Outstanding Alumni Award winners 2024

Five exceptional Southampton alumni were honoured with Outstanding Alumni Awards at this year’s graduation ceremonies: Jayanti Shah MBE, Dr Jahangir Alom BEM, Veronica Gordon, Chris Spackman, and Pascal Ezeabasili.

Their awards celebrate the remarkable achievements they’ve made as Southampton alumni, and their enduring role as ambassadors for the University.

Each winner had the opportunity to address the graduating students, sharing inspiring stories about how Southampton shaped their lives, and the paths they’ve taken since graduation.

Meet our winners

Lifetime Achievement Award
For an alumnus/a who has made an outstanding contribution to society over an extended period, and is highly regarded in their chosen field.

Jayanti Shah MBE
BSc Mechanical Engineering, 1971

All I have done is try to treat people as people.

Jayanti Shah has dedicated over five decades to advocating for racial equality in Southampton. In 2020, his efforts were recognised with an MBE for his contributions to improving race relations in the city.

Jayanti has held key roles on the Southampton Race Equality Council and co-founded Black History Month in the area. As Director of Positive Message, a non-profit organisation focused on racial inclusivity, he continues to combat discrimination. He also served as a city ambassador for the 2025 City of Culture bid, representing diverse communities.

In addition to his advocacy, Jayanti is a trustee of Artswork, promoting arts accessibility for all. His core message, ‘People are People’, was the focus of his 2022 TEDx talk on anti-racism.

Jayanti remains an active member of Southampton’s alumni community, fostering local networks and encouraging alumni support. His voluntary efforts have significantly contributed to creating a more inclusive culture in Southampton.

Jayanti offered some words of advice to our graduating students: “Be yourself. Do the right thing. Do not fall for assumptions made by others which stereotype you and put you in a box.

“And remember, wherever you are in the world, you come from Southampton.”

Rising Star Award
For an alumnus/a up to ten years out from graduation, who has made an outstanding contribution in their field or to society.

Dr Jahangir Alom BEM
BM6 Medicine, 2018

Don’t lose that fire!

Dr Jahangir Alom BEM is a distinguished medic and advocate for health equality in the UK. Recognised with an NHS Parliamentary Award and a British Empire Medal in the King’s New Year Honours, Jahangir’s work during COVID-19 was pivotal in building trust in the national vaccination programme and raising awareness of ethnic minorities’ experiences.

As a student at Southampton, Jahangir demonstrated exceptional dedication, earning the Dean’s Prize for Outstanding Contribution in 2018. He founded the Widening Access to Medicine Society (WAMSoc), impacting over 1,000 Hampshire school pupils, and served as president of MedSoc in 2016.

During the pandemic, Jahangir played a crucial role as National Clinical Lead for the Staff Vaccine Programme at NHS England, leading an engagement strategy that vaccinated 147,000 hesitant healthcare workers.

Jahangir’s expertise in health inequalities has made him a sought-after voice in the media, with appearances on the BBC, Sky News, Channel 4, and CNN. He serves as Programme Director for Selfless UK, a charity which supports and inspires the global health leaders of tomorrow. Despite these commitments, he remains a full-time emergency medicine doctor at the NHS Trust where he was born.

He offered encouraging words to our graduating medics: “I wake up every day looking forward to being a doctor… Act and advocate. Fight for the rights of your patients, and for the NHS. Be proud.”

“Who would’ve thought that the son of an illiterate man, who couldn’t afford an education in Bangladesh, or a kid who grew up on almost every state benefit, would stand here as a proud alumnus?”

Civic Award
New for 2024, for an alumnus/alumna who has made an outstanding impact and contribution to the economic, social or cultural success of our local region, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This includes working with local government; arts, cultural or heritage groups; environmental groups; within regional business, industry or enterprise; local communities or charities; education, training and skills providers.

Veronica Gordon
BSc Social Policy and Administration, 2005

What I learned in academia, coupled with my lived experience, has helped me to create a bigger positive social impact.

Veronica Gordon is a broadcast journalist turned social entrepreneur who leverages her media expertise to empower Black and underrepresented communities. Graduating in 2005, Veronica has spent 15 years in journalism, working with ITV, BBC, and Unity 101 Community Radio.

In 2018, she founded Our Version Media (OVM) CIC, a Southampton-based community media enterprise dedicated to amplifying Black voices and combating harmful media narratives. OVM teaches digital media and journalism skills, enabling individuals to tell their own authentic stories.

An award-winning radio personality, Veronica founded Vibrant Vibes, Southampton’s leading African, Caribbean, and Black British community radio show. She also hosts Power to Change’s podcast, Then One Day, sharing inspiring stories of community leaders driving positive change.

In 2024, Veronica expanded her impact nationally by joining the Code Committee for Impress, the UK’s independent press regulator, where she contributes to creating a more trustworthy and representative media landscape.

She shared inspiring words with the newest cohort of social science graduates: “Not all labels are negative. One of the labels I’m most proud of is ‘University of Southampton alumni’. Graduands: wear that label with pride. And attach to it the responsibility to work with others to create a fairer world.”

Alumni Service Award
For an alumnus/a that promotes the importance of the University through volunteering, transformative philanthropy and/or support to our students, the wider University, or our alumni communities.

Chris Spackman
BSc Mathematics, 1981

I’m passionate about helping young people reach their full potential.

Chris Spackman has held senior roles at American Express, Barclays Bank, and PwC. After earning his degree, he began his career at Honeywell, developing software for power station control systems. His career pivoted when he led the introduction of ‘chip and pin’ cards at Barclaycard, eventually leading him into computer security and resilience.

In 1994, Chris managed a $450 million IT outsourcing deal for American Express, an experience that shaped his future advisory roles with major multinationals. Since retiring in 2014, Chris has been a generous supporter of the University, helping to establish the Future Worlds start-up accelerator and mentoring students through the Ignite Programme.

His commitment to social mobility and student success is evident through his dedicated mentorship and support, significantly impacting students’ entrepreneurial journeys.

“My biggest satisfaction from work is seeing the people in my team do better than me! I’ve always enjoyed mentoring, and I’ve always understood – from a very early stage – how important it is. Spend time with fellow team members and take opportunities to learn from them.”

He told our graduands: “One thing of which I’m absolutely certain, is that your time here will have given you a significant advantage in your life. And it will continue to have significant influence in the directions you’ll take in the future.”

Alumni Service Award
Pascal Ezeabasili
BEng Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2020

I am where I am in life because of the many opportunities I’ve received from people who have volunteered or dedicated their work to empower young people.

Pascal Ezeabasili, now a Commercial Analyst for Kraft Heinz, is a dedicated volunteer, tirelessly supporting students by offering guidance and advancing the University’s goals in equity and employability.

Joining Southampton in 2016, Pascal embraced every opportunity that came his way: teaching English in China, interning at Huawei, and volunteering for the Engineering Society. After graduating in 2020, he was among the first to join the University’s Graduate Ambassador Scheme, connecting recent graduates with current students.

Pascal’s personal journey serves to inspire students facing similar challenges. He has actively contributed to the University’s Ignite Programme, leading networking workshops from 2021 to 2023. As a mentor on the E-Mentoring Southampton platform, Pascal continues to guide students, helping them navigate their academic and professional paths.

“There’s a famous saying that ‘talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not’, but I want to play my role in making that less true. As a beneficiary of widening participation programmes, I want to pass it forward and hope that I can have the same impact on students as others had on me.”

We can’t wait to see where our winners, and the many people they’ve inspired, go next.