Hats off to our graduates

Thousands of relatives and friends will be attending the Winter Award Ceremonies which begin on Thursday 11 February and many more will be watching from their homes throughout the UK and the world via a livestream.

Professor Debra Humphris, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, said: “Students have worked extremely hard for their awards and I wish each and every one success in their chosen careers.

“The university is proud to play its full part in developing the next generation of  key professionals this country needs for its future success – and in fostering the creativity and skills which will generate the new ideas and enterprise required to face the global challenges of the 21^st century.”

Graduates, many donned in gowns and mortarboards, will collect their awards from Professor Humphris and John Harley, chairman of the University of Brighton’s Board of Governors.

The university’s prestigious Alumnus Award 2016 will be presented to award-winning actor, presenter and campaigner, Adam Pearson in recognition of his campaigning achievements to eliminate prejudice against people with disability and disfigurement.

Adam Pearson, photo © Mark Johnson/Getty 2015

Jim Crace, photo © Andrew Bainbridge 2009

Adam, who graduated in Business Management BA(Hons) in 2007,  has neurofibromatosis which causes non-cancerous tumours to grow along nerve endings. It made him a target for bullying and discrimination but Adam has used his talents to combat prejudice and campaign for people like him.

Adam has won a RADAR Award and a Diana Award for his work with the Changing Faces charity as well as working in production roles on award-winning series including Channel 4’s The Undateables and Beauty and the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice. More recently he researched and presented the critically-acclaimed BBC Three documentaries, Adam Pearson: Freak Show and The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime.

In 2013, Adam appeared opposite Scarlett Johansson in the BAFTA-nominated science-fiction horror film, Under the Skin. His work focuses heavily on challenging disfigurement stigma. Adam is an accomplished public speaker and has delivered a TEDx Talk as well as multiple speeches at conferences and schools.

An honorary Doctor of Letters will be presented to award-winning writer Jim Crace for his major contribution to the field of literary writing internationally. His novels include Quarantine which won Whitbread Novel of 1998, and Harvest which won the 2015 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the 2013 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.

Receiving an honorary Master of Arts in recognition of her service to the local business community will be Julie Stanford, director of the Essential Business series of books and workbooks aimed at making business information readable, engaging and informative. Julie is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Julie Stanford