Famous Aberites

Thousands of students graduate from the University of Wales Aberystwyth every year and some are more well-known than others. Here are a few of the college's most famous ex-students.

Angela Tooby-Smith - International athlete

Angela was at Aberystwyth University 1978-1992 studying Geography and a PGCE in Geography & PE. It was whilst here that her running talents developed - the University Harriers were integral to her success! Angela was Welsh Cross-country Champion 5 times; English Cross-country champion 1985; UK Cross-country Champion 1988. In 1988 she then went on to finished 2nd in the World Cross-country Championships in Aukland. Angela also won a bronze medal in the 10,000m in the 1986 Commonwealth Games, as well as represented Great Britain in the 1986 European Championships; 1987 World Championships; 1988 Olympic Games - in the 10,000m. Angela still holds many Welsh track records and holds allegiance to her old club 'Cardiff AC'. Angela along with her identical twin-sister Susan, were amongst Britain's leading middle-distance track, road & cross-country runners during the late 1980's early 1990's. She still runs for 'recreation' today whilst combining teaching Geography in York, and a mother of 2 sons (11 & 9). She is married to Professor Andy Smith, one of the country's leading Sport Scientists.
Suggested by Jonathon Welbon from Kent

Belinda Earl - Debenhams Chief Executive

Belinda Earl was born in Plymouth in December 1961. Her first Saturday job as a teenager was in the menswear department of the town's Debenhams store. After leaving school, she came to University of Wales Aberystwyth to study business and economics. She graduated in 1983 and got a place on Harrods' graduate training scheme where she spent two years specialising in fashion. In 1985, Earl resigned from Harrods to join Debenhams. She was appointed Trading Director in 1997 and joined the main board two years later. At 38, her appointment as Chief Executive in 1999 surprised the City. She was at the time the only woman to lead a major high street chain store, she was also one of the youngest and in 2001, she became the first Chief Executive of a leading retail company to take maternity leave. She and her lawyer husband David have two young children. Her salary in 2003 was in excess of £600,000.

Carwyn James

Carwyn James graduated from the Welsh Department in 1951 and also played rugby for the college during his student days. He was capped by Wales on two occasions, but he is best remembered for his work behind-the-scenes. He coached the 1971 Lions who defeated the All Blacks in New Zealand, as well as the Llanelli side which defeated the All Blacks in October 1972. The captain of the 1971 victorious Lions team, John Dawes, was also an Aberystwyth chemistry graduate.

Chris Leek

Chris Leek is the Chairman of International Mensa, - the society for people with a high I.Q. He was elected to the post in June 2003 after chairing British Mensa for four years from 1999. Leek studied Zoology at Aberystwyth and graduated in 1979. During his time as a student, he also played chess for the college. He now works in IT, as a Solution Designer on BT's broadband project.

Colonel Bob Stewart

This short profile of Colonel Bob Stewart was sent in by Ben Hodges from Redhill in Surrey:
"'Bosnia Bob' became a familiar face to television viewers around the world as he handled the intricacies of Balkan politics. Commissioned into the British Army in 1969 after officer training, he was sent to the University of Wales Aberystwyth where he took a First Class degree in International Politics and Strategic Studies. Service as an intelligence officer in Northern Ireland led to his return for a further tour as an infantry company commander. He was the officer tasked with control and response to the Ballykelly bombing in 1982, gaining the personal commendation of the GOC Northern Ireland for his actions. For the next seven years, his appointments covered aspects of operations at the Ministry of Defence and a spell at the Joint Services Staff College. He then became Military Assistant to the highest ranking NATO officer at NATO Headquarters. In 1991 he became the first British United Nations Commander in Bosnia, commanding the Cheshire Regiment Battlegroup. Following his return from Bosnia, he became Chief of Policy at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe for two years before leaving the Army and joining Hill & Knowlton's Political Affairs and Corporate Policy Division. In 1994 he wrote "Broken Lives", an account of his time in Bosnia." Written by Ben Hodges from Surrey.

Dr Joe Borg - EU Fisheries Commissioner

Dr Joe Borg came to University of Wales Aberystwyth in the late 1980s as a postgraduate law student. His family also came to live with him in a cottage near Aberystwyth and his children attended St Padarn's School in Llanbadarn. Dr Borg received his Masters in European Law from Aberystwyth in 1988 after submitting a thesis entitled "Company Law Harmonisation in the EEC - Suggested Changes in Maltese Law." Elected to Malta's House of Representatives in 1995, Dr. Borg was appointed to the post of Foreign Affairs Minister in 1999. He became become Malta's representative on the European Commission in May 2004, responsible for fisheries and maritime affairs.

