UWL Your University 2023 by University of West London (UWL) Alumni Community

Your University Your University

The magazine for UWL alumni and friends

Stage, Screen, and Sound Andrew T. Mackay Winter 2023 In this issue: WInSTEM (Women in STEM) UWL’s Food Innovation Centre Creating a Sustainable University The Singing Nurse 1

St Mary's Road, Ealing Campus.

Welcome

Your University

from the Vice-Chancellor and President Thanks to another extraordinary year, we can now confidently describe ourselves as a vibrant institution of higher learning where the highest quality scholarly and creative work is produced and shared, and where our commitment to teaching is unparalleled. In the recent Teaching Excellence Framework, for example, we gained a Gold for our teaching quality, and in the new National Student Survey our student experience was ranked third in England and the best in London for the fifth year running. Much of this will be enhanced by the opening of our first School of Medicine and a new Digital Futures Lab which will explore the opportunities afforded by Artificial Intelligence. Both will be housed in our new Uxbridge Road site where the new Institute for Policing Studies sits, as does the Hellenic Institute for Maritime Studies. In the coming year we are also planning a University Hub in Feltham to address low participation in the region. This year we also began using the largest combined heat pump and solar-photovoltaic installations in the world which will deliver savings of 529 tonnes of CO2e per annum and a significant reduction in natural gas consumption. This was in anticipation of the need for radical carbon reduction and likely world energy limitations. We are also leading with partners in Singapore and the USA, an innovative ‘up-cycling’ project where industrial food waste, like barley, eggs, and fruit, are re-used to create new, nutritious foods. These initiatives gave us a Platinum EcoCampus rating, so we are doing our bit for sustainability. The University of West London, your university, is therefore moving into a bold and exciting future guided by an ambitious new strategic plan Impact 2028. As a result, we continue to be a destination for the best and brightest, striking a balance between a highquality, rigorous curriculum and real-world experiential learning opportunities in and outside the classroom. This year has been even more invigorating because I managed to meet so many alumni; many of whom are making waves nationally and internationally. So, as we look to the future, it is important to glance back and recognise all those who have helped make the University what it is today and what it will be tomorrow. Once again, thank you all for your continued support as we move together into a bold and exciting future.

Professor Peter John CBE Vice-Chancellor and President University of West London

Your University

Contents 6

Welcome to our Biomed Alumni

Introducing the first graduates from the School of Biomedical Science

8 University Updates

A Woman's Place is in the Lab Introducing WInSTEM

AI Invites you to our Alumni Reception Your University embracing AI

You-WL Almuni benefits from your university

Stage, Screen and Sound Olivier nominated theatre composer Andrew T. Mackay

Your University

Meet the Staff Dr Dinusha Weerawardane

YOUR UNIVERSITY contributors: Markus Beeken Alumni Relations Officer

Nicola Conway Head of Development and Alumni Relations

The Alumni Awards Meet the winners of the 2023 UWL Almuni Awards

Oliver Cobb Data and Operations Manager Maria Finol Alumni Relations Assistant

Meet the Students Maryam Ahmed: The 2023 Cathie Wallace Scholarship recipient

Shafinaz Shaikh Alumni Relations Assistant Claire Williams Photography Photo Credits: Timothy Anderson

24 17

Alumni Events A round-up of what our Alumni Community have been up to

The Future of Food

Phil Goodson Page 27: Shon Emmanuel Page 27: Emmanuel Edwards Additional Copywriting: John Devlin Design: Moox Creative Design Printed by: McLays

UWL's Food Innovation Centre

Office of Development and Alumni Relations University of West London St Mary’s Road Ealing, London W5 5RF

A Better World How UWL is bringing about change

The Signing Nurse Alumni and star of TV's The Voice, Anthonia Edwards

Upcoming Events

+44 (0)20 8231 0188 alumni.uwl.ac.uk alumni@uwl.ac.uk University of West London uwlalumni uwlalumni To ensure you keep receiving your copy of the magazine, details of upcoming events and the latest news, please update your contact details at alumni.uwl.ac.uk/register

Your University

Welcome to our Biomed Alumni In July 2023, our alumni community grew a little larger when we welcomed the very first graduates from the School of Biomedical Sciences. UWL’s School of Biomedical Sciences launched in September 2020. Centered on industry-focused learning and teaching in fully-equipped laboratories, the school educates aspiring scientists in genetics, immunology, pharmacology, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics – as well as helping students develop their understanding of how these underlie human disease. As our knowledge of diseases and how to treat them continually develops, Biomedical Science is one of the world's fastestgrowing fields. We are immensely proud to be contributing fresh minds, fired with enthusiasm and ready to make their mark.

Kadiatou Bah studied a BSc in Pharmacology, winning second prize for presenting their research at a symposium celebrating new graduates. Your University asked her to reflect on her time studying with us. “My time at UWL has been incredible. I’ve learned so much and enjoyed all my time here. It’s hard to pinpoint which moment has been my favourite while at UWL. I’ve made so many great memories that I will keep with me forever, and that’s all thanks to the amazing friends I made while being here. “Now, I’m starting a summer internship in the Biomedical labs at UWL, but I aspire to be a doctor one day.”

