Alumni team on tour - a postcard from the USA!

We were thrilled to reconnect with our alumni communities in New York (29th April), San Francisco (1st May) and Los Angeles (5th May) for three fun evenings of inspiration, connection and celebration. Thank you to all alumni and friends from our UK, China and Malaysia campuses who attended and a special thanks to our fantastic speakers for giving us plenty to think about with their ideas, stories and expertise.

New York

In New York, we were joined by Emma Vites Patel (Sociology, 2003), a seasoned coach, author and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner, with over two decades of experience helping young people achieve their career aspirations.

Emma delivered a compelling talk: Beyond the Bot: Cultivating Human Skills in an AI-Driven World. Drawing on over eleven years at LinkedIn, Emma offered powerful insights into the importance of nurturing human capabilities such as curiosity, courage, creativity, communication and compassion (the 5 Cs) as we enter the innovation economy.

It was the first time Emma had delivered a talk on this topic and she was pleased to debut it with such a warm and engaged audience from the alumni network!

San Francisco

In San Francisco, we were excited to hear from Rachael Fernandes (Natural Sciences, 2016), a dynamic marketer who has helped shape the brand strategies of Penguin Random House, the Natural History Museum and American Express. In August 2024, Rachael made the move from London to San Francisco to take on a new challenge as Monzo’s US Head of Growth Marketing, where she leads efforts to grow the bank’s brand, user base and reputation in the American market.

Rachael shared the twists and turns of her career journey - from initially aspiring to become a vet, to finding herself interning in the Houses of Parliament the day after the Brexit referendum.

Los Angeles

Our flagship event celebrated 25 years of the university’s connections in Hollywood, with Oscar and Emmy Award winning special guests! Gary Rydstrom, Academy Award-winning Sound Designer and Film Director; Tom Walsh, Emmy Award-winning Production Designer; and Tiara Cosme Ruiz (Film, Television and Screen Industries, 2018), Associate Producer at Once Upon a Time all joined us in the City of Angels joined Hannah and Professor Gianluca Sergi.

Gary is a seven-time Academy Award-winning sound designer and film director. From Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan to Toy Story and Finding Nemo, Gary has helped define the sound of modern cinema. He spoke about the power of film in uncertain times and highlighted his recent collaboration with Professor Gianluca Sergi on their book, ‘The Endless End of Cinema,’ which charts the history of the medium through the many crises that were expected to end it but never did.

Tom is an Emmy Award-winning production designer, known for his work on Desperate Housewives and across film, theatre and television. Over a decade ago, during his tenure as President of the Art Directors Guild, he helped establish one of the first student internship placements for Nottingham students in the industry. An Honorary Professor and former visiting scholar, Tom has delivered lectures on campus, mentored student interns and tirelessly supported our film and television initiatives for over 15 years.

Tiara is an Associate Producer at Once Upon a Time, a creative agency specialising in global entertainment, hospitality, music and gaming. Tiara inspired the audience with her journey from Nottingham (where she was known for having the loudest laugh in class!) to Hollywood, proving the real-world impact of a UoN education.

Our LA guests also heard from Professor Nigel Mongan, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement and Professor Gianluca Sergi, founder of the Institute for Screen Industries Research at the University. With deep ties with leading industry professionals and executives in some of Hollywood's leading organisations, including Lucasfilm, Pixar, Fox, Dolby and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Gianluca has built bridges between academic research and the film industries.

The event was both a tribute to our past and the next generation of Nottingham talent in Hollywood. This summer, eight students will complete internships in the USA with top industry names including Disney, Sony, Warner Brothers and talent agencies CAA and UTA. The University of Nottingham remains the only university in Europe to offer paid internships of this kind. Nottingham talent is making its mark and these events were a reminder of the creativity, generosity and global reach of our alumni and friends.