Stateside visit cements special relationship with Imperial alumni

Imperial alumni gathered in cities across the United States this month to attend receptions hosted by President & Rector Sir Keith O’Nions

From the married couple who studied here during the Second World War to the former student leading the way for female engineers in the Texan oil industry, Imperial alumni from the last seven decades gathered in cities across the United States this month to attend receptions hosted by President & Rector Sir Keith O’Nions.

Between 13 and 18 September the trip took in the cities of New York, Boston, Houston and San Francisco, with receptions in each city aimed at bringing alumni together and giving them an opportunity to hear more about recent developments at the College and its future direction.

Speaking at the first event, in New York, Sir Keith said: “The 2012 Imperial alumni reception was a tremendous opportunity to renew the College's friendships with our strong and passionate alumni, friends and supporters in the city, and to discuss the latest developments at Imperial.” 

In advance of the events, organised by the Communications and Development Division, attending alumni were invited to share photographs from their time at the College as students.

Some of those photographs and memories are below: 

The New York event, which also featured representatives from Imperial College Rugby Club – who

Charles Wardlaw

 were in the US on tour, was held in the British Consulate on 13 September.  One of the attendees was Charles Wardlaw (MSc Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, 1976). 

 He said he wanted to take the opportunity to come to meet the President & Rector and hear more about the Imperial of today. Charles said: “My favourite memory has to be handing in my thesis. I felt a sense of belief in myself, and also of accomplishment. It was also a bitter sweet time though as I recognised that my time at Imperial was coming to an end. Although it wasn't a real ending as here I am tonight catching up with old classmates!”

See photographs from the New York reception.

Drs Edna and Terrence Dancy (BSc Chemistry 1945) remember an Imperial from even further back,

Drs Edna and Terrence Dancy

 having attended the College in mid 1940s. They made arrangements to stay with family so that they could attend the second reception, held at the British Consulate in Boston on 14 September. During the reception Dr Terrence Dancy shared some of his memories of the College: 

“We were at the college in the wartime years but it was surprising what normal lives we could live. In spring 1945, when we took our final exams, it was the first day of the flying bombs. We started off in a glass windowed conference room and had to keep moving to safer places, eventually ending up sitting the exams in the basement! My diary from the period had one entry which read: ‘45 flying bombs in the night, got up early and went rowing!’. I was also in the Home Guard, so spent some time on the roof of Harrods keeping an eye out for flying bombs.” 

Edna added: “With all this going on we still had fun, it was our parents that did the worrying. Given the circumstances it was amazing we learnt anything. But we did, and we also made a real strong community of friends, and of course we got married and have been for 65 years!”

See photographs from the Boston reception.

Nneka Ezeigwe (in blue jumper)

The reception held in Houston on 17 September was attended by Nneka Ezeigwe (MEng Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, 2010), who works as a process engineer for Shell, currently based in its energy team. Women are still underrepresented in her sector, however she is part of the generation changing that stereotype. Nneka said: “I think the chance to meet people at different stages in their professional lives, all with Imperial in common, is an important opportunity.  I’m looking forward to making new friends, and talking about the Imperial we each knew.”

See photographs from the Houston reception.

Dr Heather Jackson in the lab

The final stop on the tour was a reception at the Omni Hotel in San Francisco on 18 September. Alumnus Dr Heather Jackson (DIC Materials, 2010), who now lives in San Jose, said: “I have really good memories of Imperial. I was doing a PhD and used my spare time to travel around Europe. I still see my Imperial friends regularly, although tonight has been a chance to reconnect with some colleagues I haven't seen since graduation. Next time I am travelling around Europe again with my husband I will definitely pop into Imperial to see how much the campus has changed.”

See photographs from the San Francisco reception.