HRH The Prince of Wales

In the spring of 1969, Prince Charles spent a term at Aberystwyth University. It was part of the Governments plans to make the Prince more in touch with Wales ahead of his investiture as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle later that year. During his time in the town, he learnt to speak some Welsh and he still uses the language occasionally when making speeches in Wales.

Neil Hamilton

Neil Hamilton studied economics at Aberystwyth in the sixties. He was elected MP for the safe Tory seat of Tatton in 1983 and went on to become a junior government minister in the Department of Trade & Industry. But in 1994 he had to resign as minister in the Al-Fayed cash-for-questions row. He denied the allegations but lost his libel case against the Harrods owner. In the 1997 General Election, Mr Hamilton then lost his seat to the former BBC war correspondent Martin Bell who stood on an anti-sleaze ticket. He and his wife Christine still appear regularly on various TV programmes.

President Kabbah of Sierra Leone

Born in Sierra Leone in 1932, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tegan Kabbah studied Economics at the University of Wales Aberystwyth and graduated in 1959. Most of his career was spent working in the public sector, as a national and international civil servant. He also held several senior administrative posts at the United Nations Development Programme Headquarters in New York. In March 1996 - after the ending of military rule in the country - Kabbah was elected President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. He was re-elected for a second term in May 2002, pledging that no Sierra Leonean would go to bed hungry by 2007. He paid a personal visit to Aberystwyth in July 2003 when he toured the University campus with Vice Chancellor and Principal of UWA, Professor Derec Llwyd Morgan.

Prof Myron Evans - Scientist

Prof Evans was appointed to the Civil List for distinguished contributions to Britain and the Commonwealth in science in Spring 2005. By Reform Act of 1837 the appointment is intended to "express the gratitude of the Nation" and is upon recommendation to Parliament by the Prime Minister, and for science, the Royal Society. Currently he is the only scientist on the Civil List and the only person from Wales. This is a High British Honour akin to Order of Merit or Companion of Honour. Scientific predecessors on the Civil List include Newton, Dalton, Faraday and Joule. Other poets on the Civil List include Byron, Wordsworth and Tennyson. Myron Evans was born in Craigcefnparc, educated at Pontardawe Grammar School and the then University College of Wales Aberystwyth from 1968 to 1974. Junior Resaerch Fellow of Wolfson College Oxford, elected 1975. Studied under Prof. Mansel Davies for a Ph. D. degree and awarded the D. Sc. degree in 1977 for major contributions to science. Harrison Memorial Prize and Meldola Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry with a research group consisting of Gareth Evans, Colin Reid and Mauro Ferrario, with guest workers Jozef Moscicki, Barbara Janik and Ahmed Hasanein. Thereafter worked at IBM in Kingston New York State, Cornell and Zurich Universities. Formed the Alpha Institute for Advanced Studies in 1998 and currently directs it voluntarily from Craigcefnparc using the web. Interests (published in about 750 papers and books) cover areas such as far infra red spectroscopy, molecular dynamics computer simulation, field applied simulation, group theoretical statistical mechanics, non linear optics, gauge theory, and unified field theory. The latter, known as Einstein Cartan Evans (ECE) theory, has attracted great international interest from 2003 to present. Prof Evans published a book of poetry in 2005, (Arima), and permanent exhibition of prints from the New World in the Library of University of Wales Swansea.

Sharon Maguire - Film Director

Sharon Maguire made her name as a film director when she landed the job of directing "Bridget Jones' Diary". The film was based on the book by her close friend Helen Fielding and one of the main characters - Shazzer - is actually based on Maguire. Sharon Maguire studied English and Drama at the University of Wales Aberystwyth from 1979-1983 and graduated with a 2:2 degree before going on to do the PGCE teaching qualification. After leaving Aber, she did a year's postgraduate course in journalism at City University in London and worked as a researcher then a director on The Media Show. In 1991, she got a job with the BBC as producer/director of The Late Show. She also made several documentaries - including Omnibus - before leaving the corporation to make advertisments. "Bridget Jones' Diary" marked Maguire's directorial debut. She's quoted as saying: "It always breaks the ice at parties when Im with Oxbridge types and I brag: 'I went to Aberystwyth!'"

Tom Singh

Tom Singh studied at Aberystwyth University before going on to found the New Look chain store selling low-cost womenswear. The company was floated on the stock exchange in 1998 and now has almost 500 shops across the UK including one in Aberystwyth. Tom Singh started the business with some money borrowed from his parents. In 2003, he was ranked the fifth richest Asian in the UK worth around £200m.