Food Alumni reconnected at Loughry Campus

On Tuesday 24 January a group of nearly 50 Food Alumni gathered to reconnect at Loughry Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). With both past staff and students in attendance, a nostalgic evening of reminiscing was enjoyed by all with a sneak peek into the future of both the Alumni and the redevelopment of Loughry Campus.

On Tuesday 24 January a group of nearly 50 Food Alumni gathered to reconnect at Loughry Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). With both past staff and students in attendance, a nostalgic evening of reminiscing was enjoyed by all with a sneak peek into the future of both the Alumni and the redevelopment of Loughry Campus.

After a delicious supper, attendees were given short presentations by a range of fellow Alumni.

• Drew McIvor, Head of Business Development at Invest NI, interviewed by Peter Simpson (Head of Food Technology Branch, CAFRE)

“Life at Loughry and my role within Invest NI”

• Clare Campbell, Food Technologist, CAFRE

“Making the most of CPD and professional body membership”

• Gary Andrews, Group Skills Development Manager, Dale Farm Ltd

“From graduate to industry specialist, a CPD journey”

• Shirley Malcomson, Campus Redevelopment, CAFRE

“The future – a look at the latest Loughry redevelopment plans”

Loughry graduate, and now a proud member of Loughry Food Alumni, Aisling Vallely (Group Quality Assurance Manager, Henderson Group) continues her CPD journey following her graduation from her BSc Honours Degree in Food Technology (class of 2009). Aisling says: “It was wonderful to meet up with peers and staff at the Alumni event back in Loughry Campus. I really enjoyed the updates especially during previous student’s reflections on their time at Loughry and the journey life after Loughry has taken them on. This was insightful and was great to see Loughry students travel the world with their careers. I’m looking forward to the next event & meeting more industry contacts.”

Food courses at Loughry Campus, CAFRE continue to go from strength to strength with well recognised qualifications and practical experience gained, graduates continue to secure exciting roles within the agri-food sector worldwide!

We look forward to welcoming even more fellow Alumni back to Loughry Campus at future events, with our next on campus event scheduled for Tuesday 20 June 2023. Save the date!

To be kept up to date with future Loughry Food Alumni events, please register your interest via the Loughry Food Alumni section of the CAFRE website and follow us on our social media platforms.

Notes to editors: 

1. Photo caption: A selection of some of the speakers that took part during the Alumni event at Loughry Campus. Pictured from left to right: Drew McIvor, Head of Business Development at Invest NI; Peter Simpson, Head of Food Technology Branch, CAFRE and Gary Andrews, Group Skills Development Manager, Dale Farm Ltd.
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3. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk

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