Univ students arrive at College from a wide diversity of backgrounds and move on to enjoy a rich diversity of careers. Some follow well-trodden paths into established professions or with major institutions, but many move off the beaten track both in the UK and globally, to set up their own enterprises, work in the voluntary sector, or become writers and performers.

Most aspirant and current students are broadly unaware of the multitude of paths open to them upon leaving College and of the remarkable achievements of many of our recent alumni. We hope they will be inspired by the Young Univ Gallery. – Sir Ivor Crewe, February 2017

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Oliver Cox (2006, BA & DPhil History)

Occupation at time of portrait: Heritage Engagement Fellow, University of Oxford and Director of Thames Valley Country House Partnership

Biography: Oliver received his BA, MSt and DPhil degrees from Oxford. In 2013, as Oxford Humanities Division’s first Knowledge Exchange Fellow, he created the Thames Valley Country House Partnership (TVCHP) to link researchers with entrepreneurial ideas in the heritage sector. After three years developing TVCHP, he was appointed as the University of Oxford’s inaugural Heritage Engagement Fellow. He is responsible for developing collaborative projects with UK and international heritage organisations, and for managing the University of Oxford’s strategic partnership with the National Trust; including the flagship Trusted Source Knowledge Transfer Partnership. He is a Governor of Compton Verney, a Trustee of the Oxfordshire Record Society, and sits on Arts Council England’s Designation Panel and the Education and Publications Committee of The Gardens Trust. In 2016, Oliver was Visiting Professor in Public History at Texas State University.

Oliver makes regular media appearances, including Alan Titchmarsh on Capability Brown (More4) and his research on Rule, Britannia! was covered by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, The Times, The Telegraph, The One Show and documentaries with Lucy Worsley and Ian Hislop. He also lectures at popular history events including CountryFile Live and the Cheltenham Literary Festival. His Short History of the Long Eighteenth Century will be published in 2017.

At Univ Oliver rowed in the 1st VIII, was Vice-President of UCBC (2008-2009), President (2009-2010), and co-founded Friends of UCBC. He was a member of the Shakespeare Society and Captain of the Univ hockey team (2008-2009). He was a Student Ambassador (2008-2009). Oliver was Burn Scholar in 2007 and 2008, won the Frederick H. Bradley History Prize for his undergraduate thesis and finals result in 2009, was awarded an AHRC Doctoral Studentship in 2010, and the Brian Cohen Prize in 2012.

“A project like this does in terms of showing the faces of people who go here is that it humanises that journey and makes that connection seem possible.”

Can you tell me about your first day at Univ?

My first day at Univ… Interestingly my father had shown not that much emotion about me going up to Oxford and I think my parents appreciation of Oxford was based on that sort of 1980’s Brideshead Revisited thing that ITV did. My father had been to the University of Bradford and my mother didn’t go to university – she went straight into working in advertising in London at the age of 18 – so they didn’t have much of a sense of what Oxford was really like. So turning up on that first day was quite an emotional rollercoaster for all three of us.

I remember going into my room and thinking ‘Oh bloody hell, this is really all happening,’ and at that point my father becoming quite emotional. My main memory was that I felt I needed to have something vaguely cool for my room. We’d been to IKEA the week before along with everyone else going to university and trying to think about what bedspread to have…

How do you think Univ shaped you?

Univ has been absolutely crucial in everything that I have gone on to do because I think what Univ does is a couple of things:

One, it gives you the confidence within yourself to believe ‘Hang on, I know some stuff, I’m actually quite good at this!’ You are nurtured from a variety of different angles…

Secondly, I think the alumni network helped me position what it is that I do. A brilliant feature of Univ is this connection of former tutors and students.

In terms of my actual studies and my DPhil, the financial support from alumni that came through bursaries and Travel Grants that let me do a couple of US conferences a year was really significant in helping me to land my initial position as a Knowledge Exchange Fellow in October 2013. It proved that I could do a variety of different types of History in a variety of different places and that I could speak to a variety of different audiences. That’s something that Univ is very, very good at – if you have an idea, if you have an aim then it will support you.

How does an event like this help?

It’s the human narrative that is absolutely crucial and in an Oxbridge context that’s even more important because our face to the world is hugely impressive, it’s hugely intimidating – it’s big, it’s old, it has very few entrance points both physically and metaphorically. What a project like this does in terms of showing the faces of people who go here is that it humanises that journey and makes that connection seem possible – it makes that leap from school to university to a future career seem possible because these are real people that have done it.

