Kip Thorne and Carol Black among seven recipients of 2024 honorary degrees from the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge has conferred honorary degrees - its highest accolade - to seven individuals in recognition of their achievements.
About 400 staff, students, alumni and guests attended the special congregation at the Senate House, presided over by the Chancellor, Lord Sainsbury of Turville.
The honorary graduands this year were;
Professor Dame Carol Black (Doctor of Medical Science) - principal of Newnham College from 2012-19, Dame Carol is now an honorary fellow of both Newnham and Lucy Cavendish Colleges. A clinician and medical scientist, Dame Carol is a rheumatologist and renowned authority on the condition scleroderma. A former president of the Royal College of Physicians, she has advised the government on areas of public health policy.
Prof Stephen Stahl (Doctor of Medical Science - the psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist, is clinical professor of health sciences at the University of California Riverside, a former visiting fellow of Clare Hall and honorary fellow in the Department of Psychiatry.
Prof Adele Diamond (Doctor of Science) - The world-leading neuroscientist is professor of developmental cognitive neuroscience at the University of British Colombia and her work has led to improvements in treatments for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Prof Dame Carol Robinson (Doctor of Science) - The Dr Lee's professor of chemistry at the University of Oxford and founding director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Dame Carol is a former president of the Royal Society of Chemistry and an alumna and honorary fellow of Churchill College.
Prof Kip Thorne (Doctor of Science): The Richard P Feynman professor of theoretical physics emeritus at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Prof Thorne was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2017. Winner of the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics and a celebrated author, he once famously won a year’s subscription to Penthouse after winning a bet with his friend Prof Stephen Hawking on the existence of black holes.
Professor the Hon Michael Ignatieff (Doctor of Letters) - a historian, writer and broadcaster, Michael is also a former politician who led the Liberal Party in his native Canada from 2008 to 2011. A member of the Canadian Privy Council and the Order of Canada, he has won the Heinemann, Orwell and Dan David Prizes.
Murray Perahia (Doctor of Music) - the world-renowned pianist’s interpretations of Brahms, Beethoven, Chopin and Schubert have gained great acclaim. Principal guest conductor of the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the winner of three Grammy Awards, he was was appointed an honorary KBE in 2004 and is an honorary fellow of Jesus College.
After Wednesday’s ceremony, Prof Thorne said: "Early in my career the three places which were the most important to me in terms of the colleagues I had were Cambridge, Moscow and the place I came from, Princeton. Cambridge, being home to good friends like Stephen Hawking and Martin Rees, was a special place… for me this is just tremendous to receive this honour from the place that has had such a big impact on my career."
Dame Carol Black said: “It almost feels unreal...I'm just so pleased and humbled by it. Nothing better could have happened to me. I'm not a Cambridge or Oxford graduate so I never thought this would happen. This is such a wonderful day and it's been lovely to see some of the people I knew when I was here as head of house.”
