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Notable alumni

Each year we welcome thousands of new graduates to the Nottingham Trent University Alumni Community. Many go on to achieve significant success in their chosen fields. Here are just a few of our notable alumni below. If you are aware of any others, please let us know.

New Year’s Honours for notable alumni

We’re proud to announce that four NTU alumni, Ema Swingwood, David Pearson CBE, Darryl Morgan, and David Lewis were honoured in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours 2021.

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Matt Berry (BA Contemporary Arts 1997)
BAFTA award winning actor, writer, comedian and musician. Appeared in The Mighty Boosh and The Toast of London.

Jon Burgerman (BA Hons Fine Art 2001)
International artist and Alumnus of the Year 2016.

C

Elizabeth Carr (BA Hons English 2007)
Received the Award for Outstanding Alumni in 2018 in recognition of her determination to rid the UK’s waterways of plastic pollution – and raising much needed awareness and encouraging others to engage with this issue through the #PlasticPatrol campaign.

Roger Carr (Diploma Management Studies 1969)
Chairman, Centrica plc

Bethan Chilton (BA Hons Fashion and Textiles Management 2008)
Received the Award for Outstanding Alumni in 2018 in recognition of her success in the fashion business, securing funding for expansion into international markets, and the inspiration given our current students.

Vernon Coaker MP (PGCE 1976)
MP for Gedling

Peter Cochrane OBE (BSc Hons Electrical Engineering 1973, HonDEng 1999)
Acclaimed Technologist

Crista Cullen (BA Hons Business Studies 2007)
England Hockey Player - Rio 216 Olympic Gold Medallist and London 2012 Bronze Medallist

Shane Cullinan (BA Contemporary Arts 1997)
Composer

Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham (BEng Hons Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1999) (deceased)
Red 3, Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (Red Arrows)

D

Varun Dhawan (BA Hons Business Studies 2008)
Bollywood actor

Stephen Dixon (BA Hons Broadcast Journalism 1995)
Sky News Television Presenter and Former NTU Alumni Association President.

Pete Dredge (Dip Graphic Design 1975)
Freelance cartoonist who has worked for Private Eye and Punch magazine.

E

Andy Earl (Diploma in Creative Photography 1977)
Rock and Pop photographer who has captured the faces of countless music celebrities including Robbie Williams, Faithless and Manic Street Preachers.

Nick Easter (BSc Hons Mathematics in Science 1999)
Former England and Harlequins Rugby Player, and now Defence Coach at Harlequins Rugby Club.

F

Lee Farmer (BSc Hons Residential Development 1996)
Mountaineer and explorer who has climbed the seven highest mountains in all seven continents.

John Farrell (BA Hons Business Studies 1979)
Former President and CEO for top five marketing communications agency Publicis Groupe.

Sam Fell (BA Hons Fine Art 1990)
Oscar and BAFTA nominated director of animated films, including Flushed Away, and director of the 2016 Sainsbury's Christmas advert.

Julian Finney (BA Hons Photography 2004)
Sports photographer with Getty Images.

Andrew Fionda and Ren Pearce (both studied BA Hons Textiles/Fashion 1988)
Fashion designers, Pearce II Fionda.

Paul Fraser (BA Hons Contemporary Arts 1997)
Co-writer of the film Twenty Four Seven starring Bob Hoskins

Chris Furber (BSc Hons Sport (Administration and Science) 1999)
Disability National Performance Director for British Swimming and former Lead Coach for British Para-Cycling Squad. Received NTU's Alumnus of the Year Award in 2009.

G

Selasi Gbormittah (BA Hons Economics and Financial Services 2008)
Semi-finalist of BBC TV's Great British Bake Off 2016

Jonathan Glazer (BA Hons 3D Design – Theatre 1987)
Director of the famous 'surfer' advert for Guinness, various music videos, Birth (starring Nicole Kidman, 2004) and BAFTA nominated film Sexy Beast.

H

G Rayner Hoff (Nottingham School of Art 1910-1916) (deceased)
In Australia he became the most successful public sculptor of his era, and through his teaching at Sydney's National Art School influenced generations of students and dominated Australian sculptural production until his death in 1937.

Richard Hounslow (BSc Hons Sport (Science and Management) 2003)
Rio 2016 and London 2012 Team GB Silver Medallist in the C2 canoe slalom

Darryl Hunt (Diploma Art and Design (Fine Art)) (deceased)
Bass player for The Pogues

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Martin Jones (BA Hons Business Economics 2003)
Former GB and England Hockey Player and Beeston Head Coach.

Paul Joyce (BSc Hons Applied Biology 1980)
Music composer for television, film and theatre. He has composed and performed music for numerous dramas, documentaries and animations. Most famous being the Bob the Builder theme tune.

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Tom Kay (BA Hons Economics 1991)
Rower and three times world championship gold medallist

Paul Kaye (BA Hons 3D Design – Theatre, 1987)
Actor

Paul Kenyon (BA Hons Social Sciences 1987)
BAFTA winning TV journalist and former BBC Panorama Television Reporter.  Paul received NTU's Alumnus of the Year Award in 2010.

