2020 Video chats
These video chats were part of a previous series of video interviews with University of Exeter academics and alumni that started during the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020 and continued over the following two years.
You can watch all of the videos from 2020 below as well as listen to the audio only from many videos, via Spotify and other podcast platforms.
Make sure to also catch up on our latest video series - Alumni Matters - where we chat to several alumni and learn more about their careers, their thoughts on some of the key challenges our world is facing, and discover how they are helping to shape it into a healthier, fairer, greener place.
Professor Andy Jones from the University of Exeter speaks about the benefits of exercise and nutrition, and how to keep healthy during lockdown.
Exeter alumna and author Helen Russell speaks about balancing a freelance career with family during lockdown, and shares secrets of happiness from around the world.
Professor Toby Pennington from the University of Exeter speaks about his research into dry tropical forests and why Earth Day is important for awareness raising.
Professor Manuela Barreto from the University of Exeter talks about how social distancing measures can impact our mental wellbeing, and how we can help to fight loneliness in this situation.
Isle of Wight Festival organiser, concert promoter and alumnus, John Giddings, talks about his experience at Exeter, his career and what lockdown could mean for live music in the long run.
Sports commentator and alumnus Rob Walker speaks about his career, his current online venture 'Lockdown Live' and how the coronavirus crisis could impact sport in the longer term.
Dr Kimberley Hockings, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Science at Exeter, speaks about her work protecting the critically endangered Western Chimpanzee and how coronavirus is further threatening their survival.
Cate Bennett, a Careers Consultant from the University of Exeter, talks about some of the support available to graduates.
Sports journalist and media trainer James Pearce chats about how his time at University Radio Exeter (URE) kick-started his broadcasting career, and how he is currently supporting charities with free training during the crisis.
AU President Cameron Taylor talks about 2019/20 activity and what lockdown means for clubs, as well as sharing how alumni support makes a difference.
Dr James Dyke, Assistant Director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, talks about the environmental benefits we've seen during lockdown, how this could kickstart policy change, and what our future environment could look like.
Dr Lee Elliot Major OBE, Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, talks about the barriers to social mobility, the part universities can play in breaking them down, and what the COVID-19 pandemic could mean for the current situation.
Professor Lorna Harris, Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter Medical School, talks about the development of a test to determine whether people with COVID-19 are still infectious.
Michael Winter OBE, Professor of Land Economy and Society at the University of Exeter, talks about how the pandemic is impacting agriculture and food supply, and how his upcoming research aims to build resilience.
Ikenna Onyebuchi and Ebun Oluwaleimu both graduated from Exeter Law School in 2019. They have founded BAME Nation - a new support network to help international and BAME aspiring lawyers understand the process of breaking into the legal industry in England & Wales.
Tia Matt, Director of Clinical Legal Education at the University of Exeter, set up the Community Law Clinics on campus in 2017. She talks about the impact they have had on both law students and the local community, as well as plans for expansion to meet demand for services.
Environmental Engineer and University of Exeter Honorary Graduate, Dr Alexandra Jellicoe, speaks about the fight against climate change, the response to the pandemic, and the importance of having women in engineering.
Channel 4 International Editor, Exeter alumna and Honorary Graduate, Lindsey Hilsum, talks about covering the COVID crisis from Brazil and Italy. She also speaks about reporting on war-torn regions and the current animosity being directed towards journalists in some countries.
Professor Gavin Shaddick, Chair of Data Science & Statistics at the University of Exeter, shares details of a recent project designed to ensure health trusts maintain sufficient equipment and bed space during the pandemic.
Dr Andrew Shaw, Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Exeter, speaks about a new COVID-19 antibody test he has developed that can provide results in as little as seven minutes.
Professor David Pencheon OBE from the University of Exeter Medical School recently won The BMJ Outstanding Contribution to Health Award for his work to tackle the climate emergency from within healthcare. He speaks about the link between human health and the climate crisis.