The University of York has announced that 10 leading figures will receive honorary degrees this week.

They will receive their honorary degrees during graduation ceremonies at the University’s Central Hall from Tuesday, July 18, to Saturday, July 22.

Among those awarded will be Professor Chris Whitty, who has played a leading role in the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before becoming the Chief Medical Officer, he was Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care, head of the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research, interim Government Chief Scientific Adviser, and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for International Development.

A practising NHS consultant physician and epidemiologist, he was also Professor of Public and International Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and undertook research on malaria and other infectious diseases in Africa, Asia, and the UK.

Another to receive the honour is Denise Jagger, the Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Council at the University of York, and formerly a partner with the international law firm, Eversheds Sutherland. 

She has held key commercial and management positions during the rapid growth and transformation of ASDA and its owner, global retailer, Walmart.

Throughout her career, Denise has championed equality, diversity and inclusion as a driver of better decision making, improved performance and commercial success and has an interest in the good governance of all organisations.

In addition to her role at the University of York, Denise is currently a Trustee of the National Trust, Senior Independent Director at both Reach PLC and Pool Reinsurance, and a Non-Executive Director at CLS Holdings PLC.

Channel 4 has transformed under the leadership of Alex Mahon, now offering the UK's biggest free streaming service and becoming one of the largest social media brands for young people in the UK.

Alex is a passionate supporter of equitable representation and has campaigned for opportunities for those from an ethnically diverse background and women's health at work, having launched the UK media industry’s first menopause and pregnancy loss policies through Channel 4.

Her policies have since been adopted by companies worldwide.

Also chosen to be awarded was David Edgar, who has written original plays and adaptations for the Royal Shakespeare Company, including an multi-award-winning adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby.

He writes regularly for the Guardian, the London Review of Books and other periodicals.

He was the President of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), and received an Outstanding Contribution award from the union earlier this year.

They will receive their honorary degrees during graduation ceremonies at the University’s Central Hall from Tuesday, 18 July to Saturday 22 July 2023.

Others to receive honourary degrees include:

  • William Dalrymple, historian and best selling author
  • Magid Magid, activist, author and politician
  • Gillian Moore, former Director of Music and Performing Arts at Southbank Centre
  • Sanjoy Roy, entrepreneur of the arts
  • Professor Amilra de Silva, pioneer in the fields of photophysics and photochemistry,
  • Professor Sibylle Günter, Scientific Director and Chair of the Directorate of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics