Graduate & Student of the Year Awards 2010
Graduate & Student of the Year Awards 2010
A pioneering surgeon, Dr Cecil Cyrus and student entrepreneur Vincent Murray are the 2010 Queen’s Graduate and Student of Year. The Awards were announced at the University’s evening graduation ceremony on 8 July. To watch the graduation ceremony please click here.
Announcing the Graduate of the Year Award, Oonagh Ferrity, President of Queen’s Graduates’ Association (QGA), said: “Through his work over the last fifty years he has been, and continues to be, an Ambassador for Queen’s. For his contribution to medicine Dr Cyrus is a worthy recipient of this honour from his Alma Mater.”
Dr Cecil Cyrus, who graduated from Queen’s in 1957, was the first qualified surgeon to practice in St Vincent when he returned there in 1963. On taking up his post, he found conditions were unsatisfactory, with chronic shortages of personnel, equipment, drugs, space and basic ancillary facilities. As the island’s first trained surgeon, he had to work across specialties, devoting long hours to clear the backlog of patients and designing and adapting medical equipment and instruments for many functions.
His service to his country over more than 40 years has achieved international recognition. In 1983 he was awarded the OBE and in 2002 was designated as a Local Health Hero by the Pan American Health Organization. A commemorative stamp featured his portrait. And, in 2003, he was awarded the CMG, Companion of the Most Excellent Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, for service in the field of medicine.
Dr Cyrus, who serves as designated surgeon to Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on Royal visits to the Caribbean, has also compiled one of the largest collections of pathological specimens in the world. These are now on display in the museum in St Vincent which bears his name.
Professor Dame Ingrid Allen, who nominated Dr Cyrus for the award, said: “Dr Cyrus was offered many lucrative career posts in the United Kingdom but he decided to take his acquired skills to serve his homeland, where they were most desperately needed and where he could improve the quality of life for many. He has devoted his life to Medicine. To his people, his skill and ingenuity in curing the seemingly incurable is nothing shy of a miracle.”
The Award was collected by Dr Cyrus who along with his wife Kathryn made the long journey from St Vincent and the Grenadines for the event.
Student of the Year, Vincent Murray from Ballygowan, led a number of peace and reconciliation and environmental projects as Chairperson of SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) at Queen’s. SIFE is a global network dedicated to nurturing students’ entrepreneurial skills to benefit their careers and the wider community. In his role as Chairperson, Vincent also contributed to the portfolio of activities which resulted in Queen’s becoming the Times Higher Education Entrepreneurial University of the Year.
A member of the Students’ Union Management Board, Vincent also serves as Trustee of Share-Uganda. Delivering the citation for the Award, Gareth McCreevy, President of the Students’ Union said: “Vincent is an inspirational student whose commitment and skills are proven. He is a true ambassador for Queen's and we are very confident that with leaders like Vincent, his enthusiasm and commitment will have a lasting effect on students at Queen’s and beyond.”
The Graduate and Student of the Year Awards were launched in 1999 by the Queen’s Graduates’ Association and the University’s Development and Alumni Relations Office, with the support of First Trust Bank. The Awards aim to recognise excellence, achievement or service by Queen’s alumni and students, either to the University or to the wider community.
A selection of photographs from the Awards presentations follow below.
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