Special honour for a star of science
Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:38:00 BST
ONE of Britain’s most famous actors presented a special honour to one of the country’s best-known scientists at University Campus Oldham’s graduation ceremony, in the town’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Sir Patrick Stewart is Chancellor of the University Campus Oldham and he presided over the ceremony.
Also present was Oldham-born Professor Brian Cox, the leading physicist who became a TV personality. He attended his hometown award ceremony to receive an Honorary Doctorate of the University
Professor Cox was introduced by Professor Robert Cywinski, who is Dean of Applied Sciences at the University of Huddersfield.
“Brian’s infectious and genuine enthusiasm for all that the Universe can offer that has made him a household name, entrancing young and old alike in BBC programmes such as ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ and ‘Wonders of the Universe’. Perhaps for the first time in half a century, physics is once again “cool’, thanks to Brian Cox,” said Professor Cywinski.
He added that Oldham has every right to be proud of Professor Cox, who was born in Chadderton, and educated at Hulme Grammar School.
“Newspapers are fond of referring to Brian as the ‘pin-up professor’ but at the same time they also make it very clear that Brian’s programmes are very serious science, and that he is a very serious scientist,” said Prof Cywinski, who is a leading physicist himself.
A total of 224 students attended the graduation ceremony. Sir Patrick and Professor Cox plus and University Campus Oldham’s lecturing staff joined the students at the town’s market place and walked in procession to the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which was packed with family members for the one-and-a-half-hour ceremony.