Professor Richard Morgan

Professor Richard Morgan, Dean of the School of Biomedical Sciences was present to see his first cohort of graduates cross the stage during our graduation ceremony at Twickenham Stadium: “I felt tremendously pleased and proud to see our first students from the School’s BSc Biomedical Sciences and BSc Pharmacology courses graduate. It is a culmination of all their hard work, and that of all the staff in the school and elsewhere in the University who have helped ensure they leave us with the very best preparation for a career in their chosen area. We all wish them every success in the future, and look forward to hearing from them again – they know that we are still here to help them even after they have left the University.” ■

Your University

University Updates UWL enjoys fantastic NSS results The University of West London once again performed excellently in the 2023 National Student Survey, where across an average of all questions, we came first in London, and third in England. We’re proud that our Students' Union also ranked first in London and third in the UK. The survey gives millions of students across the UK the chance to share their views on their student experience. It looks for feedback on everything from the quality of teaching, support for mental health and wellbeing to resources and equipment. Professor Peter John CBE, our ViceChancellor and President said: “These latest results are recognition by our student community of the support and care, and teaching excellence that we consistently deliver for them. This is yet another year of outstanding results of which we are very proud.” ■

Dr Emma Pybas wins ’40 under 40 award’

UWL lecturer recognised as one of Business Elite Awards’ ‘40 under 40’ Dr Emma Pybus, Senior Lecturer at UWL’s Claude Littner Business School (CLBS), was recognised in the ’40 under 40’ young business leaders list at the Business Elite Awards on 15 June. The awards are a prestigious global programme that identifies outstanding young executives and entrepreneurs.

As well as teaching about innovation, creativity and digital futures on the MSc Digital Marketing course at UWL, Dr Pybus is co-director of a digital marketing agency. She has delivered professional digital marketing training to numerous businesses across Europe. ■

UWL Professor named editor-in-chief of new international scientific journal NDT Professor Fabio Tosti, Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of The Faringdon Research Centre for Non-Destructive Testing and Remote Sensing – a world expert on ground penetrating radar and remote sensing technologies – has been appointed editor-in-chief of new international peerreviewed open access journal NDT.  F ind out more about our recent

successes by visiting: News | University of West London

Non-destructive testing science consists of a variety of non-invasive inspection techniques used in many areas of

science, including civil engineering and green infrastructure to evaluate natural habitats, material properties, components, and entire infrastructures. UWL has a strong history and commitment to non-destructive testing solutions. The Faringdon Research Centre uses both hardware and softwarebased methods, looking for the best ways of assessing damage to the natural and built environments. ■

Your University

A Woman’s Place... ...is in the Lab Introducing WInSTEM

Your University

At UWL, we are increasing our efforts to get more women into the sciences through the outstanding efforts of our WInSTEM (Women in STEM) committee. WInSTEM began at UWL’s School of Computing and Engineering, under the determined leadership of Associate Professor in Mathematics and School of Computing and Engineering Lead of Professional Engagement, Dr Anastasia Sofroniou. The committee aims to provide inspiration, motivation, and support to women and girls wanting to pursue studies or careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) subjects. With so many exciting opportunities in STEM fields, it is essential to encourage a diverse range of voices, backgrounds, and approaches. The sciences have traditionally been a male-dominated space, but WInSTEM encourages remarkable female students through school visits, online talks, guest lectures, and social events. Through WInSTEM, high school students were given the chance to perform experiments at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Aiming to raise awareness of their work, members of the committee also ran the London Half Marathon. Dr Sofroniou shared a little about the ethos behind WInSTEM with us: “Some subjects and topics may diffuse as time evolves, but thankfully, there will always be science, technology, engineering, and most definitely we will always have mathematics, laying the foundations for complex thinking abilities. WInSTEM underlines that STEM subjects are reachable to everyone, promoting fairness of gender and ethnicity yet also emphasising the diverse contributions of women in these sectors.” We asked a few of our female STEM academics to talk about their experiences, and why it’s important to get women into the sciences:

UWL’s WInSTEM Committee works to get young women into STEM

“Involving women in the sciences is crucial as it not only upholds their fundamental rights in society but also breaks down longstanding gender barriers. By encouraging women’s participation in STEM fields, we promote equal access to education, career opportunities, and economic empowerment, fostering a more inclusive society where talent and innovation know no gender boundaries.” Dr Nagham Saeed – Associate Professor in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

“I joined UWL in 1990 and have taken up many academic job roles within computing, starting as a lecturer to my present role of Computing Subject Head/Quality Lead.Computing is all around us from Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, to Information Systems; more women should be encouraged to this arena. I am passionate about my job and love doing what I do!” Fehmida Mohamedali – School of Computing and Engineering Lead of Quality and Teaching

“As an engineer and a researcher, I unconditionally believe that women’s active involvement in science is crucial and must be promoted. Our presence in STEM fields not only addresses gender disparities but also enhances the quality of research and innovation. Diverse perspectives, like ours, help tackle complex challenges with a broader lens, ultimately paving the way for a more inclusive, equitable, and progressive scientific community.” Dr Livia Lantini – Lecturer in Civil Engineering

“In the midst of today's technological advancements, it's both astonishing and motivating that women continue to strive for their place in the engineering world. Women are just as proficient in STEM disciplines as men, and when we collaborate, extraordinary ideas and projects emerge as a result.” Dr Nadia Djaid – Lecturer in Electrical and Electronic Engineering

“As a woman who grew up in a maledominated country, I have always had to contend with male counterparts to progress. I’ve been living in the UK for the past 17 years, getting married, raising two children, and working as a full-time academic. This experience has forged me into a stronger and more resilient person, setting an inspiring example for my daughter.” Dr Hanieh Khalili – Associate Professor in Pharmaceutics

While there may still be a lot of work to do in promoting equality and opportunity, UWL is proud to be doing our part for women in the sciences! ■

 If you want to find out more, or see

how you can get involved, please visit the WInSTEM page on our website: WInSTEM: Encouraging, supporting and celebrating women in STEM

Your University

AI Invites you to our Alumni Reception The rise of AI is having a massive impact on every field, and the Higher Education sector is no exception. To stay ahead of the curve, we asked a chat bot to put together an advert for a swanky Alumni Event. [Opening shot: A vibrant and bustling university campus with students engaged in various activities.] Narrator: Attention, esteemed graduates of the University of West London! [Cut to a series of images showcasing successful alumni in their respective fields.] Narrator: Are you ready to reconnect, reminisce, and reignite the flames of inspiration? [Cut to a diverse group of alumni gathered in a beautifully decorated event venue, engaging in conversation and laughter.] Narrator: We proudly present the highly anticipated University of West London Alumni Event, where memories become treasures and friendships become lifelong bonds.

