Faculty Graduation Ceremony 2008

The Computing, Engineering and Technology Graduation Ceremony took place on Tuesday 8th July at Trentham Gardens with around 675 graduates taking part.  The sun (mostly) shone, the gardens were full of graduates and their families from across the UK and the world and a happy time was had by all.  The rain held off until the evening and we were lucky to have a mild day. 

Trentham Gardens are the former Stafford home of the the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland and the gardens are in the process of being restored to their former glory.

Vice-Chancellor Christine King presided over both the morning and the afternoon ceremonies with the graduates presented by Professor Mike Goodwin, Dr Mike Hamlyn, Peter Hoornaert, Tracy Lewis and Dr Gordon Bancroft.

Trentham Gardens is turned into a Graduation Village for the week with giant marquees for the ceremonies, refreshments, gowning, photographs and registration.  The sound and large screen video system means that everyone in the cermony can see and hear what is happening on the stage.

Graduation is often the last opportunity for students to get together and it is also an opportunity for their families to put faces to names of staff and students that they have heard about for the last three or four years of study. 

By graduation many of FCET's students are already in employment or have job offers so this is also an opportunity to tell their tutors where they will now be working and keep in touch.  Companies that already employ our graduates tend to do so again and many students are offered a job as a result of their placement or through taking part in the graduate exhibition.

Mike Short, Vice President of Research and Development at Telefonica O2 Europe, was presented to the Vice Chancellor by Professor Mike Goodwin before being granted the award of Honorary Doctor of the University.  Mike is responsible for some of the most innovative and ground-breaking mobile industry phone services, and has become one of the leading figures within the mobile industry over the last 20 years.

Wing Commander Andy Green was presented to Professor Christine King by Dr Mike Hamlyn, Faculty Director Teaching and Learning. Andy is offically the fastest man on Earth as holder of the World Land Speed Record and the first person to break the sound barrier on land.  In 1997 he drove the ThrustSSC Land Speed Record Car at an average speed of 763.035mph on te Black Rock Desert in Nevada - a record which is still unbroken.  In 2006 Andy drove the JCB DIESELMAX at 328.767mph then 24 hours later at 350.092mph which is still the diesel record.  Andy's day job is flying supersonic jets for the RAF.