Alumni news
Sussex alumni all over the world have been active in starting new projects, making an impact at local, national and international level, achieving career milestones and gaining recognition. Here is a snapshot of their news.
Awards
Professor Anil Seth (Informatics 1995) has been awarded the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture 2023 for his ability to inspire and communicate concepts and advances in cognitive neuroscience and consciousness to the public. Read more about Anil's research
Professor Sarita Malik (English 1988) received the for her contribution to how ‘diversity’, social justice and the role of arts and culture are understood through policy and practice, most notably in the film and television sectors.
Mami Kamoshita (Migration and Global Development 2022) has been awarded the Ronald Skeldon Prize for best dissertation in Migration and Global Development.
Rosiana Sedjahtera (Migration Studies 2022) has been awarded the JEMS Prize for best dissertation.
UK Honours
In the King’s 2025 New Years Honours and Birthday Honours lists at least nine members of the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ community were honoured by His Majesty King Charles III:
Sir Andrew Christie CBE (Applied Social Work 1977) was knighted for services to Children's Services.
Alastair Da Costa, who was previously a member of the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ council, was awarded a CBE for services to Further Education.
Professor Gordon Dougan (Biochemistry 1973) was awarded a CBE for services to Vaccines and to Global Health.
Sir Stephen Fry (Honorary Doctorate 2011) was knighted for services to Mental Health Awareness, the Environment and to Charity.
Dr Matthew Gaskell (Psychology and American Studies 1994) was awarded an MBE for services to People Experiencing Gambling Harm.
Joseph Homer (Education 1967) received an BEM for services to Vulnerable People.
Former SPRU staff member Professor Mariana Mazzucato was awarded a CBE for services to Economics.
Dr Robin Milton (Anthropology 1984) was awarded an OBE for services to British Foreign Policy.
Virginia Wade (Mathematics 1963 and Honorary Doctorate 1985) was awarded a CBE for services to Tennis and to Charity.
Community heroes
Image credit: Ana Brigida.
Dr Leonor Cutileiro Correia (Media and Cultural Studies 2017) coordinated the UBI Acolhe project providing housing for Syrian refugee families in student dormitories on the University of Beira (UBI) interior campus in Covilhã, Portugal. The scheme was born out of a non-academic paper Leonor wrote for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) while completing her doctoral thesis at Sussex.
Usha Kulasegaran (Law 1982) is a Lawyer and Advocate currently working in Kuala Lumpur in the Legal Practice areas of Criminal and Civil Litigation in the Courts. As part of her work with the CICC Coalition of the International Criminal Court, she recently helped to revive the Victims’ Rights Working Group (VRWG), which offers a platform for victims of armed conflict, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Jazz Turner (Mechanical Engineering 2018) set off in June from Brighton Marina on a solo voyage sailing around the British Isles. Jazz, who has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, hopes to be the . She has previously competed for GBR as a para-athlete and was a Sports Scholar while studying at Sussex. Jazz is raising money for Sailability, a charity that enables people with disabilities or who come from a difficult background to get into sailing.
The following alumni are national winners and finalists for the British Council’s 2025 Study UK Alumni Awards, in recognition of the impact they’ve made on their communities, industries and countries:
For Türkiye – Dr Merve Yildirim (Advanced Computer Science 2011) was named as the Social Action Award category winner. Dr. Merve Yildirim is an assistant professor in computer engineering, with seven years of academic experience. She has successfully mentored students in international competitions, achieving significant recognition in the field and in 2024 she was honoured as an Outstanding Instructor. Merve has had a huge impact on her students, empowering many young women to pursue careers in tech.
For Egypt – Amira Saber (Development Studies 2020) was named as the Social Action category winner. Amira is a policy leader who advocates for climate action, AI governance and youth empowerment while leading on foreign relations and social development. She is currently a Member of the Egyptian Parliament serving as the Secretary General of the Foreign Relations Committee.