[Upbeat background music starts playing.] Narrator: Join us for an unforgettable evening of celebration and networking with fellow alumni from different generations, faculties, and backgrounds. [Cut to footage of prominent keynote speakers, followed by alumni applauding and engaging in lively discussions.] Narrator: This year, we have lined up an extraordinary array of renowned guest speakers who have excelled in their fields, ready to share their invaluable experiences and insights.

chefs. Expand your knowledge and ignite your curiosity by participating in dynamic workshops, thought-provoking panel discussions, and interactive sessions designed to challenge your intellect. [Transition to footage of alumni exchanging business cards, shaking hands, and forming new connections.] Narrator: Explore the vibrant campus, witness the evolution of our state-of-the-art facilities, and experience the innovation that has propelled the University of West London to new heights. [Background music fades out.]

[Quick shots of delicious food and drinks being served, highlighting the exquisite catering.] Narrator: As the aroma of delectable cuisine fills the air, indulge in a sumptuous feast fit for champions, prepared by our talented alumni

Narrator: Don't miss out on this extraordinary occasion! Visit our website or scan the QR code on-screen to secure your place at the University of West London Alumni Event today! [Fade out with the UWL logo and event details.] ■

You-WL

Your University

Alumni benefits from your university

There are many ways in which our alumni enrich the university community, but how can we help you? Check out all the ways we can continue to support you regardless of when you graduated. Alumni Cards: Having an alumni card is the most reliable way to ensure you remain engaged with UWL. Cards don’t cost a thing, and they remain valid for five years. From continued access to campus, borrowing rights at the library and a discount on SU Gym Membership, the Alumni Card is your key to coming back.  Find out more by visiting our

ALUMNI CARD PAGE.

Lifelong access to the careers service Whether it’s support, advice, or help with finding a job, the University of West London Careers and Employment Service are here to help you whether your a new graduate looking for your first job or are later on in your career journey.

Nesha Mckinley, who studied Dementia Care at UWL, used the careers service and had this to say: “It was really helpful to talk with someone neutral, without feeling judged that at this stage in my career journey I’m questioning my career choices. I was not made to feel melodramatic for wanting a career where I could grow, feel fulfilled and content and get paid doing it. The careers service helped me see that I can have all of this. They advised me how to change my CV, tap into different networks and organisations , and use my own network differently.

The biggest benefit was definitely helping me increase my confidence, so that I could see my full capabilities and the full range of my career options.”  For more information on the

careers service, click here, or email careers@uwl.ac.uk

Panel and Networking Events We are pleased to offer a number of insightful panel events throughout the year, inviting experienced alumni to offer guidance and advice to those looking to follow in their footsteps. These events are a great opportunity to learn new skills, network, and make new friends in the alumni community. ■  Keep an eye on our emails for

upcoming events and opportunities or check out our events page HERE. For a full list of benefits please visit: ALUMNI BENEFITS.

Your University

Stage, Screen, and Sound Olivier nominated theatre composer Andrew T. Mackay 12

Your University

One of the best things about studying in London is UWL’s proximity to world-class theatre. Over the last few years, theatre fans have been able enjoy the Olivier Award-winning play Life of Pi, based on the novel by Yann Martel, and scored by Andrew T Mackay, who studied at London College of Music (LCM) in 1982. His breakthrough came when he was asked to compose a score for an Indian feature film, Little Box of Sweets by writer/director Meneka Das, winning best Music at HBO’s South Asian International Film Festival. His work on Life of Pi was honored with a nomination at the 2022 Olivier Awards, and Andrew immediately followed up his first foray into theatre by composing the score for Shakespeare’s Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse, which starred Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington as Henry. In March 2023 Life of Pi opened to great reviews on Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre, recently winning three Tony awards on top of the five Oliviers it won for the West End run. Your University sat down with Andrew to discuss his time at UWL and beyond. What first drew you to music? As a 9-year-old cub scout I happened to visit a lady’s house doing ‘bob-a-job’, and she had a piano tucked away in the corner of her front room – I was so intrigued by this beautiful instrument and I think she sensed my intrigue and not only let me try it out, but offered

me piano lessons. However, my Mum wasn’t keen for me to take lessons until I was in ‘big school’, so I finally started lessons some two years later. This would open a whole new world of possibilities. I was studying classical piano, whilst also trying to teach myself blues and jazz. I also started to learn the clarinet, as well as timpani and a host of other instruments. We had an incredible music department at Southlands’ School in the village of New Romney on the Romney Marsh, in Kent where I grew up, and I was constantly borrowing instruments to try out at home. We had a jazz ensemble, choirs, musical theatre, orchestras and many opportunities to learn most instruments and I totally immersed myself in it. What brought you to London College of Music? Advice from a mentor, Mr Rodney Rickets, my school piano teacher who had just graduated from LCM, along with my parents and fellow musical friends who encouraged me to follow the path of music college study – so that’s what drew me. But what a big shock to the system it was when I got to LCM – in a good way, however. What I realised was, once I got to college, I was surrounded by so many brilliant musicians. You can be the top of your school which is a bit like a red herring because when you get to a specialist music school you have fellow students who’ve been playing since they

