University of Sheffield graduates gather in America to support students and research which makes a difference

University of Sheffield graduates in the USA gathered in Boston on Saturday (5 May 2018) to hear more about vital research and student scholarships.

The University has 4,000 alumni living and working in America, and graduates in the US provide generous support for student scholarships as well as world-class research into the study of diseases and environmental sustainability.

The speaker at the 2018 US alumni reunion dinner was Sheffield graduate, investor and a globally-respected authority on environmental sustainability, Jeremy Grantham. He addressed a packed audience of alumni of all ages at the Harvard Club in Boston.

In a speech which outlined the need for urgent change to ensure we do not imperil our ability to grow food and live sustainably, Jeremy described the environmental challenges which drive the work of the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment - a 'race for life' which would demand overcoming wishful thinking and taking action to ensure we did not create a planet hostile to life itself.

The audience also heard from Professor Tony Ryan, former Head of the Faculty of Science and Director of the Sheffield Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield, about the work of Sheffield Grantham scholars. The centre's international researchers work across disciplines and engage with governments, industry and the public to secure positive change.

Finally the audience heard a speech by the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett, who shared his reflections on his work as a scientist in America and the vital importance of the mobility of talent for the future of education, as well as the reliance of the US on migration for its food.

The gathering of American graduates followed meetings of the trustees of the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures and the University of Sheffield in America board, both of which were attended by Sir Keith.

Sir Keith also met senior alumni, including Sir Hans Kornberg, who came to the UK as a child from Nazi Germany and went on to become a distinguished biochemist who continues to teach and research at 90 years old. Discussions about the work of the university and its alumni in America were also hosted by the UK Consul-General in Boston, Harriet Cross.

Sir Keith said: "It has been a huge pleasure and privilege to work closely with our American alumni and I am deeply grateful for the support and affection they demonstrate for their University.

“As well as financial support for areas such as scholarships, our graduates have shared their time and advice with me personally but also with University colleagues and students. Visiting them always has a feeling of family about it, and the desire they feel to put something back into the University which gave them their own education is very moving."

While in Boston, the Vice-Chancellor also held meetings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he discussed opportunities for student exchange and work on digital technologies and knowledge exchange with industry.