Stirling poet honoured
A leading University of Stirling writer has been elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
A leading University of Stirling writer has been elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Professor Kathleen Jamie has been elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Professor Kathleen Jamie, Chair of Poetry at the University, was among 66 prominent figures – from the arts, academia, public service and business – to be recognised.
Professor Jamie said: “I am honoured to become a fellow of the RSE, a multi-disciplinary body with its roots in the Scottish Enlightenment.
“It's especially gratifying to represent poetry and creative writing, and to know that the RSE is committed to diversifying its membership.
“I look forward to taking up my Fellowship in May.”
Extraordinary
The latest honour for Professor Jamie came less than a year after she received the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for outstanding creative writing at the confluence of travel, nature and culture.
President of the RSE, Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE, said: “Each year we welcome a selection of nominated extraordinary individuals into the Fellowship and this year is no exception.
“The diverse range of achievements of these individuals will be an asset to the RSE and I am sure they will strengthen the RSE’s standing as a national academy committed to providing public benefit to Scottish society.
“I also welcome the increasing number of female Fellows to the RSE, something we have focused on improving in past years and part of our wider commitment to diversity.”
Inspire
Other new Fellows include former Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, who since leaving politics has become an advocate for a variety of humanitarian issues and global education; and the US-based philanthropist and former pianist, Carol Colburn Grigor, who has donated more than £30 million to the arts in Scotland and lent her support for a variety of arts campaigns in the UK.
The RSE say the new Fellows will help them continue to provide independent and expert advice to policymakers, support aspiring entrepreneurs, develop research capacity and leadership, inspire and facilitate learning and engage with the general public through inspiring events.
Background information
Media enquiries to Lachlan Mackinnon, Communications Manager, on 01786 466 436 or lachlan.mackinnon@stir.ac.uk
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is ranked fifth in Scotland and 40th in the UK for research intensity in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Stirling is committed to providing education with a purpose and carrying out research which has a positive impact on communities across the globe – addressing real issues, providing solutions and helping to shape society.
Interdisciplinary in its approach, Stirling’s research informs its teaching curriculum and facilitates opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration between staff, students, industry partners and the wider community.
The University’s scenic central Scotland campus – complete with a loch, castle and golf course – is home to more than 14,000 students and 1500 staff representing around 120 nationalities. This includes an ever-expanding base for postgraduate study.
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