New honorary graduates to join the Class of 2024

Inspirational people who have “pushed the boundaries” are to receive University of Staffordshire’s highest honour at its Autumn graduation ceremonies.

Staffordshire businesswoman Angela Morris, Olympic athlete Jazmin Sawyers, games industry champion Craig Duncan and healthcare scientist Katie Berger will become Doctors of the University in ceremonies held at the Kings Hall in Stoke-on-Trent in November.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Martin Jones said: “These are all inspirational people, nominated and selected by our university community, who are pushing the boundaries.

“We look forward to welcoming them to our University of Staffordshire community and working with them in the future to support better futures and create positive change.”

The University’s Autumn Awards ceremonies take place from Monday 11 November to Wednesday 13 November to recognise the achievements of more than 1,300 graduands from the School of Health, Education, Policing and Sciences and the School of Digital, Technology, Innovation and Business.

Angela Morris is best known as the founder and CEO of the Staffordshire based eco packaging company Woolcool.

Woolcool has won a host of accolades over the years, including two Queen’s Awards,for Innovation and Sustainable Development. Angela was also recognised with a lifetime achievement award in 2023 by Family Business United.

Her 45 years in packaging have seen her work with different industry sectors including major UK retailers. The Woolcool brand was created in 2008 and today, the business harnesses the properties of natural materials to create packaging which is helping to address global climate challenges.

Woolcool proudly became the first insulated packaging company to achieve B Corp accreditation, using business as a force for good and recognising its responsibility to both people and the planet. In January 2024 Angela was admitted into the ancient Guild of Woolmen and received the honour of becoming a Freeman of the City of London.

The Award of Honorary Doctor of the University honoris causa (Hon DUniv) is bestowed upon Angela in recognition of her being an inspirational role model, as a woman in business, an entrepreneur and wealth creator who has nurtured a family business with an inclusive ethos.

Jazmin Sawyers is an Olympic athlete, British record holder, TV presenter, singer songwriter and law graduate.

The 30-year-old, who competes for City of Stoke-on-Trent AC, picked up a silver medal at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics as part of the bobsleigh team. As a long jumper she has represented Great Britain at Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic level.

In April 2024 Jazmin underwent surgery after rupturing the achilles on her take-off leg. Although she missed participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics, she took on the role of BBC commentator for the games.

Back in 2017 she appeared on The Voice where she was chosen to be coached by Will.i.am. She has also worked with beauty brand Olay and the Young Women’s Trust for a campaign aimed at unlocking women’s potential and with Always as an ambassador on a campaign to support menstrual health.

The Award of Honorary Doctor of the University is bestowed upon Jazmin in recognition of her exceptional talent as an athlete, Olympian, European champion and British record holder.

As the Head of Studio at Rare, Craig Duncan has led the development of commercially successful video games.

Products created by Craig and his team include the immensely popular Sea of Thieves and under Craig’s stewardship, Rare fostered a culture that has encouraged experimentation and the pursuit of artistic excellence, qualities that have become synonymous with the studio’s output.

Prior to joining Rare in 2011 he held various senior roles at companies including Codemasters, Sumo and Midway Games where he significantly contributed to the growth and diversification of their gaming portfolios.

Most recently he has been engaging in fundraising with SpecialEffect, the games accessibility charity. The Award of Honorary Doctor of Technology is bestowed upon Craig in recognition of him as an influential character whose work has significantly impacted the games industry, paving the way for the new generation of interactive entertainment.

Katie Berger is the Chief Healthcare Scientist at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, a role she combines with being the Trust’s Pathology Practice Educator and Quality Manager.

She has worked in in pathology since 1989 and in her current role works closely with the University of Staffordshire, coordinating placements for biomedical science students on the University’s Healthcare Science Degree Apprenticeship.

Working alongside Associate Professor Ian Davies, Course Leader for Healthcare Science, Katie won the Advancing Healthcare Award in 2018 for Inspiring the Biomedical Workforce of the future.

The Award of Honorary Doctor of Science is bestowed upon Katie in recognition of the role she played as a vanguard and visionary through instigating the development of the Healthcare Science Apprenticeship alongside University of Staffordshire personnel.

Photo: Craig Duncan from Rare will receive the award of Honorary Doctor of Technology at the graduation ceremonies.