28 April 1992 Record Number to Graduate from Lincoln

Five hundred and twenty-seven students will graduate from Lincoln University at the capping ceremony on Friday afternoon (1 May).

This is a new high for Lincoln – up on last year's total of 511. The ceremony will also see a record number of doctorates awarded – 15 – nine of them to candidates from overseas. In all, 392 degrees, 73 undergraduate diplomas and 62 postgraduate diplomas will be awarded. Three hundred and eighty-four graduands will be present at the ceremony, the balance (a proportion slightly up on last year) will receive their qualifications "in absentia".

The single highest category of degrees to be presented – over 50 percent of the total – will be in the Commerce and Commerce and Management area, although this includes specialist B.Coms such as those tagged "Agriculture" and "Tourism".

Among those receiving degrees will be the first batch of graduates from the University's four-year Bachelor of Landscape Architecture course. Included in the group is the first graduate from the Landscape Architecture Department to achieve First Class Honours – Jeffrey Weston of Christchurch.

Taking more than an observer’s interest in the capping ceremony will be four Lincoln University staff members who will receive doctorates. Larry Bellamy of the Natural Resources Engineering Department will be awarded a Ph.D. in Horticultural Engineering, Susan Mason of the Biochemistry and Microbiology Department will graduate Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Bruce Robson of the Centre for Computing and Biometrics will receive a Ph.D. in Animal Science, and Simon Swaffield, Head of the Landscape Architecture Department, will graduate Ph.D. in Resource Studies.

Also taking a particular interest in the ceremony will be three staff members – Neil Gow, John Lay and Dr Peter Nuthall – who have sons graduating.

Among the special achievements to be recorded at the ceremony are the award of Lincoln University Gold Medals – to Garth Reynolds of Fairlie (in Farm Management) and Grant Homan of Dunedin (in Horticultural Management), and the naming of the Senior Scholars – Suzanne Carson of Wanaka, Janet Duggan, Joanne Naber, and Julian Rayner all of Christchurch.

The Bledisloe Medal will also be presented, to a distinguished alumnus.

As in the past two years, the ceremony will be held in a large marquee on the Lincoln campus, starting at 1.30pm.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand