Campus News

Leadership and Management Academy programmes

September 5th, 2022

Would you like to learn something new, do something different and take the next step in your leadership journey?

Then it might be time to consider applying for one of the Leadership and Management Academy’s programmes.

These programmes have been designed to help leaders, managers, and those interested in developing their leadership practice, build the confidence and capability to lead and manage teams.

They are open to all staff at the university, whether you see yourself as a ‘leader’ or not, now or in the future.

Leadership is something that everyone can do, it’s not a position, title or role; it is the action you take, the example you set and the impact you have.

If your ADC identified development in the following areas our programmes are great ways to meet your needs:

  • Build  confidence in leading and managing
  • Broaden your impact and influence
  • Support others to grow and perform to their best ability
  • Improve  the environment for your team to achieve
  • Lead  change with new thinking to take people with you

By joining one of the LMA programmes, the team will help you to be more comfortable not knowing all the answers, help you to understand the wider context in which you lead, and help you to build the personal and professional resources to be able to pass on energy, confidence, trust, and a shared purpose to the people you lead.

You’ll get the space, time, and support to focus on your own leadership practice and develop a great network of like-minded colleagues.

If you’re not sure what you’ll get from one of the programmes, take a look at the video below, where a colleague Tom shares his LMA journey,

The LMA programmes provide focused development for leaders and managers, at all levels,

  • Aspiring Leadership
  • Stepping into Leadership
  • Operational Leadership
  • Senior Leadership
  • Executive leadership

Applications for our LMA programmes 2022/23 close on 16th Sept 2022.

You can find out more about which programme is right for you, or contact the programme leader for further details here at LMA Development Programmes.

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Zero Waste Week and sustainability at the university

September 2nd, 2022

Zero Waste Week is a national campaign that runs from Monday 5 –  Friday 9 September 2022.  It aims to help everyone reduce waste and participate in the circular economy.

We have four easy ways to help you ditch disposables at the university, lessen your environmental impact and save some money too. And it all starts with the four R’s: Reuse, Refill, Recycle and… Rewards…?

Reuse – Latte Levy

Did you know that you can pay 40p less for a drink bought on campus when you use a reusable cup?

The Latte Levy is in place across the university’s catering outlets. The aim is to encourage customers to use their own reusable cups rather than using a disposable one.

It’s simple:

  • Bring your own cup get a 20p discount.
  • Use a disposable cup and you’ll be charged an additional 20p on top of the drink price.

SU outlets (e.g. Portland Coffee) and Costa etc have their own schemes.

During August, 2,860 drinks were sold in reusable cups in university catering outlets alone. Not using disposable cups has saved 9.44kg of plastic ending up in the bin and prevented 105kg CO2e entering the atmosphere. Not to mention saving customers more than £1,100!

Currently, around 15% of drinks on campus are bought in reusable cups. That’s good but it’s not enough. Help us to improve by using your own cups and save yourself some money while you’re at it.

94% of you have previously said you’d commit to using reusable cups. So make that change and make a difference today. If you don’t already have one, you can buy a reusable cup from many outlets across all campuses.

Proceeds from the Latte Levy are reinvested in our Environmental Initiatives Fund to help reduce waste further and to set up other sustainability initiatives. For example, funding the replacement of disposables with crockery at some food outlets.

Refill – Water Fountains

We now have 53 water refill points across our campuses that you can use rather than buying a bottle of water. This includes eight new bottle filling stations which not only look good, but tell you how many plastic bottles they have saved as you use them.

So far, over 450 plastic bottles have been saved through the use of the George Green Library fountain. And it was only installed at the end of July!

See a map of all the water fountains. New ones are coming soon to the Trent Building on UP, The Atrium on Jubilee, QMC and various points across Sutton Bonington campus.

There are also plans to install filtered drinking water taps in various staff kitchens to further reduce the use and impact of single-use plastic.

Recycle – pens and writing instruments

As of earlier this year, pens and other writing instruments can now be recycled on campus. Pen recycling points are available in all libraries on UP and other locations across our campuses, with more coming soon. The pens go to a local school who raise money for charity by recycling them.

