7 April 2026

Wonkhe | Why purpose-built spaces can shift the dial on graduate outcomes

Spaces designed specifically for students from widening participation backgrounds offer a scalable way to build the social capital that traditional support structures struggle to provide. Amara Anyogu and Emmanuel Adukwu explain

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Authors

Amara Anyogu

Dr Amara Anyogu is a widening participation educator who is intentional about building learning environments where learners from diverse backgrounds can achieve their academic and career goals. Having accessed higher education as the so-called ‘non-traditional’ student, she is committed to building communities and supporting initiatives focused on increasing the participation and success of underrepresented groups in science.

Amara is a Senior Academic Mentor in the School of Human Sciences at London Metropolitan University. She is also a member of the Biosciences Awarding Gap (BAG) Network, an advisory group to the Royal Society for Biology’s Heads of University Biosciences and co-founded the Nigerian Applied Microbiologists (NAM) Network.

Amara’s expertise in food microbiology is demonstrated through her research, which focuses on the intricate interactions between microorganisms in food environments and their crucial role in improving food security. Her work includes improving food safety and nutrition through beneficial microbes in indigenous fermented foods and addressing antimicrobial resistance in the food chain.

Emmanuel Adukwu

Emmanuel Adukwu is a Senior Leader in the Higher Education sector, currently serving as Dean for Students and Professor of Applied Microbiology specialising in microbiology, public health, and science education. Emmanuel graduated with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences, a Masters by Research in Biomedical Science and a PhD in Applied Microbiology. Between his MRes and PhD, Emmanuel joined ICON Development Solutions (ICON Plc) working in the clinical unit coordinating multiple clinical trial projects across different therapeutic areas. Emmanuel's academic background is in the life sciences, with expertise and research leadership in applied microbiology and a strong student-centred philosophy that informs both his leadership practice and engagement with the wider scientific community. He is actively involved in advancing microbiology and supporting the future of the discipline through sector-wide service and has been recognised for his work as the Royal Society of Biology Bioscience Teacher of the Year in 2023.

Emmanuel holds multiple roles; Member of the Board of Trustees at Applied Microbiology International (AMI), Member on the Black in Biomedical Research Advisory Group (BBRAG) and long standing committee member of the Africa initiative Group for Microbiology (AIG). He is also a Member, American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Committee for Maximising Opportunities Through Education where he is a mentor on the ASM Future Leaders Mentoring programme designed to support master's and doctoral graduate students from underrepresented groups, to receive mentorship in navigating their educational and career trajectories and leadership development.

He is actively involved in supporting underrepresented communities in academia and the life sciences, with a strong commitment to improving the retention and progression of Black early-career academics. He is dedicated to creating a more inclusive and supportive academic environment, particularly within the life sciences, and contributes significantly to initiatives that address diversity and equity in higher education. Emmanuel is passionate about increasing access to science in the community and general public and regularly participates in school visits, careers events, community events in the UK and internationally. This also includes several multimedia engagements on radio/podcasts etc.

Wonkhe | Why purpose-built spaces can shift the dial on graduate outcomes

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