Andrew T. Mackay and Vice-Chancellor Peter John, CBE

Your University

Andrew at the Abbey Road Studios

were infants, who are truly amazing – but in a way on a positive note they lift you to another level, to be a better musician! By the time you’d finished at LCM, you’d started to focus on composition as a musical direction. How did LCM shape your interest in composing? We had a sign-up sheet on the wall in the college where those wanting to perform at the LCM Tuesday Lunch Time Concerts could put their name forward. I put my name down for fun and called it ‘Piano solo for an absolute moron’. I was not expecting to be chosen – I guess I was being youthfully smart – but my name was on the concert list in print. So suddenly I had to write a piece that would stand up in the concert hall and I only had a few days... I managed it and it went down well and further gave me the bug for composition. I also was very inspired by another student at LCM called

Mark Waterman who was a year above me. He was a very experimental composer with the ability to compose across most genres. He remains a dear friend. You won the Director’s Award for Performance – how did that come about? Composer John McCabe became LCM director after Dr Lloyd-Webber, and it was from him that I received the ‘Director’s Award for Performance’ Medal when I performed in a trio for piano, flute and clarinet called Malentendu. This was part of the graduation ceremony. I had no idea there were medals being given out. I remember so clearly sitting in the audience and John McCabe announced that “the performance award goes to a piece where the ink is still wet”. I suddenly realised that I was the only person who had composed a piece for the Graduation Concert event. That remains very precious to me to this day, especially as both my late parents were there to witness it.

Tell us about how you got started in composing. Early on in my career, I was a freelance composer in the world of corporate events and advertising, writing ‘ballets’ for truck launches or music for car shows. Imagination, the company I was working for, had their own recording studio and I had access to this along with a vast number of orchestral musicians. I was writing for orchestra and jazz ensembles, which was just incredible as this really enabled me to use the skills I had learned in college. Then I got a bit of TV work, short films, and documentaries. Being a composer as a full-time occupation or at least the attempt to, does mean you are often, shall we say ‘underfunded’, but I was always doing some piano teaching on the side, with some incredible students and this enabled me to stay fully immersed in music still using the skills I’d learned through school and college.

Your University

What took you to India? I’d always been interested in Indian music since discovering an album in my teens of South Indian violinist L Shankar. It took being introduced to classic Indian Films like Umrao Jaan and Ram Teri Ganga Meli where I got blown away by the scores and the cross pollination of Indian classical music and Western. And I was drawn to this incredible sound. The interesting instruments, the warmth of the country, and the warmth of the people further encouraged me to explore the nation’s music. This is how my recording project, Bombay Dub Orchestra, came to be. We were doing some Indian strings recording in India for a record with producer Garry Hughes and we decided we needed to do something a little more permanent with these incredible Indian musicians. So, we formed Bombay Dub Orchestra working with amazing musicians from around the globe and particularly those in India. We’ve been working with them now for almost two decades and are currently working on a new full-length album.

Was it difficult transitioning from composing for film into theatre? I had never written for theatre before, so I almost treated it like a film. Quite often with film you’re alone in a dark room composing, rarely seeing anyone else apart from maybe the odd visit from the director, but while scoring Life of Pi I was often in the rehearsal room scoring to the scenes being rehearsed and developed in front of me – as if I was scoring a film to picture. There was one piece of music that featured in the score which was a particular favourite with the cast and crew. One of the puppeteers sent me a video, telling me that during every performance backstage they’re all dancing to this one minute of music. Theatre really has been a breath of fresh air, meeting extraordinary actors, puppeteers, creatives and audiences alike. I came into theatre quite deep into my career but I really want to keep going; scoring more plays and meeting more amazing people. How did it feel being nominated for an Olivier Award? There are very few awards for music in theatre, or at least music for plays, so I wasn’t thinking about it when the Olivier

nominations were announced. I actually found out via Twitter (now X) when my name came up on my phone in a notification. It was just incredible. Going to the Albert Hall for the ceremony was quite surreal, but just having the nomination is really huge. You don’t realise the significance of that until afterwards. And on top of that I got to meet and connect with fellow nominee the revered composer Alan Silvestri (Composer: Back to the Future, Forest Gump, Lilo & Stitch, Marvel’s Avengers). Have you ever had to rely on your LCM training in your career? My memories of studying choral music at LCM came flooding back when I composed the score for Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse. Working on a Shakespeare play was another level. Working on a contemporary electronica mix with 300 years of choral music was incredible. I had a choir as part of the cast and all that Tallis, Handel, Dufay, des Prez and the likes of Dowland and Byrd that I studied at school and college once again became very familiar. Looking back I can whole heartedly say that my college days were informative and played an important role in my career shaping. I still have dear friends that I studied with, and plenty of amusing stories and inspiring moments. Two things that I have learned is you’ve got to hustle – agent or no agent you need to be out there meeting people, widening your network, and secondly not turning down work that may not pay enough – as everything plays, in some shape or form, into the onward journey and it’s rare that anything you do is wasted. Do you have any advice to students and graduates who are interested in a career in composing? You’ve got to have perseverance; and it rarely happens overnight. I’m a living example of that, but the opportunities are out there if you go looking for them and keep focused and always remain curious. Studying at LCM assured that I had a grounding that at the time may not have meant as much as it should have as you are young and you want to be out in the wide world doing your own thing, but I am now so grateful for the grounding in theory, music history and the practical aspects of music which has been a strong foundation for my career thus far. ■ Andrew T Mackay’s score can be heard in Life of Pi, currently touring 30 cities throughout the UK and Ireland.

Your University

T he 2023

Alumni Awards

In April, we were thrilled to celebrate our third annual Alumni Awards ceremony, recognising the incredible achievements of our alumni community. From nearly 150 nominations, the following four winners were selected and announced at the Awards evening:

 Click here to find out

more about Emmanuel

 Click here to find out

more about Fiona

 Click here to find out

more about Mark

Recent Graduate Award Emmanuel Ebokosia

Entrepreneur Award Fiona Berry

Inspirational Alumni Award Mark Dalauido

Emmanuel studied for his Masters degree in Music Industry Management and Artist Development in 2019. His project-based dissertation allowed him to create True Cadence, which supports young people looking to begin a career in music by providing mentoring and guidance that has resulted in participants securing the Youth Music NextGen fund and performing at the Olympic Games. In addition to running his own company, Emmanuel is an experienced artist, songwriter, and performer who works to donate food and clothes to orphanages in his native Nigeria.