Find out more

Rewards – Green Rewards

Sign up to Green Rewards and you can get rewarded for completing these actions and more. There are over 25 activities on Green Rewards to help you reduce waste but also save energy, travel more sustainably, and do your bit to help nature thrive. Each month there are 10 x £20 vouchers given away to those who earn the most Green Points. Plus the best performing team each quarter nominates a charity to receive £250.

Sign up before Friday 7 October and you’ll be entered in a prize draw to win a £25 White Rose voucher.

For more ideas on how to cut the waste out of your life, visit www.zerowasteweek.co.uk.

Go! Your sustainable choices matter. www.nottingham.ac.uk/sustainability

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Trent Building gold light up extended to support Childhood Cancer Awareness

September 1st, 2022

The university is extending its support for Childhood Cancer Awareness with the iconic Trent Building being lit gold for three days, giving more people the opportunity to see it and find out about the cause.

Childhood Cancer Awareness month (CCAM) takes place every September to highlight the signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatments for children’s cancers with the aim of raising awareness and funds.

Following its debut gold light up for one day last year the Trent Building will be glowing gold again for three evenings, from Thursday 1 – Saturday 3 September. It will join iconic buildings across the region and UK who are lighting up gold during the month.

Research into Childhood Cancer is taking place at the university with Dr Shaarna Shanmugavadivel leading the Childhood Cancer Diagnosis Study alongside the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) to understand how cancer is diagnosed in children and young people across the UK.

Earlier this year the study group developed a protocol for clinicians around the world which will help to close the gap between diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer and could increase the chance of survival from the disease.

The overall five-year survival estimate in the UK is 84% across all childhood cancers, which is lower than other countries in Europe. One of the possible causes for this is a delay between patients presenting with their symptoms to a clinician and receiving their diagnosis.

The new protocol outlines the methods used by the experts in the Childhood Cancer Diagnosis study, to better understand the current diagnosis pathway of childhood cancer referrals and diagnosis and will look to determine the exact reasons for these delays in diagnostic pathways.

Dr Shanmugavadivel said: “Raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of childhood cancer is vital if we are to improve diagnosis and outcomes for children, so it’s fantastic that the University is helping to shine a light on this during CCAM.

“There is misperception by the public and professionals that childhood cancer is rare which means it is often not considered until the child has multiple symptoms at which point it is more likely to be at an advanced stage. Time is crucial; untreated, tumours grow bigger and can spread around the body requiring more extensive surgery and more intensive therapies to offer cure.

We are really pleased to be able to share the protocol which we hope will allow other countries to understand the diagnostic pathways for their children and young people in order to really close the gap on childhood cancer outcomes both in the UK and globally.”

Jane Icke who works at the university is backing the CCAM campaign as her daughter Alice has been treated for cancer twice – kidney cancer in 2014, known as a Wilms tumour, which returned in her lung in 2015. Alice was treated at QMC and is now almost 5 years in remission.

Jane said: “The new protocol is a huge step in helping improve diagnosis for children. It took repeated trips to the GP with various symptoms before we got a cancer diagnosis for Alice. Her symptoms could have been many childhood illnesses which made it difficult to spot initially and it wasn’t until we took her with a very swollen tummy that we were sent to hospital.

Even then I never in a million years thought it could be cancer. Finding out your child has cancer is a devastating shock as are the treatments children face which are harsh and gruelling with many side effects.”

The research continues with the Childhood Illness Perception Study (ChIP) which aims to understand the public perception of childhood cancer in order to inform a new public and professional awareness campaign called Child Cancer Smart. Parents with healthy children as well as those who have experience of having a child with cancer or another long-term health condition are taking part in focus groups in order to understand their perceptions and where they go for information, advice and support for their child’s health.

This year also marked the first ever debate in the House of Commons about childhood cancer diagnosis and outcomes led by Dame Caroline Dinenage. Dr Shanmugavadivel, Professor David Walker and Ashley Ball-Gamble CEO of CCLG have been working with Dame Caroline and Charlotte Fairhall to urge the government to prioritise childhood cancer through a new Childhood Cancer Mission.

