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Celebrating graduation at Teesside University

09 July 2018

 

A BAFTA award-winning actress and an influential Chief Executive will both be honoured alongside thousands of graduates during Teesside University’s annual academic awards.

Monica Dolan and Heidi Mottram will both receive honorary degrees from Teesside University.
Monica Dolan and Heidi Mottram will both receive honorary degrees from Teesside University.

Honorary doctorates will be bestowed on acclaimed actress Monica Dolan and Chief Executive Officer of Northumbrian Water Group Heidi Mottram CBE.

They will join over 3,000 Teesside University graduates who will celebrate their academic achievements from Monday 16 July to Friday 20 July. A total of 13 ceremonies will take place on the University campus during five days of celebrations.

Achievement at all levels, from Certificate of Higher Education, through to PhD will be awarded in a wide variety of courses, across all academic schools.

An academic procession will leave The Curve before each ceremony, with proceedings shown on the big screen in the Campus Heart.

Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University, Professor Paul Croney, said: 'Graduation is a wonderful time and is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the academic success of our students who have worked extremely hard to achieve their qualifications.

'I am also proud to be awarding honorary degrees to two exceptional people who have set remarkable standards in their chosen professions. I am sure their stories of hard work, dedication and achievement will help to inspire our students who are graduating throughout the week.'

Monica Dolan, Doctor of Arts:

Monica is a Middlesbrough-born actor and writer. She is perhaps best known for her role as straight-talking Senior Comms Officer Tracey Pritchard in W1A, but has also starred in a number of films including Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, The Falling, The Arbor and Eye In The Sky.

Amongst her television credits are JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy, Complicit, A Very English Scandal and Agatha Christie’s The Witness for the Prosecution. Onstage, Monica has played leading roles at the Royal Court, Donmar, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Bush and the National Theatre.

Graduation is a wonderful time and is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the academic success of our students.

Professor Paul Croney

Her solo play, The B*easts, found critical and audience acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 where it won the Stage Edinburgh Award, before transferring for a successful run at the Bush Theatre, London, attaining an Olivier nomination in 2018 and, more recently, a nomination for the South Bank Sky Arts Award 2018 for Breakthrough Talent.

Monica’s most notable role was as killer Rosemary West in ITV’s 2011 drama Appropriate Adult, where she won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress.

Heidi Mottram CBE, Honorary Doctor of Business Administration:

Heidi has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) since 2010, before which she had an excellent track record in the rail industry, progressing through a variety of senior leadership roles.

She was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list 2010 for services to the rail industry and a CBE in the Birthday Honours list 2018 for services to the water industry and business community.

She is currently a Board Member of Eurostar International Limited, the Confederation of British Industry, WaterAid, the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and is also Vice-Chair of Newcastle University Council.

In 2016 she was selected to be the Prince of Wales’ Business Ambassador to the North East, in conjunction with Business in the Community. In the same year she was also named North East Business Executive of the Year recognising her significant contribution to business in the North East.

Under her leadership NWG achieved the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2014 and has been the only water company on the World’s Most Ethical companies list seven years in a row. The Company has also been named as Water Company of the Year 2018 as well as being awarded the British Quality Foundation’s UK Excellence Award 2018.


 
 
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