First day of 2015 graduation ceremonies

Students from the School of Art and Design and Liverpool Screen School graduated in the morning, with graduands from the School of Humanities and Social Science and the School of Teacher Education and Professional Learning gathering in the afternoon to celebrate their achievements.

Josie Timms, who received a 2.1 in BA (Hons) Journalism, won the Tim Hetherington Fellowship and has been offered the role of Editorial Assistant at free speech magazine Index on Censorship. She commented: 

"A highlight of the course were the weekly news days which allowed me to get to know everyone and gave us the experience of working in a newsroom. The work placements I completed were also really enjoyable, they were a lot of fun and helped me to gain valuable experience. I have really enjoyed my time at LJMU and will miss the University and Liverpool very much. However, I'm very excited about starting my internship and finding out what the future holds."

During their time at LJMU BA (Hons) Drama graduates Tom Galashan, Joe Ball, Jade Thomson and Alex Medlicott, formed the Oh Yes Theatre Company, which had several sell-out plays throughout the year. Jade, who graduated with first class honours, commented: “I have had an absolutely amazing experience, I couldn't fault my time at LJMU. The Drama department was wonderful, I feel like they gave us all so much support. Oh Yes are going to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and after that we are hoping to do a tour around the North West with one of our plays.” 

Senior Lecturer at Liverpool Screen School, Andrew Sherlock, received his PhD for his publication Re-Presenting the City - A Dramatist's Contextualisation of his Works on Liverpool 1990 – 2014 which is a unique reflection of five plays which have been produced and performed locally nationally and internationally over the last 25 years. The plays reflect the changing social, cultural, economic and political concerns of the city and present a unique insight into the defining characteristics of Liverpool and its renowned reputation. The academic research, study, process, conceptual framework and review of the works was submitted as a 40,000-word contextualised publication accompanying the play scripts.

LJMU staff member David Marsh, Senior Technician at the Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure, accompanied his daughter Hannah Marsh as she graduated with a 2.1 in BA (Hons) Fine Art. David himself is also graduating this week with a 2.1 in BA (Hons) Business and Human Resource Management. David commented that he and Hannah are the first in their family to graduate with degrees.

Friends Matthew Varker, Dan Howden and Joe Rampley all studied BA (Hons) Graphic Design and Illustration and were highlighted by Programme Leader Ian Mitchell for their outstanding contributions during their three years at LJMU. 

Matthew created the typography for this year’s Liverpool School of Art and Design degree show, which was used across print and digital promotional materials and internal and external signage. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Dan’s most recent work, shows his unique talent with linocut. The project is a series of six linocuts illustrating his time spent exploring Cape Cod in June 2014. Dan also won an award of £1,000, which he plans to invest in his own linocut printing press. Joe undertook several projects that documented Liverpool’s unique buildings using a minimalist approach to illustration (pictured l to r: Matt, Joe and Dan)

Honorary Fellowship for award-winning journalist

Also during the morning ceremony, the University conferred David Charters with his Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding contribution to writing and communications. His citation was presented by LJMU Honorary Fellow Tom Murphy, a local artist who has created more than 30 of Liverpool’s iconic sculptures.

David has been a journalist on Merseyside for 50 years, starting at the Birkenhead News. He freelanced for national and regional publications, as well as TV and radio, before joining the Liverpool Daily Post, where he held several positions in the reporters' room and the newsdesk, before becoming a feature writer, winning numerous awards.

Speaking at the ceremony, David said that the Fellowship was the greatest moment of his career. He also told the graduates about his journalism career, thanking his family, friends and Liverpool Echo colleagues. He concluded by paying tribute to his home town by quoting the Bard of Birkenhead who mused: “A day away from Birkenhead is a day wasted.”

The Liverpool Echo published coverage of David’s conferment. You can read the full oration for David Charters here

Afternoon ceremony

In the afternoon ceremony, the achievements of the School of Humanities and Social Science and the School of Teacher Education and Professional Learning were celebrated.

Lee Murphy graduated with First Class honours in BA (Hons) Learning, Development and Support and said that he loved being a student at LJMU and would recommend studying at the University. He added: “Seeing my daughter graduate from LJMU in 2011 motivated me to pursue a degree programme myself at 42 years of age and this course of study enabled me to fulfil my potential and make my family and friends proud. Discovering that LJMU delivered a course which reflected my career experiences and objectives, while enabling me to continue to work full-time, provided a unique opportunity to undertake a programme of higher education that would otherwise have proven impossible. I'll never be able to thank my lecturers enough but I hope to use the knowledge I have gained to good, effective use and make them proud.”

Amy Stanley, Jenny Harrison and Paul McCann all graduated in BA (Hons) Criminology. Amy has successfully gained employment within the LJMU Criminology department as a Graduate Intern, undertaking research regarding Looked After Children. Jenny has secured a position within Human Rights and Paul McCann received the David McEvoy Prize, acknowledging his outstanding performance throughout his time at the University.

Amy commented: “My experience at LJMU has been profoundly positive; I have discovered my true passions within academia and have been given the opportunity to nourish them within my three years of study. I aim to continue my study at LJMU with a Criminal Justice MA, and a future PHD in Criminology. My ultimate aim is to become an academic, and I would like to thank LJMU for inspiring my love for Criminology.”

Paul added: “The lecturers and staff did all they could to allow me to reach my full potential and to improve my future prospects. I can honestly say that choosing to study at LJMU is the best decision I have ever made, so much so that I now intend to study for a Masters here.”

Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Health and Community, Maria Forde, achieved her PhD. Entitled Phenomenon of Becoming a Midwife, her research explored student midwives’ experiences of becoming midwives over their three-year programme of study. The findings revealed there were many phenomena that impacted on their lives, both professional and personal.

Judge David Lynch, an Honorary Fellow of LJMU, also received his PhD. The Role of the Circuit Courts in the Development of Federal Justice makes a significant contribution to literature on the development of early American law and was passed without emendations.

Honorary Fellowship for horror writer

Receiving an Honorary Fellowship in the afternoon ceremony was Ramsey Campbell, cited as Liverpool’s most respected living horror writer.

Ramsey Campbell received an Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding contribution to literature. His citation was presented by LJMU Honorary Fellow and BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Roger Phillips.

Ramsey is a writer, editor and critic who has been a creative force for over 50 years. He is perhaps the world’s most decorated author of horror, winning four World Fantasy Awards, ten British Fantasy Awards, three Bram Stoker Awards, and the Horror Writers’ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

At the ceremony, Ramsey congratulated the graduates, telling them to go for their dream and try to make it happen, stating that through his experience, success happens more often than not. He spoke about his honour to be part of the horror genre and listed the writers who have inspired him and his own career pathway. He concluded by expressing his great honour at receiving the Fellowship.

You can read the full oration for Ramsey Campbell here

Teaching and Learning Award

Elizabeth Malone from the School of Teacher Education and Professional Learning received her Teaching and Learning Award for her work on homophobic bullying which has been used to form anti-bullying policy now used by many schools across Liverpool.

For more student stories and photos visit the LJMU Facebook page

Take a look at a round-up of the day's celebrations