Honorary Graduates

Paralympian athlete, sporting ambassador, author and disability rights and inclusion campaigner. In 2020, Anne was appointed as a Commonwealth special envoy as Champion for Equality in Sports with a role to promote the Commonwealth’s values and principles around the world including peace, development and improving equality in sport.

A leading environmental journalist, Charles has covered virtually every issue that arises from humanity’s treatment of nature. It was his powerful and revealing book, The End of The Line, and the award-winning documentary film that it inspired, which brought the problems of overfishing and its impact on life in the oceans into public focus. He now leads the Blue Marine Foundation which spearheads efforts to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030.

Head of EMEA and CEO of Morgan Stanley & Co. International Plc, Clare is a member of Morgan Stanley’s global operating and management committees and also chair of Morgan Stanley Europe SE. She is one of the most senior women in international banking in the UK. She completed a BA in Government at the University of Essex. In 2020, Clare was awarded a CBE for services to finance.

David Yip is probably the best known and successful Chinese heritage actor in the UK – having played the role of a popular TV detective, appeared in Doctor Who and taken on various roles in Hollywood blockbusters. The East 15 Acting School graduate is also a celebrated writer and director, who is continuing to create personal and inspiring work.

Jane Gurney is the award-winning chief executive of the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, the local life-saving charity that is of huge importance to communities across Essex. Jane leads a team of 140 staff, from critical care paramedics to charity shop managers, with the Trust supported by more than 400 dedicated volunteers.

Judith Judd was Chair of our University Council, following nine years as a member of our executive governing body, only stepping down in 2019. She was a highly-respected education journalist working at The Observer, The Independent and the Times Higher Education, where she was editor and then editor-at-large.

A mental health and human rights lawyer, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff CBE has made an outstanding contribution to improving access to justice for everyone, the wider legal profession and public services. She has spent the majority of her working life representing the most vulnerable in society, including those detained under the Mental Health Act.

A computer scientist who has made a valuable contribution to the development of the Internet over three decades, Nigel Roberts, has undertaken leading roles within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN aims to ensure the Internet remains stable and secure. Nigel graduated from Essex in 1980 with a degree in computer science.

Widely acknowledged as one of the country’s leading commentators on climate change, Professor Paul Hardaker recently retired from his role as Chief Executive of the Institute of Physics after ten years. He completed his BSc in Mathematics and Computing, and his PhD in Mathematics at Essex. Professor Hardaker was previously the Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland and founding Director of the ground-breaking V&A Dundee, Philip Long is a proud supporter and advocate for museums, arts and culture across Scotland. He graduated from Essex in 1989 with a Masters in Gallery Studies.