A number of Childhood Cancer charities are involved in CCAM fundraising activities including: CCLG, and Cancer Research UK

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Times Higher Education Awards – university shortlisted in two categories

September 1st, 2022

The university’s reputation for excellence in research, teaching and student support has been recognised with shortlistings in two categories in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2022 – known widely as the annual ‘Oscars of Higher Education.’

This year, the university has been shortlisted in the following categories:

Full details of the university’s shortlisted entries – together with their competitors for each award – are available at THE shortlist.

The THE Awards are free to enter, and open to anyone involved in higher education across the UK and Ireland.

Winners will be revealed with an in-person ceremony at the newly refurbished Hilton London Metropole hotel in London on Thursday 17 November 2022.

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VC staff surgeries: Tuesday 13 September, 9am-10am

August 30th, 2022

The next set of ‘staff surgery’ sessions are now available for colleagues to discuss any issue with Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West, on Tuesday 13 September 2022, from 9am – 10am.

Booking your session

To register for a session, please email BA-VC-Surgery@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk with your preferred date from the list below and a brief agenda for the meeting.

Places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so colleagues are encouraged to book early. You will be contacted within two working days of your request confirming the date and time.

Further surgery sessions are available on:

  • Wednesday 19 October, 10am – 11am
  • Tuesday 15 November, 2pm – 3pm
  • Tuesday 13 December, 11am -12 noon
  • Tuesday 24 January, 3pm-4.30pm
  • Tuesday 21 February, 3pm-4.30pm
  • Wednesday 22 March, 1pm-2pm

Further information is available at VC Staff Surgery. Conversations will usually be held in-person, although can be arranged via Teams if preferred.

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Medical Research Council Impact Accelerator Account award

August 30th, 2022

The Medical Research Council (MRC) are now inviting applications for the MRC IAA award.

The MRC IAA is a key part of MRC’s translational research strategy. It is intended to accelerate the transition from discovery research to commercialisation, by supporting preliminary work or feasibility studies to establish the viability of an approach.

Ensuring that fundamental science is translated into new therapies, diagnostics and medical devices is central to both the MRC’s and the university’s mission. The MRC IAA replaces the Confidence in Concept Awards.

Applications for awards must be used to support investigations that are designed to make the transition from fundamental discovery science to a point along the clinical translational research pathway.

Projects must demonstrate that once complete they would be eligible for the next stage of translational research funding, supported by other externally funded schemes, for example: MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS), National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i), Wellcome Trust Innovation schemes or charity led translational funds (e.g., British Heart Foundation).

The funding available for each successful project is up to £75k per project.

An application workshop will be held on Wednesday 31 August 2022, from 9.30am – 11am on University Park campus. Please contact Kevin.hughes@nottingham.ac.uk to secure a place.

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Monday 26 September 2022.

Projects will be required to start from 1 January 2023 and should complete no later than 31 December 2023.

More details, including the application form and guidance, can be found on the Knowledge Exchange Hub’s MRC IAA page.

If you have any questions, please contact Kevin.Hughes@nottingham.ac.uk (Translational Healthcare Portfolio Manager).

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Update to university Wi-Fi – action required

August 26th, 2022

On Tuesday 6 September at 12am, Digital and Technology Services (DTS) will be updating the eduroam wireless security certificates to maintain a secure wireless network for all users.

Following the update, all eduroam users will see a warning on their device stating that their connection “may not be secure”.

You may be prompted to log in to eduroam again to accept the new certificate and ensure a secure internet connection via eduroam.

In order to reconnect to university Wi-Fi after the update, you will need to:

  1. Accept the new certificate when prompted OR
  2. Re-connect using the eduroam Configuration Assistance Tool (CAT) or Geteduroam
  3. Failing that, forget the eduroam wireless network and re-connect to it – instructions on how to do this can be found on the IT Services website

Reminder – for eduroam, your username is your university email address. For example:

  • Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students: ‘username@nottingham.ac.uk’
  • Postgraduate Researchers, Staff and Associates*: ‘firstname.lastname@nottingham.ac.uk’

*Associates without a university email address should use: ‘username@nottingham.ac.uk’

University-managed Windows devices should automatically update if they are connected to the Virtual Private Network whilst being off-campus.

If the update needs to be started manually, go to Start > UoN Network > Eduroam Setup 2022.09 which will load a screen to take you through each step (or search for “Eduroam Setup 2022.09” after you click on the Windows icon).

