The Neil and Gina Smith Student of the Year Award

Harriet is currently studying Medicine. Harriet has earned merits for both knowledge and practical assessments, and is currently in the second decile of final year medical students Throughout her course, Harriet has been a member of Keele’s Talented Athlete Programme, balancing her studies with her professional and international football career.

Prior to studying at Keele University, Harriet was selected to play professional football for Birmingham City (BCFC). When Harriet was offered a place on the Keele University Medicine course, she took the decision to pursue both careers concurrently. This has involved balancing studies, exams and placements with training, matches and international tournaments. Harriet has played professionally in the highest club league with BCFC, but also internationally as a defender for the Republic of Ireland. Harriet has 22 international caps and has won the Senior Women’s International Player of the Year. Further to this, in the last year, Ireland have qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, making Irish history.

Alongside her studies and football career, Harriet is also an ambassador for the Red Cross UK and British Heart Foundation charities. She has been able to use her growing social media presence to promote other important healthcare education topics, such as raising awareness of breast and menstrual health. Harriet has used sport to engage and encourage women to talk about their health. Harriet has also used her platform as club captain at BCFC to advocate for improved standards, professionalism and opportunity for women, and to inspire future female players.

Esther is currently studying History and Politics, and has recently accepted an offer to study at Keele University for a Masters in Global Security. During their course, Esther has experienced significant personal and health barriers, but despite this they were able to undertake a study abroad year at Uppsala University in Sweden and is now on track to achieve a first-class degree.

Esther has been a Resident Advisor in on-campus accommodation and has been offered the position of Senior Resident Advisor next year. In addition to this, Esther has also worked as a Student Ambassador for the University, regularly representing the University on Open Days and other events and providing reassurance to applicants and visitors.

In the last year, Esther organised and promoted a vigil on the Keele University campus in memory of Brianna Ghey, who was killed a few days prior in Warrington. The aim of the vigil was to raise awareness of the barriers and injustices faced by the LGBTQ+ community. The vigil provided an important space for the community to come together and was attended by over 150 people from the local community, including students, staff and local residents. Following this, Esther was interviewed by the local Sentinel newspaper, and represented Keele University students on the topic of transgender youth justice.

Abigail is currently studying Environmental Science and Physical Geography. During her course, Abigail experienced unforeseen critical health issues, however she has battled through this to maintain her high grades and complete a student sustainability internship.

Abigail has represented fellow students as a Student Voice Representative, taking this role seriously to ensure a wide range of views from her cohort have been shared, and has acted as an ambassador to Keele University at many external sustainability events. Abigail has also been a member of the Hockey society and Christian Union, co-led a weekly impact group and led the Acoustic Café, a young adult community group.

Abigail supported Keele Green Festival, travelling to London for the ‘Sustainability Live!’ convention. Abigail gave her first keynote speech on "Food, Culture and Climate" at Timber Festival 2022 alongside esteemed journalists and doctors. During a summer work placement, Abigail designed a Sustainable Compound for Balfour Beatty, which excelled beyond the carbon and resource reduction parameters; the designs have now been shown to regional leaders in Balfour Beatty and shared with other businesses in the supply chain.

In the last year, Abigail has dedicated herself to assisting the accredited Carbon Literacy Project Training rollout at Keele University and Manchester Metropolitan University. Abigail has delivered the training both in-situ and online, to a wide range of university staff and students, while managing the academic demands of her third year. Alongside this, Abigail has also been working with the Institute for Sustainable Futures on ‘Creative Environmental Storytelling’ research to facilitate further outreach.

Mustafa is currently studying Medicine. Mustafa has earned merits for both clinical and knowledge exams, and is currently in the top decile of final year medical students. In addition, they have received a commendation from the Hospital Dean for going above and beyond in patient care.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mustafa completed a virtual internship as a data analyst for 15 Square, a local men’s health charity. They created a new database, conducted statistical analysis and produced reports for publicity and outreach. Mustafa’s work was advertised as a flagship internship for the programme. Mustafa has also presented at the Keele Conference of Undergraduate Research and authored a paper on Covid decontamination alongside lecturers.

