy as well as a violent intolerance to wheat and eggs. I was not prepared for one food allergy, let alone several which effected the quality of both our lives.

We struggled through reoccurring asthma, eczema, eating, playing, financial and social issues, among other problems.. My knowledge regarding eczema,

asthma, food allergies and intolerances were limited so researching became a basic necessity.

I recognised the lack of knowledge, advice, safe food availability, natural remedies and social understanding that Ly’ora and I had really needed.

The last straw for me was having to provide every meal for my daughter at nursery while I studied full time. It took a major toll on me and my studies. Not only did I feel a lack of support from Ly’ora’s nursery but I felt judged and was made to feel as though I was exaggerating my daughter’s needs.

I think it is safe to say that every chapter in my daughter’s life has contributed to what gave my mother and I the idea to provide natural, safer, healthier food alternatives and information to the public. After my mother established a bread recipe that my daughter could safely consume, we realised that we should sell our products so that other parents and children could benefit with us.

What’s next?

I plan to immerse myself fully in ‘My Gammies’.

I also plan to finish our academic and business version of our first ‘My Gammies’ book on food allergy and intolerance.

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What is it like working so closely with your mother?

I learn a lot from my mum’s experience and her character. Other than the fact that she is the sole investor, she has always been business orientated and this is a massive asset to our business.

Naturally, we have challenging moments, especially when we are both tired, but overall it is great as we know each other’s strengths, weaknesses and can read each other well.

Therefore, being a mother and daughter team, we know when to back off or end meetings early. We are able to be very frank with each other without holding back and we use our different skills to our advantage. The main asset of working with my mum is that I can trust her fully and explicitly.

Our business is not motivated by finance but by the trauma of watching your child suffer day after day and therefore there is literally no better business partner than my own mother, who has experienced this with her own children and now her granddaughter, Ly’ora.

How has UEL helped you get where you are today?

Today I have just finished my fourth year of studying psychology while managing my first allergy-friendly food business and being a full-time mother.

UEL has been a major factor in helping me get to this position in more ways than one. Firstly, my psychology degree has at many times given me insight into various topics and given me priceless skills that I have been able to apply in real life as a mother to my daughter.

UEL has also enabled my business, ‘My Gammies’, to be formulated and grow rapidly through the UEL’s enterprise and innovation team, who managed the E-Factor 2015 competition in which my business came first.

From day one throughout the competition, the E-Factor team have been fantastic. Brigitta, Kadeza and Tim have been encouraging all along. As soon as they understood our business ideas and our

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challenges, they recommended materials and partnerships to help us move forward. An example is their recommendation of GetSetForGrowth – an agency that provides mentoring and guidance on financing a start-up business.

Another benefit has been the availability of UEL providing a space and environment for businesses like our own to meet up, work and continue our progress.

What are your favourite memories from your time at UEL? I must say that my first year at UEL studying my psychology extended degree was an absolute breath of fresh air. I loved my course, the other students and lecturers. My course content has always been very interesting and motivating.

Making new friends that I have been able to progress with over these past four years has also been priceless. Spending nights studying in the library and bumping into others from my course who were just as motivated was always really exciting, too. Keeping in touch with other students is a fun reminder that we are all in this together. This year I have really enjoyed being a mentor and giving advice to new starter students.

Would you recommend UEL to others?

Totally! Especially for women and mothers.

My mother is an alumna from UEL as well, which makes my journey so much more special to me.

We have both experienced being a student at UEL and being supported by the staff from a woman’s perspective.

If you could give one piece of advice to other UEL Students/Graduates, what would it be?

My advice would be to enjoy the journey. Yes it is stressful, but nothing worth having comes easy.

Now and Then

In search of my father

By Daniel Blackman

University of East London alumna Hannah Lowe is a poet, author, university lecturer and mother.

She studied for an MA in Refugee Studies at UEL from 1998-2000.

When we met, Hannah had just flown in from the United States after taking part in a panel discussion at Princeton University on the largely unknown history of migration from China to Jamaica.

Despite her busy schedule, she was happy to sit down with Now and Then to talk about her swift rise to academic and literary success.

Hannah, 39, was back at UEL to deliver a guest lecture on her book Long Time No See, which achieved fame in July 2015 when it was selected as BBC Radio 4’s book of the week.

In it, she recounts the twists and turns of her half-Chinese, half-Jamaican father, Ralph Lowe – affectionately known as ‘Chick’ by his many gambling partners.

“Growing up with my dad, Chick, was really a mix of the domestic and the criminal,” Hannah explained.

