Article written by Vikas Nariapara
The School of Applied Sciences annual alumni networking event provides a chance for current students to network, share knowledge, opportunities, and advice. This year’s event took place in October and included academics and students ranging from undergraduate to PhD level, and featured sharing of valuable knowledge, whilst showcasing the range of career paths UWE graduates and alumni have taken. It also in turn created a safe space where students and alumni were free to discuss science without criticism, allowing undergraduates the opportunity to peek into postgraduate life and potential career routes.
The event started with an opening address by Dr Lyn Newton, Dean and Head of the School of Applied Sciences. Following this, Dr Beth Penrose, Associate Professor in Pastoral Systems and Sustainability at Charles Darwin University in Northern Australia, explained how she (like many others) was unsure of what she wanted at the beginning of her degree, but by the end had decided that she would pursue research based on her experiences at UWE.
Dr Penrose emphasised the value of placements, mentioning how they help you see the use of your degree in industry and how you should always apply for opportunities even if you sometimes feel underqualified. She also advertised PhD positions available at Charles Darwin University. This talk offered solace for students feeling unsure about what they may want from their degree, whilst inspiring students to take available opportunities and not be afraid of applying for roles they would like.
Further information about the help the library staff can offer with research, essay writing and literature support was presented alongside the growing alumni community on UWE Alumni Connect which was presented by Natalie Welch, where UWE students and alumni can interact (a platform similar to LinkedIn). This network offers past and present students the ability to contact others who wish to help those part of the UWE community offering mentorship, advice and opportunities for those showing interest.
The event also featured a panel discussion. The speakers included Dr Elizabeth Bowler, Life Sciences Account Manager for Wales and South West England for Bio-Rad; Hesham Kisher, a Lecturer in Forensic Biology with experience in industry reviewing and issuing DNA expert reports relating to criminal, family and immigration law. Stephanie Udoh, PhD candidate researching the human oral microbiome with Colgate-Palmolive, Entrepreneur and Founder of SEPH group; Oluwadamilola Okeyoyin, PhD candidate researching the effect of herbal tea on the gut microbiome with Pukka Herbs, Chief of Operations for Damioke Naturals and Project Manager; Sean Price, an innovative public sector strategist for Splunk, a company that produces software for analysing machine generated data where he uses his industry knowledge to bring technology, people and processes together.
The panel discussed the pros and cons of independent research versus industry, the importance of balancing creativity with science as well as drawing attention to the transferable skills attained during university that can be used in roles potentially unrelated to your degree i.e. applying the knowledge gained from processing data for an experiment as the foundation of skills needed for data analysis roles. I found the panel was able to provide invaluable advice, and offered a broad range of answers due to the variety of experiences each member has. I received crucial advice on what I should be doing if I wish to progress to an academic, such as making use of volunteering opportunities to teach other students with the Scientists like me programme in the School of Applied Sciences at UWE.
Following the Q&A there were opportunities to network and I learned more about how to interact with industries and the importance of building a positive, active online presence that other professionals can view.
Sean Price stressed the power of LinkedIn, and how having a strong online profile would open doors, attract employers and could even lead to offers. He suggested to treat it as a living, breathing CV that shows who you are as a person alongside your academic and professional accomplishments.
Many undergraduates who attended used the alumni event as a chance to interact with postgraduates, a significant experience I wish I had prior to my final year.
Questions such as ‘how did you know you wanted to go into research?’ or ‘What advice would you give a level 2 students to prepare for level 3?’ were answered by recent graduates, handing our tips or resources they used to achieve a first-class degree.
Through the alumni event, I was able to network with professionals and attain key guidance by those who are currently in the role I aspire to. It also allowed me to meet other students whom I was able to pass on knowledge from my experiences of final year and my time in on sandwich placement.
Based on my experience I would strongly encourage students and alumni to attend this annual event, as wisdom, guidance and networking opportunities make this event extremely useful. Students and graduates unsure of their opportunities, or direction they wish to take, remarked feeling more certain of what they wanted after this event proving the alumni event has lots to offer.
Vikas Nariapara is a Masters by Research Student at UWE Bristol. He is also a HCPC Registered Biomedical Scientist. You can find out more about the write of this article via LinkedIn
Article Editor: Aislinn Snook
