Class of 2026

Sarah Carlisle is chairwoman of Queen’s Orange Society and has represented Queen’s University, Belfast, on BBC’s University Challenge. A writer and musician from County Down, Sarah recently graduated from Queen’s with a dissertation examining the femicide crisis in fiction. Her work explores which narratives are absent from Northern Irish art and literature, and why. Sarah’s short fiction has been published in Apiary literary magazine. A part-time piano teacher and volunteer traditional music tutor in disadvantaged areas, she is passionate about promoting culture and the arts. In January 2025, she co-hosted Queen’s University’s first-ever Burns Night Ceilidh.

Emma Cairns graduated with First Class Honours in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Queen’s University, Belfast. Following her graduation, Emma began working with the Ulster Unionist Party in Stormont as a Press, Policy and Business Officer and has recently become Head of Policy and Business for the Party. Having had caring responsibilities for both her mum and dad from a young age, Emma is passionate about supporting young carers. She is also focused on seeing the improvement of animal welfare legislation in Northern Ireland.

Joanna Braniff is a strategic communications and advocacy professional based in County Antrim. Joanna currently chairs the Northern Ireland Freshwater Taskforce, working across policy, media, and public engagement. With a background in journalism, government relations, and civil society empowerment and cohesion, she brings over thirty years of experience in storytelling for systems change. Joanna is passionate about building cross-border coalitions, championing environmental justice, and fostering public participation in policymaking. Her work connects communities, decision-makers, and nature, using words to inspire action and bridge divides

Michael Boyd OBE is a leadership, management, and organisational change specialist with over two decades of experience in sport, charity, and community development across Ireland and internationally. He is the founder of MB Consulting and Coaching and has held senior roles including sixteen years at the Irish Football Association, where he set up and led the IFA Foundation, creating and leading the award-winning “Football for All” and “Let Them Play” community engagement and youth strategies. Michael is a UEFA DFLM award recipient and a European A-Licence Coach. He currently serves as a consultant director with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, Team Fee Pay, and Street NI, and is the former chair of Belfast Healthy Cities. Michael is a non-executive director at the prestigious Institute of Public Health, and he is also a volunteer board member of the Glentoran Social Partnership and the Northern Ireland Youth FA. In 2024, he was awarded an OBE for services to football, charity, and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Rhyannon Blythe is the Director of Legal at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC). In this role she is responsible for managing the NIHRC’s exercise of legal powers and its programme of strategic litigation. Rhyannon was previously responsible for leading the research, advisory and investigatory functions of the NIHRC. She studied Law and Criminology at Cardiff University and has a master’s degree in Human Rights and Criminal Justice from Queen’s University, Belfast. A qualified barrister, Rhyannon was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 2008. She also sits as a member of the board of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.