Mustafa has been a trustee for Keele Students’ Union, which has included representing student views, assisting the creation of the Union’s five-year plan and the development of the campus Co-Op store. Mustafa has also worked as a Student Ambassador for the University and was awarded Student Ambassador of the Year. As a member of Keele eSports society, Mustafa has showcased their passion on a national level and represented the University in an alternative capacity.

In the last year, Mustafa has helped to organise the national Keele Trauma Course at the medical school, with support from UK Armed Forces, HEMS Doctors and the West Midlands Ambulance Service. As a Year Representative for the 5th year Shrewsbury hospital cohort, Mustafa has represented student views and organised the final year ball, with attendance from over 130 students and staff, to mark the end of their medical school journey.

Paaras is currently studying Medicine. During his course, Paaras experienced significant adversity in his personal life, and has balanced caring responsibilities alongside his studies. Despite this, he has achieved consistently high grades, presented a very extensive NHS ePortfolio, and was a final round qualifier in the UHNM Competition for Surgical Excellence. Paaras was also elected as a member by the Royal Society of Biology's Council in recognition of his work as a pharmacy dispenser, and degree in biomedical sciences.

During Paaras’ time at Keele University, he volunteered to interview prospective medical students and joined the school’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity Team, producing a well-received video for Black History Month. Paaras has also been a Resident Advisor on Keele campus.

Paaras founded the Keele branch of ‘We Are Donors’ and remained president of this society for four years. The society raises awareness around organ donation and has delivered talks to nearly 2000 school children. Paaras also sat on the National Steering Committee of the registered charity, We Are Donors, for three years as a student representative, helping to guide operations and collaborating on multiple publications, including in the British Journal of Surgery and Association of Surgeons in Training.

Paaras acted as deputy representative for two years in the British Medical Association Medical Students’ Committee and created an election seat for the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals site in this role. Paaras has also been the Undergraduate Regional Pathology Co-ordinator for Wales in the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland for three years, promoting pathology and helping to develop a national lecture.

2023: Harriet Scott

Harriet has studied Medicine at Keele and is due to graduate in July 2023. Harriet has earned merits for both knowledge and practical assessments, and is currently in the second decile of final year medical students Throughout her course, Harriet has been a member of Keele’s Talented Athlete Programme, balancing her studies with her professional and international football career.

Prior to studying at Keele University, Harriet was selected to play professional football for Birmingham City (BCFC). When Harriet was offered a place on the Keele University Medicine course, she took the decision to pursue both careers concurrently. This has involved balancing studies, exams and placements with training, matches and international tournaments. Harriet has played professionally in the highest club league with BCFC, but also internationally as a defender for the Republic of Ireland. Harriet has 22 international caps and has won the Senior Women’s International Player of the Year. Further to this, in the last year, Ireland have qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, making Irish history.

Alongside her studies and football career, Harriet is also an ambassador for the Red Cross UK and British Heart Foundation charities. She has been able to use her growing social media presence to promote other important healthcare education topics, such as raising awareness of breast and menstrual health. Harriet has used sport to engage and encourage women to talk about their health. Harriet has also used her platform as club captain at BCFC to advocate for improved standards, professionalism and opportunity for women, and to inspire future female players.

2022: Lincoln Gombedza

Lincoln studied Learning Disability Nursing. The passion for his work was demonstrated by his continued involvement on a voluntary basis of a number of workstreams, some of which are at a National Level.

Lincoln undertook Resilience Base Clinical Supervision commissioned by Health Education England which was to support the health and wellbeing of learners. From this he was invited to become a Subject Expert with the Florence Nightingale Foundation and this group highlights the importance of clinical supervision for nurses and midwives at a national level.

