Honorary degrees

Joe Wicks MBE 

As a well-known fitness coach and social media personality, Joe was given this award in recognition of his work championing health and wellbeing for all, from his ‘PE with Joe’ series during the Covid-19 pandemic, fitness workouts for all abilities and hundreds of free to access healthy recipes.

Over the years, Joe has grown his Body Coach brand to become one of the most followed fitness accounts on Instagram and YouTube, building a multi-million-pound international business.

Despite his entrepreneurial success, Joe has always been committed to improving everyone’s health and wellbeing, giving much of his advice for free so it can be shared as widely as possible. His dedication to improving public health matches that of Loughborough University, whose researchers champion healthy eating and movement as medicine, for everyone.

Michael Landy CBE RA 

Alumni Michael Landy uses his monumental art installations to create conversation, explore political and societal norms, and the nature of consumerism and reconstruct through destruction.

One of Michael’s best-known works is Break Down, an installation in an empty shop on Oxford Street in 2001 which turned thousands of Landy’s possessions to rubble, including his clothes, artworks, and even his car. Another prominent project, Michael’s ‘Art Bin’ installation consisted of a large transparent skip in which members of the public were invited to throw in unwanted pieces of art.

He studied textiles at Loughborough College of Art and Design from 1981-1983, before studying at Goldsmiths and then being a member of the Young British Artists, known for dominating the British art scene throughout the 1990s. He was elected as a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2008 and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2021.

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC 

Dame Vera Baird is a prominent figure in the criminal justice system, having served as Victims Commissioner for England and Wales from 2019-2022 and Northumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner for almost seven years (2012-2017). She has been recognised by the University for her outstanding contribution to criminal justice policy and legislation, and her services to women and equality.

Prior to these titles, Dame Baird became an MP in 2001 for Redcar, a position which saw her move from the backbenchers to Solicitor General for England and Wales under the Labour Government. She played a pivotal role in pursuing the Equalities Act 2010 through the House of Commons.

In more recent years, Dame Baird has been awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire, has published several titles – of which many of our Loughborough students will be familiar with – and she has worked closely alongside Loughborough academics Dr Olivia Smith and Dr Dominic Wilmott to improve legal advocacy for rape victims.

Ama Agbeze MBE

One of the most familiar faces of the modern netball world, Ama embodies what it means to be a true Loughborough alumna. She captained England Netball when they won Gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a defining moment for UK Netball with over two million viewers tuning into the final and over 130,000 people in the UK taking up the sport later that year.

This success inducted her into the Netball Hall of Fame and awarded her an MBE for her services to netball. Not only that, but she is also a qualified lawyer, a broadcaster, and an inspirational speaker. She works closely with several charities, including the NSPCC and UNICEF, and uses her platform to advocate for racial equality and female empowerment.

Miriam Escofet

Miriam is one of the world’s most recognisable contemporary artists as a classical-influenced painter of landscapes, still life, and portraits of familiar faces. She moved from Spain to England in 1979 and studied 3D Design before she decided to focus on painting. People across the world are captivated by her portrait subjects, with each piece of work taking several months to complete.

She is best known for a portrait of her mother seated at the kitchen table entitled ‘Angel at my table’. The painting drew such admiration that Miriam earned the 2018 BP Portrait Award and was commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2020 to paint Her Majesty the Queen, the unveiling of which drew global attention.

The field of art has benefitted enormously from Miriam’s teaching, and she is passionate about developing the skills of promising young artists and has shown this as a visitor of the University’s School of Design and Creative Arts Degree Show in previous academic years.

Nana Badu

Nana is an inspirational figure known for his significant impact across the London Borough of Hackney, using sport as a powerful vehicle to create social change. He started his social enterprise Badu Sports in 2008, working with kids aged 5-20 and organising sports activities in schools to divert their attention away from crime and gang culture.

By 2017, Nana’s vision got bigger. He launched a Black-led community interest company to increase the support for local families in crisis, and with the support of the Mayor’s Office, plans to expand this work into schools across London and with partners such as Loughborough University.

Badu Sports works with over 25,000 young people each year and since 2017, around 350 families every year have been able to cope better when a crisis has hit them.

University Medallists

Professor Chris Linton

Professor Linton joined the University more than 30 years ago in the Department of Mathematical Sciences. He worked his way through various Faculty and Departmental structures before being appointed the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University 13 years ago.

During his tenure, he has been instrumental in several initiatives, including opening our London campus, steering through a pandemic where University operations had to change overnight, leading the Excellence100 staff recruitment campaign, and launching the Global Sport University Network.

He was appointed President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Application in 2016, using his term to highlight the importance of improving mathematical literacy across the country and improving the lack of diversity in mathematics, noting the need for more women in the field. In 2019, Professor Linton became a Trustee of the independent charity, National Numeracy, committed to building the nation’s confidence and competence with numbers and data.

Professor Tony Thorpe

Professor Thorpe is a highly respected colleague, known for his incredible teaching and tutoring across the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering. His career at the University has spanned over 40 years, and he led the School as Dean from 2003-2017. The introduction of the Architecture programme at Loughborough is one of Tony’s legacies, with it now ranking as one of the top courses in the university league tables. He was a recipient of the William Kemp Award in 2015 for his contribution to civil engineering in the East Midlands, and previously served as Chair of the Association of Research in Construction Management from 1994-96.

Outside of his career, Tony has a passion for sport and is often spotted pitch-side supporting the University’s rugby teams.

Sandra Freeman

Sandra has been recognised with a University Medal for her amazing commitment to the University after working as a cleaner in Domestic Services for over 50 consecutive years. 

Sandra spent many years based at the University’s Central Park working in the Wavy Top and Schofield buildings before she moved to carry out the cleaning of Holywell Park. She continues to draw compliments from staff and students as she goes about her everyday tasks and has no intention of retiring. Sandra rarely slows down, but if she does it’s to chat to someone who looks like they need a friendly ear. 

Professor Roger Smith, Professor of Mathematical Engineering  

Loughborough University has been Professor Smith’s academic home for more than 50 years. Now serving as an Emeritus Professor, Roger first arrived at the University in 1971 as a young Maths lecturer.

Since then, he has led an inspiring academic career. He has produced world-leading research and obtained an outstanding international reputation, particularly in Germany and the United States. He has helped 50 PhD students graduate and has authored over 300 publications, in addition to bringing in millions of pounds worth of research funding. Additionally, he was the driving force behind the University’s MSc Industrial Mathematical Programming degree, a programme which has run for more than 30 years.

Despite Roger retiring in February 2023, his legacy will continue for many years to come.

Congratulations to all our University Medallists and Honorary Graduates.