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Paul Lester (BSc Hons Mechanical Engineering 1972)
Chief Executive, Greenergy International Ltd

Adam Leventhal (BA Hons Broadcast Journalism 2002)
Sky Sports News Television Presenter

David Lewis (BA Hons Business Studies 1987)
Chief Executive, Tesco plc

M

Emily Macaulay (BA Hons Criminology 2003)
Awarded an MBE for services to equality and diversity and NTU's Alumna of the Year 2015.

Ed Macfarlane (BA Hons Photography 2006)
Member of Mercury Award nominated band Friendly Fires.

Laura Maddox (BA Hons Photography 2012)
Athlete, won a Silver medal in the 4x400 relay at the European Championships in Prague in March 2015.

Hannah MacLeod (PhD 2009)
England Hockey Player - Rio 216 Olympic Gold Medallist and London 2012 Bronze Medallist

Farrell Mossop (BSc Hons Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1982)
Great Britain and England Rower 1980-1988

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Tim Noble and Sue Webster (both studied BA Hons Fine Art 1989)
Known as Noble and Webster, their work is included in The Saatchi Collection, London and The Guggenheim Museum, New York. Noble and Webster were awarded with honorary degrees in 2009.

Phil Nodding (BA Hons Accounting & Finance 1980)
Nottingham writer involved with Channel Four's controversial comedy Shameless.

Air Marshal Sir Barry 'Baz' North OBE MA RAF (HND Business Studies 1981)
Air Member for Personnel and Capability, Royal Air Force. NTU's Alumnus of the Year 2011.

O

Christian O'Connell (BA Communication Studies 1995)
Award winning Breakfast Show Presenter for Absolute Radio. Now in Australia presenting The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show on Gold 104.3 in Melbourne.

Lucy Orta (BA Hons Knitwear Design 1989, HonMA 2007)
An artist who holds the first Rootstein Hopkins Chair of Fashion at London College of Fashion. Works include Refuge Wear and her design 'Habitent' was used in the Red Hot Chilli Peppers video for 'Can't Stop' in 2003. Received an honorary degree in 2007.

P

Umamaheshwaran Panneerselvam (MRes Applied Biosciences 2010)
Received the Alumnus of the Year Award in 2017 in recognition of his extraordinary heroism and community involvement during the heavy floods that devastated Chennai in November/December 2015.

Ren Pearce and Andrew Fionda (both studied BA Hons Textiles/Fashion 1988)
Fashion designers, Pearce II Fionda.

Q

Frances Quinn (BA Hons Textile Design 2006)
Winner of BBC TV's Great British Bake Off in 2013.

R

Paul Ratcliffe (BSc Hons Combined Studies in Sciences 1995)
Olympic silver medallist – men’s kayak slalom 2000.

Rob Ryan (BA Hons Fine Art 1984)
Artist - specialising in papercutting and screen printing. Rob has collaborated with the likes of Paul Smith, Liberty of London, Tatty Devine and Vogue. He has also written and illustrated three books.

S

Joe Sargison (PGCE 2004)
Founder of Balls to Poverty and the 2013 Alumnus of the Year.

Mayur Sharma (MA Fashion and Textiles 1997)
Presenter of India's NDTV travel and food show Highway On My Plate.

Jane Smit (BSc Hons Sports Science 1994)
Former England Ladies Cricketer

Amerdeep Somal (LLB Hons Law 1988)
Independent Assessor to the Board of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and NTU's Alumna of the Year 2014.

Simon Starling (BA Hons Photography 1990)
Turner Prize 2005 winner for 'Shedboatshed' installation. Received NTU’s Alumnus of the Year Award in 2007.

Steven Summersgill (BA Hons Theatre Design 2001)
Was part of the team that won an Oscar in 2015 for best production design for the film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

T

Simon Taylor (BA Hons Fine Art 2004)
Member of British band, the Klaxons who won the Best New Group at the NME Awards March 2007 and the Mercury Music Prize in September 2007.

Louise Thomas (BSc Hons Sport (Administration and Science 1988)
The motivating force behind 'Race for Life', the annual women-only 5k run which has grown to become the largest fundraising series of its kind in the UK.  Louise was the recipient of the 2008 Alumna of the Year Award.

Chris Townsend OBE (MSc Marketing 1997)
Commercial Director, Chelsea Football Club.

Steve Trapmore MBE (BEng Hons Electronics and Computing 1997 and HonDSport 2017)
Olympic gold medallist in Sydney 2000. Chief Coach at Cambridge University Boat Club.

Stuart Trevor (BA Hons Textiles/Fashion (Fashion) 1988)
Fashion designer

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Amy Voce (BA Hons Communication Studies 2005)
Award winning Radio Breakfast Show presenter, currently on Virgin Radio.

W

Matt Wallace (BA Hons Communication Studies 2002)
Charity fundraiser. NTU's Alumnus of the Year 2012

Sue Webster and Tim Noble (both studied BA Hons Fine Art 1989)
Known as Noble and Webster, their work is included in The Saatchi Collection, London and The Guggenheim Museum, New York. Noble and Webster were awarded with honorary degrees in 2009

Alastair Wilson (BSc Hons Business Studies 2007)
GB and England hockey player

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