Lifetime Achievement Award

After graduating from Plymouth and working at Plymouth City Airport, Dave joined the aviation industry, initially working in aircraft handling at London's Luton and Heathrow Airports, before moving into flight operations with Gama Aviation, a special missions aviation company, planning flights all over the world. He rapidly moved through the company into the General Manager role, before relocating in 2009 to the UAE to expand the company in the Middle East and Asia, as Managing Director. When he joined the company they had 5 aircraft and 40 people, when he left 15 years later they had 120 aircraft and 400.

He moved from Dubai to Qatar in 2013 to become Executive Vice President at Qatar Airways, where he led part of the transition to the new airport, as well as a fleet renewal program valued at over $1.5bn. In 2016 he returned to the UK to become Chief Executive of The Air Charter Association, a trade body leading the sector through Brexit and Covid.

In 2021 he was appointed as Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society, where he heads the 158-year old organisation based on Park Lane in Mayfair. He leads an organisation which advises Government, delivers policy on the delivery of Net-Zero aerospace and, arguably most importantly, delivers the next generation of talent to help deliver the solutions through school's outreach, Apprenticeship End Point Assessment and Degree Accreditation.

Harrison Dax Nash has spent over 17 years dedicated to supporting vulnerable and traumatised children in South Africa. Beginning as a volunteer in 2007, Harrison first worked in schools and with residential care in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. While studying social work at the University of Plymouth (2008–2011), he founded Maranatha Care Children, a UK charity that has since raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to transform young lives.

After graduating, Harrison moved to South Africa in 2012, first volunteering as a social worker and attending various training courses, including Gestalt Play Therapy. By 2014, he secured a work visa to become Programme Manager and Social Work Supervisor at Maranatha-Siyakatala Child & Youth Care Centre. His efforts have extended to designing accredited training courses and supporting family preservation programs, whilst working daily in a residential child and youth care centre where he has been helping children to receive the necessary targeted support and providing pathways for them to become self-sufficient as care-leavers transitioning to young adulthood.

Harrison’s contributions have earned significant recognition. In 2016, he received the British Citizen Award (BCA) for International Achievement, and in 2020, he was honoured with a British Empire Medal (BEM). In 2022, he attended the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace to commemorate his achievements. He has shared his expertise as an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Plymouth since 2019, delivering talks to inspire future social workers and share an invaluable international perspective.

Throughout her thirty-three-year career at the University of Plymouth, Jenny has been responsible for working with nearly 10,000 young people from across the South West. She runs mathematics masterclasses, outreach activities, family events and taster days to enrich and inspire students aged nine to eighteen at the University.

Jenny is passionate about Mathematics Education and has been able to share this passion through the imaginative activities she has created. Not only does she do this with young people in the South West, but she also tours the country as a Royal Institution Masterclass speaker and as one of the three London Mathematical Society's Holgate Session Leaders.

At school, being good at mathematics sometimes labels children as nerdy or weird by their peers. Jenny dispels this stereotype by creating a positive and inclusive environment for young people and showing them that being good at mathematics is an amazing thing to be.

I was one of those young people attending her activities from age 10 to 15, and I now volunteer at the Royal Institution in London, using the experiences I gained from the environment that Jenny created to foster an inclusive environment for the young people who come to us.

Dr Cosmas Nathanailides is a distinguished alumnus of the University of Plymouth, holding an MSc in Applied Fish Biology. With a career spanning over three decades, he has made significant contributions to aquaculture, fish ecophysiology, and sustainable fisheries management. Currently serving as a Professor at the University of Ioannina, Greece, his work bridges academia, industry, and environmental stewardship.

Dr Nathanailides' research encompasses cutting-edge advancements in sustainable aquaculture, including pioneering biotechnological methods to enhance fish reproduction and mitigate environmental impacts. He has secured substantial research funding from both national and EU sources, evidencing his leadership in transformative projects. Notable grants include innovative approaches to fish sperm freezing techniques and environmental monitoring of aquaculture's impact, reflecting his dedication to addressing global food security challenges.

He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, several with high impact factors, highlighting his extensive research in fish physiology, and aquatic sciences. His work has influenced international policy and practices, earning him recognition as a reviewer for leading journals.