Aiming higher: Graduation 2009 marks achievements of students and honorary graduates

They will receive their awards at one of the 36 ceremonies taking place between Thursday 16 July and Thursday 23 July.

“The Graduation ceremonies are the highlight of the University's year and I am particularly pleased that one of my last responsibilities before I retire will be to celebrate the achievements of our students,” comments Professor Sir William Wakeham, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, who retires in September.

“Graduation provides an opportunity for us to congratulate them on their academic endeavours and for the students in turn to express their thanks to family and friends who have supported them throughout their studies.

“We hope, however, that it is not the last we see of them. On graduating they will join the tens of thousands of Southampton graduates across the world who make up the University's alumni society, many of whom are playing a prominent role in commerce, politics and academia.”

Joining the graduating students this year will be nine leaders in their professional fields who are being awarded honorary degrees from the University for their outstanding personal achievements.

They include theatre magnet Rosemary Squire, former Attorney-General Sir Geoffrey Rowland and world-renowned pianist Paul Lewis.

Sir Geoffrey Rowland
Sir Geoffrey Rowland has held Crown appointments since 1992 as Solicitor-General, Attorney-General, Receiver-General, Deputy Bailiff, Bailiff of Guernsey, President of the Bailiwick’s Appeal Court and Justice of Jersey’s Appeal Court.
He was renowned worldwide as a law officer for providing mutual assistance to foreign law enforcement agencies in tax evasion cases. He was also appointed Queen’s Counsel.
Sir Geoffrey has implemented some important changes: he ensured that a much-needed Royal Court extension was constructed, made changes to the constitution of the Judiciary and increased the Magistrates Court jurisdiction. He increased efficiency and accessibility by introducing the Guernsey Law Reports, a legal information website and new technologies such as video-conferencing.
A University of Southampton alumnus (Law, 1969), Geoffrey Rowland was awarded a knighthood for services to the Crown and the community in Guernsey in the 2009 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Sir Geoffrey will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at the ceremony beginning at 12pm, Tuesday 21 July in the Turner Sims Concert Hall.

Rosemary Squire
Rosemary is Joint CEO of The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd and co-owner of 24 West End and UK regional theatres. In 2005, she became the first ever democratically elected President of the Society of London Theatre and is serving a further three years as Vice President.
Rosemary has been awarded the prestigious CBI Real Business First Women Award for Tourism and Leisure and an OBE for services to theatre. She is a national member of the Arts Council England Board, chair of Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Theatres for Theatres Appeal, Vice Chairman of Dance Umbrella, and a trustee of The Hall of Cornwall. She is also a graduate of the University of Southampton (Spanish, 1979).
Rosemary Squire will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters at the ceremony beginning at 3.30pm, Monday 20 July in the Nuffield Theatre.

Paul Lewis
Widely celebrated for his considered and profound interpretations of the classical repertoire, Paul Lewis is recognised internationally as one of today’s most distinctive and poetic pianists. The most recent of his many awards and prizes include the Gramophone Instrumental Award and Record of the Year in 2008.
Between 2005 and 2007, he performed the complete Beethoven Sonatas at venues throughout Europe and North America to great critical acclaim, and his accompanying recordings for Harmonia Mundi have received unanimous praise throughout the world. Paul Lewis is a regular guest at many of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, and has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors.
Paul Lewis will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Music at the ceremony beginning at 12pm, Monday 20 July in the Turner Sims Concert Hall.

Carol Marlow
Carol Marlow is President and Managing Director of Cunard Line. A Southampton alumna (Economics with Business Economics, 1984), she started as a marketing executive in travel, and worked her way into general management through tour operating, hotels, entertainment and then cruising, Carol has enjoyed a varied career in the service industry.
Chairing the Passenger Shipping Association Cruise Division, and then the whole organisation, has given Carol the opportunity to give something back to the industry.
Carol Marlow will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of the University at the ceremony beginning at 2.15pm, Tuesday 21 July.

Baroness Hooper CMG
Southampton alumna, Gloria Hooper was appointed CMG for her work in promoting political, trade and cultural relations with Latin American countries. She is also a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great.
After qualifying as a solicitor, Gloria became a partner at Taylor Wessing. She has served as Member of the European Parliament for Liverpool, Government Whip and Baroness in Waiting, and Minister in the Department of Education, Energy and Health.
Now a Deputy Speaker in the House of Lords, Gloria is a member of the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and sits on the EU Select Committee on Finance, Economics and International Trade.
Baroness Hooper CMG will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at the ceremony beginning at 12pm, Thursday 23 July in the Turner Sims Concert Hall.

Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe
Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe took up the Chair of European Archaeology at Oxford in 1972, before which he held posts at the Universities of Southampton and Bristol.
Over his career he has directed many archaeological excavations in Britain, France and Spain and is currently working on Sark and the Isle of Wight. Having retired in 2008, he is now Emeritus Professor.
Professor Cunliffe has written several books on European archaeology and been involved in many radio and television programmes. He is a Trustee of the British Museum and a commissioner of English Heritage.
Professor Sir Barry Cunliffe will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters at the ceremony beginning at 4.45pm, Monday 20 July in the Turner Sims Concert Hall.

Professor Jun Chen
Professor Jun Chen is President of Nanjing University. In the 1980s he researched tungsten, tin and gold mines in southern China, and since then has also investigated global environmental changes. Because of his work there is now a research-base for surfacial geochemistry in China.
He is a Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society for Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry; and is on other prestigious boards and societies, including several journals. He has won five awards for Science and Technology Accomplishment by the Ministry of Education.
He has established a close partnership between Nanjing University and the University of Southampton.
Professor Jun Chen will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the ceremony beginning at 3.30pm, Friday 17 July at the Nuffield Theatre.

Professor Peter Gregson
Professor Gregson has been President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast since 2004. Educated at Imperial College London, he joined the University of Southampton in 1983, progressing to Professor of Aerospace Materials and Deputy Vice-Chancellor. He has received several prestigious prizes including the Rosenhain Medal and Prize of the Institute of Materials.
Professor Gregson is a Non-Executive Director of Rolls Royce Group and serves on the Board of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Member of the Royal Irish Academy, a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering and a Companion of the Management Institute.
Professor Peter J Gregson will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the ceremony beginning at 2.15pm, Friday 17 July in the Turner Sims Concert Hall.

Professor Low Teck Seng
A University of Southampton graduate, (BSc Electrical Engineering, 1978 and PhD Electrical Engineering 1982), Professor Low Teck Seng is presently the Deputy Managing Director (Research) of A*STAR (Agency for Science Technology and Research) in Singapore, having been the founding principal of Republic Polytechnic and the founding director of A*STAR’s Data Storage Institute. He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in the National University of Singapore from 1998 to 2000.
He was awarded the National Science and Technology Medal in 2004 to recognise his exceptional contributions to science and technology and his role in promotion and management of research and development in Singapore. Professor Low Teck Seng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Gold) by the President of Singapore in 2007.
Professor Low Teck Seng will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the ceremony beginning at 2.15pm, Wednesday 22 July in the Turner Sims Concert Hall.

Ends