LJMU honours Bicentenary fellows

LJMU has honoured ten new fellows as part of its Bicentenary celebrations at a memorable event at St George’s Hall.

The distinguished group were awarded their fellowships in front of their friends and family, LJMU staff and students at a special ceremony celebrating their inspirational achievements and their contributions to improving lives across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

They are: 

• Nikita Parris, professional footballer, UEFA Euro 2022 winner and LJMU alum
• Ngunan Adamu, BBC Radio Merseyside journalist, producer, presenter and LJMU alum
• Bryan Biggs, Director of Cultural Legacies at the Bluecoat and LJMU alum 
• Andy Cooke, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary and HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Services 
• Professor Joe Rafferty CBE, Chief Executive of Mersey Care 
• Trish Bennett, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Nurse, Mersey Care
• Louise Shepherd, Chief Executive of Alder Hey Children’s NHSFT 
• Louisa Flitter, Civil Engineering Senior Project Manager, Environment Agency and LJMU alum 
• HH Judge Sarah Wright, Circuit Judge, Sheffield Combined Court and LJMU alum 
• Jamie Christon DL, Chief Executive of Chester Zoo 

"Recognition is the impact you’ve made"

Each of the new fellows was introduced by officers from our students’ union, JMSU, before being presented with a commemorative cap and scroll by Chancellor Nisha Katona and Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power.

The special occasion also featured musical accompaniment by Mercury Strings and LJMU organist, Professor Ian Tracey, as well as a spoken word performance by LJMU student Joseph Roberts, entitled Recognition. You can hear Joseph’s poem in the video above.

Hope, pride and optimism

Chancellor Nisha Katona told the new fellows: "Each one of you was selected and invited to become fellows because you are incredible role models for our students. You represent all that they can aspire to and hope to be. That you are visible and that you are now family is the most important motivation for the long journey ahead of them.

"Our job as fellows, and my job as Chancellor, is to be an ambassador for LJMU, the students and the staff. Spending time with the next generation and keeping a constantly inquisitive mind is, in my view, what keeps us young and useful.

"I urge you to embrace this opportunity to be part of the university. Take every opportunity to meet the students and learn about what they do. It is such a privilege to be in their world and see their hope, their pride and their optimism."

Vice-Chancellor Mark Power said: "Our fellows are drawn from all walks of life but they have one thing in common: they understand and embrace our ethos, they share our values and our ambitions, and they have a truly meaningful connection to the university.

"Each of the 10 distinguished individuals is already part of our family and I hope with this formal recognition of a fellowship we are not only commemorating their own connection with us but also embracing a commitment to working together in the future."

Celebrating our history and people

The honouring of our new fellows is part of the university’s Bicentenary celebrations of its history and the people who make it the institution it is today.

You can read more about LJMU’s Bicentenary and find out more about the university’s community of honorary fellows.