Victoria University May Graduation

Victoria University May Graduation

Nearly 2000 students will celebrate successfully completing their studies at Victoria University May Graduation parades and ceremonies next week.

The University will also present honorary doctorates to acclaimed pianist Michael Houstoun, and world-leading physicist Bob Buckley.

Below are details of the parades and ceremonies, and information about the honorary doctorate recipients.

Parades
Wednesday 18 May—12 noon
This parade is for students graduating from:
• Faculty of Architecture & Design
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• New Zealand School of Music
Thursday 19 May—12 noon
This parade is for students graduating from:
• Faculty of Commerce & Administration
• Faculty of Law
• Toihuarewa
The traditional street parades of staff and graduands will depart from the Law School in the Government Buildings Historic Reserve on Wednesday and Thursday at noon, and will take around 40 minutes to parade along Lambton Quay and Willis and Mercer Streets to finish in Civic Square, where they will be welcomed by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.

Graduation Ceremonies
Tuesday 17 May: Michael Fowler Centre
Ceremony 1: 6pm, Faculties of Architecture & Design, Engineering and Science
Honorary Doctorate of Science: Robert George Buckley

Wednesday 18 May: Michael Fowler Centre
Ceremony 2: 1.30pm, Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the New Zealand School of Music
Honorary Doctorate of Music: Michael James Houstoun

Ceremony 3: 6pm, Faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences and Education

Thursday 19 May: Michael Fowler Centre
Ceremony 4: 1.30pm, Faculties of Commerce & Administration and Law

Ceremony 5: 6pm, Faculties of Commerce & Administration and Toihuarewa

HONORARY DOCTORATES – Further information

About Michael Houstoun
Michael Houstoun is an acclaimed musician, with an unmatched record in international competition by a New Zealand pianist. After winning every significant prize for pianists in New Zealand by the age of 18, he went on to place at three of the world’s most distinguished piano competitions: Van Cliburn (1973), Leeds Piano (1975), and the Tchaikovsky Competition (1982).

In 1981 Houstoun made the decision to return to New Zealand and devote his life to music here. He has performed regularly with every professional ensemble in New Zealand, and frequently appears with smaller ensembles around the country.

In 2008 his solo CD of New Zealand music Inland was named the Best Classical Album at the New Zealand Music Awards and he was awarded a Lilburn Trust Award for his services to New Zealand music.

About Bob Buckley
World-leading physicist and manager of Industrial Research Limited’s (IRL) Superconductivity and Energy Group Dr Bob Buckley is both an IRL Distinguished Scientist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Over the past 16 years, Dr Buckley has led IRL’s research into the synthesis, discovery and application of high temperature superconductor (HTS) materials and managed their commercialisation. He was closely involved in the establishment of the IRL company HTS-110, and is currently a board member of a second HTS based company, General Cable Superconductors.

In 2004 he was awarded the Royal Society of New Zealand’s prestigious technology honour, the Pickering Medal, in 2009 he won Wellingtonian of the Year in the Science and Technology category, and in 2010 he was jointly awarded the inaugural Prime Minister’s Science Prize.

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