University to honour six outstanding individuals at Summer Graduation

Glasgow Caledonian University will recognise six distinguished individuals for their exceptional achievements in fashion, sport, forensic science, gaming, business and health at its summer graduation ceremonies, taking place on 1, 2 and 3 July 2025 at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.

Those to receive honorary doctorates are Rachel Corsie, Professor Lady Sue Black, Jon McKellan, Maggie Smart, Mike Hammond and Nick Hartshorne-Evans BEM.

Rachel Corsie, is one of Scotland's most capped footballers who has enjoyed a decorated international career. Since her debut in 2009, she earned 155 caps and was made captain of the national team back in 2017. Before she became a full-time professional footballer, Rachel qualified as a Chartered Accountant working with Ernst & Young. Latterly she has become a respected broadcaster, using her platform to champion women’s sport and inspire future generations. She announced her retirement from all forms of football in June 2025.

Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, is one of the world’s most prominent forensic anthropologists. Her work has been pivotal in the identification of victims of war crimes and disasters, including in Kosovo, Iraq and the Thai tsunami. A recipient of the Order of the Thistle and President of St John’s College, Oxford, she is also a bestselling author and prominent media figure. Her charitable work includes support for Archaeology Scotland, E2M and Locate International.

Jon McKellan is a pioneering games developer and founder of Glasgow-based No Code Studio; whose award-winning titles include Observation and Stories Untold. With four BAFTA wins to his name, Jon has shaped some of the industry’s most acclaimed titles, including Alien: Isolation and Red Dead Redemption 2. He remains committed to nurturing talent, with No Code employing many of the University’s graduates and supporting the University's Global Game Jam. He has helped shape Glasgow Caledonian’s top-rated games programmes and continues to inspire students through talks, mentorship and placements.

Maggie Smart, a Glasgow Caledonian alumna, has led a dynamic career as an entrepreneur and UN delegate for the Commission on The Status of Women 2024, with more than 25 years in the fashion industry. She co-founded Folk Clothing, Macandi Showrooms and Sounder, and is Commercial Director of ACMH (formerly Magic Castles). Her ventures have launched fashion brands into global markets, while her commitment to education and inclusion is reflected in her mentoring work, her role on the University’s British School of Fashion Advisory Board, and her advocacy for children with special educational needs.

Mike Hammond has had a global impact on the insurance industry across a five-decade career. After starting as a graduate trainee in 1980, he went on to be the founding MD of Sedgwick Global in the USA, and has held senior, CEO leadership roles at Marsh and Jardine Lloyd Thompson before co-founding Lockton International. Now a Non-Executive Director at the global Risk Management, Actuarial and Insurance firm, Willis Towers Watson, he has also advised major private equity firms on investments in the global insurance industry. Mike co-founded The London Insurance Market Charitable Trust after the events of 9/11 in New York and has supported multiple charities over his career, including those focused on AIDS/HIV-affected communities in Africa and mobility for children in UK (Whizz Kidz).

Nick Hartshorne-Evans BEM, founder and CEO of the Pumping Marvellous Foundation, established the UK’s only patient-led heart failure charity following his own diagnosis at 39. The foundation now supports hundreds of thousands of patients, manages a substantial online heart failure community, and collaborates with the NHS, NICE and the SMC to influence national healthcare policy. Its BEAT HF campaign has raised awareness of early heart failure symptoms across the UK. A long-standing supporter of the University’s health programmes, Nick was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2025 for his services to individuals with chronic heart failure.