Ceremonies to celebrate graduates

Three graduation ceremonies will be held for more than 800 School of Applied Sciences, School of Health and Wellbeing and Postgraduate students on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 April 2013.

An honorary degree and professorships will also be presented at the ceremonies, which will take place at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

A procession of academics, Governors and invited guests will be held before each ceremony from the University’s main reception through the city centre streets to the Grand Theatre.

Managing Director of Wolverhampton construction firm William Gough & Sons Limited, John Gough, will receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology from the School of Technology. The honour is presented in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the construction industry and his professional and charitable works in the region.

Former Vice-Chancellor Professor Caroline Gipps will return to the city to receive an Emeritus Professor of Higher Education. Caroline retired from the University of Wolverhampton in July 2011 after six years at the helm.

University staff will also be honoured with Professorships, and a number of Visiting Professorships will be presented to external experts at the ceremonies.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “We take great pride in the achievements of our graduates, and congregation is an excellent opportunity to celebrate their individual successes.

“Our graduates enter a wide range of fields after leaving us and make a significant contribution to the regional economy. We hope that their experiences with us have inspired a lifelong love of learning.

“We’re looking forward to awarding an Honorary Degree, Professorships and Visiting Professorships to people who have made a significant contribution to their area of expertise and offer inspiration to our graduates. We’re also delighted to be welcoming back my predecessor Caroline Gipps to the University to receive an Emeritus Professor of Higher Education.”

The list of Professorships and awards is below:

Offices of the Vice-Chancellor

Caroline Gipps – Emeritus Professor of Higher Education

School of Technology

John Gough – Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology

Jamal Khatib – Professor of Construction Materials

Brian Griffiths – Visiting Professor of Design Realisation

Cassidy Sugimoto – Visiting Professor of Information Science

Robert Moreton – Emeritus Professor of Information Systems

School of Applied Sciences

Bian Xiu-Wu – Honorary Professor in Medical Science

Paul Rutter – Professor of Pharmacy Practice

School of Health and Wellbeing

Syed Safiullah Afghan – Honorary Professor in Mental Health

School for Education Futures

Philip Dearden – Professor in International Development - Education and Training

School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications

Maite Taboada – Visiting Professor of Computational Discourse

School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure

Ken Green – Visiting Professor of Sport, Culture and Physical Education

Marie Murphy – Visiting Professor of Exercise and Health

ENDS

For more information please contact the Media Relations Office on 01902 322003

Date Issued: Thursday, 28 March 2013