People stories

“It was a surreal moment when I found myself standing inside the Vice-Chancellor's office, carrying a boom box with our demo recording on it.”

Throughout our 60th year we shared the stories of our colleagues who make the University tick with their energy, passion and commitment. Now, we’re pleased to bring back the Humans of Warwick series to celebrate even more of our amazing and diverse community.

We catch up with Nia Fortune, who joined the University Executive Board (UEB) at the start of this academic year, to learn more about her experiences and her thoughts on shaping this new role.   

Professor Swaran Singh (Warwick Medical School) has been appointed as a life peer – recognising his longstanding contributions to mental health research, clinical psychiatry and public service, including work on equality and human rights.

Professor Sonia Bhalotra (Economics), Professor Kirsty Hooper (Hispanic Studies) and Professor Celia Lury (Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies) have been elected as Fellows of the British Academy – recognising the originality and influence of their research in the humanities and social sciences.

Colleagues will be very sad to hear of the death of Natalie Livermore, from the University Nursery.

Sioned Cash, Interim Director of Staff & Student Accommodation, joined teams during one of Warwick Accommodation’s busiest weekends to see first-hand the physical effort and fast pace involved in turning around 2,000 rooms at the end of the academic year.

It was great to see so many high-quality nominations for the new Above & Beyond Awards this year! Take a look at the full list of nominees.

A huge well done to everyone who was put forward by their colleagues for demonstrating our values. Want to celebrate a colleague? Look out for nominations reopening next academic year.

The Unitemps team have been recognised at the 2026 CUBO Awards for helping institutions reduce recruitment costs, creating sustainable commercial income and, most importantly, providing thousands of students with flexible, paid employment opportunities.

Warwick colleagues have built an open and supportive network bringing together widening participation professionals from 33 institutions. The thriving community supports collaboration across the sector and has picked up bronze for Collaboration of the Year at the HEIST Awards.

Watch colleagues in Estates talking about how robotics are helping cleaning teams, the difference Warwick can make locally by reusing furniture and equipment, and the home-grown talent looking after our campus grounds.

Hear from Dr Martine Barons (Statistics) about studying later in life, overcoming barriers and becoming a weightlifting world champion, in this chat with Penny Triantafillou (Innovation - Business Partnerships) for the Women Leaders podcast. 

Meet the Warwick Accommodation teams who showed exceptional dedication during one of the most challenging years for student accommodation, demonstrating our values and keeping student wellbeing at the heart of every decision.

Meet the winners and those highly commended in the Warwick Awards for Public and Community Engagement -recognising the vital contributions Warwick staff and students make in engaging with people locally, nationally and internationally.

You helped to choose our next Above & Beyond Award winner - and Claudia Griffin, Warwick Mathematics Institute, won the staff vote!

Today is Reserves Day - we caught up with Claudiu Iordache from Warwick Global Academy to find out about his experiences as an Army Reservist and the impact it’s had on his life, both inside and outside of work.

The colleagues we’re celebrating built new connections across departments to help students better understand and value academic integrity, making ethical learning more accessible and meaningful.

Discover how Dr Stephen Parnell’s (School of Life Sciences) work is addressing the growing threat of plant diseases. Stephen explains why early detection matters, how outbreaks are managed, and the real-world impact on food security, the environment, and global economies.

Our Library and Archives sit at the heart of central campus, with knowledge, discovery and collaboration opportunities for all. Anna shares the priorities of the team – who achieved customer service excellence accreditation recently – plus how you can get involved and what’s available for staff.

Ahead of Social Mobility Day, meet some of the Social Inclusion staff interns we have supported through our 12-month professional development programme. We provide ongoing support for young people (aged 16-19 years), particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, as they move into employment.

Warwick Conferences are celebrating being awarded Gold in the ‘Business Events Venue of the Year’ category at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026, recognising the team’s outstanding contribution to England’s tourism and events industry.

