Honorary awards
A number of honorary awards, one of higher education’s most significant accolades, are conferred at our graduation ceremonies each year.
“We seek to recognise individuals who have made significant contributions across different fields of accomplishment and whose outstanding achievements resonate with the ethos of Edge Hill University. We are privileged and delighted to welcome them as part of our University community.”
Dr John Cater, Vice-Chancellor
Edge Hill’s honorary awards celebrate individuals who have roots in, or connections to, the region and have achieved at least one of the following:
- Made an exceptional and outstanding contribution to the development of the University over a prolonged period.
- Gained recognition for national or international excellence in an academic area relevant to the University.
- Made a significant contribution to the national cultural, academic, educational, professional or economic arena.
Below you can find some of the most recent recipients of our honorary awards, as well as a full list of honorary graduates throughout our history.
Chris Kirkland
- Honorary Doctor of Philosophy
- Recognised for his contributions to sport and mental health advocacy
Chris Kirkland is an English football coach and former professional goalkeeper. As a player, he made 321 league and cup appearances in an 18-year professional career from 1998 to 2016 and won one cap for the English national team in 2006.
He has been open and honest about his battle with a long-term addiction to painkillers and struggles with poor mental health. He helped to set up the “Make Talk Your Goal” campaign, helping young boys to be more open about their own struggles.
Clive Myrie
- Honorary Doctor of the Arts
- Recognised for his work his work bringing major news of recent history to the television screen.
Clive Myrie worked for 30 years as a BBC journalist. He has reported from close to 100 countries, covering some of the most important stories of our time including every US Presidential election since 1996.
He’s won among other accolades the Royal Television Society Award for TV Journalist of the Year and Presenter of the Year, a Peabody Award for his reporting of the Rohingya/Myanmar crisis, the David Bloom Award for coverage of Mexico’s deadly drug gangs, and he’s been nominated for two BAFTA Awards and two Emmys. A fan of classical music, he is now a regular presenter of the BBC Proms. As host of Mastermind, Clive continues to promote the value of knowledge to audiences across the UK.
Dr Zoe Williams
- Honorary Doctor of Science
- Recognised for her work promoting healthy lifestyles and for inspiring the next generation of health professionals.
Dr Zoe Williams is one of the country’s best-known GPs and resident doctor on ITV’s This Morning.
The practicing GP and media medic boasts accolades such as being named on the Pulse Power 50 List as one of the country’s most influential GP’s. Outside of the surgery, Zoe is a National Adviser for Public Health England and is a clinical adviser to the Royal College of General Practitioners. She is also a director and founding member of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
Nisha Katona MBE
- Honorary Doctor of Business Administration
- Recognised for her success as a restauranteur, food writer and broadcaster.
Nisha Katona opened her first Mowgli Street Food restaurant in 2014, serving contemporary Indian cuisine, and she now has 10 restaurants across the country, with her eleventh due to open in Bristol before the end of the year.
In 2018 Mowgli was listed in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 Businesses, and the following year Nisha was appointed by the Cabinet Office as Ambassador for Diversity in Public Appointments and recognised with an MBE for services to the food industry.
Another central pillar of the business is Nisha’s dedication to charitable giving through The Mowgli Trust.
Professor Phil Scraton
“Whatever you choose to do, never ever be told you’re not worthy, never ever by told you’re not good enough or your chosen path isn’t for the likes of you.”
Professor Phil Scraton
- Honorary Doctor of Philosophy
- Recognised for his contribution to the campaign for justice for the victims and survivors of the Hillsborough Disaster.
For nearly three decades, Professor Phil Scraton, a founder member of the charity INQUEST, has worked alongside bereaved families and survivors of the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster. His initial research critiqued the Taylor inquiry, media coverage and police insensitivity, while his later work exposed the systematic review and alteration of police statements.
Phil headed the research of the Hillsborough Independent Panel and was the primary author of its 2012 report which led to the original inquest verdicts being quashed and new inquests established.
A comprehensive list of all honorary awards conferred from 2008 is provided below.