This year, the University honoured some of its alumni, notable individuals from the South West area and key figures who have made a significant contribution within their field and to society, nationally and internationally. Read our news story Renowned chemistry expert, music agent and city leader honoured at city graduation ceremonies.
Honorary graduates 2019
Professor Chunli Bai
Professor Chunli Bai is a chemist and an expert in nanoscience. His research includes organic molecular crystal structure, EXAFS, molecular nanostructure and scanning tunneling microscopy.
He is President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and President of the Alliance of International Science Organisations in the Belt and Road Region. Honorary presidential roles are held with the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Society of Micro-Nano Technology.
Kate Lampard CBE
Kate was in practice at the chancery bar for 13 years. She specialised in trusts, company and insolvency law. She then moved into the public sector where she has held a number of appointments and has undertaken consultancy work principally investigating service and management system failures. She was appointed by the Secretary of State for Health to lead the independent investigations into Jimmy Savile's activities in the NHS.
Teresa Gleadowe
Teresa Gleadowe is a curator with extensive experience in the contemporary visual arts, nationally and internationally. She worked for the British Council Visual Arts Department from 1978 to 1989 and at Tate from 1989 to 1992, when she left to become the first director of the Curating Contemporary Art MA at the Royal College of Art. She developed this course, the first of its kind in the UK, and led it for 14 years as it acquired an international reputation.
Moira Marder
Moira Marder is the Chief Executive Officer of The Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust; an Exeter-based Trust set up in 2013 to transform the quality of education and life chances for all pupils in Exeter. Moira has been an instrumental force in realising the values of the Trust and has welcomed the huge educational benefits of working with lead Trust education partners; Exeter College and the University of Exeter.
Reni Eddo-Lodge
Reni Eddo-Lodge is a London-based, award-winning journalist. She has written for The New York Times, The Voice, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, Independent and Stylist. She is the winner of a Women of the World Bold Moves Award, an MHP 30 to Watch Award and was chosen as one of the Top 30 Young People in Digital Media by The Guardian in 2014.
Richard Hughes, MA (Oxon) FCA
Richard was educated at Winchester College and then University College, Oxford where he was awarded a College Exhibition in Economics, graduating in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. His career started at Thomson McLintock (now KPMG) in Exeter as a trainee. In 1982 he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, achieving second place nationally in both parts of the professional examinations.
Roderick MacSween
Rod MacSween is the founder and CEO of the music promotion company ITB (International Talent Booking). He read Chemistry and Statistics at the University of Exeter where he was elected to the Guild Executive as Social Secretary (1969/70).
During that time he booked artists who were in their early musical careers like The Who, Pink Floyd and Robert Plant's 'Band of Joy'.
Karime Hassan
Karime was born in 1962 in Cardiff's dockland, known as Tiger Bay, one of Britain's oldest multi-cultural communities. He has a degree in Town and Country Planning from Nottingham Polytechnic (now Trent), and an MSc in Industrial and Public Planning Policy from Loughborough University.
Karime is a chartered town planner with 35 years' experience of working in local government. Since 2013 Karime has held the post of Chief Executive and Growth Director at Exeter City Council.
Hugo Tagholm
Hugo Tagholm is Chief Executive of the national marine conservation and campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). He is an environmentalist, campaigner, surfer, charity professional and a TEDx speaker.
SAS has evolved from a single-issue pressure group into one of the country's best loved marine conservation charities.
The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE
As a former nurse, Bishop Sarah had a distinguished service in the NHS before ordination, culminating in her appointment as the Government's Chief Nursing Officer for England in 1999, when she was the youngest person to be appointed to the post.
She was ordained in 2001 and served her curacy in Battersea, initially as a self-supporting minister.
Professor Joseph Sung
Professor Sung received his medical degree (MB BS) from The University of Hong Kong, his PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Calgary and MD from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is an expert in Gastroenterology and Hepatology with research interests in intestinal bleeding, helicobacter pylori, peptic ulcer, hepatitis B, colorectal cancer and other cancers related to the digestive system.
Dr Elena Becker-Barroso
Dr Elena Becker-Barroso is the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet Neurology. She joined the editorial team in August 2005 as a Senior Editor. At that time, her major responsibility was to oversee the original-research section of the journal. The Lancet Neurology is now the leading academic journal in clinical neurology, in large part because of the relevance and quality of its research articles.
Professor Dame Mary Beard DBE FSA FBA
Mary Beard is one of Britain's best-known Classicists – a distinguished Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Newnham College. She has written numerous books on the Ancient World, including the 2008 Wolfson Prize-winner, Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town. In addition, Mary has presented highly-acclaimed TV series, Meet the Romans and Rome – Empire without Limit, as well as documentaries on Pompeii, Caligula and Julius Caesar, and is a regular broadcaster and media commentator.
Professor Gordon Marshall CBE
Gordon was appointed Director of the Leverhulme Trust in 2011. He was previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, Chief Executive of the Economic and Research Council, and Official Fellow in Sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford.
Dr Howard Fillit MD
Howard Fillit, MD, Founding Executive Director and Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, is an internationally recognised geriatrician, neuroscientist, expert in Alzheimer's disease and an innovative philanthropy executive. The mission of the not-for-profit Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is to rapidly accelerate the discovery and development of drugs to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease.
Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge is seen as the greatest marathon runner of all time. During an unparalleled career, the Kenyan distance running great has won 11 out of 12 official marathon races, claiming the Olympic title, eight Marathon Major victories (four London, three Berlin and one Chicago Marathon) and is also the owner of the official world record.
» Reni Eddo-Lodge
Reni Eddo-Lodge, was honoured in recognition of her outstanding achievements as an author and journalist.
» Professor Joseph Sung
Professor Joseph Sung, Professor of Medicine, was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of medical sciences.
» The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE
The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Bishop of London, was honoured in recognition of her services to theology.
» Hugo Tagholm
Hugo Tagholm, Chief Executive, Surfers against Sewage, was honoured for his outstanding contribution in the field of marine conservation.
» Kate Lampard CBE
Kate Lampard CBE, was honoured for her outstanding achievements in the field of law.
