Stuart Broad and the Chief Executive of UK Sport are being honoured by The University of Nottingham.

The England and Nottinghamshire cricket star and Liz Nicholl CBE, Chief Executive of UK Sport, are two of six distinguished guests receiving an honorary degree during this year’s winter graduation ceremonies.

They will join thousands of successful candidates celebrating the triumphant culmination of their studies, when they will formally receive their degrees and become graduates at the University during ceremonies from December 7 – 11.

Cricketing superstar

England bowler Stuart Broad has enjoyed another year to remember as his remarkable career continues to pass through huge cricketing milestones. Having started his professional life with Leicestershire, Stuart joined Nottinghamshire, his home county and the former side of his father, the international cricketer Chris Broad, in 2008.

Making his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2007, Stuart has been a key figure for England for almost a decade enjoying Ashes victories amid sustained success.

Fittingly, he moved through the 300-wicket barrier in Tests against Australia at Trent Bridge earlier this summer on the way to career-best figures of 8-15 on the way to moving up to second in the world bowling rankings. He also has close to 2,500 Test runs, including a 169 against Pakistan in 2010, and has captained the England ODI and T20 teams. With so many achievements already clocked up, Stuart is still only 29 and has plenty of similarly prolific years ahead of him.

Stuart received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on December 7. Watch a video from the ceremony below, and scroll down for a picture gallery of Stuart’s graduation.

Liz Nicholl CBE – Chief Executive of UK Sport

Having joined UK Sport in 1999, Liz Nicholl has played a pioneering role in the development of the elite sport system in the UK. For 10 years Liz led the work of UK Sport’s Performance Directorate, through the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympic and Paralympic cycles. Liz became the Chief Operating Officer in 2009 and was then appointed to the CEO role in September 2010.

As CEO, Liz’s top priority is the responsibility to invest in and support the development of the high performance system and to support Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes to achieve medal success at World, Olympic and Paralympic level. In this context, London 2012 was a uniquely significant and successful event for UK Sport and the nation, with Great Britain winning 65 Olympic and 120 Paralympic medals.

The ambition is now to build on these exceptional results, create a stronger and more sustainable performance system and be the first nation to win more medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games immediately after hosting a home Games.

Liz Nicholl will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at the 3pm ceremony on Wednesday December 9.

Professor David Needham

Professor Needham already has a strong history with Nottingham. He graduated with degrees in Applied Chemistry (BSc Hons) from Trent Polytechnic (1975); a PhD in Gas-Solid Catalysis with Daniel D. Eley, (1980); and took up an Honorary Professorship in the School of Pharmacy in 2014.

A desire to carry out research into cancer saw him undertake research at Cambridge and at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He has been a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Material Science at Duke University since 1987, and was recently awarded a five year Visiting Professorship by the Danish National Research Foundation of Denmark.

The vision is to create a world-class center for Single Particle Science and Engineering concerned with experimental and theoretical research within the broad field of colloid and (bio) surface science. With an anti-cancer treatment (thermally-sensitive liposome) already in clinical trials, his next anti-cancer priority is to design and test nanoparticle diagnostics and therapeutics inspired by nature’s own designs, a strategy he calls, “Putting the drug in the cancer’s food”.

David will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the 5pm ceremony on Thursday December 10.

Martin Suthers OBE

Martin has been active in the public life of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire for more than 50 years. His involvement in local government led to a term as Lord Mayor in 1988/89 and as Deputy Leader of the County Council from 2009 to 2013.

Martin’s interests lie in education, health and the environment. He was a member of The University of Nottingham’s Council for nearly 20 years and was governor of a wide range of secondary schools, he is currently a trustee of two prominent local educational trusts.

For eight years he served as first Chairman of the Queen’s Medical Centre Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust and more recently as first Chairman of the
Nottinghamshire Health & Wellbeing Board.

Martin received an OBE for political and public services in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 1988 and was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in April 2000.

Martin will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws at the 11.45am ceremony on Wednesday December 9.

Dr Frances Saunders CB FREng CEng CPhys FinstP

Following her graduation from The University of Nottingham, Frances worked as an Electronic Engineer in the motor industry before joining the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment at Malvern to undertake research into Liquid Crystal Devices.

Her career then included a wide variety of research and science and technology management roles within the Ministry of Defence and also in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, where she was responsible for the interface with the Research Councils. In that role she set up the Diamond Light Source, supported the activities of the British Antarctic Survey and represented the UK at the Council for CERN.

The culmination of her Civil Service career was her appointment as Chief Executive of Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, which she held from 2006 until retiring in 2012.

Frances now undertakes a portfolio of work, including being a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Development Trust and membership of Advisory Boards to the UK Space Agency and the Defence Academy. She was President of the Institute of Physics from October 2013-15.

Dr Saunders will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the 11.45am ceremony on Friday December 11.

Dr Peter Poon MBE

Dr Poon is the founder and Non-Executive Director of Romax Technology Limited. A recognised world-leading expert on rolling bearings, Dr Poon holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Bristol University and a Research Fellowship from Cambridge University. His work has also been rewarded with the prestigious James Clayton prize, Institute of Mechanical Engineers for Tribology and The British Design Council Award for his rolling bearing design.

Dr Poon was Head of Engineering of Research & Development at a leading bearing company before leaving in 1983 to become an independent consultant for mechanical engineering. He advised governments on industrial policies both in the UK and for the United Nations Industry of Development Organisation (UNIDO).

Later he became a gear and bearing industry adviser to the Department of Industry of the Korean government.

He became a consultant and expert witness to the court for clients in the UK, USA and Far East when he founded Romax Technology Ltd in 1989 and has since worked alongside the world’s leading transmissions and engineering companies, developing bespoke software solutions and providing engineering consultancy services to meet their growing needs.

Dr Poon will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the 3pm ceremony on Tuesday December 8.