5 June 2013
University to honour trio
The University of Dundee will honour leading figures in design, literature and medicine at its summer Graduations later this month.
The University is awarding honorary degrees to Mary E. Schwartz, Deyan Sudjic and Val McDermid.
"In choosing our honorary graduates we are looking for the best possible role models for our students and staff, and we are mindful of excellence, inspirational quality and integrity," said Professor Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University. "These are all qualities displayed in abundance by our distinguished guests."
The Graduation ceremonies take place from Wednesday June 19th to Friday June 21st in the Caird Hall in Dundee. The three people who will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) are:
Mary E. Schwartz is Director of the skin disease charity and patient support organisation PC Project. The charity focuses on the highly debilitating skin disease Pachyonychia Congenita (PC). Three members of Mary's own family are affected by this painful, incurable condition.
Four of the five genes which cause the disease were discovered at the University of Dundee by Professor Irwin McLean and Dr Frances Smith, who have worked closely with Mary and the charity.
Mary is a self-made millionaire, having built up her own detective agency specialising in tracking down relatives of people who die intestate. She took retirement from the agency to concentrate on PC Project, which now co-ordinates an international research consortium, hosts a patient registry, runs diagnostic services, funds research, clinical trials, conferences and patient support meetings, has spun out a company to develop cutaneous delivery of drugs, and co-authors research papers on PC and other conditions.
She has made an outstanding contribution to enhancing the lives of patients and raising awareness of a neglected disease.
Deyan Sudjic is Director of the Design Museum in London, a post he has held since 2006.
He was previously Dean of the Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design at Kingston University, visiting professor at the Royal College of Art and the Observer's design and architecture writer. He was Director of Glasgow 1999, UK City of Architecture, and in 2002 was Director of the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Deyan was for several years visiting professor at the Academy of Applied Art in Vienna, running a course in design history and theory. From 2000 to 2004 he was Editor of Domus, the international magazine of art, architecture and design, and was Founding Editor of Blueprint magazine.
He has published many books on design and architecture, and is one of our foremost voices and commentators on design.
In 2004, he was awarded the Bicentenary Medal of the Royal Society of Arts for the promotion of design, and was made an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Deyan was made an OBE in 2000.
Val McDermid is a bestselling crime writer whose work has consistently been both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
She grew up in Kirkcaldy and went on to read English at St Hilda's College, Oxford, being accepted at the age of 16. After graduating she entered journalism, being named Trainee Journalist of the Year and going on to work for 14 years on national newspapers. She covered the Yorkshire Ripper case and the aftermath of the Moors murders, and won acclaim for campaigns to expose experiments on animals and abuse in old people's homes.
She published her first crime novel in 1987 and has now published over 30 books. In 2010 she was awarded the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger Award in recognition of her international reputation and excellence in the field.
Her work was adapted for television with the `Wire In The Blood' series, which ran for six seasons.
Val has worked closely with Professor Sue Black at the University of Dundee and helped instigate the `Million For A Morgue' campaign to build a state-of-the-art morgue facility at the University.
The University will also be honouring a number of Honorary Fellows at the Graduation ceremonies. Fellowships will recognise individuals who have developed a strong relationship with the University and contributed to its success. Details of this year's Honorary Fellows will be announced shortly.
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 9.30am for the morning ceremonies (which begin at 10am) and 2pm for the afternoon ceremonies (which begin at 2.30pm).
The ceremonies where honorary degrees will be conferred are:
- Wednesday June 19th - Morning - Deyan Sudjic
- Wednesday June 19th - Afternoon - Mary E. Schwartz
- Thursday June 20th - Afternoon - Val McDermid
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
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