Staff and students at Norwich’s UEA nominated as torchbearers

Students and staff from the University of East Anglia have been nominated as official torchbearers for the London 2012 Olympic torch relay.

Melissa Ilboudo and James Colley have been nominated by UEA, along with pro-vice chancellor Prof Tom Ward, as torchbearers in the Olympic torch relay, sponsored by Samsung.

Chosen in recognition of their services to sport and to the university, they and UEA vice chancellor Edward Acton will join representatives and vice chancellors of 30 other universities including University College London, St Andrews and Cambridge at a dinner in London on December 1.

Miss Ilboudo, who is studying for a masters degree in climate change and international development, has raised �330,000 with matched funding from the EU for her home country of Burkina Faso since she arrived to study in the UK.

Meanwhile, chemistry student Mr Colley is a qualified and highly regarded hockey umpire and Prof Ward first took up a lectureship in maths at UEA in 1992 and served as head of school for five years before becoming pro-vice chancellor.

PhD student Eileen Gallagher has been nominated as the UEA's reserve torchbearer. The relay, which starts in Land's End on May 19 2012, will involve 8,000 people carrying the torch across the UK during its 70 day journey.

Prof Ward said: 'I'm delighted that we can offer our students a once-in-a-lifetime experience in recognition of their hard work.'