Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) has honoured seventeen distinguished individuals with honorary fellowships, marking the 201st anniversary of the institution’s founding.
An honorary fellowship is the university’s highest accolade, recognizing outstanding professional achievements and contributions to society. The new fellows join a prestigious group of over 300 individuals who have been similarly honoured.
The event was hosted by LJMU Chancellor Nisha Katona and Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power. Professor Power commented, “Fellows are drawn from all walks of life and numerous disciplines; many are alumni who return for the honour having established professional acclaim. The cohort we will recognise this year is outstanding and I’m already proud of their association with LJMU and looking forward to how we can work with them in the future.”
The new fellows represent a diverse range of fields, including health, education, music, television, the maritime industry, and charitable organisations.
One of the new fellows, Sean Curran, is a BBC Westminster Political Correspondent who contributes to Today in Parliament and Yesterday in Parliament on BBC Radio 4. Curran has a strong connection to LJMU and emphasizes the importance of maintaining links to education: “I think it is really important that if you come to an institution like JMU, that you don’t think of it as being, well, I’m going to be here for three years, and then that’s it. But you think, well, I’m here, and this is the beginning of my journey through life, through learning, through education, and I’m going to try, if I can, to keep up my links with the place where it all started.”
Another notable fellow is Simon O’Brien, a Liverpool actor and media presenter. O’Brien has enjoyed a successful career spanning almost 40 years, with credits in television, radio, and film.
Simon O’Brien, a Liverpudlian, has built a successful career as both an actor and a media presenter. His acting roles have spanned a variety of genres, including sitcoms and soap operas, most notably his iconic role in the long-running British soap opera, Brookside. As a presenter, O’Brien has graced both radio and television screens, hosting a range of programs from travel shows and football programs to property-focused series.
When asked what the award meant to him, he pardoned the irony and said it was a huge honour to receive an honorary fellowship from such an established university in his home city.
He said it felt very full circle to be welcomed into the world of academia in this way after his career took him away from that path and landed him straight into the spotlight.
Other honorary fellows included:
- Bea Freeman. Independent documentary maker, producer/director
- Professor Gregory Lip. Director of the Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science
- Commander Cedric Loughran RD MNM VR RNR. Former Captain of HMS Eaglet
- Claire Madeloso. Headteacher of Archbishop Blanch
- Claire McColgan CBE. Director of Culture and Major Events at Liverpool City Council
- Julia Midgley. Printmaker and reportage artist
- Mike Palmer MBE. Co-founder of 3 Dads Walking
- Laura Pye. CEO of National Museums Liverpool
- Jan Saron-Ross. Chief Executive of the Walton Centre
- Chris Shirling-Rooke MBE. CEO Maritime UK
- Richard Sinnott. Co-founder of Warrington Rowing Club
- Dato Thavalingam C. Thavarajah. Managing partner of T Thavalingam and Co
- Commodore Phil Waterhouse DL Royal Navy. Group Corporate Affairs Director, APCL and former Naval Regional Commander North of England
- Sonia Bassey MBE. Chair LCVS; Chair Mandela 8; Community Activist and Artist
