Hein Oo, Emily Rickman, Raquel Villanueva, and Adnan Iqbal. Alumni Awards 2024 Winners.

British Council Unveils Winners of Prestigious Study UK Alumni Awards 2023/24 at the British Embassy in Celebration of Success and Achievement.

The Study UK Alumni Awards 2023/24, a prestigious international event with distinguished academic guests, was held at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of UK alumni in the United States as well as the world-class education they received from UK universities.

On September 2023, the British Council opened a call to UK alumni and received more than 1,200+ applications from around the world. Applicants represented 129 UK universities and 98 countries worldwide. Specifically, in the USA more than 65 applications went through different shortlisting stages, resulting in 12 finalists and four winners for each category. 

Each winner is a demonstrated leader in their field and has used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities and professions.

The 2023/24 Study UK Alumni Winners are:

Adnan Iqbal

Business and Innovation Winner, University of Cambridge

Co-founder & CEO of Luma Health, a health technology company solving one of the biggest challenges in healthcare -- getting a patient to the right healthcare provider and to the best healthcare outcome quickly. The company has raised $160M+ in capital from leading investors. Adnan holds a BS in Environmental Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and graduate degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Emily Rickman

University of Sheffield, Science and Sustainability Winner

Astrophysicist at the Mission Operations Center for the most powerful telescope ever launched - NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. She successfully led part of the team that took the first image of an exoplanet using JWST and has discovered a multitude of planets beyond our Solar System hunting for signs of life. Dr. Rickman was selected to project manage NASA's astrophysics mission design program and is utilizing these skills to build the next NASA flagship mission to look for alien worlds.

Hein (Ray) Oo

Social Action Winner, University of Northampton

Accomplished professional dedicated to fostering global change through education, leadership, and sustainability. He currently manages the operations of The Kectil Program by MKFF in Atlanta, overseeing the operations of a youth leadership development initiative that annually engages 2000 students from over 100 developing countries. As Chief Data Manager at the YMCA, Hein spearheads the data strategy, serving the New York Department of Education, benefitting 5000 immigrant families yearly.

Raquel Villanueva

Culture and Creativity Winner, University of Westminster

TV host and journalist whose work currently focuses on science communication and space exploration. As a commentator and video producer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Raquel served as a broadcast host for the historic landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars and co-hosted and helped produce the launch broadcast of NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite. Her work aims to provide a platform for engineers and scientists to communicate their work effectively with the public. 

Her Excellency Dame Karen Pierce DCMG handing over Emily Rickman’s Science and Sustainability Award.
Margaret Bidwell, Isabel Aucca, and Adnan Iqbal enjoying the networking reception after the ceremony.
Amir Gohardani and Atul Deshpande. Alumni Awards 2024 Finalists.

Empowering the Next Generation of Global Leaders

As the Study UK Alumni Awards 2024 comes to a close, the achievements of the awardees serve as a testament to the high-quality education and opportunities that UK universities provide to international and local students.

To the next generation of aspiring global leaders, know this: studying in the UK can open doors to a world of possibilities. With world-class universities and rich cultural heritage, the UK offers students a unique and unparalleled educational experience no matter which field you’re trying to pursue.

Study in the UK and unleash your potential to change the world.

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