January
2025 began with the appointment of six new Global Alumni Ambassadors across China, India, Nigeria, and the USA.
The King’s New Year Honours List celebrated alumni achievements across multiple sectors and disciplines, with alumni awarded everything from Knighthoods and CBEs to MBEs and British Empire Medals.
January marked a major milestone for research and innovation as The Wolfson Foundation awarded a grant of £1.1 million to the University to set up the Wolfson X-Lab Extreme to house the Gleeble 3800.
February
In February, we celebrated a range of alumni achievements.
Three Loughborough graduate entrepreneurs – Sri Ellen Hollema, Katie Michaels, and Katerina Mouliadou – were named as Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation, showcasing the creativity and impact of our alumni in business and enterprise.
The month also saw the launch of the Lunch with a Leader series, beginning with an insightful session from Helen Bierton, who shared her leadership journey and advice with the community (pictured).
Over 500 students attended the 2025 Talk Sport Conference, supported by alumni volunteers who gave back by sharing their expertise.
Globally, alumnus Professor Dr Arham Abdullah was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan.
March
March was a month of milestones and inspiration.
Mechanical Engineering graduate Jay Wakenshaw stepped into a leadership role as COO at Xona Space Systems in Silicon Valley, while alumnus Zak Marks impressed on Dragons’ Den, securing £75,000 for Kitt Medical – a life-saving anaphylaxis kit he first developed at Loughborough (pictured).
Alumna Penny Briscoe CBE was honoured with the IPC International Women’s Day Recognition Award for her exceptional leadership within the Paralympic Movement.
The month also celebrated diversity and global impact, with Lucy Davies becoming the first-ever winner of the Incorporated Female Engineer Award from the Royal Aeronautical Society, Sudip Chakraborty shortlisted for the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards for his work in social action, and Johanna Balogh taking on a new role as Strategic Partnerships Manager at Everesting.
April
Our #LboroJourney competition showcased a wide variety of Loughborough stories, including winning entries from Poppy Beech and runner‑up Alexandre Martins.
Towards the end of the month, Spalding welcomed new public art by alumnus Graeme Mitcheson. Graeme’s striking sculptures honoured the farming heritage of the Lincolnshire town.
Within a year of becoming Men’s First Team Manager of Birmingham City Football Club, alumnus Chris Davies marked a special moment, taking the team back to the Championship.
Finally, Edward Engulu ran the London Marathon in aid of Opportunity Scholarships at the University, in memory of his daughter, Celina.
May
In May, an alumnae paper ranked 3rd in Nature’s most cited articles of the 21st Century, celebrating the extraordinary global impact of Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke’s work on thematic analysis.
We also marked a major moment in women’s sport as alumna Mary Earps retired from international football and the month concluded with Sam Cook's England Test call up – a proud debut at Trent Bridge.
A new book about the history of Loughborough Sport was published (pictured) and alumni enjoyed top-class performances at the annual Loughborough International Athletics meet.
June
The month strengthened connections for alumni in West Africa, with a University delegation visiting Abuja, Lagos, and Accra.
Alumna Sarah Massey was appointed Director of Sport for the British Olympic Association, taking on a pivotal role shaping Team Great Britain’s future.
The month closed with the King’s Birthday Honours, with graduates and honorary degree holders awarded MBEs, CBEs and other notable awards for their contributions to science, education, engineering and public service.
July
Alumnus Mridul Manoj completed a running streak of over 2000 days, celebrating his remarkable daily running challenge spanning multiple countries.
We recognised global impact as Dr Kazim Altaf was given a national award by the President of Pakistan for outstanding services in mechanical design.
And, of course, we celebrated the summer class of 2025!
August
Grant Rousseau was featured in Amazon’s Esports World Cup: Level Up documentary, highlighting his influential role in the rapidly expanding world of competitive gaming.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our alumni community, donations to an Opportunity Scholarships appeal fully funded a £9,000 scholarship for a Loughborough student.
September
In September, six new Alumni Advisory Board members were appointed (pictured) after more than 100 alumni applied for voluntary roles. Dr Luke Langbein‑Stott was selected for a second term as Alumni President. They joined existing Board members to create a 17-strong Board of alumni who support the University on alumni activities, strategic areas such as inclusivity, health and wellbeing, and climate change and net zero, and student experience.
October
Alumni reunited in Delhi for an evening, where graduates gathered to reconnect, share experiences and strengthen their professional networks.
The month also highlighted Mubeenat Adamu's impressive career journey from Loughborough to Rolls‑Royce, and Dan Hatfield's #PatchTheSlash campaign was recognised.
November
Students from the Loughborough Finance and Investment Society heard from two expert alumni, as Paul Brough and Gagan Bhatnagar returned to campus to share career advice and industry trends.
It was also announced that alumnus Neal Anderson will take on the role of CEO at Safe Sport International, recognising his extensive experience and commitment to advancing global safeguarding in sport.
December
In December, we held our first Giving Day, raising more than £90,000 for four brilliant causes at the University – and it wouldn’t have been possible without you, our alumni.
Hundreds of graduates crossed the stage to receive their well-earned degrees in winter ceremonies, growing the alumni population further!
Alumni were celebrated at the Study UK Alumni Awards in China, where Shunhao Jia and Virginia Zhang were recognised for their outstanding contributions in sport, creativity and innovation (pictured). Their success reflects the international reach of the Loughborough community and the lasting impact of the education, support and experiences they gained during their time at the University.
Finally, to top off a brilliant year, Honorary Graduate Sarina Wiegman won Coach of the Year at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, and University Ambassador for Sport and former student, Karen Carney, was crowned the 2025 Strictly Come Dancing champion alongside dance partner Carlos Gu.
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As the year comes to a close, we’re grateful for the many achievements and stories shared across our global alumni community. Thank you for staying connected and we look forward to seeing what the new year brings.
Do you have a story to share? Get in touch, we would love to hear from you!
This year, we launched our new Instagram account so that we can share even more of your brilliant news – make sure you follow along on @LboroAlumni!