Alumni Day

Pekka Pulkkinen is the University of Oulu's Alum of the Year 2024. He has had a long, international career in bridge design and construction, as well as in promoting and exporting Finnish bridge expertise. Recently retired, Pulkkinen is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in civil engineering, who has shared his knowledge with the next generation of bridge designers through teaching and mentoring. Pulkkinen's work in Finland includes the Jätkänkynttilä Bridge in Rovaniemi, the Raippaluoto Bridge in Vaasa, the Kruunuvuori Bridge in Helsinki, and worldwide one of his major projects is the world's highest railway bridge in Chenab, India, set to open in spring 2025. Learn more about Pulkkinen in his alum story.

Jenni Ahokas is the CEO of Beautyko Import Oy, a cosmetics import company. She studied economics at the University of Oulu. Specializing in Korean cosmetics in her business, Ahokas created a multi-million turnover in just a few years in the highly competitive cosmetics industry. The Smuuti Skin skincare line, familiar from grocery stores and social media, is a brand created by Ahokas.

Juha Hannula is the founder and CTO of Nucu. He studied industrial engineering and management at the University of Oulu. Hannula is an inventor with a passion for technology, having spent over 20 years at Nokia leading innovations and new projects. His company, Nucu, specializes in health technology and designs and manufactures multisensory baby sleeping pads in collaboration with Oulu University Hospital's neonatal unit. Last year, the company was listed among the top 10 most interesting Finnish health technology companies.

Jukka Aalho is a speaker, writer, and marketer, and the marketing expert for Nucu. Aalho studied English philology (nowadays English language), marketing, and Finnish language at the University of Oulu. He has been involved in creating several international health tech success stories, including at Polar and Oura. Currently, he works as the marketing manager at Vire Health and assists internationalizing startups as a marketing consultant.

Saila Saraniemi is Professor of Brand Marketing at the University of Oulu Business School. Her research focuses on brand relationships and networks, as well as brand experiences. Additionally, she studies value creation in service contexts, particularly in digital services. Saraniemi has developed brand-themed research and education in Finland and is actively involved in international research circles in the field.

Aino Isojärvi is a Doctor of Film Studies, an animation researcher, and a lecturer in film and creative media at the University of Oulu. She specializes in Western popular culture and its various perspectives, such as cultural history, media technological development, and gender representations. Her doctoral research focused on father figures in Walt Disney's feature-length animated films, which garnered significant media attention and international interest.

Satu Ojala works as an Assistant Professor in the Environmental and Chemical Engineering Unit. Her research covers several areas of environmental technology. Her main research areas include the treatment and utilization of water and gaseous emissions using catalytic techniques. She is an active networker with extensive experience in collaboration at both national and international levels across different sectors of society.

Juha Auvinen is a Professor of General Medicine and Director of Research Unit of Population Health (PopH) at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oulu. He served as the project manager for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health's personal doctor "Omalääkäri 2.0" study, which outlined a research-based model for continuity of care in Finland. He has been invited as an expert to numerous discussions on the development of primary health care and to national media. He was named the health sector Influencer of the year 2022.