“He was a big gambler and loved playing poker, and knew plenty of dodgy characters. “Once, a couple of emerald dealers dug a hole in our garden with the intention of killing someone and burying them in it.

And there was always a steady supply of knock-off goods.” Long Time No See re-tells the story with verve and plenty of humour.

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“It’s about my dad’s amazing life but also the history of me growing up in the East End in the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s,” she said.

Hannah began her career with an administration job when she was 21 and just out of university but was soon restless for a change.

“One day I got home, already fed up with doing admin,” she said.

“I spotted an advert for an MA in Refugee Studies at UEL and decided to apply.”

Questions about migration, belonging and her father’s story of coming to east London in 1947 fired her interest in the subject.

It was around this time, however, that her father sadly died, leaving behind a 30-page notebook containing an incomplete autobiography.

‘Chick’ was the son of a Chinese father and Jamaican mother who was 15 years old when she gave birth to him.“He had a hard upbringing in Jamaica, and was really neglected by his father, who owned a grocery shop and fathered lots of children by different women,” said Hannah.

Ten years of teaching at a large,

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diverse inner-city college in London added fuel to Hannah’s interest in untold stories and histories like her father’s.

“I had his notebook and all these questions about his life and the unknown history of the Chinese in Jamaica,” she said.

“I spent years thinking about the issues and about my dad, but it wasn’t until I reached 30 that I decided to write his life.”

Using her father’s unfinished autobiography as a starting point, Hannah spent a summer trying to fill the gaps in his life history.

“My mum Betony and dad’s cousin Lorna were really helpful, telling all sorts of interesting stories, so I dedicated the book to both of them, and of course in loving memory of my dad.”

Hannah took a break to work on her PhD before resuming work on the book just months before she was due to give birth.

It was thanks to a radio producer, Jill Waters, that the book made it onto BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week programme in July 2015.

“Jill had an interest in ethnic literature, so when she spotted a review of my book she got in

Now and Then

touch,” said Hannah. “It was quite an experience reading parts of my book on the radio with James Bond actor Colin Salmon.”

Hannah, who has written several books of poetry, including a collection called ‘Chick’, is now working on two other big projects.

She said, “I’m going to publish my PhD as a book, which reexamines the idea that Caribbean migration to the UK began with the arrival of the Empire Windrush ship in 1948.

“In fact, my dad arrived a year before, in 1947, on the lesser known voyage of the SS Almanzora, so again I’m enjoying bringing to light a hidden story, and again my dad is part of that narrative.”

She is also researching for a book about the famous Jamaican jazz musician Joe Harriott, whom Hannah’s mother dated before meeting Chick.

You can find out more about Hannah’s writings by visiting her website https://hannahlowe.org/

Recent events Audience enjoys double helping of talks at ACEAlumni conference Nearly 100 alumni, students and staff turned out on the 8th March for the School of Architecture, Engineering and Computing’s annual alumni event – and enjoyed a double helping of expert talks.

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Guests had the chance to hear from internationally acclaimed architect Paul Monaghan, whose key projects in the workplace, arts, education and residential sectors have been recognised in national and international awards

Summer / Autumn 2016

and media. He counts the BBC and Metropolitan Police among his long list of famous clients.

Immediately after Paul’s talk, the audience heard from Chris Williamson, founder and partner of Western Williamson+Partners, who spoke about ‘transport orientated development’, with a special focus on some of the projects his firm is working on the most famous being Crossrail.

After a quick Q&A session both guests and speakers enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the topics covered over refreshments.

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The Launch of the 9UEL Indian chapter

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India is the largest economic power in south Asia. Its population of 1.2 billion makes it the second most populous in the world, and it is also home to an increasing number of UEL graduates. As London’s leading university for civic engagement, UEL hosted alumni events in Hyderabad and Chennai in order to strengthen ties with our Indian alumni.

The events took place on the 9th April at the prestigious ITC Kakatiya Hotel in Hyderabad and on the 11th April at the Vivanta

by Taj Connemara in Chennai.

They were both organised by by the alumni team and hosted by Professor Nora Ann Colton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). Also in attendance were: Professor Hassan Abdalla, Dean of the School of

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Architecture, Computing and Engineering; Professor Neville Punchard, Dean of the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience; Dr Muklesur Raham, Senior Lecturer from the School of Health Sport and Bioscience; and Mohamed Aziz-Shyllon from the UEL alumni team.

