Former University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow is among those due to receive an honorary degree from Kent during November.
Among others set to be honoured by the University at ceremonies in Canterbury and Rochester cathedrals are actor Timothy West CBE and Olympic skeleton gold medallist Lizzie Yarnold OBE.
Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow DBE will receive her honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree, in recognition of her exceptional contribution to science, public life and the University of Kent, at a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral on 23 November.
Dame Julia is Chair of the British Science Association and a former Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Kent, leading the university for 10 years (2007 – 2017). She has a degree in Physics from the University of Bristol and was awarded a PhD in Biophysics at the Open University, Oxford Research Unit.
She began her career as Professor of Biomolecular Science at Birkbeck College. Dame Julia then became Head of School and then Vice-Master. She was also Head of Department of Crystallography when they initiated a joint research school with UCL Biochemistry in 1997/98.
In 2002 she was appointed Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, subsequently becoming the first female Chief Executive of any of the UK’s Research Councils. She led the sector in developing a post genomics strategy obtaining substantial funding from government for so-called ‘systems biology’. Her research career has focused on the study of macromolecular structures using both experimental and molecular modelling methods.
In 2011, she was appointed to both the Council for Science and Technology and the Science and Technology Facilities Council. She was the President of Universities UK from August 2015 until July 2017 and in 2018 she became President of the Royal Society of Biology.
Lizzy Yarnold OBE will receive her honorary Doctor of Science degree, in recognition of her exceptional sporting career, at a ceremony at Rochester Cathedral on 21 November.
Lizzy Yarnold is Britain’s greatest ever Winter Olympian and cemented her place in sporting history after winning every major title in her sport of skeleton in just 407 days. She won her first World Championship gold medal at the 2015 event in Winterberg, Germany, to add to her Grand Slam collection of the Olympic and European titles and the overall World Cup title in 2013/2014.
Additionally, she became the first British athlete to ever retain their Winter Olympic title in Pyeongchang 2018. Lizzy is the second athlete ever and the first British slider to hold the Grand Slam titles at the same time when she was the Olympic, World and European Champion. She was picked to take part in skeleton after entering a talent ID programme called ‘Girls for Gold’ in 2008. She was physically and mentally tested and picked to take part in the sport.
Lizzy grew up in Kent. A Geography and Sports Science graduate from the University of Gloucestershire, she is passionate about environmental issues and encouraging healthy role models for young people, in particular, she feels very strongly that she wants to use her success on the track to help young girls feel better about their body shapes and to take up more sport and activity. Since her Olympic win, Lizzy has visited over 50 schools across the country spreading that message. Lizzy was made an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2018.
Timothy West CBE will receive his honorary Doctor of Arts Degree, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to acting and theatre and to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), at a ceremony at Rochester Cathedral on 21 November.
Timothy West is a celebrated film, stage and television actor best known for his stage performances, on screen character acting and as a highly respected stage director.
Timothy was born in Bradford and made his first stage appearance in 1956 at the Wimbledon Theatre before making his London debut in 1959 in ‘Caught Napping’. He has performed on stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Prospect Theatre Company taking on roles in The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Tempest. As well as his glowing stage career, he is known for his roles in Coronation Street (2013) and EastEnders in 2014-15.
Timothy is married to fellow actor Prunella Scales and they were both supporters of an appeal campaign that raised £4.2m in donations, which helped to reconstruct the new Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury in 2011. A building close to the hearts of many actors and where his son, the acclaimed actor and director Samuel West has performed. He was the President of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) for 31 years until January 2018, when he was succeeded by Benedict Cumberbatch. He is still the President of the Society for Theatre Research. He is also patron of London-based drama school, The Associated Studios. He was awarded a CBE for his services to drama in 1984.
Professor Neil Gow will receive his honorary Doctor of Science degree, in recognition of his contribution to world leading research in fungal biology, at a ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral on 23 November.
Professor Gow is Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact at the University of Exeter. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh from 1975-79, where he received first class honours. He then went on to complete a PhD at the University of Aberdeen in 1982.
He is known for his discoveries in fungal biology and genetics, morphogenesis and pathogenesis and has a global reputation for his work. His research focuses on the fields of fungal biology and medical mycology (studying fungi that cause disease in humans and other organisms). His pioneering research centres on how the cell walls of these fungal pathogenic species are assembled, respond to antifungal antibiotics and are recognised by the human immune system.
He is the President of the Microbiology Society and a founding member of the Aberdeen Fungal Group. He has helped build this group to its current status as one of the largest centres of excellence in medical mycology. He is also a Director of a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award that coordinates research and training activity in the field of medical mycology and fungal immunology across the UK and in developing countries.
Professor Gow has received many awards for his research throughout his career; he has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the American Academy of Microbiology. He has also been elected a Fellow of The Royal Society in 2016.