Although you may be able to connect to the eduroam wireless network without validating the server certificate, your connection will not be secure, and your data may be at risk.

Certificate security information

After the update, you may experience a security or certificate warning when first connecting to eduroam. To ensure your safety, check that the certificate you are presented with matches the following information:

  • Server thumbprint: 80 a4 6b db 14 fa b9 b7 8c a3 50 7d 7f 50 1e d2 a8 a0 1c 39
  • Server common name (CN):nottingham.ac.uk
  • Issued by: GEANT OV RSA CA 4
  • Issued to: The University of Nottingham, NOTTINGHAM, Nottinghamshire, GB
  • Valid from: 12 ‎August ‎2022 01:00:00
  • Valid to: 13 ‎August ‎2023 00:59:59

You can also install the certificate yourself before connecting by using the CAT tool.

If you need any support, please raise a request using the self-service portal or by phoning the IT Service Desk on 0115 951 6677.

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Royal Society honours Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam for his public science communication role during the Covid-19 pandemic

August 24th, 2022

The University of Nottingham’s Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam has been recognised for the critical communications role he played during the Covid-19 pandemic with a prestigious award by the Royal Society.

Professor Van-Tam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Nottingham, will receive the Attenborough Award and Lecture, awarded annually by the society for outstanding public engagement in science.

The award honours Professor Van-Tam’s work as UK Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), when he received international acclaim for his ability to explain complex Covid-19-related issues including transmission risks and the importance of vaccines using creative – often sports-based – analogies during the regular televised Downing Street press conferences.

His dedication to public communication has been fundamental in educating people about the risks posed by Covid-19, the science behind the disease epidemiology and promoting expected behaviours in citizens around issues including testing and vaccination which played a pivotal role in controlling the spread of the virus.

His plain English approach to science garnered huge personal popularity with the public and led to him being affectionately nicknamed JVT by his DHSC colleagues and then the UK media (unbeknown to many he had been using JVT widely in Nottingham since at least 2007). Earlier this summer, he received his knighthood from the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace for his services to public health and an honorary degree from the University of Nottingham, his alma mater.

Reacting to the announcement of the award, Professor Van-Tam said: “I feel very humbled to have been chosen by the Society because so many UK scientists do really great work making science accessible to the public. This is quite simply a huge honour.

“I am passionate about people from all walks of life and backgrounds being able to engage with science in a way that meets their needs and allows them in turn to benefit from science discoveries in their daily lives; there is no better example than the Covid-19 vaccines which have literally allowed our society to re-open after a devastating pandemic. But it is always our job as scientists to meet the public at their point of need and understanding.”

As an epidemiologist and the DCMO for Health Protection, Professor Van-Tam has played important roles in a number of different incidents, including domestic outbreaks of MERS and Monkeypox; the severe 2017/18 influenza season; the response to the Novichok attacks; and the Covid-19 pandemic where he worked on the Vaccine Taskforce and supported the development of treatments.

He is an author on almost 200 scientific papers including major studies into the transmission of the flu, the efficacy of anti-viral drugs to treat it and the success of the drug Tamiflu in protecting patients during the Swine flu pandemic of 2009-10. More recently he has contributed to academic papers on the clinical impact of Covid-19, the safety and immunogenicity of vaccine combinations and boosters for Covid-19 and the world’s first human challenge study with Covid-19.

He joined the executive team at Nottingham after stepping down from his role as DCMO in the spring this year.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham Professor Shearer West said: “This award is richly deserved and we are incredibly proud of the vital role that Professor Van-Tam played in leading the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Professor Van-Tam epitomises excellence in the public communication of science in everything that he does, particularly through the numerous public engagement activities that he generously devotes time to in addition to his academic and leadership commitments at Nottingham. He is truly gifted in his ability to explain complex scientific and public health ideas in an accessible and engaging way and during his time as Deputy Chief Medical Officer, the public benefitted greatly from this talent.”

The Attenborough award is named after the UK’s best-loved naturalist and broadcaster, and honorary Fellow of the Royal Society, David Attenborough. The medal takes the form of a silver gilt medal and is accompanied by a gift of £2,500. Professor Van-Tam will also be invited to deliver a prize lecture at a future date.