Fiona studied Nutritional Therapy at UWL, then founded her own nutritional clinic ‘itstheberries’ after becoming sick in 2016. She puts her experiences into practice, working with global corporate and private clients. She also works as a wellness manager for Circus Street. Her nutrition retreat ‘NOURISH’ is a holistic wellness experience, which combines nutrition discussions with seasonal, wholefood, plant-based meals, and was named in The Guardian’s ‘Top Ten Wellness Retreats for 2023’.

Mark has worked as an adult nurse since graduating in 2021, rising quickly to the position of matron. He also volunteers as the Regional Director of the Filipino Nursing Association for London representing the association at strategic advisory groups and mentoring young people. Mark acts as an NHS Nurse Ambassador delivering virtual sessions in secondary schools across the country and is a member of the Infection Prevention Society UK, an association that guides and governs all IPC Practitioners across the UK.

 Click here to find out

more about Daniel

The Spirit of the Alumni Award Daniel Nikolla Daniel Nikolla is Marketing Manager at Hardy Signs, having come to UWL as an overseas student from Albania to study a BA in Film Production/Cinematography. He is also chair of Generation Next, East Midland Chamber of Commerce’s young professionals network. Outside of the office, Daniel works hard to empower young people, including taking part in communication campaigns, speaking to international students, and welcoming final year students to our alumni community.

Could you win a UWL Alumni Award? We’ll be opening nominations in 2024 for our next round of winners. Check out our terms and conditions here, and keep an eye out for our nomination email!

Your University

T he Future of Food UWL’s Food Innovation Centre

When walking around the supermarket, it often feels like there is a constant stream of new products appearing on the shelves. Where do they come from? Who has these ideas, and how are they developed? Well, in some cases, these products originate right here at UWL, in our West London Food Innovation Centre. Originally established to help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in West London, the Centre has now expanded to work globally with catering companies and established food manufacturers to create new and exciting foods, bridging the gap between food and science by working on projects that promote sustainability. The Centre has worked with various brands including Good Koffee, Bare Gum, and Push Chocolate, supporting them from initial conception of ideas through to prototype development, pilot plant research, and development trials. For this, they are equipped with a number of state-of-the-art facilities including a development lab (to analyse texture, structure, and taste), a product

development kitchen, and a sensory analysis area complete with tasting booths. The Centre’s New Food Product Development Chef, Sebastian Stoklosa, is also a UWL alumnus. After first working as a chef, Sebastian decided to further his education with a Masters in Food Business Management: “I had been working as a chef for about twelve years. I’ve always been passionate about food, but I wanted to develop myself. I’d worked for so many establishments but I wanted more knowledge.” Sebastian has shared some details about the product he’s currently working on: Spent Orange Marmalade! “Our sweet preserve is made from orange peel, similar to traditional marmalade but without orange flesh. Orange Peel Marmalade has quite a few applications. It can be spread on sandwich bread, diluted with water as a drink and used in baked products.

Sebastian Stoklosa, Product Development Chef

The texture is very similar to ordinary preserves, a coarse, thick jelly. The idea evolved through understanding the scale of food waste in food manufacturing. It is estimated that 3.6 million tonnes of food surplus and waste are generated across the food manufacturing industry in the UK on an annual basis. If this was saved, such material could be valued at over £1 billion. As a new food product developer, I believe there is much potential to decrease the above statistics by experimenting with upcycled food materials. We're planning to distribute our Upcycled Orange Peel Marmalade at the University and local organic shops. We want to analyse consumer feedback to understand their views on products made with upcycled food materials. ■

Your University

A Better World

Your University

How UWL is bringing about change As a modern university, UWL prides itself on finding innovative and creative ways of bringing about positive change. Sustainability has become a core strategy, focused on long-term impacts economically, socially, and ecologically. It is important to prepare for the future, and we work hard to equip our students to think holistically, finding places where they can have the biggest impact on sustainability and social change. Our ethos is based on the United Nations sustainability development goals, which recognise that you cannot move forward with climate action unless you have equality. Climate action cannot happen in isolation from resolving issues like hunger, health, and wellbeing. Here are just some of the ways we are trying to bring about positive change.

charging points for electric vehicles, and if you come to campus early enough, you’ll see our new robot vacuum cleaners. Creating a sustainable curriculum We have embedded sustainability into our curriculum across all ten of our schools, encouraging students to engage in learner-led projects which make significant contributions to crafting a more sustainable future. For instance, Advertising and Public Relations students have partnered with the charity City Harvest to launch the EQUALS campaign, which targets food waste. Meanwhile, undergraduates on the Fashion Business course have been promoting clothing swaps and developing fashion made from sustainable materials, like recycled tents.

This scheme has saved 2.2 gigawatt hours of energy a year and reduced annual emissions by 337 metric tons of carbon.

Addressing the gender pay gap We continue to address our own gender inequality, and were recently awarded bronze accreditation by the Athena Swan Charter. We are consistently above the sector average for the number of female academic staff, and for gender balance within management and professional services. 57% of our staff identified as female, with 35% of our top 5% earners being women. Based on the March 2023 census data, our gender pay gap is down by 1.46%. Though this is positive progress, we recognise that there is still much to be done.

