Queen’s University Class of 2021 Graduation celebrations at Queen’s University Belfast are taking place virtually this summer. In this edition we shine a light on students and their success stories as they graduate during changed times. Aislinn McAleenan Aislinn McAleenan is graduating with a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD opportunity to continue developing a robot which could revolutionise eye surgery. Aislinn’s journey at Queen’s started five years ago when she completed a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She is now graduating with a first-class honours MEng in Mechanical Engineering. Last year, Aislinn – who is from Newry and Mourne – created an actuator for robotic eye surgery. Starting in October, Aislinn will be carrying on her work on the robot as part of a PhD at Queen’s. She says: “During my final year I developed a lowcost actuator design which allows for a surgical tool to be translated and rotated during eye surgery with increased accuracy. I hope that it will help to make eye surgery more readily available for patients globally, especially those in developing countries. “Another project of mine was an idea for an electrical, wearable device which alleviates pain by sending pulses of mild electrical current to the painful area on the body. My idea for the pain management device was shortlisted for ‘What’s The Big Idea’ competition.” During her Master’s, Aislinn also took part in the Women in Leadership Programme with the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute. Speaking about her journey as a Queen’s student, Aislinn comments: “I have had so many opportunities to explore all that STEM has to offer and it has been very exciting. My favourite memory is when I represented the University at the International Joint Design Workshop at Tianjin University, China. This was a fantastic experience for me to improve my design skills and meet other students from all over the world.
Anita Dennison Anita Dennison rom Newry, Co Down, will celebrate graduating from Queen’s University Belfast for the second time with a degree in social work. Anita was inspired to undertake her degree in social work due to her past experiences of being bullied at secondary school. She said: “I was bullied at secondary school, despite the great support I received from my peers and teaching staff. The cyberbullying was the worst as it was anonymous, and it impacted my confidence the most because I knew it could have been anyone.” Brave Anita decided to create an anti-bully social media campaign in 2012 which she started on Twitter and her own website to share her experience and help others going through what she did. She explained: “I submitted the campaign to my school’s anti-bullying competition and won. I never would have imagined how many people it would have helped, having young people and parents alike commenting and asking for support from around the world. It has been an honour being able to share my story through various means, including a TEDx talk and getting to share the stage with amazing people such as current mental health champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill. Anita earned several awards for her anti-bullying campaign including the Princess Diana Award, the Spirit of NI Overcoming Adversity Award, and the Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister. She said: “I didn’t start the campaign for recognition, I did it as an outlet to help myself and others. However, I was honoured and fortunate enough to be nominated and win these awards which I will never forget. To be recognised was incredibly touching.”
Bogdan Golumbeanu Bogdan Golumbeanu will be awarded a First Class Honours (BSc Hons) Economics with Finance from Queen’s Management School. Bogdan Golumbeanu (aged 24) from Bucharest in Romania, came to Queen’s University Belfast after studying Psychology for two years at the University of Bucharest. He said: “Having discovered that I wanted something more quantitative, I decided that pursuing a career in finance was the best option for me. “Being at one of the top UK universities, I wanted to make the best out of my experience at Queen’s. I applied to different programmes and experiences to build up my CV and improve my network. “I took part in and was CEO in my final year of the Queen’s Student Manged Fund (QSMF); the Belfast Enterprise Academy; the Queen’s Global Leadership Programme, and the Inspiring Leaders Programme, for which I was awarded the ‘Highly Commended Graduate of the Year’ award for the way in which I improved the activity in the QSMF. At the end of my first year, I was awarded the ‘City Scholarship’, where I travelled to London and worked for a week at Evercore, a leading private equity boutique in Mayfair. During his studies, Bogdan co-founded LightStone Insights, the fastestgrowing financial platform that encourages underrepresented students to consider a career in finance. He explained: “The idea for LightStone came off the back of applying for jobs as I faced the challenges of psychometric tests, interviews and rejections. I thought it would be a great idea to help other students facing the same problems. Since then, we have quickly grown to have an international team of 15 talented students and have helped over 1,000 students in their careers while producing research content about global financial markets.” 132
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