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society said, “On behalf of the Royal Society, I offer my congratulations to the outstanding researchers, individuals and teams whose contributions to our collective scientific endeavour have helped further our understanding of the world around us.

“Science has always been a team game, and I’m proud to see such a wide array of skills and specialisms reflected in this year’s medals and awards.

“From the original ideas that open up new fields, to the team effort that delivered the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, or the vital work of technicians and those opening doors for the next generation of talented researchers – I am proud that we can celebrate outstanding scientific contributions in all their forms.”

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Talented technician receives new Royal Society Award

August 24th, 2022

A talented technician and regular contributor to the Periodic Table of Videos is one of the first people to receive the new Royal Society Hauksbee Award in recognition of his outstanding skills as a research technician.

Neil Barnes, who has been at the University of Nottingham for more than 45 years has received this award for the exceptional technical support he has provided to generations of physical chemists, and his continued inspiring of future scientists by popularising chemistry online, attracting thousands of fans worldwide.

The Royal Society Hauksbee Award is new for 2022 and recognises outstanding achievements in science of an individual or team whose work is mostly ‘behind the scenes’ or in support, including technicians, research office staff or other contributors who might not normally be recognised.

Neil’s career at the University of Nottingham started in 1977 when he started working in the Physical Chemistry Department. For two years he operated the first year Physical Chemistry Teaching labs, then in 1979 he was promoted from Trainee Technician to Research Technician (Physical Chemistry).

Neil dedicated himself to supporting the research of academics from a variety of fields including; organic semi-conductors, ionic liquids and more recently Green Chemistry.  In 1990 Neil was promoted to Senior Research Technician.

Alongside his research work Neil has always been passionate about assisting undergraduate teaching and engaging the public and school children in science and has been a regular at university open days and Salters’ Festivals of Chemistry.

Neil is also an integral part of the team that produce the award-winning Periodic Table of Videos (PTOV), a YouTube channel that has 1.56 million subscribers and whose videos have had over 272 million views. Since 2008 the videos have helped to popularise chemistry to all ages and comments left under the videos show Neil has a large fanbase across the world.

His multi-faceted dedication to his subject was acknowledged when in 2015 he was again promoted, this time to Technical Specialist supporting the entire School of Chemistry.

Samantha Tang, Technical Specialist Outreach nominated Neil for the award and said: “Neil’s quiet enthusiasm and dedication to scientific progress are both infectious and inspirational. As a colleague of over 18 years he has made me a better science communicator and lecture demonstrator, and has taught me to be resilient and resourceful, traits essential to any technician! Although Neil is officially identified with academics, his day-to-day dealings are with their research students and associates, and this task often calls for considerable patience and endurance. This award is thoroughly deserved and I’m delighted he has been recognised by the Royal Society.”

Neil said: “I am delighted to receive this award and would like to use it as an opportunity to highlight the efforts of so many technicians, both past and present who have not had the opportunity to be as forward facing as myself.

Neil Barnes

Especially engineers both mechanical and electronic, as with most things a sound foundation is required and without that mine and many other careers would not have been built.

The list of people who have supported me throughout my career is endless but I would like to mention in particular Neville Brown and Bill Porter and all those who have helped me over the years.”

Sir Martyn Poliakoff FRS, Research Professor in the School of Chemistry said “I have worked with Neil for more than 40 years. He is always full of interesting ideas and comes up with ingenious solutions to make things work, most recently repairing a “perpetual motion machine” that I inherited. He is also never shy to tell professors in the nicest possible way when they are wrong!  This Award is richly deserved and underlines the enormously important role that technicians play in supporting the entire scientific enterprise in the UK and across the world.

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society adds: “On behalf of the Royal Society, I offer my congratulations to the outstanding researchers, individuals and teams whose contributions to our collective scientific endeavour have helped further our understanding of the world around us.

“Science has always been a team game, and I’m proud to see such a wide array of skills and specialisms reflected in this year’s medals and awards.

“From the original ideas that open up new fields, to the team effort that delivered the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, or the vital work of technicians and those opening doors for the next generation of talented researchers – I am proud that we can celebrate outstanding scientific contributions in all their forms.”

