First recipient of award is handed honour at graduation
A prize set up in memory of a Paisley graduate has been handed over for the first time by the town’s university.
The inaugural Physiological Society Claire Egan Memorial Award was presented to University of the West of Scotland ( UWS) student Kirsty McCallum, who graduated with a first class Honours degree in BSc Biomedical Science this week.
Kirsty received the award certificate and £100, along with the accompanying memorial Quaich, sponsored by the British Lung Foundation, at her graduation ceremony at Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, in Paisley.
UWS Biomedical Science graduate Claire was a doublelung transplant recipient and consistently had outstanding results during her degree studies, receiving university awards and prizes.
Bosses say her achievements were all the more remarkable, given the major challenges she faced with a seriously debilitating medical condition.
They says her spirit, resolve, attitude and determination were an example and inspiration to all who knew her. She died in May 2015, aged 38.
Claire’s parents, Sylvia and Joe, who now live in Renfrew, were delighted the award was created in her name.
Sylvia said: “Both Joe and I were delighted when we were approached by the university about having an award in Claire’s memory.
“Claire loved her time at UWS and the support she received from her academics during her studies was tremendous.
“Many congratulations to Kirsty for winning this award.
“It is a t remendous achievement and we are delighted that Kirsty is the first recipient of this award.”
Kirsty has secured a PhD studentship at UWS and will be making a contribution to the €7.7million EU INTERREG V cross- border research project, of which the university is a key academic partner.
This ‘ BREATH’ ( Border and Regions Airways Training Hub) project, which is designed to better understand and alleviate the impact of lung disease, involves a partnership including the Dundalk Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland, Queen’s University Belfast and UWS.
The EU-funded project aims to establish a world-class group of researchers who will help address the causes, treatment and potential prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Kirsty said: “UWS was a great place to study and I am really thrilled and honoured to have won this award, which made my graduation day even more special.”
She added: “It is a dream come true to have secured a PhD studentship at UWS to study a lung disease, which is such huge problem for those living in my region of south west Scotland, and I can’t wait to work with colleagues on this exciting research project.”