Currently, 87% of our heating system is low carbon, 100% of our cleaning products are biodegradable, we’ve provided more

Levelling Up and reducing poverty The Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up (CEILUP) is a research centre based at

Creating an Eco-Campus In 2021, we invested in world-leading technology, enabling us to move from gas heating to ground source heat pumps and solar heated water. This has earned us a first class ranking from People and Planet, and placed us in the top 20 out of over 150 universities.

the University of West London. It aims to produce policy-relevant research that can shape approaches to addressing inequality. Over the past year it has produced work on the allocation of levelling up funding and approaches to delivery. In partnership with Ealing Council, we have launched an innovative new programme to accelerate the success of new enterprises founded and led by women. The programme, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, welcomes women with aspirations to turn their ideas and hobbies into successful businesses, but who find themselves left out of opportunities to start and grow their own enterprises. Dr Suresh Gamlath, UWL’s Sustainability Lead, said: “The University has to become sustainable; we simply cannot carry on if we don’t. Are we really leaving a better world for future generations? That’s what the sustainability agenda is about- being conscious of the fact that what we do today is going to impact people in the future. It’s everyone’s responsibility. We all need to work together.” ■

 If you would like to get involved,

there are many events taking place at UWL to teach you how to be more sustainable in your daily life. CLICK HERE to find out more about the University and its sustainability goals.

Your University

Meet the Staff

Dr Dinusha Weerawardane

Head of Subject – Accounting and Finance

For all of our incredible students and alumni, UWL would not be anywhere near as successful without its academic staff. Whether they are conducting worldclass research, guiding our students, or representing UWL out in their chosen fields, academics shape the UWL journey. Dr Dinusha Weerawardane is the Head of Subject – Accounting and Finance at The Claude Littner Business School. In addition, she is a Global Council Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), first elected in 2018 and subsequently re-elected in 2021, a particularly impressive feat given that you need to achieve a phenomenal number of votes globally, amidst stiff competition. ACCA Global Council is akin to a University’s Board of Governors. Dinusha was also awarded the National Teaching Fellowship Award in 2022 for her work in improving students’ social mobility and transforming the teaching and learning experience locally, nationally and globally. Dinusha is a prime example of the dedicated academic staff that work to provide our students with a worldclass education, and with a master’s and doctorate from UWL and its partner institutions, she’s also flying the flag for our alumni community too.

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Accounting has always been the great love of Dinusha’s life. “I always loved numbers, and I was interested in commerce and the business side of things. It’s a great thing to get into; you can pretty much work in any sector anywhere in the world. There were lots of opportunities, and I wouldn’t be stuck in one particular setting.” Just five days after finishing Advanced Levels in her native Sri Lanka, she began studying for the ACCA qualification. Over the next few years, she would balance this with studying for the LLB specialising in Business Law. By the time she was halfway through the LLB, she had already finished the ACCA qualification and simultaneously embarked on a top up Accounting and Finance degree through Oxford Brookes. It was after this that Dinusha chose to pursue a master’s degree in International Business Management at UWL, still studying in Sri Lanka through our international partner institution. “I initially considered doing the MBA, but I wanted to broaden my outlook a little bit so decided on International Business Management instead.” Dinusha was working full time in a traditional accounting role, which she discovered didn’t suit her as much as she thought it would. This realisation encouraged her to say yes when the institution where she studied for ACCA invited her to start doing some lecturing, despite only being in her early twenties.

to decide what her next steps were going to be. Knowing she wanted to stay in the higher education space, Dinusha began looking for teaching opportunities overseas. “Seven or eight months later, I was still applying, and I saw a position come up at UWL. After a series of interviews, I got the call inviting me to join. So, I uprooted my life and moved all the way to the UK.” Arriving in the UK with her husband, Dinusha quickly found herself facing a learning curve. “The teaching and learning pedagogies are quite different here compared to Sri Lanka. It needed to be more student focused, and I had a lot of adapting to do. Another enjoyable challenge was understanding the frameworks over here, all the regulations and quality codes I had to catch up with relatively quickly. I was aware of them to some extent, but when you’re here you get exposed to a different side of things.” She also noticed that in Britain, students had a very different approach to University. “In Sri Lanka, there is a culture of reverence towards your professors, but here, it’s a lot more equal. Students have a stronger voice, and that’s good.” But none of these challenges have dampened Dinusha’s enthusiasm for her job, or the role she plays in student’s lives.

“I loved that job. It was incredibly stressful at times, incredibly busy, but there were also times when things were calmer. It all depended on the enrolment cycle. And again, I wanted to broaden my scope a little further.”

“I love every aspect of what I do. Honestly, ever since I got into higher education, I wake up excited, already planning my to-do list for the day. Whether it’s teaching a class, or chairing an assessment board, or even having a difficult conversation with a student, whatever it is, I still do look forward to it. I enjoy every aspect of what I do and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Always seeking opportunities to learn, Dinusha decided it was time to take on the challenge of a PhD. She decided to pursue a doctorate in marketing because she was working as a programme manager and also assisting in the marketing activities of her institution.

For five years, Dinusha has been teaching at UWL, moving from Senior Lecturer up to Head of Subject for Accounting and Finance. She attributes her longevity at The Claude Littner Business School to the fact that she and the institution have many shared values.

