The winners of the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s first ever Alumni Awards have been announced. Across six categories, the accolades recognised the positive impact our alumni are making – locally and globally.
Alumni Awards 2025
Our worthy winners revealed!
"I’d like to thank all 24 nominees for being fantastic ambassadors for Plymouth. From our home in the sunny South West, our University now has 190,000 alumni in 158 countries."
"That’s something we can all be proud of – an incredible statistic for a modern university that reflects our diversity and strength as an institution."
And the winners are...
Our Rising Star Award recognises a recent graduate who has achieved something extraordinary within just five years of leaving Plymouth.
And the winner is Emily Bibby a Mechanical Engineering graduate and Babcock International Best Project Prize winner
Currently excelling within the BAE Systems Graduate Scheme, Emily recently earned the Sustainability Graduate award at the BAE Systems Graduate Awards recognising her impactful work in decarbonisation and vessel efficiency.
Alongside her successful career, she is a researcher pursuing a Masters. In addition, Emily somehow finds time to volunteer as a youth leader with the Scouts and save lives at sea with the RNLI.
Our Entrepreneurial Award recognises a graduate who has displayed an entrepreneurial spirit in their endeavours.
And the winner is Amii James who completed her Illustration degree in 2021 and a further Masters with us, last year.
The first in her family to attend university, Amii is now a self-employed illustrator, creating witty prints, books, colouring books and more.
She has built a large following on social media, including attracting the attention of celebrities, and recently secured a licensing agreement with a greetings card company that supplies retail giants Waterstones and John Lewis.
Through resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, Amii has turned her creative passion into a flourishing business that connects people globally through creativity, absurdity and dry humour.
Our Social Impact Award recognises a graduate who has made a positive contribution to the lives of others. And the winner is Ian Sherriff.
Ian is a Social Work and Management Studies graduate who is well-known throughout the University and further afield, as a champion of compassionate, individualised social care for those with dementia plus their carers.
He is a much-loved ambassador for Plymouth, who represents the University locally, nationally, and internationally, spearheading numerous initiatives and contributing to research and policy to improve social care in the community.
A British Empire Medal Winner, Ian has worked with several Prime Ministers and is currently working with the UK government and a Ukrainian dementia charity to help rebuild the war-torn country’s care services.
Our Alumni Ambassador Award recognises graduates who have gone above and beyond with their ambassador duties. And the winner is Michelle Cotter.
A recent graduate in Adult Health & Mental Health Nursing, Michelle is someone who is always quick to advocate for and support her fellow students, and draws on relatable experiences to help others learn from her own journey.
She’s been a regular at open days and interviews, alongside being active in the Peer Assisted Learning Scheme.
Our Trailblazer Award recognises the work of our innovative alumni who are striving to make a positive impact in their field right now and for future generations.
And the winner is Lucy Ford a Psychology graduate who co-founded the Community Interest Company, Her Game Too, a passionate movement dedicated to tackling sexism and promoting gender equality within the world of sport.
Running the campaign alongside working full-time, Lucy and her friends have partnered with 76 of the 92 professional football clubs in England and branched out into cricket, rugby, ice hockey and e-sports as far afield as France and USA.
The result is that Her Game Too is ensuring women and girls feel welcome and empowered in what is a traditionally male-dominated environment.
Our Lifetime Achievement Award recognises a graduate for their ongoing and significant contribution over a number of years. And the winner is Harrison Nash who graduated in Social Work, back in 2011.
Harrison has spent more than 17 years dedicated to supporting vulnerable and traumatised children in South Africa.
He is the founder of Maranatha Care Children, a charity that aims to offer children education, life skills, and a safe home environment – helping them fulfil their potential.
A British Empire Medal Winner, Harrison has also shared his expertise as an Honorary Lecturer at the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ since 2019, delivering talks to inspire future social workers and share an invaluable international perspective.
Congratulations to all our worthy winners and thank you to everyone who voted in the Alumni Awards 2025.
And, to all of our alumni around the world, thanks for being part of
our ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ community
. Please do keep in touch with us, online and in person.