ARU celebrates global successes of its alumni

The incredible contributions that Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) graduates have made to communities, culture and enterprise across the world were celebrated at the annual Vice Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumni Awards last night.

During a glittering ceremony at its Chelmsford campus, ARU welcomed back former students to celebrate their successes since crossing the stage and graduating from ARU.

A total of 34 finalists were shortlisted in seven categories which recognised contributions in areas such as voluntary service, contribution to culture, public service and sustainability.

• Alumni Contribution to Culture Award: Winner: Thea Lu (MA Children’s Book Illustration 2021). Thea is a picture book author and illustrator whose published works include Dive into the Night Sea, Here & There, and Minuscules Mandibules, winning awards including the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition Winners, 2021 Sebastian Walker Award, and 2024 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books.
• Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Winner: Joe McGrath (Masters of Business Administration 2024). An entrepreneur and marketer, Joe is the founder of Rhotic Media, a financial marketing agency. Joe holds an MBA from ARU and a BA (Hons) in Corporate Communication. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Prior to launching Rhotic, Joe worked as a senior journalist for the Financial Times Group, Dow Jones, and Reach plc.
• Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award: Winner: Mary Prior KC (LLB 1984) Mary is a barrister with 34 years’ experience of prosecuting and defending the most serious, complex criminal cases across England and Wales. A KC, she is Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, the Midland Criminal Law Association, and Midland Women in Criminal Law. She is also a Bencher and Vice Chair of Education (Outreach) for Gray’s Inn, Head of 36 Crime in London, Patron of the Non-Russell Group of Lawyers and Bringing (Dis)ability to the Bar. In 2020, Mary was named Woman of the Year at the Women in Law Awards.
• Alumni Public Service Award: Winner: Dr Manshi S. Mankiwala (MSc Public Health 2011). Dr Mankiwala is a dedicated public health professional serving as a state consultant with the National Health Mission, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Gujarat. Her work focuses on strengthening health systems, policy advocacy, and maternal, child, and adolescent health.
• Alumni Rising Star Award: Winner: Ariana Soares Dias Portela (MSc Applied Bio Science 2021). Ariana Soares Dias Portela is a dedicated scientist who spent two years in New York researching a compound that delays Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis symptoms in mice. She is now pursuing a PhD at the UK’s first Space Innovation Lab, collaborating with NASA to study how microgravity affects aging.
• Alumni Sustainability Champion Award: Winner: Dr Norbert Edomah (Doctor of Philosophy Global Sustainability Institute 2018). Norbert Edomah is a Professor of Energy Systems and Policy at the School of Science and Technology, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria. With over two decades of experience in the energy sector, he has led several EU and UKRI-funded projects. Norbert focuses on understanding how people respond to changes in energy systems and how these interactions impact energy policy.
• Alumni Voluntary Service Award: Winner: Oa Hackett (Certificate of Higher Education Charity and Social Enterprise Management (LDS) 2019). Oa founded Little Lifts in 2017 after her breast cancer treatment at the age of 28. The charity has raised over £2million and supported over 28,000 breast cancer patients through 10 NHS hospital partnerships and The Little Kindness Fund. Her contributions have been recognised with a Points of Light Award, a British Citizen Award, and the Chartered Institute Fundraising East of England Professional Fundraiser of the Year Award.