At the time, Dinusha wanted to stay in Sri Lanka, but was determined to study through a foreign institution. She chose the Cyprus Institute of Marketing, which transpired to be a partner institution of UWL. Only once this was complete did Dinusha have

“I am very passionate about our care towards students, and the support we offer. Sometimes we have new colleagues asking why we go so far to support our students, but it’s something that I do inherently

because I believe in it. If I can do something to help a student, or find a solution for something, I will do it. Everyone at UWL goes out of their way to understand and support their students.” Dinusha’s dedication to her students, and the field of teaching, were recently recognised when she was awarded the National Teaching Fellowship from Advance HE, which aims to recognise and celebrate the outstanding impact of individuals on the teaching profession. Although she was unsuccessful on her first attempt, she wanted to try again because she felt there was nothing to lose. UWL was happy to nominate her again, and it was still a big surprise when she got the call. In fact, she almost didn’t answer because she thought it was spam. “I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone until a particular date, so I couldn’t react to the phone call. But it felt incredible. There aren’t many people from UWL who have gotten it, certainly not in the last decade or so. It just felt incredible.” What does this mean for Dinusha? It’s a recognition of all the things she has achieved, both within UWL and through ACCA. Moreover, the award has inspired her to take new and creative approaches to the teaching of accounting, with all its technical language and institutional requirements. Recently, under Dinusha’s leadership, the curriculum has been revamped, students are introduced to industry speakers, and the subject area has not only won awards, but is currently number one in the UK for accounting and finance according to the National Student Survey. But for all of this, one of the proudest moments of Dinusha’s year is always watching her students cross the stage at graduation. “I haven’t missed a single graduation since I came here, because I absolutely love it. It’s important for the students to see someone who taught them, clapping for them. It feels good to know you’ve played a tiny part in getting them to where they are. After that, we connect on LinkedIn and you see them doing so well in their careers, getting these really impressive roles. It’s even more amazing when you’ve seen how they came in, and how they grew in those years with us.” ■

Meet the Students

Maryam Ahmed

Second Year Law Student 22

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The journey to UWL takes many forms. As a university, we welcome people from all over the world, from every age group and social background. Often our students are the first in their family to go to university. We are proud to help them continue their education and find the right career after graduating. But for some, the road to that future can be difficult. This is why the University of West London offers donor-backed scholarships, helping those who face financial and personal difficulties to pursue their degrees. Read on to meet Maryam, a second year Law student who was the recipient of the 2023 Cathie Wallace Scholarship. Maryam came to the University of West London from her home in Yorkshire, faced with the significant increase in rent that comes with moving to the capital city. It’s a shock that many students encounter, but it was made all the more difficult by the fact that Maryam arrived with no support network to fall back on. Since the age of 16, Maryam had been living in care at a centre for women fleeing from domestic violence. “I couldn’t rely on parents to help with the rent, or help with groceries or anything, so I was having to support myself. I was working 35 hours a week at a waitressing job to make ends meet, and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to stay at uni. I thought I might have to drop out because I couldn’t afford to live here.” When she was younger, Maryam had never really thought about going to university, and it was her experience in the domestic abuse shelter that convinced her to start pursuing a career in law, for which, of course, she needed a degree. “When I got put into care, most of the women there were older women who had left their husbands, who were abusive. A lot of them would have solicitors coming over to help them with legal issues and seeing them helped inspire me to go down that route. This was a way I could practice law, help people, and have a personal connection to it.”

When she aged out of the care system at 18, Maryam found herself homeless for two weeks, and it was this experience that led her to choosing UWL as a place to study. “I never wanted to end up unemployed and unable to do anything ever again. Because this university is so focused on getting a career afterwards, and the support they give even after you have graduated helps a lot. I don’t have anyone to fall back on, so this University is able to offer me a fallback plan, to help you get a career after you’ve been studying.” Arriving at UWL, Maryam threw herself into her education. She became a course rep, working with the students and academics to improve the course experience. “The course is quite heavy, it’s a lot of learning, a lot of revising. But it’s been really interesting to learn about all these cases. Being a course rep is also great, I like helping people. I’m quite a balance-minded person, I like to see both sides of what’s going on.” But while she was getting started on her course, she was still struggling with financial difficulties. Trying to pay rent, having to balance a full-time degree with a full-time job, Maryam didn’t even have a laptop. She was trying to write essays on her phone or handwrite notes during lectures. It was her past experiences that pushed her on through this period. “I want to work as hard as I can now, so that I never have to go back to being homeless. As hard as the first few months of university were, I am so happy that it happened. It makes me so grateful. I’m very lucky to be here, because so many care leavers don’t get to be here.”

I didn’t think it would be me. Then when I got it, I was in complete shock. It was just so crazy that something like this would happen to me. After I applied I’d kind of forgotten about it, but then I was just so happy to know that someone out there cared.” The scholarship has allowed Maryam to be a bit easier on herself, cutting down her hours at work and giving her something to rely on when times get difficult. She even got the chance to meet her donor at the 2023 Donors and Scholars Reception in April. “I was very shy, but it was really nice. We’ve emailed each other a few times since, and hopefully we’ll be able to see each other again in the future. The scholarship was just an amazing opportunity to know that someone out there genuinely wants to help you. Like, there’s someone out there who wants to go out of their way and care for you. For me, that means the world because I don’t have the parents to do that. It made a world of difference to me.” How can you help to make a difference? Thanks to our generous community of donors, we are able to offer a range of scholarships at UWL to students like Maryam. With your support, we can provide more scholarships, transforming the lives of talented students who need it the most. ■ T o find out more call us on

020 8231 2608 or email development@uwl.ac.uk. To make a donation visit www.alumni.uwl.ac.uk/support-us

Help appeared when Maryam got the opportunity to apply for the Cathie Wallace Scholarship. “When I applied for it, I saw that only one applicant was going to get it.