So often the challenge is, when you have a series of grand old portraits of men and women who are highflying heads of this or that, the contingency element of starting out in your career is often lost. So one of the really beneficial things about today is that, by capturing our faces, it gives you a sense that there’s a lot of hard work to be done between leaving university and becoming the head of the world, but there’s a tangible connection.

Photographed by John Cairns, September 2016

Tomas Halgas (2011, MMmaths & MCompSci, Computer Science/Maths)

Occupation at time of portrait: Tech Philomath

Biography: Tomas is an explorer, philomath, and nerd. Most of all, he enjoys solving real-world problems with technology – as, for example, improving the friend-suggestions algorithms at Facebook, implementing a computer language to help people make sense of large data sets, or calculating the amount of student time wasted by belated buttery opening times. He also enjoys speaking about artificial intelligence on TEDx conferences, playing the flamenco guitar at Univ’s Master’s Lodgings concerts, winning medals by dancing ballroom, reading books from the likes of Friedman or Nietzsche, and gin and tonic.

He was awarded the Alexander Trafford Award in 2015 and the Kairos Society Fellowship in 2014 (an entrepreneurial society committed to advancing the world through innovation in education, healthcare, and clean energy). At Univ Tomas was elected an Exhibitioner in 2012 and 2013. He was a member of the Univ Tennis Club in 2013.

What made you choose Univ?

I visited a while before I applied with my school on a trip to England. I thought Univ looked interesting and I finally chose Univ when I realised there was a well-respected researcher called Andrew Ker there. I thought that was really exciting and he ended up being my main tutor, which was fantastic.

How were the interviews?

Those were hard, but they were exciting. The first interview was by far the hardest and I remember calling my parents and telling them I probably wasn’t getting in. But then opening up that email and finding out I had got in was a beautiful moment. It was an emotional moment because in English you have this wonderful way of constructing long sentences before you get to the point and I started reading my email and it seemed like the sentence was like five emails along…

Did you have any idea what you wanted to be?

Both my parents are entrepreneurs, so I was guided to just enjoy my time here as neither of my parents are doing anything connected to what they studied. The same with me, I always enjoyed lots of things – coding, mathematics… but then slowly I began to understand how coding worked and how computers worked and that guided me in to the world of technology and in that world it’s easy to find the good jobs if you have the correct skill set. Univ definitely gave me that.

“If later on I meet someone who saw my portrait and was inspired, it will touch my heart.”

Do you have a favourite memory of Univ?

A couple of the success moments when I was struggling with an exam subject and then suddenly I had a tutorial and I could see that my efforts were reasonably good. When a world-class professor like Andrew Ker tells me ‘this is fine work,’ – that’s very motivating.

What do you think of this gallery project?

I believe that colleges should keep in touch with their alumni and, equally, it is nice for the alumni to give back to the colleges. This is one of the many possible ways of doing it and, I think, a really effective one as it shows that the College really cares.

How did it feel to be invited to be part of the project?

I was excited! I was quite active in the Oxford Entrepreneurs Society and it seems worthy to show people that you don’t have to be working in the City as an advisor or a banker – so I very much agree with the diversity of this project. And if Univ can become the College for aspiring entrepreneurs, that would be wonderful. If later on I meet someone who saw my portrait and was inspired, it will touch my heart.

Photographed by John Cairns, September 2016

Isaac Livne (2005, Oriental Studies)

Occupation at time of portrait: Co-founder, CYDEFENCE, Chairman, Incapital Construction

Biography: Isaac is the founder of two businesses – a cybersecurity company and a national construction firm. He co-founded CYDEFENCE with Oxford University’s world renowned Professor Bill Roscoe in order to prevent companies from investing in blanket cybersecurity solutions that do not solve their specific needs. Isaac is also Chairman of a national construction company, which carries out private and public contracts and infrastructure projects. Prior to those companies, he worked in investment banking, advising FTSE CEOs on corporate business strategy. Isaac obtained a BA (Hons) at Univ and a Master’s degree at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge. Isaac is a Freeman of the City of London. He sits on a number of non-profit boards, including City of London School’s alumni board and Oxford’s Young Univ committee. In his spare time, Isaac enjoys travelling, squash and skiing.

What were your preconceptions of Oxford or Univ before you started here?

‘Preconceptions’ sounds slightly negative! I genuinely did feel lucky and was looking forward to spending three years in a beautiful city amongst some of the most talented academics and students in the world.

How was your first day at Univ?