Lincoln is also a member of the NHS Digital Shared Professional Decision-Making Council and the Learning Disability Nursing National Shared Professional Decision-Making Council, representing people with Learning Disabilities across the UK by sharing his ideas of new ways of working clinically, and operationally with regards to the benefits of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Lincoln also joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards Development Group setting out how nursing and midwifery courses should be delivered to ensure that programmes leading to registration are fit for purpose. Another recent appointment is that of the new Communications Lead for the Chief Nursing Officer’s Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Strategic Advisory Group, focusing on the governance of issues affecting BME staff and patients within the NHS. Lincoln is also a NextGen Nurse Learning Disability Ambassador with the NHS where he talks to Secondary School and College learners to encourage them to consider a career as a Learning Disability Nurse.

 2021: Jenna Volpert

Jenna joined the talented athlete programme and in 2017 was selected for the English Universities team. Jenna is now the highest capped women’s hockey player in the programme and also held the role of Vice Captain. During Jenna’s time at Keele, she captained both the Women’s first XI and the Medics hockey team, whilst also helping with coaching and mentoring younger players over the years. Jenna was recognised for her sporting efforts by winning the AU’s ‘Female Sportswoman of the Year’ award. 

Jenna is passionate about equality and held roles such as President of ‘Students for Global Health’, founder of ‘Women in Surgery Keele’ and as a student ambassador on the Medical School Exclusivity Committee. Jenna organised workshops with local charities to help medical students feel more empowered to contribute to improving health inequalities. 

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jenna organised an informational event run by SFGH Keele in collaboration with Public Health England. Over 100 students and staff attended followed by PHE ‘Covid – A year on’ follow-up event, analysing what we had learnt and lost. When Jenna’s medical placements were cancelled, she worked as a medical assistant on the front-line filling in shifts at her local hospital suffering from staff shortages.

2020: Euan Malpas-Vernon

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Euan studied Geoscience which required not only extensive laboratory classes but extended periods of fieldwork, which can be challenging and exhausting for most students. Euan though suffers from chronic pain syndrome as well as cancer which has resulted in the amputation of his right arm along with undergoing more than 5 major operations during his time at Keele, all which required long periods of recuperation.

As a result, Euan took strong pain medication that has adverse effects on his concentration, daily energy levels and mobility.  Despite this though, Euan remained cheery and positive, determined to get a good degree and go on to a PhD in palaeontology at the University of Manchester.  

Independently of his degree, Euan has written several scientific papers for future publication in journals.  Euan was nominated for, and won, the 2018 Jones-Fenleigh award for Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy, where Euan’s research was presented at the International SVPCA conference.  Euan is the only undergraduate ever to win the award, and had to compete with other candidates all of whom were at MSc level or beyond.

Beyond Euan’s studies and University, Euan was chosen for the Paralympic Great Britain pistol shooting team - all achieved despite Euan’s health complications.

2019: Alice Gwyn-Jones

Alice had been the Chair of the Keele Trauma Course Society and an active committee member for several years prior to that. The Society was responsible for organising an extremely successful 1 day trauma course for around 100 medical students, junior doctors and allied health professionals. Alice was instrumental in the organisation, building links with partner organisations and for writing the course manual.

Alice studied Medicine at Keele after already completing an undergraduate course. Despite the demands of a busy medical course, Alice was also on the committee for the successful second Keele Anaesthetics and Critical Care Conference in 2018. On top of this, for the past 4 years Alice has also been a member of the Keele community first responders (CFR), a charity that works in the local community attending 999 calls in order to reduce the pressure on the ambulance service. Both through this charity and running the pre-hospital emergency medicine society, Alice has organised and been a part of multiple sessions teaching university staff and students, the local parish and primary school children basic life support and CPR.

Alice was also a Resident Adviser, working for Student Services in the evenings supporting students who live on campus with a range of issues and providing advice and guidance to them.

2018: Lauren Mullan

Lauren studied Psychology. She showed drive and resilience throughout her education due to becoming estranged from her family at a young age and taking on the caring responsibilities of her now late grandmother.

This drive propelled Lauren into succeeding academically, reflecting a combination of sound intellectual ability, self-discipline and time-management. This was also shown in her non-academic work,
progressing from working in the SU bar as a member of staff, to bar manager and now duty manager.