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Alumni Events

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T he Singing Nurse Anthonia Edwards

Sometimes, you can be working hard to make one career a reality when another opportunity presents itself and your whole life changes. That’s exactly what happened to nursing student Anthonia Edwards in the final weeks of her degree. Performing with legendary 80s pop icon Billy Ocean is not something Anthonia imagined during her student days, but then she became the 2022 winner of ITV’s The Voice. Despite music being a big part of her life, Anthonia decided to pursue a career in nursing: “I wanted a job that involved working with people, so I wanted to

apply for a midwifery course. At the time, I was doing a BTEC in music at college and this was the best of both worlds. I could do music for two years, then get onto a degree in nursing or midwifery. I grew up singing in church, so music was definitely an outlet I needed in my life, but I just wanted to work with people.” When it came to applying for university, Anthonia found it difficult to obtain a place on a midwifery course, instead getting onto the nursing course at UWL through clearing in 2015: “Getting a lot of rejection at that age isn’t easy. So,

to know that there was a school that was willing to take me on, especially a school I really liked, that helped a lot.” Many nursing students at UWL study at our Reading campus, so Anthonia was surrounded by fellow healthcare students throughout her degree: “Reading’s a cool town, and I made a lot of friends who had all come from different places. I feel like, for nursing, it was great to have a campus in Reading because nursing students are always really busy. It’s good to be surrounded by other people having the same experience.”

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Starting any university course can be tough, and it took time to adjust to the demands of nursing and academia. To get through, Anthonia found comfort in new friends, lecturers, and the creative outlet of singing at church. Part way through her degree, Anthonia’s studies began taking a toll on her health. Encouraged by the help of her lecturers and UWL’s Student Support team, she decided to take a gap year: “It got hard. The realities of nursing are not just helping people. You want to do it well, and there’s lots of work you need to put in. From a mental health point of view, I needed to take a break. It’s so important to recognise where you’re at, and how you’re feeling. A lot of people feel the pressure to finish in three years, and it is good if you can, but not to the detriment of yourself.” After this year away, Anthonia returned to campus, completing her degree during the Covid-19 pandemic. After finishing her exams, she was approached by a friend who was producing ITV’s The Voice: “I went into the auditions and literally a month after, I graduated. Doing The Voice was fascinating. I did it on a whim, and when you see my face when I won, I was just not expecting that. I just wanted to have fun with it.” The Voice begins with blind auditions in which hopefuls sing to a panel of judges that offer to mentor them through the process. Anthonia selected Sir Tom Jones to guide her. “For the call backs, they made us all sing the same song by U2, which I’d never really heard before. But then it grew on me. Before you perform you get three rounds of rehearsal, and as we were plotting it out, the whole thing took on a life of its own and became my rendition of a classic song. Everyone else was doing rock, but I’m not rock.” As The Voice 2022 was filmed during lockdown, Anthonia was filming in private on a closed set: “As I didn’t know how it was going to turn out, I was okay doing

Anthonia performs on stage

it in secret. When I got through to the semi-finals, that’s when I realised, I was getting a lot of air time, and there was an actual trajectory to this. You know, I was part of the final four. I still didn’t think I could win it, but there were more eyeballs and opportunities to showcase my vocals.” Though she won in February 2022, the show was not aired until September, and the final not broadcast until 31 October. Anthonia really appreciated this time to process how her life was about to change: “There was a lot to think about. I’d dedicated the last couple of years to becoming a nurse but now I’m looking at recording and management contracts. I was trying to explore where I wanted to go within nursing. But then this opportunity came along, so I couldn’t waste it. So, I decided that I needed to dedicate myself to music. And I still have my degree, these are all skills I have.”

of our greatest gains are where we’ve put the most into it. I’m doing that now, using this journey to find myself.” While gaining all these incredible experiences, Anthonia is thinking about her future, planning to return to education for a postgraduate degree: “There are so many postgraduate courses I could do, so many options. Nursing is fantastic, and because of how diverse it is, it’s allowed me to view lots of the healthcare industry. It’s exposed me to so much, and at some point I want to do a postgraduate degree.” ■

Now, the nurse turned performer is navigating whole new elements of music; how to manage herself as a business while focusing on honing her creativity following her first ever tour, opening for Billy Ocean. “I’m settling into it now, creating new things, writing songs both for myself and other people. I’m also trying to figure out how to present myself as an artist. I think, if we look at reality, the places

Anthonia is still considering returning to education to do a postgraduate degree

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Upcoming Events

To ensure you receive your invitation to these or any other future events, please update your contact details at alumni.uwl.ac.uk/ register

Details of all alumni events and public lectures can be seen at alumni.uwl.ac.uk. Make sure to keep checking your emails for details on how to book. UWL Connect: Getting Ahead in Business

UWL Connect: Activism in STEM

The first of a series of industry panel talks aimed at giving you practical advice on advancing in your career, UWL Connect welcomes successful alumni to network with students and recent graduates. This event is free to attend.

The third of a series of industry panel talks aimed at giving you practical advice on advancing in your career, UWL Connect celebrates International Women’s Day by hosting a discussion on using social media to increase participation in the sciences. This event is free to attend.

6pm Thursday 16 November 2023 at the Westmont Enterprise Hub UWL Winter Alumni Reception at Fortnum and Masons In the lavish splendour of one of London’s most famous shops, join us for delicious food prepared by world class chefs, wonderful drinks, networking opportunities and a chance to explore the store after hours. 6.30pm Wednesday 22 November 2023 at Fortnum and Masons

Taking place March 2024 in the Westmont Enterprise Hub – Date TBC The Alumni Reception at the House of Lords After the sell-out success of last year’s reception at the House of Lords, we are back for the third year in a row! Catch up with old friends, make new connections, and check in on the progress of UWL. All alumni and their guests are welcome. Taking place May 2023 – Date TBC

UWL Connect: Making it in the Arts The second of a series of industry panel talks aimed at giving you practical advice on advancing in your career, UWL Connect welcomes successful alumni from the arts and music sector to network with students and recent graduates. This event is free to attend. Taking place February 2024 in the Westmont Enterprise Hub – Date TBC

Details correct at the time of publication.

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Paragon House, Brentford Campus.

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Office of Development and Alumni Relations University of West London St Mary’s Road Ealing London W5 5RF 30

+44 (0)20 8231 0188 alumni.uwl.ac.uk alumni@uwl.ac.uk University of West London uwlalumni uwlalumni