Do you work with alumni? Carol Fryer, Volunteers Manager in the Development & Alumni Engagement team, explains how joining up our approach can increase impact, support departments, and help reach the target of 20,000 acts of volunteering, part of our Set the Pace campaign.

The latest video in our ’60 seconds with…’ series features Dalma from our Sustainability team. Hear her talk about how engaging our community with nature can inspire people to protect the environment and see some of the creatures that call Warwick home.

Read about Beatriz, Chiara and Claudia’s contributions and decide who is your winner. Cast your vote by midday Wednesday 10 June.

To mark our 60th anniversary, the Poetry Trail was created – featuring 14 poems inspired by Warwick researchers and technicians. To explore how these works of art came to life, we spoke to three colleagues whose work inspired the poems.

Dan Derricott, Director of Education Operations, shares how Warwick is strengthening how we support the delivery of education, why change is needed, and how it will reduce administrative burden, improve processes, and create a better experience for staff and students.

“It’s a real honour to be appointed to serve the Lord Lieutenant in supporting the many individuals and organisations across the West Midlands who dedicate themselves to caring for our communities.”

Meet our next three finalists, selected by Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President, and cast your vote for the colleague who makes you proud to work at Warwick, and who brings our values to life. Vote by 10 June.

Eid Muburak! to everyone celebrating today. We caught up with Mahoor Sultan, from MCI & SR, to find out what Eid al-Adha means to her and how she celebrates it with her family.

We caught up with Dr Modupe Jimoh and Professor Helen Wheatley to hear how they felt to be recognised at a special garden party at Buckingham Palace, and to learn more about their exceptional work.

We asked you to submit your favourite snack recipes, linked to a cultural celebration or personal tradition. Debasmita Palit and Martha Littuma Larrea share the stories behind their snacks, which you’ll soon be able to try in Eatwise cafés. Plus, discover how you can recreate the recipes at home.

Meet our latest Above & Beyond winner... Marie Greene You helped to choose our next Above & Beyond Award winner - and Marie Greene, Faculty of Arts, won the staff vote! Her award, presented by Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President, recognises her exceptional leadership, her ability to uplift others, and how she demonstrates our values.

With over 25 years in the kitchen, across continents, Stuart Phillips brings passion, creativity and global influence to every plate. Hear about his journey into food, what makes cooking in a conference and events environment unique, and how he and his team create memorable experiences. 

Our new video series ‘60 seconds with…’ offers a glimpse into the brilliant work happening across the University, spotlighting the people in our community who work together to make Warwick special. Our first episode meets Steve, our resident glassblower, whose craft has quietly shaped world‑leading research at Warwick for over 30 years.

Ever thought about volunteering at one of our Open Days, but not sure what to expect? Hear from colleagues who have taken part on what the experience is like and how you can help to create an inspiring first impression for future students.

Meet Elaine, Sebastien, Sophie and Elodie, our Eatwise Café Managers. Discover their favourite dishes at their outlet and more about how their careers led them to Warwick.

Colleagues in the Interior Design, Furniture & Equipment team secured a bronze award for their innovative furniture and equipment donation initiative.

The Estates Information & Systems team picked up silver for leading on several digital transformation projects that have reshaped how Warwick manages space, assets, maintenance and campus navigation.

Well done to Coventry City Football Club after securing promotion back to the Premier League last week! What could this fantastic achievement by the Sky Blues mean for the University, and what does it mean to the host of colleagues who are part of the Sky Blue Army? Play up Sky Blues!

We support young people (aged 16-19 years) through employability programmes – and there are plenty of opportunities for you to make a difference to their lives. Some of our volunteers told us about their experiences and what they’ve enjoyed about volunteering.

Colleagues from across Estates came together recently to celebrate outstanding achievements at their annual awards. Take a look at the winners and photos from the night.

If you’d like to know more about Vaisakhi and hear some traditional Sikh music, watch the BBC One Show’s special feature with Dr Harjinder Lallie OBELink opens in a new window (WMG). The feature starts at 13 mins 20 secs into the programme.