University honours public figures
29 October 2008
A pioneer of women’s hockey who captained Wales more than 136 times will today be honoured for her services to sport.
Welsh Hockey Union president Anne Ellis OBE will be presented with an honorary fellowship by Glyndŵr University, Wrexham.
The Swansea-born stalwart, who also captained the Great Britain Olympic women’s hockey team, is one of four public figures being honoured by the University this week, along with footballer Michael Owen, Russian scientist Professor Alexander Chernikov and Norman Sharp OBE, Director of the Quality Assurance Agency.
Since retiring from a teaching career, Anne has devoted her time to national and international sports, coaching Wales and the Great Britain hockey teams, as well as Swansea Ladies Hockey Club.
She has been a member of the Executive Board of the Welsh Hockey Union since 1995 and was instrumental in highlighting the need for a quality international hockey facility within North Wales.
Professor Alexander Chernikov, a leading academic at the Moscow State Technical Universiy (Bauman) is being honoured for his significant contribution to global education.
Professor Chernikov was one of the first Russian scientists to make formal links with universities in the West in the early 1990s and throughout a distinguished career has developed a reputation for promoting high level academic and commercial links with international universities. These include working closely with major Russian industrial organisations, such as Energia, manufacturers of the largest space rockets in the world.
The current Director of the Quality Assurance Agency in Scotland, Norman Sharp OBE, is being honoured by Glyndŵr University for his services to education. He has a long-standing interest in opening up higher education to those from non-traditional backgrounds, as well as having extensive international involvement in quality matters in higher education in the UK, South Africa, Ireland, Namibia and Serbia.
Professor Chernikov and Norman Sharp will collect their honorary fellowships on Friday.
Professor Michael Scott, Vice-Chancellor of Glyndŵr University, said: “We are delighted to honour all of our fellows for their outstanding dedication and achievements in their careers. Glyndŵr University is committed to rewarding excellence in all walks of life and their work has undoubtedly been of great benefit to all.”
More than 1,000 students will be attending Glyndŵr University’s first ever awards ceremonies this week. The University is the youngest in the UK, having been formed in July when the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI) was granted full university status.