Lauren was an advocate for students facing similar situations as herself and has worked with Student Services to write a blog encouraging others to pursue university.

Through great personal adversity, Lauren has responded in the best possible way to what Keele University offers. Whilst studying for her degree Lauren found a new and vibrant family in the Keele community and continued to contribute to this community when she took up her place on the Social Work Masters programme in 2018/19.

2017: Steph Lonsdale

Steph joined Keele as a mature student, returning to education after a 25 year break and with few qualifications.

Steph’s diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Condition gave her the inspiration to study Psychology and since joining Keele has dedicated a great deal of time and effort supporting students and members of the community who share an autism diagnosis. Steph founded and was President of Keele SU’s Spectrum Society in addition to volunteering with the National Autistic Society. She also established new ties with LifeWorks Staffordshire including fund raising and organising an outreach visit. Through her hard work, Steph helped improve the lives of individuals with autism and received an Autism Ally Award in 2017.

Steph received the highest mark ever given in the module Psychology and Community Action, going above and beyond in her work with a resident in a local supported residence to produce a book for the “This is your Life” inspired module.

Steph also researched new and improved ways for staff and final year Psychology students to recruit participants for research. By linking up with the SU Volunteering scheme, research participants can now be rewarded for their time.

Steph won the runner up award for Peer Mentor of the year and also worked as an ambassador for the University.

2016: Adrian Craig

Adrian Craig graduated in 2016 after studying Medicine. Adrian's time at Keele was a little longer than an average student; taking a year out to read for an intercalated Masters in Medical Ethics and Law.

He volunteered with Marrow and Anthony Nolan during his time at Keele, eventually becoming National President, acheiving outstanding results in signing up students and others for the bone marrow register. He ran the London Marathon in 2016 with the aim of adding 34 new donors to the register.

Adrian was club captain of the Boat Club helping them to become the AU Club of the Year for its charitable and sporting efforts. He co-led and delivered the Keele International Anaesthetics and Critical Care Conference which saw students from across the UK and some students from Europe come to Keele for a day of lectures and workshops. And, as part of his degree in Medicine, Adrian undertook projects outside of the curriculum to further his interest in anaesthesia. This resulted in presenting at the World Airway Management Meeting in October 2015.

Adrian also volunteered with the Army Cadet Force and had done since before coming to Keele.

Neil Smith graduated from Keele in 1980 with a degree in Physics and Economics.  Neil was President of the Students Union (1979), President of the Athletic Union (1978) and Speaker of the Union (1980).  At Keele, he earned full colours in Rugby, Football and Cricket, ran the popular Keele five-a-side leagues, produced “Keele Over” on BBC Radio Stoke (before KUBE radio), contributed to Concourse and was Honorary VP of the North Staffs Physically Handicapped. 

After graduating, Neil became a journalist with Thomson, freelancing with both the BBC and the Sunday Times. In 1982, Neil won a Knox scholarship to take an MBA at the Harvard Business School.  He earned first-year honours and became the first British President of the HBS Student Association. 

After Harvard, Neil joined management consultants McKinsey in New York, where he met his wife Gina.  In 1991 he bought Midlands-based Tudor Dairies, owners of the Loseley ice-cream brand, in one of the UK’s first leveraged buyouts. Neil later returned to the USA to found consulting firm, EHS Partners, with 2 former colleagues. In 2009, Neil joined the former US Comptroller of the Currency to found Promontory Growth and Innovation, which helps Chief Executives of Fortune 500 companies to dramatically improve performance.  In 2012, PGI was credited with helping Bank of America improve profits by $8 billion a year - the same year Neil wrote his New York Times Best-Seller (co-authored with Keele graduate Rick Levak) – How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things. 

Neil was President of Keele in the USA, the organization and network for American alumni of Keele University from the 1990's-2016.  With his wife, he founded the prestigious Gina and Neil Smith Student of the Year Award which recognizes Keele students for their outstanding achievements. 

Neil was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University by Keele University in 2015.

Neil, Gina and their 4 children (Brianna, Alexander, Caroline and Charlotte) live in New York.