Retired professors receive honorary recognition

On Friday 17 July Glyndŵr University honoured three retired professors at a special ceremony in the University’s new Catrin Finch Centre to mark their significant contributions towards the research and scholarship at the University.

The retired professors, Professor Davison, Professor Linford and Professor Phillips, have been given the honorary title of Emeritus Professor, a special award that can be given by universities to highlight the achievement of key professors.

Professor Peter Davison is an expert on George Orwell. His work has included editing twenty volumes of The Complete Works of George Orwell, writing and editing fourteen books, editing the facsimile of the manuscript of Nineteen Eighty-Four, and writing George Orwell: A Literary Life. Professor Davison has been a regular visitor to Glyndŵr University, having delivered a number of public lectures on George Orwell and the politics of language.

Professor Roger Linford’s background is in thermodynamics, friction, wear and adhesion in nuclear reactor machinery. Later roles in his career include Dean of Applied Sciences and Dean of Research Students at then City of Leicester Polytechnic (later De Montfort University). He has spent the last few years working part time at Glyndŵr University, initially as Assistant Principal and subsequently as a Special Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Nick Phillips was a distinguished physicist and pioneer of holographic imaging in Britain. In 1993 he was appointed Professor of Imaging Science at De Montfort University. He moved with the rest of his department to Glyndŵr University and was based at the Optic Technium site, now Optic Glyndŵr, and on 22 October 2008 he was appointed Emeritus Professor of Glyndŵr University. Sadly on 23 May this year Professor Nick Phillips died following a long illness. The award will be made to his wife, Kathryn.

The University also gave honorary fellowships to nine former members of its Board of Governors who helped the university achieve its goal of university status.