Governor-General to receive honorary doctorate at this week's graduation ceremony

 

Published by the Communications and Development Department

 

16 December 2002

 

The University of Canterbury’s December 18 graduation ceremony will include an honorary degree for the Governor-General, a Research Medal, 10 Teaching Awards, the first PhD in speech and language therapy, and the presentation of 421 degrees, diplomas and certificates.

 

The Governor-General, Dame Silvia Cartwright, will be awarded a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) degree in recognition of her distinguished career as a lawyer and jurist, and as an advocate for women and women’s rights. Dame Silvia, New Zealand’s eighteenth Governor-General, is patron of the University’s Violence Research Centre, Te Awatea.

 

The University Research Medal will be presented to sociology Professor David Thorns for his research on urban sociology and the interlinkage between social policy and social science research.

 

Teaching Awards will be presented to the following staff: the Academic Skills Centre (Ms Carole Acheson, Mr Greg Armfield, Ms Sam Gill, Mrs Frieda Looser and Ms Val Melhop); Dr Paul Broady (Plant and Microbial Sciences); Dr Bruce Ellis (Psychology); Dr Bob Hall (Sociology); Dr Richard Hartshorn (Chemistry); Dr Maggie-Lee Huckabee (Speech and Language Therapy)p; Ms Nicola Petty (Management); Dr Peter Renaud (Mathematics and Statistics); Dr Rachel Spronken-Smith (Geography); Ms Yalini Sundralingam (Computer Science).

 

In addition, three lecturers will receive their PhD degrees. They are Susan Newberry and Yvonne Shanahan (both in the Accountancy, Finance and Information Systems Department) and Catherine Moran, who will receive the first PhD in Speech and Language Therapy.

 

Note: The December ceremony is a particularly colourful one with students and staff from all of the University’s faculties and from many different nations. Reporters and photographers are welcome at the ceremony, which begins in the Christchurch Town Hall at 2pm, and at the academic procession which leaves the Arts Centre market area at 1.20pm and travels down Worcester Boulevard through Cathedral Square, along Colombo Street and across Victoria Square.

 

For further information please contact Jeff Field, Director, Communications and Development, on +64 3 364-2838 or 025 201 7779 (on the day).