For India – Simit Bhagat (Science, Society and Development 2011) was a finalist for the Culture and Creativity category. A documentary filmmaker and development practitioner, Simit Bhagat is the Founder of Simit Bhagat Studios and continues to drive cultural and social impact.
For Uzbekistan – Akbarbek Bakhodirov (International Business and Development 2023) was a finalist in the Science and Sustainability category. He was recognised for his contributions to energy transition and innovation.
For Nigeria – AnuOluwapo Adelakun (Journalism and Documentary Practice 2017) was a finalist in the Social Action Award category. AnuOluwapo is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and policy researcher amplifying marginalised voices in Nigeria.
Professor Ademola Adenle (Biochemistry 2002) was a finalist in the Science and Sustainability category. Dr Ademola is a global expert in sustainability, food security, and agricultural innovation.
Milestones
Professor Sonya Grier (Social Sciences and Cultural Studies 1985) has been appointed Eminent Scholar Chair in Marketing – one of three new endowed chairs at American University’s Kogod School of Business. Sonya is one of the foremost experts on race in the marketplace.
Professor Sangook Park (Science and Technology Policy 2005) from Seoul National University’s College of Natural Sciences has been appointed as the first Science and Technology Advisor to the President of Korea. Since 2022 he has been working with the ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Business School in developing and running the USBS-SNU Summer Programme. Read his expert insights on the programme
Giles Adams (History of Art 1985) was appointed as a Board Member of the British Library for a four-year term in October 2023. Having recently retired as a Partner at KPMG UK, Giles has been a Trustee of Historic Buildings & Places since 2018.
Pankaj Barua (Development Studies 2021) is currently posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, based in Cumilla.
Helen Rimmer (Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at Work 2022) was awarded the first Small Business Sunday of 2024 by Theo Paphitis for her company The Kind Brave Leader. Helen provides workshops and insights that help to transform the workplace into a kinder, better environment. Read more about Helen
James Evans (Theatre Studies and Film Studies 2013) manages UK growth for award-winning , which helps families to have a better experience during divorce proceedings and following separation. He works with fellow Sussex alumni Katie Deans (Law with Business and Management 2018) and Katy Malone (Law 2016) and, in the Australian office, Naomi Ives (Law 2013).
Lauren Leigh Kelly (Media Arts and Humanities, Visiting & Exchange 2003) has been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University.
Professor Elizabeth Churchill (MSc Artificial Intelligence 1986) has joined the American Friends of ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Board and also has a new role as Professor and Department Chair of Human-Computer Interaction at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi.
Bernardo Méndez-Lugo (Development Studies 1979) has been appointed Executive Director of the nonprofit pro-migrant organisation América Sin Muros after retiring from his previous role of career diplomat.
Kelo Uchendu (Science and Technology Policy 2022) has been appointed as a member of two of the Technology Executive Committee’s (TEC) groups on National Systems of Innovation and Long-term Technological Transition. TEC is the policy arm of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and works to support the implementation era of the Paris Agreement. Kelo has also been recognised as a Highly Commended Finalist for the Society for the Environment’s 2025 Rising Star Award.
Raj Anand (Computer Systems Engineering 2001), founder and CEO of , has recently taken on the role as President of , a business community of entrepreneurs in Thailand.
Nazli Akyuz (Global Political Economy 2015) has been elected to the Istanbul Municipality Parliament.
Steve Brace (Geography 1985) was appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Geographic Association, a registered charity with the mission to further geographical knowledge and understanding through education.
Topher Campbell (Intellectual History 1983) was announced as the new CEO of Homotopia, the UK’s longest running Queer Arts Festival. Read about Topher’s experience mentoring on Sussex Connect in our Candid Conversations feature
Dr Ronald Adamtey (Development Studies 2007) has been appointed as the Deputy Director at the Institute of Local Government Studies (Tamale Campus).
Aram Nadjarian (International Relations 2006) has been appointed to the California Museum Board of Trustees (home of the California Hall of Fame). Aram has also been selected as a 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival Fellow, a group of forward-thinking young leaders across the globe who were selected for their accomplishments and proven ability to transform ideas into action.
