Alumni reunite on US west coast

US alumni gathered in Los Angeles and San Francisco on 23 and 26 September to reunite and catch-up on College news.

Imperial’s President & Rector Sir Keith O’Nions hosted the Californian events, updating 100 alumni on plans for Imperial West, the success of the Rector’s Scholarships scheme, and Imperial’s strengthening academic reputation, among other developments.

Updating alumni on the emerging vision for Imperial West, Sir Keith said: "To solve big problems, we need to bring brilliant people from different fields together and give them time and space. At Imperial West we will enable global business and academia to co-locate and form long-term relationships with our researchers.”

At both events, the College’s Vice President (Development & Innovation), Professor David Gann, took Sir Keith’s introduction further, explaining the College’s plans to put innovation at the heart of Imperial West: a groundbreaking research and translation campus that will create value from ideas.

At the San Francisco reception, guest of honour British Consul General Priya Guha, whose husband is an Imperial alumnus, drew a comparison between plans for Imperial West and successful technology initiatives in California. She said: “When Imperial visits the Bay Area it is a meeting of minds. Both Imperial and Silicon Valley are hubs of technological innovation.” 

At the events, graduates from across the generations mingled, networked and swapped stories of their time at the College.

Avi Chakravarty, who completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1984, reflected on how much he still benefits from his time at Imperial where he was President of the Indian Society. Now working at Chevron, Dr Chakravarty has hired numerous Imperial PhDs in recent years because of their excellent skills and knowledge of petroleum engineering.

For Philip Varley, who graduated in Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology in 1979, “the academic rigour at Imperial was – and remains – second-to-none” imparting skills that he still uses when making business decisions. Having travelled to 83 countries throughout his career, Mr Varley fondly remembers “the cosmopolitan nature of the international community of students” at Imperial, helping alumni develop vast global networks.

Natasha D’Silva, who graduated with an MSc and diploma in Environmental Policy in 2010, agreed. She said: “The network of people is so important - in fact it was the friendly environment that drew me to Imperial. Courses at Imperial are an intensive experience so the support of friends was crucial, and some of my closest friends now are Imperial alumni.” Ms D’Silva now works as a sustainability consultant for a firm founded by a fellow Imperial alumnus, adding: “It is great to have that common thread and experience.”

Following the events, many US alumni declared their intention to return to Imperial and take advantage of the College’s new Alumni Visitor Centre in the near future.