This award adds to a growing list Neil has previously received including: the Papin Prize for outreach, the University of Nottingham’s Knowledge Exchange and Impact Award in the media category and the 2016 Royal Society of Chemistry President’s Award.

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Inspirational alumni receive recognition during summer graduation

August 23rd, 2022

As well as the 20,000 graduates crossing the stage this summer we were also delighted to present Alumni Laureate Awards (ALAs) to our most recent recipients!

Since 2007 the university has presented ALAs to recognise alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their community, stimulated new ideas and shown exceptional dedication, creativity, or leadership.

Here are the 2020 winners who were presented with their awards during graduation – and keep an eye out later this autumn, as we relaunch our ALAs, for information on how you can nominate a worthy recipient.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam MBE (Medicine, 1987)

We recognised JVT’s many talents long before the pandemic, with our 2020 recipients being chosen before Covid-19 was in the public consciousness.

But if we needed reminding, his career spans across academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and the public sector, including roles as Head of the Pandemic Influenza Office, Chair of the European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control, and serving on the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) before becoming one of the most senior advisors to the Government during the pandemic, regularly presenting at the Government’s national briefings – becoming something of a national icon in the process.

We’re of course delighted he returned ‘home’ in May, to take up the position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences.

Special Excellence Award

Anmarie Spaziano (Sociology, 2002)

Better known to you and I as ‘Annie’ of Annie’s Burger Shack, Anmarie moved to the UK from Rhode Island in the USA in her 20s, having first studied to become a pre-equine vet before her Sociology degree here at Nottingham.

Having grown up just down the road from the first ever traditional US diner, she was determined to bring a slice of authentic Americana to the Midlands and opened the original Annie’s Burger Shack in 2009. People fell in love with her tasty cooked-to-order burgers, and after moving to The Navigation Inn, queues would form with up to a three hour wait for food. In 2014 the first independent Annie’s Burger Shack restaurant opened in the Lace Market, where it remains one of Nottingham’s most-visited eateries.

Richard Wardlaw OBE (Production Engineering, 1991)

Joining the Army after graduation, Richard has over 28 years’ service around the globe in Hong Kong, Brunei, the Falkland Islands, Germany, and the UK – and operationally in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2007 and 2009, he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service (QCVS) following his tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.

As Chief of Defence, Logistics and Support, Richard currently holds the rank of 3* General, placing him among the most senior soldiers in the Army. Within six months of appointment, Richard’s team was actively engaged in providing vital strategic logistic advice to the Government response to Covid-19 and thereafter played a pivotal role in planning and distributing vaccines to UK forces around the globe and the populations of the UK’s Overseas Territories.

His team’s strategic logistic planning and coordination has also been in significant demand in responding to the more recent fuel distribution crisis, the evacuation from Afghanistan and of course in marshalling the military support required by the people of Ukraine. 

Steve Cliffe (Electrical Engineering, 1985)

Steve is currently Chairperson of University of Nottingham spin-out BlueSkye AI and previously held the role of CEO and President of Ultraleap for eight years, a world-leading technology company which combines 3D hand tracking with haptic technology to create the sensation of touch in mid-air.

Cutting edge engineering is in Steve’s lifeblood and over previous decades his work in the field of semiconductors has prompted advancements in technology which we all take for granted today – mobile phones, fibre-optic communications, and other computing technology.

Recent Graduate Award

Olivia Swift (Midwifery, 2015)

Swift by name, swift by nature. Midwife-turned-entrepreneur Olivia Swift wasted no time in establishing her own award-winning business, Lotus Maternity, from scratch after graduating from Nottingham in 2015.

The business provides products and services to support and empower mums as they navigate parenthood. It was during her training as a midwife, seeing the challenges faced by new mums, especially breastfeeding in public, that inspired Olivia to start the business. During the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to the support offered through her business, Olivia returned to midwifery on Nottingham’s maternity wards to help during the crisis.

Two further alumni were recognised with Recent Graduate awards in 2020 and will receive their awards at a later date: Emily Seto (Clinical Microbiology, 2016) and Madeline Pizzoni (Nursing, 2013).

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