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Leading figures from the worlds of education, science, charity and politics are to receive Honorary Doctorates from the University of Bradford this week (Wednesday, 14 July, Thursday 15 July, and Friday, 16 July).

The University will honour Joyce Kearney, Professor Sir Alan Wilson, Alan Tuckett OBE, Sir Paul Nurse, Clare Short MP, Sir Michael Bichard, and Professor Charles Sandbank.

Professor Chris Taylor, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: "We extend our warmest welcome to the Honorary Graduates and it is with great pride that we have been given this opportunity to honour our distinguished guests with a doctorate from the University of Bradford."

WEDNESDAY 14 JULY
10.30AM CEREMONY
Doctor of the University
Joyce Kearney

Joyce Kearney has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 42 years, starting at a small generic manufacturing company where she became Head of Sales & Marketing. In 1993, she became a freelance Sales and PR consultant.

She has supported many branches of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and was also involved with the British Society for the History of Pharmacy, The Rural Pharmacists Association, The Institute of Pharmacy Management International, National Association of Women Pharmacists, and Young Pharmacists Group.

She set in motion a number of initiatives to support students. She supported the students in the Schools of Pharmacy through sponsorship, conferences, meetings and awarding prizes. She also supported the British Pharmaceutical students with their annual conference.

Joyce Kearney will be awarded an honorary degree for her contributions to the development of professionalism in the pharmaceutical industry and, in particular, for the wide-ranging and active support which she has provided over many years to students from the Bradford School of Pharmacy and to the national British Pharmacy Students' Association.

WEDNESDAY 14 JULY
2.00PM CEREMONY
Doctor of the University
Professor Sir Alan Wilson

Sir Alan Wilson was born in Bradford in 1939. In 1961, he took up a post as Scientific Officer in the Theoretical Physics Group of the Rutherford Laboratory at Harwell.

In 1964, he was appointed Research Officer in the Institute of Economics and Statistics in the University of Oxford. In 1966, he was appointed Mathematical Advisor and Head of the Mathematical Advisory Unit at the Ministry of Transport and, in 1968, Assistant Director of the Centre for Environmental Studies in London.

He took up his first post in the University of Leeds as Professor of Urban and Regional Geography in 1970. He was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the academic years 1989 to 1991.

Sir Alan was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 1990 and took up office in October 1991. During the period since 1989, the University has grown from a student population of 10,500 to over 22,000, its research income has more than trebled and its turnover has more than doubled.

He was Vice-Chairman of Kirklees Area Health Authority, from 1978 to 1981, and subsequently of Dewsbury Health Authority (1981 to 1985). In July 1993, the Secretary of State for Health appointed him Chairman of the newly-formed NHS Complaints Review Committee.

Professor Wilson's research interests have been concerned with many aspects of mathematical modelling and the use of models in planning in relation to all aspects of cities and regions. From 1985, he developed particular interest in applied research and has had a significant role in leading research activities in Universities UK.

In October 2003, he was appointed as the first Director General for Higher Education at the Department for Education and Skills. Sir Alan Wilson will be awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his long and distinguished academic career and, in particular, for his contributions as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds from 1991-2004.

WEDNESDAY 14 JULY
4.15PM CEREMONY
Doctor of the University
Alan Tuckett OBE

Alan Tuckett OBE has been Director of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education since 1988. Before that he worked at the Friends Centre in Brighton, where he helped to start the national adult literacy campaign, and as a Principal in the adult education service of the ILEA.

He is a member of the Government's Skills Alliance, a Special Professor in Continuing Education at the University of Nottingham and an Honorary Professor in the Centre for Labour Market Studies and the Institute of Lifelong Learning at Leicester University.

He was President of the International League for Social Commitment in Adult Education in 1986-7, vice-chair of the National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, 1997-9 and President of the Pre-School Learning Alliance from 1999-2003.

He instigated Adult Learners' Week as an annual festival to promote adult learning in the UK in 1992, and was instrumental in UNESCO adopting the week internationally in 1997.

In 1999, he was awarded honorary doctorates by the Open University and Sheffield Hallam University and he was made a Fellow of City & Guilds in 2002. He was awarded an OBE in 1995.

Alan Tuckett is awarded an honorary degree in recognition of his major contributions to the development of adult education in the UK, in particular for his work as the Director of the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education.

THURSDAY 15 JULY
10.30AM CEREMONY
Doctor of Science
Sir Paul Nurse

Born in 1949 in Norwich, Paul Nurse graduated from Birmingham University, where he majored in biology. In 1973, he received the PhD in Cell Biology/Biochemistry at the University of East Anglia.

