In conversation: class of '73 celebrate 50th anniversary

Civil engineering alumni mark 50th anniversary with a generous donation in support of young engineers
Class of '73 Civil Engineering alumni made a generous donation to the Tamar Engineering Project.
In May 2023 a group of Civil Engineering graduates returned to the campus to mark 50 years since their graduation, and we were delighted to welcome them back.
The trip provided an opportunity to see and hear about the latest developments here at the University, as well as a chance to reminisce with old friends. Fellow Plymouth graduate and member of staff Tony Tapp led a comprehensive campus tour, taking in old haunts like Brunel Laboratories , and showcasing some of the amazing facilities at Plymouth, including the wave tank .
The group has very kindly made a generous donation to the Tamar Engineering Project, which helps transform the lives of talented and ambitious students whose background or circumstances may be a barrier to higher education advancement and success.
This project combines invaluable mentoring, financial assistance, workplace skills to prepare these students to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. We would like to thank these graduates for their support and confidence in these determined and talented students.
Discover how you or your organisation can support talented engineering students through the Tamar Engineering Project .

On behalf of the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, I am delighted to be able to thank the 1973 Civil Engineering alumni for their generous contribution to the Tamar Engineering Project and for funding a prize for our 2022/23 final-year Civil Engineering undergraduates. The TEP provides mentoring and support to those who wish to study Engineering at Plymouth but whose backgrounds or personal circumstances might be a barrier; the final-year prize will enable us to recognise and reward an outstanding piece of work. The kindness of the 1973 alumni shows that the benefits of a Plymouth education extend well over 50 years!

Alex BeltonProfessor Alex Belton
Head of School and substantive Professor of Mathematics

A reunion is a great way of bringing back memories, in our case it's been 50 years. Coming back to what was once a polytechnic is now a full-blown university and a great place, you can absorb the atmosphere now compared with 50 years ago and feel a big difference. I would thoroughly recommend it.

David Plowman

I would recommend a reunion. Getting back together renews the friendships and gives a wider perspective of what everyone has done since, people have been all over the world. It is great to get back and see the changes in what's been 50 years.

Steve Thompson
Civil Engineering class of '73 hand over cheque to support Tamar Engineering 
Supporting future engineers with a donation to the Tamar Engineering Project
Civil Engineering class of '73 visit Brunel 
Class of '73 visit Brunel Labs
Civil Engineering class of '73 campus tour
Class of '73 campus tour