The graduation ceremony for nursing and midwifery students at the University’s Inverness and Stornoway campuses will take place in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Inverness on Friday 4 November at 12 noon before an invited audience of proud parents, family and friends.
Dr James Naughtie, Chancellor of the University, will cap over 100 students graduating in nursing and midwifery. He will also confer an honorary degree of Master of Arts on Mr Bill Culbard for his long commitment to the University and to its Cancer Care Research Centre (CCRC).
Mr Culbard, from Dunblane, worked in security at the University from 1997 to 2009 and has been involved with the CCRC since it opened in 2003.
“I was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in 2000,” says Mr Culbard, “and have been involved with CCRC since its very beginnings. In 2010, I became Research Assistant and Patient Experience Advisor.
“Being a former cancer patient, I offer advice to researchers from a patient’s perspective. I can connect with patients because of my own experience and I’m now working with researchers who are speaking to cancer patients and liaising with different cancer organisations.”
On receiving a letter from the University to say that he had been awarded the degree, Mr Culbard says: “It came out of the blue in a letter from the Principal. To be given something like this for basically trying to help other people, enjoying what I do and working with a great group of people came as a huge surprise.”
Although Mr Culbard retired from his security post at the University in 2009, he intends to continue his work at CCRC. “My health is really good and I haven’t been to a cancer clinic for years,” he says. “I can’t run up a hill, but then I couldn’t do that before my illness either.”
The graduation ceremony in the Cathedral will be followed by a Reception for graduates and their friends and families in the Centre for Health Science, Old Perth Road, Inverness.