Today was the graduation ceremony for our 2022 cohort of students. It’s the first time I’ve attended in person for a few years, thanks to pandemic restrictions. It was a hot day to dress up in academic dress, but I, along with a selection of other intrepid academics from Physics (and also the Electronic Engineering Department with whom we shared the ceremony) went to the relative cool of Guildford Cathredral to enjoy celebrating the success of our students.

They have got their degrees during one of the most difficult times to be a student, dealing withe combinations of arriving at University, then being in lockdown, working remotely, not being sure if you can go on placement, and dealing with changes in exam format when sitting in exam halls is not allowed.

It’s a great testament to the students graduating today that they got through it, and came out the other side, now with a degree and plans for the future. I loved catching up with my personal tutees and students I’d worked on their final year projects with. As ever, the formal ceremony was followed by a reception in the marquee on the main field on campus.

Someone agreed to take a group photo of the Physics Department academics present, and we followed Jim Al-Khalili’s lead in striking a pose. Possibly a cool pose, possibly not. You can judge!