I remember getting a very warm welcome from the students who had been Freshers themselves just a year earlier. We were shown to our room and given a programme outlining the week ahead. This surprisingly involved no academic work – the College wanted to ensure that we had the opportunity to get to know the other Freshers quite quickly.

“I have a great relationship with the College and I was glad to be able to contribute to this worthwhile project.”

Was there anyone at Univ who really inspired you?

During my time at Univ I got to know a student that inspired me very much. He came from a relatively underprivileged background, sharing one bedroom with five of his family members. He was the first person in his family to go to university, and was so gifted that he received scholarship after scholarship. He was without a doubt one of the hardest working people at the College, and his focus was like nothing I had ever encountered.  As you can imagine he did extremely well after university, and has since returned to his home country to do amazing things there.

Do you have one outstanding memory?

I have many; however, Lord Butler jumping on a trampoline on main quad for charity is something I will never forget!

How do you think Univ shaped you?

Spending three years with some of the brightest minds of our generation did wonders in preparing me for the real world! The environment I was in went beyond pure academics, and I learned a bit about a lot of different topics, cultures and ideas. This has been immeasurably useful in the business world, where many of the projects we work on involve an interdisciplinary approach. University really did make me a more well-rounded individual.

Did you know what you wanted to do after Univ?

Like many of my contemporaries, I believed that fields such as investment banking or management consulting were obvious early career choices. I planned to gain some knowledge and experience in those fields and then to apply what I had learnt to my own projects. I was always interested in starting my own company, through which I could directly and positively impact society.

How important is a project like the Young Univ Gallery?

As Sir Ivor told us at the Young Univ Gallery photography day, it is crucial that the College continues to demonstrate that its students come from a wide variety of background and go on to careers in many fields. This initiative is therefore commendable and I hope that it will inspire the next generation of students that the world is their oyster, because it is.

How did it feel to be selected to take part in this project?

I was honoured to be selected. I have a great relationship with the College and I was glad to be able to contribute to this worthwhile project.

Photographed by John Cairns, January 2017

Nadia Odunayo (2010, PPE)

Occupation at time of portrait: Co-Founder/Director at Ignition Works

Biography: Nadia is the Co-Founder/Director of Ignition Works, a software product company. She was previously a Software Engineer at Pivotal Labs (2014-2015), working as an agile consultant on apps and websites for startups and worked on Pivotal’s Platform-as-a-Service platform, Cloud Foundry. Prior to that, she secured a scholarship on a 12 week intensive coding course at Makers Academy (2013-2014), where she was also temporarily a teaching assistant. At Univ Nadia was a Student Ambassador (2011-2013) and Returning Officer (2011-2012), administering all of the College elections. In 2012, whilst at Univ, she co-founded – with Andrea Jansson (2010, History and Politics) – The StoryGraph, a creative writing e-publication written and illustrated by talented young writers and artists around the world. In 2013 she was selected as the number one Future Leader, an award given to the most outstanding African or African Caribbean student or new graduate. She received a Univ Scholarship in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. She was a founding member of the Young Univ committee, which organises events to help young Old Members stay connected with each other and the College.

Do you have a favourite memory of your time at Univ?

One of my favourite memories is that before I left I decided I wanted to do something a bit different, so I took part in the Univ Review – I took part in a play. There was a scene where I was by myself on the stage and some of my good College friends were in the front row – so just me coming on stage and they burst out laughing and I had to try and keep a straight face. That was fun; not something I ever really expected to be doing at university. It was quite a serious production too…

Who was your biggest influence at Univ?

Academically, it was Professor Mark Stears. I did Political Philosophy with him and he did this great thing of not tying you to a syllabus, but just encouraging you to read things critically and come up with different ideas, exploring your own viewpoint. That was incredibly valuable.

On the non-academic side, I would have to say my friendship group in my year – loads of different backgrounds and doing loads of different things; all incredibly supportive of each other and that allowed me to become who I am now.

“I always love coming back to Univ – it feels like coming home in a way.”

Tell me about your professional life now…

I’m a software engineer and I’m running a product company with another guy and we’re currently working on looking at how organisations and individuals can better coordinate processes amongst groups of people.

It’s a known problem that there are far more men than women in tech and there’s been some interesting research coming out about why that is. Often Computer Science tends to have a 50% balanced intake but boys are more likely to have had a computer when they were younger and to have tinkered with it, courses often seem to expect that prior knowledge. There’s currently an experiment in the States trying to recreate the former-knowledge that young boys pick up by having often played with computers.