After completing postdoctoral studies at universities in Berne, Switzerland; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Sussex, Great Britain, he joined the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) in 1984. For the next four years, he headed ICRF's cell cycle control laboratory.

In 1988, he joined the University of Oxford to chair its Department of Microbiology. Five years later, he returned to ICRF as its Director of Research. In 1996, he was promoted to Director General. In 2002, he was appointed Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, which was formed from the merger of ICRF and the Cancer Research Campaign.

In 2001, he shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology with Leland H. Hartwell and R. Timothy Hunt. The three scientists were honoured for advancing scientific understanding of the cell cycle, the process by which cells make copies of themselves.

He was also honoured with the Lasker Award, often known as the "American Nobel".

He has also received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation Alfred P. Sloan Jr. Prize & Medal, Royal Society Wellcome and Royal Medals (UK), Pezcoller Award (Italy), Rosenstiel Award and Medal, Heineken Prize (Netherlands), Jimenez Diaz Medal (Spain), Jeantet Prize (Switzerland) and the Gairdner Foundation International Award (Canada). In 2003, he became President of Rockefeller University.

He is a awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work on the control of the cell cycle and for his contributions to cancer research and his commitment and leadership in the formation of Cancer Research UK, the largest cancer charity in the world.

THURSDAY 15 JULY
2.15PM CEREMONY
Doctor of Laws
Clare Short MP

Clare Short was Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 to May 2003. She was educated at St Paul's Grammar School, Birmingham, and at the Universities of Keele and Leeds.

She previously worked as a Civil Servant at the Home Office, as a Director of Youth Aid and the Unemployed Unit as a Director of AFFOR, a community-based organisation promoting racial equality in Birmingham.

She entered the House of Commons in 1983 as MP for Birmingham Ladywood, which she has held since then.

From 1996 until the 1997 General Election she was Opposition spokesperson on Overseas Development. She was Shadow Minister for Women from 1993 to 1995 and Shadow Secretary of State for Transport from 1995 to 1996. She has been Opposition spokesperson on Environment Protection, Social Security and Employment.

A member of the Home Affairs Select Committee from 1983 until 1985, she was Chair of the All-Party Group on Race Relations from 1985 until 1986, member of Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) from 1988 until 1997, and Chair of the NEC Women's Committee from 1993 until 1996.

Clare Short receives an honorary degree in recognition of her contributions in the field of international development and, in particular, for her achievements as Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 until 2003.

FRIDAY 16 JULY
10.30AM CEREMONY
Doctor of Letters
Sir Michael Bichard

Sir Michael Bichard has worked throughout his career in the public sector - twenty years in Local Government and nearly ten in Central Government.

He was Chief Executive of Brent and Gloucestershire Local Authorities and, in 1990, became Chief Executive of the Government's Benefits Agency. In 1995, he was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Employment Department and then the Department for Education and Employment.

In May 2001, he left the Civil Service and in September 2001 was appointed Rector of The London Institute (now University of the ANB-London), the largest Art and Design Institute in Europe.

He supported Bradford's recent City of Culture bid through his position as Chairman of the Executive Board.

Sir Michael receives an honorary degree for his contributions to education as Permanent Secretary to the DfES and University of the ANB-London and for his support for the City of Bradford and, in particular, for the City of Culture bid.

FRIDAY 16 JULY
2.15PM CEREMONY
Doctor of Engineering
Professor Charles Sandbank

Professor Charles Sandbank started his career as a Production Engineer and later Development Engineer. In 1960, he moved to the STC Transistor Division where he developed some of the first semiconductor integrated circuits to be produced in Europe.

In 1964, he moved to Standard Telecommunications Laboratories as Head of the Electron Devices Laboratory and, in 1968, became Manager of the STL Communications Systems Division.

He was responsible for the team which pioneered the use of optical fibres for communications and, in 1976, built the world's first wideband digital optical fibre communication system.

He joined the BBC in 1978 as Head of its Research Department, where he initiated NICAM stereo sound for TV which became the world's first digital broadcasting system. In 1984, he became BBC Deputy Director of Engineering.

He is Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in the Principles of Information Systems Design at the University of Bradford.

Professor Charles Sandbank will be awarded an honorary degree in recognition of his distinctive contributions to research into the fields of electronics, telecommunications, digital broadcasting and HDTV.

In addition, for the major contributions which he has made over many years to the development and advancement of the Schools of Informatics and of Engineering, Design and Technology.

Further information

For further information, please contact Rachael Ellis in Corporate Communications on (01274) 233084/9 or 07879 437986. Alternatively, e-mail press@bradford.ac.uk or fax on (01274) 236280.

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