Video chats

We're excited to have launched our new series of video chats with our alumni - Alumni Matters!

In it we'll be chatting to several alumni and learning more about their careers, their thoughts on some of the key challenges our world is facing, and discovering how they are helping to shape it into a healthier, fairer, greener place.

In the sixth video of our Alumni Matters series we speak to alumna Chiara Simmons Wood who graduated from Exeter with a degree in Sociology in 2022 and works as a Direct Marketing Executive at Age UK. We caught up about her favourite memories of Exeter, advice to the Class of 2024, and what life has been like for her since graduating.

You can also listen to an audio-only version if you prefer.

For our fifth video we spoke to alumna Katherine Jachens (Psychology, 2019) as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. Katherine recently worked as the Associate Staff Counsellor at the UNHCR (the UN refugee agency) about her career, how we can look after ourselves when working in emotionally demanding careers, and how we can turn mental health awareness into action. 

You can also listen to an audio-only version if you prefer.

For our fourth video we celebrated International Women's Day and caught up with alumna Caroline Addy who studied LLB (Euro) graduating in 1990 with Honours, and currently works as a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London. Her work particularly covers the control of information and we spoke a bit about how she is making the world a fairer place, as well as the women who inspire her.

You can also listen to an audio-only version if you prefer.

In our third video we spoke to alumna Fiona Coughlan (English with French, 2005) who works as Joint Head of Climate Diplomacy at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Each year the impact of climate change is being felt more strongly all around the world and the need to consider our impact on the planet grows. We spoke to Fiona about her work in climate and development policy, her involvement in the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme, and her ideas on how alumni, supporters, and us all, can make 2024 count in terms of greener decisions.

You can also listen to an audio-only version if you prefer.

For our second video we were joined by alumnus Daniel Crockett (Geography, 2002) who is the Director of Ocean and Climate at the Blue Marine Foundation. We spoke about COP28 and the place of oceans in the discussion, the growing need to consider our impact on the planet and the work the foundation is doing alongside local communities to preserve our blue planet.

You can also listen to an audio-only version, if you prefer.

For our first video we were joined by alumnus Dr Tanimola Martins. He graduated in 2014 with a PhD in Ethnic inequality in Cancer Diagnosis and currently works as a Research Fellow and Lecturer in Postgraduate Education at our Medical School. Reflecting on World Cancer Research day, we spoke about why Tani was motivated to research this this area and his current work, as well as how large a scale the issue of ethnic inequalities and diagnosis of cancer is, why it exists, and what can be done to reduce its impact.

You can also listen to an audio-only version, if you prefer.