Honorary Fellows 2003

Kate Atkinson

Author, was born in York and has many family connections in York, her parents owning a surgical and medical supply store in Stonegate for many years. She attended Queen Anne's Grammar School in York before studying at Dundee University, where she began her career tutoring. At 33 she began creative writing and in 1988 she won the Woman's Own short story competition. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum won Kate the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year Award and was followed by two more critically acclaimed novels, Human Croquet and Emotionally Weird and several short stories. Kate's first stage play Abandonment was recently performed at York Theatre Royal.

Revd Dr Stuart Burgess

Held in the highest regard in the Methodist Church, its President in Great Britain in 1999-2000. The Revd has served as Chaplain at Nottingham and Birmingham Universities and is Trustee of the York Industrial Chaplaincy and Chair of the Selby Coalfield Chaplaincy. He has been heavily involved in working toward cancelling third world debt, visiting Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe and forging links between these countries and ours. Stuart is also involved in projects which bring support to marginalised and disadvantaged people in Hull, and has worked with York St John University to set up the York Institute of Community Theology, providing training for Ministers and access to Theology for a wider community.

Dr William Thomas

Professor in French and Director of International Studies at Union College, Schenectady, and has made an outstanding contribution to International Education. William is committed to ensuring students receive an international experience, forging links for Union College with HE institutes across the globe, to the great benefit of students worldwide. William has overseen the exchange of over 400 students from the USA to York alone and has looked after over 200 students from York St John in America during the 25 years since the start of an exchange programme between the two institutes. He has also passed his experience on, advising through his links with the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers and has been awarded a medal for his contribution to International Education by the Czech Technical University in Prague.