Sports and screen stars awarded honorary degrees in Leeds
SCI-FI star Sir Patrick Stewart and Paralympic double gold medallist Hannah Cockroft were both awarded honorary degrees today.
Patrick Stewart was joined by Grammy award-winning musician Sir Andras Schiff and polar explorer professor Jane Francis, who were all awarded the honours from the University of Leeds.
Every year, the university offers honorary degrees to those who have made a significant contribution to society.
Patrick Stewart is best known for his portrayals of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, and for stage roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Raised in Mirfield, he has strong connections with the local area and is the Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield.
Patrick was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters.
A University of Leeds spokesperson said: “The University of Leeds is always delighted to be awarding honorary degrees to such leading figures, who are distinguished by their outstanding achievements in their field and who offer excellent role models for our students.”
Hannah Cockroft, a wheelchair racing athlete from Halifax, won the T34 100m and 200m at the London Paralympics.
She was awarded a doctorate from the University of Bradford at another ceremony yesterday.