Honouring lifetime contributions

(Updated 5/5: see end) Individuals who have made a lifetime’s contribution to the arts, sciences and business in fields as varied as poetry, international shipping and zoology join Bangor University’s graduating students to be rewarded for their work.

Twelve individuals will receive Honorary Fellowships as a mark of recognition of their significant contribution in their chosen fields during the University’s annual degree ceremonies (17-21 July).

They are:

Lord Merfyn Davies CBE served as Chair of Bangor University’s Council from 2008-2015. He also served in government as Minister for Trade, Small Business & Infrastructure from January 2009- May 2010, following a highly successful career in financial services. He currently holds a number of Chairmanships and Directorships. He is to receive an Honorary Fellowship for his services to Business and the University.

Prof Julian Evans OBE will receive an Honorary Fellowship for his services to Forestry. A Bangor graduate and the first to receive the University’s DSc in Forestry, Prof Julian Evans received his OBE for services to forestry in the Third World.  He is Chair of the Forestry Commission’s Expert Committee on Forest Sciences and immediate past-president of the Institute of Chartered Foresters and has published numerous research papers on both tropical and temperate forestry.

Poet and television executive Ifor ap Glyn is to receive an Honorary Fellowship for his services to the Welsh language. Ifor ap Glyn is currently the fourth National Poet and has already served as Welsh Children’s Laureate. He has won the National Eisteddfod Crown twice. He is also a producer and broadcaster, and director of independent television company Cwmni Da.

Professor Constantin Grammenos CBE is a leading expert in international shipping and Finance. He established the International Centre for Shipping Trade and Finance at City University’s Cass Business School, which has been renamed the Costas Grammenos Centre for Shipping Trade and Finance in his Honour.

Following a Greek degree in Politics and Economics, Professor Grammenos studied his MSc in Financial Economics at Bangor University. A leading academic at City University, his banking shipping finance policies have been applied by most international banks. He has served as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Dean at his University and holds numerous honorary and executive positions.

Nicolas Jackson OBE is to receive an Honorary Fellowship for his services to zoology. He has over 40 years’ experience of working in zoology. His career began as an animal keeper at the ZSL London Zoo. He is Chief Executive of the National Zoological Society of Wales, Welsh Mountain Zoo at Colwyn Bay. His contribution includes his practical support of captive breeding programmes for animals to be re-introduced to their habitat and  his valued support in educating the next generation of zoologists from Bangor University.

Dr Raj Jones is to receive an Honorary Fellowship for her services to conservation and the community. A particle physicist during her working career, who has lectured and published widely on the history and philosophy of science, Dr Jones is honoured for her conservation and philanthropic work.  With her husband, the late Tom Parry ones, she established the Tom & Raj Parry Jones Trust to support young entrepreneurs, and continues this work. She was the first Chair of the Red Squirrel Trust Wales and is an active member of several conservation bodies.

A Ugandan who came to Britain as a refugee is to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship for his services to Business. Kailesh Karavadra chose to study at Bangor University over Oxford University and graduated with BSc and MSc degrees in Electronic Engineering from the University, adding additional accounting and financial modules to his Master’s programme. He joined Ernst & Young and progressed to become Office Managing Partner in Silicon Valley, serving clients across northern California. He receives an Honorary Fellowship for his services to business.

Barrister, Gwion Lewis is to receive an Honorary Fellowship for his services to Law. Originally from Llangefni, Anglesey, Gwion Lewis is one of the brightest barristers of his generation. In addition to his work in Chambers, he is the editor of the ‘Wales’ section of the Planning Encyclopaedia. He speaks regularly about legal affairs on television and radio, receiving a BAFTA Wales award for ‘Best Breakthrough’ for his television work in 2013.

These days, Prof Gareth Ffowc Roberts is known to many for his taxing and tempting mathematical ‘tweets’. He is also the author of numerous books on popular mathematics. Through his books, broadcasts, talks and use of social media, he has contributed to popularising mathematics through the Welsh language. He is also a former head of the Coleg Normal and former pro Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University as well as Emeritus Professor of Bangor University. He is to be honoured for his services to education.

Dr Cen Williams, is to receive an Honorary Fellowship for his services to the Welsh language. Dr Williams contributed to education both nationally and internationally and is internationally renowned for his work among experts in the field of bilingual education. Following his career in the local education sector and at Coleg Normal, he led the University’s Canolfan Bedwyr from its inception in 1996, developed ‘Cymraeg Clir’, the Welsh language equivalent to the ‘Crystal Mark’ awarded by the Plain English Campaign, and, through his secondment in 2000-02, established the body which become the Coleg Cymraeg. He has published two volumes of poetry and won the Crown at the 1997 National Eisteddfod.

Actor Llion Williams recently became the first person to win both English and Welsh language performance prizes at the Wales Theatre Awards. He was awarded the English language best male performance prize for his role in bilingual play Belonging/Perthyn and best Welsh language male actor for Chwalfa, Pontio’s opening production in conjunction with Theatr Genedlaethol. An associate of Theatr Clwyd, Llion has extensive theatre and television experience and is to be honoured for his contribution to the Theatre.

Osian Roberts, assistant manager of the Welsh national football team, is to be honoured for his contribution to Welsh sport. Born on Anglesey, he played for Bangor City, before moving to the United States at the age of 19 after receiving a scholarship to attend Furman University – the first from Wales to receive a soccer scholarship to a US University.

He played professionally in the American Soccer League and became a player manager at age 26. He then returned to Wales, becoming the Football Development Officer for Anglesey, coaching daily in primary schools and leisure centres. At the same time he coached and managed in the Welsh Premier League for eight years with Porthmadog and Rhyl. He has coached the youth teams of Wales for several years and over 150 games, and on 21 July 2015 became the assistant manager of the Welsh national team.He was a key part of Wales’ success at Euro 2016, when the national team reached the semi-finals in an historic and memorable campaign.

Publication date: 4 May 2017