Author Susanna Clarke amongst those to be awarded honorary degrees by York St John University
Inspirational figures in health care, social impact, and literature will receive honorary degrees alongside thousands of York St John University students at graduation ceremonies taking place from 12 to 15 November 2024.
Graduation marks an important milestone for students and the ceremonies in York Minster are a highlight of the student experience at York St John University. The Class of 2024 will celebrate their achievements at 8 ceremonies taking place from Tuesday 12 to Friday 15 November 2024. The ceremonies will be presided over by the University’s Chancellor, BBC presenter Reeta Chakrabarti; Pro Chancellor Dame Julia Unwin DBE and Vice Chancellor of York St John University, Professor Karen Bryan OBE.
Each year, honorary degrees are awarded to individuals in recognition of outstanding achievement in their field, their contribution to the region or society or service to the University. The recipients of the 2024 honorary degrees are:
Sarah Fiori, Principal Nurse at North Yorkshire Council, and Head of Quality Improvement at the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, York Place Health and Care Partnership
Sarah has dedicated her career to providing and improving health care for individuals across York and North Yorkshire. During her career, Sarah has held nursing posts in both acute and community NHS settings and was previously a research sister for academic and commercial trials. Sarah became a Queen’s Nurse in 2021, a title bestowed on those who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice. Last year, she received the prestigious Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Gold Award, in recognition of her work to introduce innovations in care, improving support for care homes, domiciliary care, and supported living providers.
Sarah will be awarded Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Wednesday 13 November at the 10am ceremony.
Paul Kissack, Group Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT)
Paul Kissack has been the Group Chief Executive of JRF and JRHT since 2020. Based in York, JRF is a social change organisation, working to support and speed up the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, where people and planet can flourish. Before joining JRF, Paul spent over 20 years working in government, holding director general roles in the Department for Education, Cabinet Office and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He served as Deputy Chief Executive for Policy and Organisational Strategy at the Ministry for Children in New Zealand and has worked throughout his career on economic and social policy issues and public service reform.
Paul will be awarded Doctor of the University (honoris causa) on Thursday 14 November at the 10am ceremony.
Susanna Clarke, author best known for her debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
After graduating in philosophy, politics and economics from St Hilda’s College Oxford, Susanna began a career in publishing, leading to the role of managing editor at the publishing company Simon and Schuster. During this time she continued to pursue her dream of writing, and crafted Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, a story of two magicians set in York during the Napoleonic wars in the early 19th century. Published in 2004, and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the book was met with widespread critical acclaim, going on to win multiple awards. Her second novel, Piranesi, won the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Susanna’s work appears across several programmes at York St John University, including: the English Literature and Creative Writing degrees, the MA in Contemporary Literature and the Liberal Arts Foundation Year.
Susanna will be awarded Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) on Friday 15 November at the 10am ceremony.
Professor Karen Bryan, Vice Chancellor of York St John University, said:
“Seeing our students graduate is the highlight of the year for me and graduating in York Minster is a memorable occasion for everyone who has worked hard to successfully complete their studies. These ceremonies are a chance to celebrate with friends and family and I’m delighted to also be recognising our honorary graduates for their inspirational work. All of us at York St John University are proud of what our students have accomplished, and we wish them every success for the future.”
This year, in a UK first, the inaugural Mind the Gap Performance Academy cohort will be graduating in York Minster as part of the York St John University ceremonies on the afternoon of Friday 15 November. Performance Academy is an inclusive 3- year course designed specifically for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism who want to explore their creativity or pursue a career in the arts. Based at Mind the Gap in Bradford, Performance Academy is validated by York St John University to Certificate of Education in Performing Arts Level 4. This is the only course of its kind in the UK.
Also graduating are the first ever cohorts of MSc Paramedic Science students and BSc Nursing students. With graduates fulfilling much-needed roles in the NHS, the courses represent York St John University’s growing provision of allied health programmes to support the national skills pipeline.
Livestreams of all the graduation ceremonies will be accessible on the York St John University Events page on YouTube.