University to honour local and global high achievers
Published On Tue 3 Jun 2014 by Roddy Isles
The University of Dundee will honour leading thinkers and high achievers, local and international, at its summer Graduation this month.
Among the achievements of those who will be made Honorary Graduates are a Nobel Peace Prize, one of the biggest selling computer games of all time, pioneering breakthroughs in human and plant science, and bestselling books.
Professor Pete Downes, Principal of the University of Dundee, said, "Our Honorary Graduands reflect the vision and ambitions of the University itself, people who have transformed lives in the UK and around the world.
"The scope of achievement among those we are honouring this year is truly remarkable. They are an inspiration to all our students."
The University’s graduation ceremonies take place this year from Wednesday June 18th to Friday June 20th in the Caird Hall in Dundee. The following guests will all receive an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD):
- Professor David Sigsworth, Chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
- Professor Ronald Laskey, internationally renowned cell biologist and cancer researcher
- Chris van der Kuyl, Chairman of 4J Studios and digital entrepreneur
- Professor Sir David Baulcombe, a leading plant scientist and geneticist
- Danny Wallace, comedian, writer and broadcaster
- Professor Bill Herbert, poet and Dundee’s first Makar
- Leymah Gbowee, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in leading a women’s peace movement in Liberia
- Professor Chris Marshall, a world-leading expert on cell signalling and the mechanisms that lead to cancer
- Dr Mei Lin Young, co-founder and Provost of the International Medical University in Malaysia
Notes to editors
There will be photo opportunities with each of the Honorary Graduates before the ceremony in the Robing Room of Dundee City Chambers. These will be from 9.30 am for the morning ceremonies (which begin at 10 am) and 2 pm for the afternoon ceremonies (which begin at 2.30 pm).
The ceremonies where honorary degrees will be conferred are:
Wednesday June 18th:
Morning ceremony – David Sigsworth
Afternoon ceremony – Ronald Laskey
Thursday June 19th:
Morning ceremony – Chris van der Kuyl and David Baulcombe
Afternoon ceremony – Danny Wallace
Friday June 20th:
Morning ceremony – Bill Herbert and Leymah Gbowee
Afternoon ceremony – Chris Marshall and Mei Lin Young
HONORARY GRADUATE BIOGRAPHIES
Professor David Sigsworth is Chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, a post he has held since 2008. Before joining SEPA his career spanned 43 years in the utility sector. He held several positions on the Board of Scottish and Southern Energy plc (SSE) and had previously been Commercial Director of Scottish Hydro Electric plc.
He was was appointed Chairman, Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum in September 2011, and Chairman of the Scottish Energy Technology Partnership Industry Advisory Group in September 2013. He became a member of the Scottish Government’s Expert Commission on Energy Regulation in July 2013. A Chartered Electrical Engineer by profession, David is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee.
He also undertakes a range of non-executive roles and is Chairman of Sigma Capital Group plc, Chairman, SeaEnergy plc, Chairman, Flexitricity Ltd and Chairman, Dundee Science Centre. He is also Vice President of the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) and a Trustee of the Think Tank Sustainability First.
Professor Ronald Laskey is an internationally renowned cell biologist and cancer researcher. He was awarded the Royal Society’s Royal Medal in 2009, for his “pivotal contributions to our understanding of the control of DNA replication and nuclear protein transport, which has led to a novel screening method for cancer diagnosis”.
He is Emeritus Professor of Animal Embryology at the University of Cambridge, having formerly held the post of Charles Darwin Professor of Embryology. In 2001, he founded the Medical Research Council Cancer Cell Unit and was Director of the Unit until 2010. He is a past Vice President of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a former President of the British Society for Cell Biology.
Chris van der Kuyl is one of Scotland’s leading entrepreneurs and an expert in online markets and digital entertainment. A graduate of the School of Computing at the University of Dundee, he went on to establish Vis, a major computer games company based in the city.
He is currently Chairman at 4J Studios, which has helped developed the gaming phenomenon `Minecraft’ for Xbox and Playstation. He is Chairman of the Entrepreneurial Exchange and of Tayforth Consulting Ltd, and holds the post of Visiting Professor of Digital Entertainment at Abertay University.
Professor Sir David Baulcombe is a British plant scientist and geneticist. He is currently Royal Society Research Professor and Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge.
He was knighted for his services to Plant Science in 2009 having made a series of discoveries relating to RNA silencing, which is now a standard tool of contemporary scientific research and a potential therapeutic agent.
Danny Wallace is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television.
He was born in Dundee, where his father was a Professor at the University. His career started writing video games reviews at the age of 13 for school work experience. He has since gone on to international acclaim for books like `Yes Man’ and `Friends Like These’. His television work ranges from comedy work in `The IT Crowd’ to presenting episodes of the BBC’s flagship science programme `Horizon’.
Professor Bill Herbert is Dundee’s first Makar, and a widely published poet and writer.
He grew up in Dundee and recently compiled an anthology of poems 'Whaleback City' featuring Dundee with fellow author Andy Jackson. He has been shortlisted twice for the T.S. Eliot prize and twice for the Saltire and is currently Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Newcastle University.
He has published seven volumes of poetry and four pamphlets, and he is widely anthologised.
Leymah Gbowee received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her work in leading a women’s peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. She shared the prize with fellow Liberian Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Yemen-native Tawakkol Karman.
She is a founding member and former coordinator for Women in Peacebuilding/West African Network for Peacebuilding (WIPNET/WANEP). She also co-founded the Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-Africa) to promote cross-national peace-building efforts and transform women’s participation as victims in the crucible of war to mobilized armies for peace.
Since winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Leymah travels internationally to speak about the pernicious and devastating effects of war and gender-based violence.
Professor Chris Marshall is a world-leading expert on cell signalling and the mechanisms that lead to cancer. His findings have transformed our understanding of the disease and paved the way for a new range of treatments.
He is Head of the Division of Cancer Biology at the Institute of Cancer Research, Professor of Cell Biology and holds a Cancer Research UK Gibb Life Fellowship. In 2011 he was awarded the Cancer Research UK Lifetime Achievement Prize. His contributions to science have also been recognised by election to the European Molecular Biology Organisation, the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Dr Mei Lin Young is co-founder and Provost of the International Medical University in Malaysia. Over the past two decades the IMU has grown from a small medical college to an internationally recognised higher education institution with more than 35 partner universities including Dundee, offering undergraduate programmes in Medical and Health Science as well as postgraduate programmes in research and Public Health.
The IMU has changed the face of medical education in Malaysia.
Roddy Isles
Head of Press
TEL: 01382 384910
MOBILE: 07800 581902
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk