Finally we have been able to celebrate the achievements of this year of graduates who had their graduation ceremonies suspended due to the pandemic.
It was wonderful to finally see everyone at our graduation reception for the Class of 2020 graduates on March 31st at Westgate Hall in Canterbury to belatedly celebrate their degrees. This cohort being particularly deserving having completed their degrees during an extremely challenging and unusual academic year which was so suddenly suspended by the COVID pandemic.
‘All of us within the School of Anthropology & Conservation have been left awestruck by how each of you has overcome these obstacles and today will be a chance to not only reflect on your time at the University of Kent, but also a chance to continue to look to the future as you pursue and/or prepare for the next chapters in your lives.’ Dr Tanya Humle said in her speech ‘Each of you should feel so proud of everything you have accomplished during your time here at Kent; your determination, resilience and ability to adapt was tested and you thrived. I am especially proud of our students graduating from SAC, not just because this is the School that I know and love, but because our students genuinely leave us to make the world a better place.’
She went on to announce the following prizes.
Samuel Benjamin Tanner, BSc Biological Anthropology was awarded the Anthropology Best UG Dissertation Prize
Darwin Prize for Biological Anthropology – a prize awarded to the student gaining the highest first class degree mark on the BSc Anthropology and BSc Biological Anthropology was awarded to Aqdas Fatima, BSc in Anthropology.
Social Anthropology Best UG Dissertation Prize was awarded to Avneet Rangi, BA Social Anthropology
Paul Stirling Prize for Social Anthropology -a prize awarded for the best student gaining a First on the BA Social Anthropology was awarded to Eleanor Sarah Dangerfield, BA Social Anthropology
The Gerald Durrell Prize, awarded for the best student gaining a First on the BSc Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Social sciences was awarded to Carolyn Katrina Postlethwaite, BSc Wildlife Conservation with a Year in Professional Practice
The Worcester Prize for DICE, prize donated by the fifth Chancellor of University of Kent, Sir Robert Worcester and awarded to an outstanding undergraduate student from DICE Kieran Richardson, Bsc Wildlife Conservation.
The Ethnobotany Prize, awarded for the best student gaining a Distinction on the MSc Ethnobotany within the School of Anthropology and Conservation is awarded to Harriet Gendall, now SeNSS PhD with us.
This year the Maurice Swingland Prize, donated by Professor Ian Swingland in memory of his late father Maurice Swingland, this prize is awarded to the best Masters student taught by DICE through coursework and dissertation on any of its conservation programmes, Tina Hiller MSc Conservation.
The Mike Walkey Prize, a prize awarded to the best postgraduate student completing an MSc, MPhil or PhD by research in DICE Dr Bela Barata and Dr Nick Deere.
The formal convocation took place at UNESCO World Heritage Site, Canterbury Cathedral.
Further graduation ceremony dates can be found here.