University of Warwick to Award Honorary Degrees for Summer 2023 Graduation Ceremonies

University of Warwick to Award Honorary Degrees for Summer 2023 Graduation Ceremonies

(IN BRIEF) The University of Warwick has announced the recipients of honorary degrees for the upcoming summer 2023 graduation ceremonies. The esteemed honorary graduates come from diverse fields and have made remarkable contributions to their respective domains. The recipients include Dr. Andrew Coe, renowned paediatrician; Bience Gawanas, a champion for women’s rights and social justice; Catherine Mallyon, a respected cultural leader in the performing arts; Sir David Baulcombe, an internationally acclaimed geneticist; Professor Dudley Shallcross, an influential chemist; Dr. Heather Melville, a leader in diversity and inclusion; Nigel Moss, a dedicated advocate for education access; Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE, a trailblazing playwright and LGBTQ+ rights advocate; Professor Ruth Wodak, an eminent linguist and sociologist; and Professor Stanley Whittingham, a Nobel Prize-winning researcher in energy storage. The University of Warwick is proud to honor these exceptional individuals for their outstanding contributions to society and hopes to inspire its graduates with their remarkable achievements.

(PRESS RELEASE) COVENTRY, 13-Jul-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The University of Warwick is delighted to announce new honorary graduates as part of the upcoming summer 2023 graduation ceremonies.

These honorary degrees recognise outstanding contributions and achievements across a range of fields. The new honorary graduates are:

• Dr. Andrew Coe – A paediatrician who has worked the hospital now known as UHCW as a consultant paediatrician and neonatologist since 1990. Andrew has been clinical lead for local children service commissioning and regional specialty children’s services and led the establishment of the three neonatal networks across the West Midlands. He also led the establishment of the Grace Fund charity in 2004 to raise funds for neonatal intensive care and research into premature birth. The University of Warwick has been heavily involved in supporting the Grace Fund, helping with promotion, administration and fundraising.
• Bience Gawanas: An inspirational champion for women’s rights and social justice, committed to improving healthcare and development in Africa. Her career across law and human rights has spanned over 40 years. She has worked for the African Union and is currently Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General. Bience was persecuted by the South African apartheid era government, eventually being forced into exile with many other Namibians. She attended Warwick and returned to Namibia in 1989.
• Catherine Mallyon: Executive Director, Governor and Board member of the Royal Shakespeare Company since 2012. She is a well-known cultural leader and advocate for the performing arts, celebrated for her significant contributions to theatre and arts organisations.
• Sir David Baulcombe: Internationally acclaimed geneticist and pioneer in the field of plant molecular biology. Born in Solihull, he has held positions at the universities of Georgia, East Anglia and Cambridge. With Andrew Hamilton he discovered the small interfering RNA which interferes with the expression of specific genes. In 2001 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
• Professor Dudley Shallcross: Chemist who has made many contributions to atmospheric chemistry including climate change, air pollution and stratospheric ozone depletion, leading to awards from the Royal Meteorological Society and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories in the USA. In his role as role of CEO of the Primary Science Teaching Trust he has helped to engage children with science.
• Dr Heather Melville: A diversity and inclusion leader, celebrated for her tireless efforts to promote equality in the corporate world and empower underrepresented communities. Heather was a director at the Royal Bank of Scotland and is currently Managing Director of Teneo. She is also Chancellor at the University of York.
• Nigel Moss: Nigel has worked throughout his career both as a teacher and a pastoral care manager for young people with behavioural and learning difficulties. Nigel has a lifelong commitment to widening participation and access to both further and higher education and played a central part in leading UCB’s Governing Body into the strategic partnership with the University of Warwick, which commenced in 2022. This is the first honorary award given by Warwick since the partnership with UCB began.
• Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE: Acclaimed playwright, director, and LGBTQ+ rights advocate, recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to the arts and activism. Having written and directed 40 plays along with several feature films, shorts and TV series including Channel Four’s Metrosexuality, he has won several awards including the Sony Award and the Los Angeles Outfest Screenwriting and Outstanding Achievement awards.
• Professor Ruth Wodak: Eminent linguist and sociologist, recognised for her influential research on discourse analysis and the study of language in society. Ruth is Emerita Distinguished Professor of Discourse Studies at Lancaster University and is also affiliated to the University of Vienna. She is past-President of the Societas Linguistica Europaea. In 2011 she was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria, and in 2018, the Lebenswerk Preis for her lifetime achievements. She is also a member of the British Academy of Social Sciences and member of the Academia Europaea.
• Professor Stanley Whittingham: Nobel prize winning researcher in the field of energy storage, renowned for his pivotal contributions to the development of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Stanley is a professor at Binghamton University and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of The Royal Society. He presently leads the Battery-NY economic development effort.

Speaking about the honorary degree recipients, Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick, commented: “We are honoured to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of these honorary graduates.

“Their diverse expertise and extraordinary dedication to their fields serve as a source of inspiration for our graduates, and we are proud to recognize their outstanding contributions to society”.

Media Contact:

Tel: +44 (0)24 7652 3523
Fax: +44 (0)24 7646 1606

SOURCE: University of Warwick