Honorary degrees

Figures from the world of commerce, science and literature are among those receiving honorary degrees from the University of St Andrews later this month.

Six graduation ceremonies will take place on Wednesday 26, Thursday 27 and Friday 28 June 2002 in Younger Hall, North Street, S

t Andrews.

WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE – 10.30AM

 Jackie Kay

Award-winning poet and novelist Jackie Kay has published collections of poetry and short stories and written for both stage and television. Her published poetry titles include The Adoption Papers, a collection of poetry for adults and The Frog Who Dreamed She Was An Opera Singer, a collection for children. The Scots- born writer’s first novel, Trumpet, recently won The Guardian Fiction Prize, a Scottish Arts Council Book Award and The Author’s Club First Novel Award and her second novel, Strawgirl, will be published in September this year.

 Professor John Sizer CBE

Professor Sizer was, until his retirement at the end of 2001, joint chief executive of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) and the Scottish Further Education Funding Council (SFEFC).

After reading industrial economics at Nottingham University, Professor Sizer held lectureships at Edinburgh University and London Graduate School of Business Studies before settling at Loughborough University of Technology in 1970 where, over the next 20 years, he founded the Department of Management Studies and the Loughborough University Business School. Professor Sizer is a prolific author, lecturer and consultant in the fields of management accounting and institutional management in higher education. He has held memberships of many committees and steering groups throughout his distinguished career, and was awarded a CBE in 1989 for his services to the UGC (University Grants Committee).

WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE – 3PM

 Sir Tom Blundell FRS

Sir Tom Blundell is an active researcher in the field of biochemistry. He has played an active role in national science policy and was a member of the advisory group to the Prime Minister (ACOST) in the 1980s. He has been Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution since 1998 and produced the influential report Energy, the Changing Climate in 2000. Sir Tom’s research has received many awards including the Gold Medal of Institute of Biotechnology, Krebs Medal of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies and the Annual Medal of Society for Chemical Industry. He is a member of Academia Europaea, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Indian National Sciences Academy.

 Professor Lord Winson

Professor Lord Winston is Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College, London and Director of NHS Research and Development for Hammersmith Hospital, one of the UK’s leading medical research centres. As a peer, he takes the Government Whip (Lord Winston of Hammersmith since 1995) and speaks regularly in the House of Lords on education, science, medicine and the arts. He was the recent Chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology and is a board member of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. He is also Chancellor elect of Sheffield Hallam University. In addition, he has written in approximately 300 scientific publications in learned journals, penned various books and writes regularly for the lay press.

THURSDAY 27 JUNE – 10.30AM

 The Rev Dr Finlay A J MacDonald

Finlay Macdonald, Moderator of the 2002 General Assembly, has long- established links with Tayside and Fife – he was educated at Dundee High School and, at 16, began his life-long career in the ministry when he joined Camperdown Parish Church as an organist. He combined studies in law at Queen’s College, Dundee with Arts subjects at St Andrews and, by the time he finished his degree in Philosophy, had decided to answer his calling to the ministry by completing his BD at St Mary’s College, St Andrews. After various positions as parish minister throughout Clackmannanshire and Glasgow for 25 years, Finlay was appointed Principal Clerk of the General Assembly in 1996 having served as Convenor of the Assembly’s Board of Practice from 1988-92. Finlay is an active member of ACTS (Action of Churches Together in Scotland), CTBI (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland) and EECCS (European Ecumenical Commission on Church and Society). In December, 2001, he was appointed a Chaplain to the Queen in Scotland.

 Sir Crispin Tickell

Leading environmentalist, academic and diplomat, Sir Crispin Tickell is Chancellor of the University of Kent at Canterbury; Chairman of the Climate Institute of Washington DC; Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Earth Centre in South Yorkshire; and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE) of the International Council for Science. He is also Director of the Green College Centre for Environmental Policy and Understanding, and is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the St Andrews Prize, an international initiative between the University and St Andrews and Conoco.

