Geography graduates recognised for their outstanding work
Three Geography graduates received a special mark of recognition at their recent graduation ceremonies when they were recognised for their outstanding work in their undergraduate degrees.
Every year three graduates are rewarded for their excellent achievements with the Florence Miller (dissertation) prize, the Fawcett (BA) prize and the Boswell (BSc) prize.
This year Geography BA graduate Liam Harney scooped the Florence Miller award for his exceptional dissertation that focused on the coalition government’s interweaving austerity, Big Society and localism agendas. He examined four libraries closed by local authorities and reopened by groups of volunteers.
Liam said of his time studying Geography at Southampton “You could do anything from climate change, to development and then looking at inequality in cities. It’s really interesting and you really get to shape the degree to what you’re interested in.”
Liam now plans to go on to study a Masters in Geography at Queen Mary University of London and then hopefully to further his research with a PhD.
The CB Fawcett award was given to Phillipa Brumwell for gaining one of the highest scores in her BA Geography. CB Fawcett was a regional geographer who founded the Geography department in 1914 and oversaw its move from the Hartley Institution in Southampton’s High Street to Highfield. He was renowned for analysing the 2.5 inch Ordnance Survey maps of England and Wales, and the results of the 1911 Census, and suggesting an administrative reorganisation of England into 12 provinces to facilitate good government.
The Katy Boswell prize was awarded to graduate Christopher Barker for his high marks in his BSc Geography degree. Katy Boswell joined the University of Southampton as a lecturer in the 1930s. She is remembered as an extremely enthusiastic member of staff and a fountain of wisdom. Her desire to see a real desert led to her death in the Sahara from heat exhaustion in 1952.
The students were presented with their awards by Head of Education professor Jane Hart at their graduation ceremonies.
I enjoyed the choice of modules; you could do anything from climate change, to development and inequality in cities - you really get to shape the degree the way you want to.