Adnan Amin (Economics 1977 and Development Studies 1980) has been appointed as one of the Middle East special envoys for the COP30 Presidency.
Joanie Brunner (Energy Policy 2022) will be representing Switzerland in the 2025-26 cohort of the World Energy Council’s Future Energy Leaders programme. The global programme promotes energy leaders of the future, providing participants from over 61 countries with a platform to develop their experience, knowledge and skills as part of a global community.
Professor Joshua Ashton (International Criminal Law 2006) currently serves as the Associate Dean of Law at the School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, in Perth, Western Australia. He was recently appointed as a Justice of the Peace in Western Australia.
Dr Kiran Pandya (Economics 1990) has recently been made Provost of Sarvajanik University in Surat, India.
Lauren Banham (International Development 2022) is taking up a new role as a political strategist for Stop Ecocide International when she graduates from Sussex this summer.
New ventures
John Locke (Social Anthropology 1984) returned to the big screen in the biopic Vindication Swim about Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the English Channel in 1927 and her subsequent fight for her legacy. John portrays her coach in the film, which was released in the UK and Ireland on International Women’s Day 2024.
Theo Maloney (Marketing and Management with Psychology 2017) founded JAR – Just Add Rum – a tropical mixer for making quick and easy rum punch. He suggests, “just add the rum of your choice, ice and enjoy!” Read more about Theo
Szymon Mikolajczyk (Ecology and Conservation 2004) has dedicated the past 15 years to working in climate change (at Climate Focus) and recently helped establish – a non-profit using the power of football to raise funding for tropical forest restoration. The initiative was launched in the summer of 2023 with the FIFA Women’s World Cup as the inaugural tournament. Around 56 football-pitch sized areas of forest have so far been replanted in the Colombian Amazon – the goal is to reach 10,000 in the next few years.
Yaren Steven Sahilli (Art History and Museum Curating 2018) recently launched , whose services range from renovation and restoration to sourcing art for workplaces, residences and community spaces.
Julian Langinger (Politics and International Relations 1964) believes that prevention is the answer to the global mental health and family estrangement crises, and he has launched the Cool is Best Method book, app and to teach the six skills of emotional intelligence through fun activities.
Geoff Hands (Creative Writing, Arts and Education 1998) recently installed an exhibition entitled ‘In the Garden’ at Gallery 19a in Brighton. .
Gavriil Papadopoulos (Electronic Engineering 1998) is currently leading an Innovation and Patents group at ATOS with the focus of taking part in hackathon contests and creating Proof of Concepts (PoC) related to their telecommunications portfolio. Through this project the group has taken part in three different Hackathon contests and submitted three different PoC. Read more about Gavriil
Jackie Bage (Gender, Violence and Conflict 2023) recently started a new role as South Sudan Country Coordinator for a regional feminist organisation called Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA).
Jennifer Emelife (International Education and Development 2019) has been named as a recipient of the 2024-2025 McCarthey Dressman Academic Enrichment Grant for her new curriculum project, ‘Literacy amidst Violent Conflict in Northern Nigeria', which hopes to equip Nigerian students and teachers working and learning in violent contexts with critical literacy skills to challenge and act upon the injustices in their communities.
Ashley Pharoah (English 1978) announced Exe Men, his debut play. Ashley is an Emmy award-winning screenwriter who wrote Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, and Around the World in 80 Days for the BBC. The play is based on the acclaimed book Exe Men: The Extraordinary Rise of the Exeter Chiefs by Robert Kitson.
Gladys Mwamba (Environment, Development and Policy 2024) won both the Business and Social Impact Awards at StartupSussex 2025. In total, her pitch won £10,000 to move forward with her social enterprise Plastic Pound, an innovative network, which is operating at the border of DRC and Zambia, and creates gainful, legitimate employment opportunities for women to lead critical waste picking efforts.