Most of Sir Crispin’s career has been spent in the Diplomatic Service. His recent roles have included: Chairman of the Government’s Advisory Committee on the Darwin Initiative (1992 – 1999), President of the National Society for Clean Air (1997 -1999) and Convenor of the Government Panel on Sustainable Development (1994 -2000). He has contributed to many books on environmental issues and was recently a member of two Government Task Forces: one on urban regeneration and the other on near Earth objects.

THURSDAY 27 JUNE – 3PM

 Liz Lochhead

Renowned poet and playwright Liz Lochhead tutors on Glasgow University’s Creative Writing degree course. Her books of poetry include Memo for Spring, Dreaming Frankenstein, True Confessions and Penguin Modern Poets Four and her original plays for theatre since the early 1980s include Blood and Ice, Shanghai’d, Quelques Fleurs, Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, Perfect Days and Britannia Rules.

She has also conducted various theatrical adaptations and translations including Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The York Mysteries, Medea (which, in its published form, won translations including the Saltire Book of the Year Prize 2001), Beauty and the Beast, Chekhov’s Three Sisters, both Moliere’s Tartuffe and Le Misanthrope (under the title Miseryguts) at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum. Her work has been performed by most repertory theatres and many of the touring companies in Scotland as well as a number of others throughout the UK and abroad.

 The Rt Hon Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, Kt FBA FRSE

Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, Lord Sutherland was previously the Vice- Chancellor of the University of London and HM Chief Inspector of Schools in England. Lord Sutherland is a member of the Board of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and sits on the Government’s Council for Science and Technology. He also chaired the recent Royal Commission on the Long Term Care of the Elderly.

FRIDAY 28 JUNE – 10.30AM

 Professor David F Hendry

David F Hendry is Professor of Economics and Fellow of Nuffield College, University of Oxford. An expert in econometrics and macroeconomics, Professor Hendry’s current research topics include forecasting, econometric modelling, theory and methodology and the modelling of economic time series which have applications for inflation, money demand and consumers’ expenditure. Among his many honours and awards, Professor Hendry was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh this year.

 Irvine Laidlaw

One of Scotland’s most successful businessmen, Mr Laidlaw is Chairman and Founder of the Institute for International Research Limited (IIR), a business services company with operations in 35 countries. Its products are conferences, seminars, corporate training and exhibitions. Mr Laidlaw is also an active and successful sailor, having won the Swan World Champion, Southern Cross Cup for Britain and been twice overall winner of Key West week. He is also active in a number of charities with particular emphasis on developing the talents of youngsters who may otherwise have missed out on opportunities.

FRIDAY 28 JUNE – 3PM

 Sir Brian Follett

Sir Brian Follett is Chairman of The Arts and Humanities Board and Non-Stipendiary Professor in the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. Sir Brian is also the Chairman of the Royal Society Committee of Inquiry into Infectious Diseases of Livestock, the government’s official science inquiry into the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak; Chairman of the Research Support Libraries Group; Member of Coventry Health Authority; Member of the International Academic Advisory Panel for the Government of Singapore; Member of the Review Group undertaking the 2001 Quinquennial Review of the Research Council; Chairman of the British Library Advisory Council and a member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

 Professor Patricia Ann Jacobs OBE FRS

Patricia Ann Jacobs is Professor of Human Genetics, Southampton University and Former Director of Wessex Regional Genetics Laboratory. An alumnus of the University of St Andrews, Professor Jacobs has contributed to over 200 publications, is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and, in 1999, was awarded the OBE for her outstanding contribution to human genetics.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS

Photocalls will take place on St Salvator’s lawn, to the west of Younger Hall, North Street, St Andrews after each ceremony (which will last approximately 1.5 hours). Alternative arrangements will be in place in the event of poor weather – contact Gayle Cook on the day for more information (contact details below).

Press wishing to attend graduation ceremonies should contact Gayle Cook (contact details below).

Strictly embargoed laureation and graduation addresses are available from Gayle Cook (contact details below).

Issued by Beattie Media on behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information please contact Gayle Cook on 01334 467227, 07900 050 103 or email [email protected] Ref: honfull2002/standrews/chg/11june200 2