Honorary graduates 2025
Plymouth Marjon University was founded 1840. During the years that have followed this small university has made a big impact, through changing lives, enabling students to gain qualifications and giving them skills and experiences which have a positive impact upon the wider community.
The University confers honorary degrees on nominated persons who are deemed to have made outstanding contributions to education, culture, society, business or public life. These awards celebrate those who are making a positive difference in the lives of others, both publicly and privately.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 1
Professor Janice Kay was the first in her family to go to university, an opportunity that changed her life. She studied Psychology at Newcastle and then completed a PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology at Cambridge, exploring how brain injuries affect language and remediation. Her journey from first-generation student to university leader shows what education can make possible. She began as a researcher on major aphasia projects, then moved into teaching, becoming recognised for her research and passion for student success. At the University of Exeter, she rose through leadership to Provost, guiding academic life and championing innovation in teaching. Having lived in the South West for over 30 years, she has improved opportunities for young people, helping create Exeter Maths School, the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust, and the Southwest Institute of Technology, and chairs the national University Maths Schools
Network. In 2017, her contributions to higher education were recognised with a CBE.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 2
Gail Wilson has been nursing for 40 years, after completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Nurse Teaching in 1997, she joined the University of Plymouth, becoming Principal Lecturer in 2005 and leading one of the country’s first Specialist Community Public Health Nursing programmes.
Gail later led end-of-life care improvements at University Hospitals Plymouth and in 2011 became Deputy Clinical Director at St Luke’s Hospice. Since 2021 she has been Regional Senior Nurse for Nursing and Midwifery Education, supporting Marjon’s pioneering ASPIRE programme. Gail remains passionate about nursing, education, and patient care in Plymouth.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 4
Akofa Wallace, a Plymouth Marjon University alumna, graduated in 1999 with a BA (Hons) Public Relations with Media Studies (2:1). She began her career in public relations with organisations including Victim Support, the Learning and Skills Council, and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Since 2008, Akofa has worked in Ghana, Bangladesh, and Vietnam in education roles. In 2024, back in Ghana, she became CEO of her parents’ school, Henry House Community School, a not-for-profit Kindergarten-to-Junior High School in Ho, Volta Region.
Honorary Graduate: Ceremony 4
Bernice Mawusi Atubra was born in a farming village in Ghana, the eldest of five children and the only daughter. At a time when education was often reserved for boys, her parents ensured she also received schooling. Initially a midwife, Bernice transitioned into Early Years education, earning her Further Adult Education Teaching Certificate from GlosCAT in Gloucester in 1993. She managed two day nurseries; GlosCAT’s Brunswick Nursery, and Woodford Rascals Nursery in Plymouth where she pioneered wrap-around care. In 2005, she joined Plymouth City Council as Extended Schools Coordinator for childcare. In 2009, Bernice returned to Ghana and, with her husband, co-founded the NGO Henry House International School.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 5
Antony Jinman, EdD, is a renowned polar explorer, educator, and advocate for climate awareness. In 2010 he became the twelfth Briton to ski to the Geographic North Pole, and the following year completed a solo expedition to the South Pole. He has led numerous scientific and educational expeditions across the Arctic and Antarctic, sharing his experiences to inspire resilience, leadership, and environmental responsibility. Through his organisation Education Through Expeditions, AJ has connected thousands of young people with the world’s most remote environments, bringing the realities of climate change and exploration into classrooms worldwide. Alongside his expedition achievements, he continues to lecture internationally and
serve as Corporate Expedition Leader for Swan Hellenic, combining adventure with education to empower future generations.
Honorary Graduate - Ceremony 6
Heléna Holt was born in Plymouth and has always felt a strong connection to Devon’s diverse landscapes. A dynamic leader with over three decades’ experience, she has shown exceptional strategic vision across mental health, youth, community, and social welfare sectors. From October 2007 to April 2025, she served as Chief Executive of Devon Air Ambulance, overseeing multiple aircraft deliveries, introducing night operations, securing an independent Air Operating Certificate, expanding charity retail, and achieving an ‘Outstanding’ Care Quality Commission rating. Previously, she was Director at the Attlee Foundation, where she secured funding for major capital projects. Her commitment to excellence and innovation has earned awards including PwC South West Business of the Year 2015 and a 2024 Special Recognition from Air Ambulances UK.