City university honours pair at graduation event
Bath Spa University held its winter graduation ceremonies last week and along with the students, two inspiring individuals were awarded honorary degrees.
Three days of ceremonies were held at the Bath Forum and the former head of MI5, Baron Jonathan Evans of Weardale, and revered music publisher Sarah Liversedgeplatz were among those taking to the stage.
Lord Evans received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters and Sarah Liversedge-platz was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music.
Accepting the degree, Lord Evans said: “I admire the work of the Centre for Leadership, Ethics and Professional Practice at Bath Spa University so I am particularly honoured to be awarded an honorary degree by the university.”
Lord Evans chairs the Committee on Standards in Public Life and sits in the House of Lords as a cross-bencher. Previously, he was the director general of MI5 from 2007 to 2013.
He is now a non-executive director of Ark Data Centres and chairman of the public interest committee of KPMG UK.
Commenting on what it meant to be awarded, Ms Liversedge-platz said: “I am so honoured to receive this recognition from an institution that means so much to me. My time
at Bath Spa as a music undergraduate was incredibly special. The university is a place that really nurtures and inspires creative minds. It helped me lay foundations that would serve both myself and the songwriters and composers I’ve worked with throughout my career decades later.”
As an alumna, Sarah Liversedgeplatz is no stranger to Bath Spa University, having graduated with a first in Composition.
Since then she has gone on, via the BBC, to develop a successful music publishing business and has received a number of music industry awards.