How does it feel being back to Univ for this project?

I always love coming back to Univ – it feels like coming home in a way. One of the really cool things about Univ is that you feel like you are part of a family.

How important do you think a project like this is?

It’s super important with the focus on more recent alumni – often you graduate and go off to other places, this brings people back together, but also provides visibility in terms of what you can go on to do post-Univ.

Photographed by John Cairns, September 2016

Tara Shirvani (2009, DPhil Chemistry)

Occupation at time of portrait: Infrastructure and Climate Change Specialist at the World Bank

Biography: Dr Tara Shirvani currently works for the Infrastructure Unit of the World Bank Group, with a focus on designing climate-resilient and low-carbon transport and energy policies for developing countries. Through her diverse work experience at the Climate Policy Unit of the World Bank, the United Nations office in Iran, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank, she strengthened her practical understanding for the need to transform oil-based economies into information-based ones. Dr Shirvani is fluent in German, English, French and Farsi and has experience working in low to middle income countries such as Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Egypt, Rwanda and China.

Dr Shirvani has several featured articles in The Economist, The Times, Foreign Affairs, Harvard International Review, New Statesman magazine and Washington Quarterly Magazine on a variety of topics ranging from climate change, low-carbon energy transformations and Middle-Eastern energy politics. Her public speaking engagements include keynotes at Durham University, University of Oxford and Harvard Business School. She holds an MPhil degree in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge (Queen’s College) and a DPhil degree in Fuel Technology from the University of Oxford.

In 2012, she was recognized as a ‘Global Shaper’ by the World Economic Forum and in 2016 she was featured on the front cover of Forbes Magazine as one of the most noteworthy recipients of the annual ‘Forbes 30 under 30 Award’.

What were your preconceptions of Oxford or Univ before you started here?

Before starting my DPhil at Oxford I had just completed my Masters’ at Cambridge University in Engineering for Sustainable Development and knew that both Oxford and Univ would offer me a world-class education in the engineering field I am most passionate about. Of course, there is always the good old Oxford-Cambridge Varsity rivalry keeping you on your toes when it comes to testing your sportive and academic spirit, and I absolutely loved that!

“I strongly believe that if you are young, have strong aspirations and a relentless will for going after your hopes and dreams then it’s never too soon to start doing so.”

Was there anyone at Univ who really inspired you?

Without a doubt, my biggest inspiration at Univ was my DPhil supervisor and Univ Fellow Sir David King, who was the Chief Scientific Adviser to H.M. Government under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and Head of the Government Office for Science from 2000 to 2008. Sir David always pushed me to go further in my research whilst trying to find technological solutions to the biggest challenge of the 21st Century: climate change.

Any one outstanding memory?

Having the opportunity to meet President Bill Clinton at the Annual Forum of the Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment and discuss with him his views on the future of renewable energy solutions for the Middle East. It was incredibly inspiring and rewarding to hear the encouraging words of a former World Leader on the future development path we should be pursuing.

How do you think Univ shaped you?

I strongly believe that if you are young, have strong aspirations and a relentless will for going after your hopes and dreams then it’s never too soon to start doing so. My time at Univ and Oxford have been crucial in developing this drive and passion in me. Everything from testing myself as Vice President of the MCR, to being Women’s Captain of the Oxford University Blues Boxing team and getting my Varsity Blue in water polo: Univ, and the people I was fortunate enough to meet there, had a big influence on me to push myself harder and follow my dreams in many different directions, regardless of the outcome.

Did you know what you wanted to do after Univ?

I always knew that I wanted to work on projects with a low-carbon agenda that have a real impact on the ground and aid rural communities. As such, working for an international organisation such as the World Bank, which is currently helping 130 countries to take action on climate change, gave me the opportunity to look at the development business through a climate lens and become part of a task force which catalyses climate action around the globe.

How did it feel to be selected to take part?

It’s been a great honour to be selected by my former alma mater to partake in this initiative and just another confirmation of my long-held belief that University College is really one of the most well-rounded and attentive colleges in Oxford, both to their current and former students.

Photographed February 2017

Alexandra Wilson (2013, PPE)

Occupation at time of portrait: Pupil barrister at 5 St Andrew’s Hill

Biography: Alexandra Wilson is also a member of Middle Temple Hall Committee and a member of the Criminal Bar Association’s Social Mobility Committee. After Univ, Alexandra studied for her Graduate Diploma in Law and recently completed an LLM BPTC at BPP University. While at Univ, she was JCR Access and Equal Opportunities officer, Chair of the Student Ambassador Scheme and Site Manager and Academic Mentor for the UNIQ Summer School. Alexandra also received the Master’s Scholarship, which enabled her to travel to the United States to conduct some primary research for her undergraduate thesis. She regularly blogs about her experiences.

