Honorary Graduates – Page 4 – WEST

Trevor Sorbie Receives Honorary Doctorate

11Jul

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Honorary Graduates, News

Trevor Sorbie Receives Honorary Doctorate

Congratulations to celebrated hairdresser, Paisley-born Trevor Sorbie who has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate. Trevor, who was born in Paisley, has been named British Hairdresser of the Year four times, more than anyone else in the industry. Trevor launched his flagship salon in London’s Covent Garden in 1979, having already made a name for himself within the industry, and is affectionately known as the Godfather of hairdressing. Trevor’s charity mynewhair provides advice and support to a national network of independent salons and professionals who provide a wig styling service for people suffering from cancer and medical hair loss. The charity was established by Trevor in 2006 after being involved in helping his brother’s wife to create a wig that looked like real hair as she ...

Football Pioneer Awarded Honorary Doctorate

2Dec

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Honorary Graduates

Football Pioneer Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Scotland’s greatest ever female footballer, Rose Reilly, was honoured by University of the West of Scotland (UWS) with an Honorary Doctorate at its graduation ceremony on Tuesday 1st December 2015 at Ayr Town Hall. Rose, who was voted the world’s best female footballer in 1983, was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Rose, who was born in Stewarton in 1955, gave up a promising athletics career to follow her dream of playing professional football. At the age of 17, having already played 10 games for the Scotland Women’s Team, she moved to Reims in France to become a semi-professional player and within six months she was spotted by an AC Milan scout. This was the start of her 20 year career in Italian women’s football. As well as AC Milan she had the opport...

Graduate and photographer who captured Davie Bowie, The Clash and Joy Division gets honorary degree

18Nov

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Honorary Graduates

Graduate and photographer who captured Davie Bowie, The Clash and Joy Division gets honorary degree

University of the West of Scotland (UWS) awarded Harry Papadopoulos, who is a graduate of UWS, with an Honorary Doctorate at its graduation ceremony at Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley. The music photographer, who graduated with a BSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering at the former Paisley College of Technology (now UWS) in 1976, started off his career as a primary school maths and physics teacher. However, he is best known for his hugely important contribution to music photography in the 1980s. Who would have thought, after all these years, I would be once more honoured. Myself and my family are very proud. Harry Papadopoulos, BSc Electrical & Electronic Engineering 1976 His photographic career began outside the Apollo in Glasgow, selling photos he h...

Les Hutchison Awarded Honorary Doctorate

1Jul

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Alumni Stories, Honorary Graduates

Les Hutchison Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Retired Lanarkshire-born businessman Les Hutchison was honoured by UWS with an Honorary Doctorate at the graduation ceremony on Wednesday 1 July 2015 at the Town House, Hamilton. Les is an alumnus of the University, graduating from the former Bell College in 1974 with an HNC Electrical Engineering and also completing a Higher Supplementary (HS) in Control Systems and Mathematics in 1975. After further education and experience, he became an Incorporated Engineer. Dr Les Hutchison said: "I am very honoured and humbled by this award from the University. The University is a leader in innovating and adapting education needs for the future to ensure Scotland prospers. I fully support the work of the University and wish it and my fellow graduates every success in the future." Early in hi...

Paolo Nutini Honoured by University of the West of Scotland

12Nov

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Honorary Graduates, News

Paolo Nutini Honoured by University of the West of Scotland

Paisley-born musician Paolo Nutini has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by University of the West of Scotland (UWS) for services to music at its graduation ceremony on 12 November 2012. Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Coats Memorial Church in Paisley, Nutini said, “It’s an honour to be recognised in this way by my home town. The town I love, and can’t seem to leave. Coming home to Paisley helps me remember what really matters. I’m not going to try and make sense of it but thank you for this wee (little) pat on the back. The doctor will see you now.” Professor Seamus McDaid, principal and vice chancellor of the university, added, “We are delighted to award Paolo Nutini, who has such close ties with Paisley, with an honorary doctorate. Paolo is one of the country’s most res...

