Alumni Stories

Ed Parnell

BA American Studies, 1996

Edward Parnell, a 1996 graduate in American Studies, is the author of Ghostland, shortlisted for the PEN Ackerley 2020 Award. His debut novel, The Listeners, won the Rethink New Novels Prize in 2014.

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Liz Sproat

BA English, 1994

After graduating in 1994 with a degree in English, Liz Sproat forged a successful career with Google and LEGO. Now a leadership and development coach, she works with clients across the education and technology sectors.

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Guido Imbens

MSc Economics and Econometrics, 1986

Nobel Prize-winning economist Guido Imbens spent a year here, which inspired his PhD in Economics. He later became a Professor of Economics at Stanford Graduate School and was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize for contributions to econometrics.

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Seguntuyi Onakoya

MSc Advertising and Marketing, 2024

Since graduating from Hull, Seguntuyi Onakoya has built House of Tuyi - a fashion brand rooted in culture, community and inclusion. From student union rep to sold-out pop-ups and gallery catwalks, he reflects on finding his voice in Hull.

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Indhu Rubasingham

BA (Hons) Drama, 1992

Indhu’s achievements have long been a source of pride for our community. In 2017, the same year as her MBE award, she received an Honorary Doctorate. The next year, in 2018, Indhu returned to campus to take part in a ‘Women in Leadership’ event.

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Tracy Borman

BA, MSc, PhD History, 1997

Tracy Borman is Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and a successful author, best known for Elizabeth’s Women, a study of Elizabeth I told through the women who influenced her.

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Ed Bicknell

BA Social Studies, 1969

As Student’s Union entertainments manager, Ed Bicknell brought The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, Pink Floyd and many more to Hull. After graduating, Ed went on to manage Dire Straits - crediting his university experience for much of his success.

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Robbie Hawkins

BA History and Politics, 2015

“It was great seeing the enthusiasm of the students about radio and news. It was very rewarding and I was made to feel very welcome.”

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Emma Butcher

PhD English Literature, 2016

Emma began by exploring how the Brontës imagined war in their unpublished writing. Her interest in childhood and conflict took her from literary archives to the fascinating role of military historian at the Royal United Services Institute.

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University of Hull Laureate Heather Lacey

Heather T Lacey

BA English, 2015

Heather is a disability rights advocate, writer, and business development professional, driving inclusion through lived experience and strategic influence.

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Daniel Swift - University of Hull Alumni

Daniel Swift MBE

MA Theatre Making, 2019

Daniel is an inclusive theatre leader, creative producer, and changemaker transforming access in the performing arts.

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Laura Su

BA Management and Business, 2014

Laura is a sustainability leader driving innovation in waste recovery and circular economy solutions.

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James Deighton

BSc Sports Coaching & Performance Science, 2014

James is a performance analyst and lifelong rugby league fan shaping elite sport through data and dedication.

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Usman Ali

BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics, 2014

Usman is an investor and strategist driving innovation across emerging technologies and global markets.

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Nina Purvis

MPhys Astrophysics, 2012, PhD Medical Sciences, 2017

Dr Nina Purvis is based at one of the most remote research stations on Earth. Combining her research background and love of space with her clinical qualifications, she’s shaping medical considerations for future missions to Mars.

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Joshua Western

BA (Hons) Politics, 2014

Joshua Western graduated from the University in 2014 with a degree in Politics. He is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Space Forge, a company working to manufacture semi-conductors in space.

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Loong-Wei Ding

MSc Game Programming, 2008

Loong-Wei Ding graduated from the University of Hull in 2008 with an MSc in Game Programming. In April 2025, he was part of the team that won the BAFTA for Technical Achievement for their game Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.

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Conor Horne

BA (Hons) Accountancy with Financial Management, 2013

Conor graduated from the University of Hull in 2013. He lives in Farnham, Surrey, with his wife and two children and is currently Global Business Development Director at McLaren, having previously held senior leadership roles at Lotus and Forseven.

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Donna Harkin

MEng Chemical Engineering, 2020

An award-winning climate changemaker, chemical engineer Donna Harkin always wanted to work in sustainability. She graduated from the University of Hull with a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering in 2020.

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Anderona Cole

BA (Hons) Politics, 2012

Anderona graduated from Hull in 2012 with a BA (Hons) in Politics. She lives in Hertfordshire and works in London as an external relations and public affairs officer for Jisc, a UK organisation focused on digital technology in education and research.

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Alumni stories: meet the changemakers

Ed Parnell

Liz Sproat

Listen to the Inspired in Hull podcast

Episode 1: Neil Grant

Episode 2: Sue Turner OBE

Episode 3: Geography Class of the '60s

Episode 4: Emma Butcher

Episode 5: Robbie Hawkins

Episode 6: John Gilbert

Episode 7: 2024 Honorary Graduates (Part One)

Episode 8: 2024 Honorary Graduates (Part Two)

Episode 9: Guido Imbens

We'd love to hear from you, and we're always happy to answer your questions

Ed Parnell

Liz Sproat

Guido Imbens

Seguntuyi Onakoya

Indhu Rubasingham

Tracy Borman

Ed Bicknell

Robbie Hawkins

Emma Butcher

Heather T Lacey

Daniel Swift MBE

Laura Su

James Deighton

Usman Ali

Nina Purvis

Joshua Western

Loong-Wei Ding

Conor Horne

Donna Harkin

Anderona Cole

Episode 1: Neil Grant

Episode 2: Sue Turner OBE

Episode 3: Geography Class of the '60s

Episode 4: Emma Butcher

Episode 5: Robbie Hawkins

Episode 6: John Gilbert

Episode 7: 2024 Honorary Graduates (Part One)

Episode 8: 2024 Honorary Graduates (Part Two)

Episode 9: Guido Imbens

Guido Imbens

Seguntuyi Onakoya

Indhu Rubasingham

Tracy Borman

Ed Bicknell

Robbie Hawkins

Emma Butcher

Heather T Lacey

Daniel Swift MBE

Laura Su

James Deighton

Usman Ali

Nina Purvis

Joshua Western

Loong-Wei Ding

Conor Horne

Donna Harkin

Anderona Cole