The aim of the events was to set-up an alumni chapters in both cities that will provide a networking platform for alumni to build important relationships, organise professional and fundraising events and to promote UEL. Professor Colton took the opportunity at both events to explain some of the great things UEL has achieved in recent years and the future targets that will add even more value to a UEL degree.

Now and Then

The alumni chapter was launched in Hyderabad with eight alumni volunteering to oversee its management. Alum Vineet Lingala contributed by sharing his unforgettable experience at UEL, concluding: “UEL not only made me a better person and an attractive employee but gave me my lovely wife.” The alumni chapter in Chennai will be launched in the future.

Alumni Officer Mohamed AzizShyllon said, “Organising the events in India was challenging as the alumni team has never travelled there before. However, there is huge potential waiting to be unlocked and I am looking forward to working on building the Indian Alumni Chapter.”

Annual School of 23Psychology alumni event

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Over 80 graduates, current students, staff and even some prospect students joined us for our 2016 School of Psychology alumni event on June the 23rd The reason for such a great turn out? A great speaker! The Alumni team were thrilled when expert psychologist, Dr Sam Wass whose name you may recognise from the hit Channel 4 series ‘The Secret Life of Four Year Olds’ agreed to be our speaker.

Sam who is one of three psychologists who provide expert analysis on the TV show as a group of four, five and six-olds interact in front of hidden cameras – often with hilarious results, has recently joined the academic team at UEL, and was happy to get on board with the event.

Sam is not only a TV star but a distinguished researcher in the

field of childhood development, having studied Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, where he specialised in developmental psychology. He also completed a PhD and a postdoctoral appointment at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, after which he worked at the Medical Research Council, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, in Cambridge, and in the Department of Psychology at Cambridge University.

Sam’s research specialises in understanding how concentration and stress develop during infancy and childhood, in both typical infants and those from atypical backgrounds such as children from low socio-economic status backgrounds, and children with family histories of disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. His work also involves developing new techniques to

Summer / Autumn 2016

train early concentration abilities in infants and young children from high-risk backgrounds.

His talk titled Does Facebook rot the brain gave an insight into how TV, computer games and the internet effect the brain. The talk looked behind the headlines at the scientific evidence and investigated whether these technologies really are damaging our brains.

With the subject area being such a hot topic, there was much discussion and debate that took place over the course of the evening, which finished up with a networking reception. Alumni Advancment Manager, Charlie Werren said, “It was a great event, we love working with the School of Psychology and Sam was a great speaker, the team is already looking forward to next years event.”

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Unhappy with your career?

Need help with career planning?

The Careers and Student Employability team (CaSE) extends support to all UEL graduates for a period of two years after they leave UEL.

What’s on offer?

•

• • • •

Careers guidance from a qualified and experienced consultant – Whatever you studied at UEL, we can pair you with a consultant who knows your area and can provide support with career planning, developing your CV and refining your interview techniques.

Jobs – In partnership with Spring Personnel, CaSE has recently launched The Employment Hub, offering hundreds of job opportunities at any time.

Work experience – If you need that vital relevant experience to help you land your ideal job, our Employer Engagement and Volunteering teams can help.

Professional mentoring – Support from an experienced business professional for up to four months.

Career development – An opportunity to gain a UEL Professional Development

Where can you learn more?

Check out what CaSE can offer you at www.uel.ac.uk/case.

We look forward to meeting you!

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Now and Then

10 MINUTE S W ITH...

Felippe Johann studied BA (Hons) Fashion Design at UEL and graduated in 2012, originally from Sao Paulo in Brazil, has been living in London for the last 13 years. After graduating, he worked as an online stylist for Selfridges for two years but quickly realised his true calling was in garment construction.

Felippe started freelancing at the beginning of last year and had the following to say about his recent change of direction: “I haven’t looked back. I’m really happy with my clients and with the work I have been producing.”

Felippe had been living in east London for 10 years when he decided to study at UEL after hearing about the strong

technical side to the course.

He said, “UEL made me realise that you have to put in the hours to be successful. It has to come from you and no one else.”

His advice for students? “Ask your lecturers all the questions possible. They are shaping your education and they will help you develop your skills. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

In this issue we feature two items Felippe has worked on as a fashion designer and creative pattern cutter – two very different pieces of work which are both fantastic in their own right.

If you would like to see more of Felippe’s work, please visit his website felippejohann.com

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Farida AW16 Neoprene coat and printed Jumpsuit - www.farida-apparel.com

FELIPPE JOHANNA

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Now and Then

House of Hackney SS16 Jumpsuit - www.houseofhackney.com