The 30(ish) Awards

The 30(ish) Awards celebrate the change-makers, innovators, and rule-breakers in the Cardiff University alumni community. Nominations are open now.

We will be recognising a list of 30(ish) finalists who have made a positive contribution to their community, and all before they hit 30. Well, 30(ish).

About the 30(ish) Awards

Find out more about The 30(ish) Awards, who can apply, and when the awards night takes place.

Nominate or apply

Nominations are now open! Make your case by Sunday 20 July 2025.

30(ish) Awards 2024

Read the stories of the 30(ish) winners who make up our final 2024 list of change-makers, innovators, and rule-breakers from the Cardiff University alumni community.

Previous winners

30(ish) Awards 2023

Read the stories of our 2023 30(ish) winners.

30(ish) Awards 2022

Read the stories of our 2022 30(ish) winners.

Winners’ stories

Turning pain into purpose: a vision of accessible eyecare for all

Lucky Aziken (MSc 2023) is delivering affordable and sustainable eyecare services in Nigeria and Malawi.

The Music alum inspiring the next generation of young artists 

Guy Verrall-Withers (BMus 2013) is introducing opera to new audiences and giving young artists a platform to succeed. 

Championing positive change to mental health in the Muslim community

Jamilla Hekmoun (MA 2018) is chair of the Muslim Mental Health Alliance, and spent the pandemic working tirelessly to provide resources and support to the Muslim community.

A male wheelchair user poses for a photograph beside a train at the Bermondsey London Underground station.

“Offering people the freedom to choose how they travel”

An app which uses open-source data from the London Underground to determine if tube station lifts are operating is being developed by Cellan Hall (BSc 2019, MSc 2021).

The Cardiff graduate ‘shooting for the stars’

Dr Jenifer Millard's (MPhys 2016, PhD 2021) work as host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast and talent for sharing her passion, has rocketed her career into TV and radio.

Changing the future of ICU patient care

Dr Samyakh Tukra (MEng 2017) is the founder and CEO of Third Eye Intelligence, which has developed a unique and powerful artificial intelligence (AI).