9Aug

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Alumni Stories, Honorary Graduates

The Quiet Philanthropist

Alumnus Les Hutchison talks about his global engineering career and his desire to give back to the University. Lanarkshire-born businessman Les Hutchison is a quiet philanthropist. He has a strong belief in “giving something back,” but he does it without fanfare. He has, however, made an exception for his recent very generous financial donation to University activity, by allowing us to feature him in this article in the hope that it will inspire others in his position to follow his example. “My task is not only to help the University directly, but to encourage other alumni like me to come forward,” he explains. Les, who is currently Vice Chair and a Director of the Canadian energy services company, ShawCor Ltd, left Bell College of Technology (now part of UWS) with an HNC Elec...

Lord McFall Receives UWS Honorary Doctorate

11Jul

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Alumni Stories, Honorary Graduates

Lord McFall Receives UWS Honorary Doctorate

Lord John McFall received an Honorary Doctorate from University of the West of Scotland (UWS) at its graduation ceremony on 11 July 2012 at Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley. Rt Hon John McFall, Lord McFall of Alcluith, was made a Peer in the 2010 Dissolution Honours List, following 23 years’ service as the Member of Parliament for Dumbarton and later West Dunbartonshire. Lord McFall is a graduate from Paisley College of Technology and is best known for his time as Chairman of the House of Commons Treasury Committee, a position he held between 2001 and 2010. Under this chairmanship, the Treasury Committee gained a high profile by taking on prominent issues such as globalisation, the economics of climate change and the private equity industry. In the House of Lords, Lo...

Wildhearts Founder Receives UWS Honorary Doctorate

11Jul

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Honorary Graduates

Wildhearts Founder Receives UWS Honorary Doctorate

Mick Jackson, founder of the charity WildHearts, was honoured by University of the West of Scotland (UWS) at its graduation ceremony on 4 July 2012 at Town House, Hamilton. WildHearts, which operates in 22 countries across five Continents, is a charity that is committed to launching companies that fight poverty. Its first company WildHearts Office Supplies gives companies the ability to fund micro-finance globally simply through their office supply purchases. Its second, WildHearts Events has created iconic concepts such as the WolfTrek, WeeWalks and Micro-Tyco. The Micro-Tyco challenge, which Mick Jackson introduced in 2010, sees groups receiving microfinance of £1 and having to turn it into as much money as possible over a month-long period. The University’s Business School ...

21Nov

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Honorary Graduates

Top Artist Receives Honorary Doctorate

One of Scotland's leading landscape painters received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland at its graduation ceremony on Thursday 20 November 2008 at Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley. John said: "I am extremely proud to be awarded this Honorary Doctorate - it is not something one strives for in life, or even expects to get, but it's smashing when it comes along, especially for a boy from Maryhill!" John Lowrie Morrison, better known as Jolomo, was born in Glasgow in 1948 and educated at Hyndland Secondary School, before studying at the Glasgow School of Art from 1967 -1971. During his career John Lowrie Morrison has made a significant contribution to education in Scotland, holding a number of teaching posts as well as being involved in Standa...

Olivia Giles Receives Honorary Doctorate

23Nov

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Honorary Graduates

Olivia Giles Receives Honorary Doctorate

Olivia Giles was honoured by the University at its graduation ceremony on Thursday 22 November 2007. Giles, a quadruple amputee, who has played a hugely important contribution to raising awareness of meningitis, received an Honorary Doctorate from the University at its graduation ceremony at Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley. Olivia Giles, who was born in the west of Scotland in 1965, is a qualified lawyer. Between 1987-89 she undertook her training in legal practice with Morton, Fraser & Milligan. She then moved to Maclay, Murray & Spens and became an Associate in 1993 and a partner in 1996. In February 2002 she contracted meningococcal septicaemia (meningitis). During her illness she went into a medical coma and suffered from toxic shock and gangrene. The gangrene l...