How was your first day at Univ?

My first day was really mixed. Meeting my college “mum” was amazing, she was so friendly and gave me a huge hug within seconds. She is still one of my closest friends today and we are both in the same profession now as well! It was also quite intimidating as I was completely out of my comfort zone – I didn’t know anyone and no-one was from my area, my school or my background. It felt like a huge step in my life!

How do you think Univ helped shape the person you have become?

Univ definitely shaped who I am today. As a recipient of the Master’s Scholarship I was fortunate enough to be able to travel around the United States to conduct research for my undergraduate thesis on the impact that the police shootings in the US were having on young people. I spent a month travelling and researching and it influenced my career choice today, I wanted to make an impact on the criminal justice system.

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at College?

One of my favourite memories from my time in College was celebrating Oxmas in College. A large group of us all cooked a huge Christmas dinner in the kitchens and sat down to eat with Christmas crackers, hats and tinsel. It felt very festive and it was amazing to be celebrating Christmas twice!

What made you decide to pursue Law and be a barrister?

I loved the intellectual challenge at Oxford but also wanted a job where I would feel like I was making a real difference in people’s lives. The Bar offers both of those things, particular at the Criminal and Family Bar, which is most of the work I do. I meet new clients every day and travel around the country. Since being able to represent clients on my own I’ve felt that I am able to impact their lives for the better, even in a small way.

How did it feel to be the first recipient of the Queen’s scholarship at Middle Temple?

I was absolutely delighted to have received the first ever Queen’s scholarship at Middle Temple. When I found out I burst into tears on the phone and couldn’t quite believe it was true. Middle Temple wrote a letter to the Queen to tell her about my achievements and I met Prince William for tea! It’s been very surreal and I am very grateful for the generosity of these scholarships because without them I would not have been able to pursue a career at the Bar. I hope that I can inspire others to apply for these scholarships and consider a career as a barrister.

What inspires you to get involved with access projects?

I went to a state comprehensive school until I was 16 and then moved to a grammar school for sixth form. Throughout my schooling I was discouraged from applying to Oxford and told that it wasn’t for “people like me.” Access work is vital in challenging stereotypes that form this misconceptions and I want to be a part of encouraging other students to realise that there are no limits on what they can achieve! I enjoyed visiting schools and hosting schools in my access roles at Univ and more widely at Oxford and continue to take part in access initiatives at the Bar. My blog encourages people from underrepresented backgrounds to consider applying to Oxford and to pursue a career at the Bar, as well as giving them an insight into my experiences.

I am delighted to see the growth in access projects, particularly at Univ. I support them wholeheartedly and look forward to staying involved.

What do you think the importance of the Young Univ Gallery project is?

The Young Univ Gallery is important for current and prospective students to see where they could be in years to come. It is inspiring and motivating to see someone who is only a few steps ahead of you succeed in your ideal profession. The Gallery also creates a sense of community amongst young OMs and is a great resource for keeping up to date with people’s lives.

How do you feel about celebrating 40 years of women at Univ?

Although it has only been 40 years, when I was here, I can’t say I ever saw a gender imbalance. I was here when we were celebrating 35 years of women at Univ, which feels weird because those five years has flown by! Equally, it is such a huge milestone and I think it is important that it is recognised.

Photographed by John Cairns, June 2019

Over the last six years the Young Univ Gallery project has been a model of collaborative process. Under the guidance of first Sir Ivor Crewe (Master 2008 – 2020) and now Baroness Valerie Amos, our Master since 2020, the project has been made possible by the collective efforts of every department in the College. The Development Office and Communications Team worked to create and collate all of the supporting materials, including biographies, alumni information, photos, video and online content. The Communications Team along with the Domestic Bursary and Works Department were instrumental in organising the hanging of the portraits and the launch event, whilst the Academic Office and Outreach Team provided invaluable advice on how the project could best serve the wider College family.

Then, of course, there were the photographers, framers, helpers, caterers and so many more than came together to make this a reality.

The Young Univ Gallery is a project of many moving parts, realised only through College-wide collaboration and the enthusiasm, generosity and support of the “young old members” who have been our subjects to date.

Behind the Scenes Photos

Making of the Young Univ Gallery

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