Uwem Umana

MA Educational Leadership and Management, 2014; PG Cert Innovation in Education, 2012

Currently I work as a Senior Technical Lead for HCL attached to Deutsche Bank (DB). It’s an exciting job as my workstream deals with authentication and end user computing for DB. Since Cloud is the way of the future, I find this extremely relevant to the tech world we are living in. Everything is now being stored in the cloud or having back up in the cloud. I have also released my second volume of short stories titledSon of The Soil and Other Stories, which can be purchased fromAmazon.

Ours was a small Master’s class. I remember Derrick, Steve, Auruna and myself sitting in the lecture room totally overwhelmed by the marathon lecture sessions but Phil (Whitehead) being such a kind soul would always relax us with beautiful stories to calm us down. So many times, we would question Phil about the practices he taught us, how it differed from the reality. Things like we should be patient with students since we know they are different, yet they as lecturers would not be patient with us. They would race through at breakneck speeds and Phil would always agree with us as we all laughed our heads off. Phil Whitehead stood out as a distinguished academic and till today I still hear the phrase ‘rigour in research’ in my sleep. He was a man who had such a huge impact on me. He made me to achieve an A grade in my dissertation by pushing me to my limits. Warwick, a renowned name for academic excellence!

Jatin Goel and Harnoor Gauba Goel

Did you know that many in your alumni community found their soulmates here? Jatin Goel (BSc Accounting and Finance, 2014) and Harnoor Gauba Goel (BSc Economics, 2014) are just one of these couples. They both travelled from India to study at Warwick in 2011 and tied the knot in November 2022. Here, Jatin shares how they met and why their friends fondly call Warwick 'the Matchmaker’.

"I actually met Harnoor on the flight to London. Funnily enough, our parents met first, got chatting, and realised their kids were both heading to Warwick. So, naturally, they introduced us.

I had the luxury of attending the full orientation week at Warwick, while Harnoor, on the other hand, was far too busy enjoying London, shopping, and catching up with family. By the time she finally made it to campus, I had already settled in, so I was happy to show her around. We became good friends over time, but our love story didn’t begin until much later—back in Delhi.

All our friends call Warwick ‘the Matchmaker’—and for good reason! I can count at least 8-9 couples from our batch alone who ended up getting married. In fact, we’re attending two of their weddings this year—one in Chennai and one in London. Warwick wasn’t just about degrees and career paths; it was clearly working overtime as a matchmaking service too!"

 

Nuzu Onoh

LLB Law, 1989 and MA Writing, 2012

I have been awarded the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award for my outstanding contribution to horror fiction.

The Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious recognition in the horror genre. It is presented to individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to the horror genre throughout their careers. Previous recipients include Stephen King, Christopher Lee, Peter Straub, Koji Suzuki, Robert McCammon, Ray Bradbury, and Anne Rice.

I am a member of the Coventry Writers Group and hold a Law degree and Master’s degree in Writing from the University of Warwick. I am the author of several critically acclaimed books, includingThe Reluctant Dead, Unhallowed Graves, The Sleepless, Dead Corpse, and my latest book,A Dance for the Dead. My works explore African folklore and mythology, weaving in elements of horror to create thrilling and thought-provoking tales.

I like to create horror stories that are deeply rooted in African tradition while still being accessible and engaging to a broad, global audience. My work challenges the stereotypes and conventions of the horror genre, creating narratives that are both empowering and terrifying.

Dr Afiniki Akanet

MBChB Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery, 2012; PGA Understanding Childhood, 2014

Dr Akanet is a Christian medical doctor and entrepreneur. In her latest book, Power and Praise, she draws on scriptural insights, medical experience and her inspiring life story to share how spiritual well-being can be a key to better mental health. Dr Akanet explores power and praise in a way that will help people of all faiths and none to enjoy life despite the challenges we all face. In her most personal book yet, Afiniki celebrates her 40th year with reflections from a place of gratitude, peace and joy. #popping40

“Mental health is critically important for everyone, everywhere, and goes beyond the mere absence of a mental health condition. It is integral to well-being, enabling people to realise their full potential, show resilience amidst adversity, be productive across the various settings of daily life, form meaningful relationships and contribute to their communities. Physical, psychological, social, cultural, spiritual and other interrelated factors contribute to mental health, and there are inseparable links between mental and physical health.”