Dr Alexandra Jellicoe

Honorary graduates 2013-14

Dr Alexandra Jellicoe (DEng)

Friday 19 July 11:45am

Alex spent her formative years living abroad and much of her early education came from the dust bowls and rainforests of Africa. With little formal education she returned back to the UK and belatedly learnt to read aged 9. Not understanding the value of school she spent the following 10 years playing sports and avoiding lessons, finally leaving with a handful of dubious A levels.

She did however get her act together and with a foundation degree under her belt she got a place on a Civil Engineering course at Surrey University where she made up for past misdeeds by working very hard indeed! Inspired by relief agency work from living in Africa, the University paired her with the World Health Organisation who funded her research into the prevention of infectious disease in developing countries.

She gained her PhD in 2008 and since then has worked as a consultant with the United Nations and Oxfam. She is honoured to have been nominated for the ‘Women into Sciences and Engineering Excellence Award’ in 2005 and is a media spokesperson for a number of organisations including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and has been an expert guest and presenter for Radio and TV.