Chemistry alumni from the 70s and 80s reunite

Five Chemistry alumni returned to Cardiff University this October, more than five decades after their student days.

The former classmates came back to campus for a special visit, taking the opportunity to reconnect, reminisce and see how both the University and Chemistry have changed since they studied in Cardiff.

The group’s connection to Cardiff spans the 1970s and 1980s encompassing UWIST and UCC experiences, undergraduate and PhD studies and working in the Chemistry department.

Dr Rob Jenkins (PhD 2008) welcomed the group back to the School of Physical, Chemical and Environmental Sciences and led them on a tour of the Chemistry department in Main Building and its facilities.

For the group – Malcolm Kimber (PhD 1986), Huw Jones (BSc 1979, PhD 1986), Tony James (BSc 1979), Nicolas Ordsmith (BSc 1980) and Michael Martin (BSc 1979), the visit was a chance to revisit familiar surroundings while also discovering how much has changed for today’s Chemistry students.

Their trip down memory lane continued with visits to the Science Library, Bute Building, The Redwood Building – where four of the alumni had been taught during their undergraduate degrees, and the Students’ Union, bringing back memories of lectures, student life and friendships formed in Cardiff over five decades ago.

Reflecting on their return, the group enjoyed seeing how Chemistry at Cardiff has developed while remembering the experiences they shared as students in the 1970s and 80s.

More than 50 years later, their return to campus was a reminder that while Cardiff may have changed, the friendships and memories made here can last a lifetime.

Update your details with the alumni office or find out more about organising an alumni reunion.