Professor Dame Sue Black has been made an honorary Doctor of Medicine by the University of St Andrews.
Dame Sue, who is a professor of anatomy and forensic anthropology at the University of Dundee, was honoured for her major contribution to science and humanity.
As a world-renowned expert in examining human remains, she has travelled to Sierra Leone, Thailand and Iraq on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to help identify the bodies of those killed in natural disasters and massacres.
Her work has included investigating mass graves in Kosovo to prepare evidence for the international war crimes tribunal. She was involved in identifying victims of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Also receiving an honorary doctorate was Professor Michael Ferguson, Regius Professor of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, who was made a Doctor of Science.
Professor Feguson’s work has shed light on the biochemistry of parasites which spread tropical diseases including sleeping sickness.
He was a key player in building the Dundee Drug Discovery Unit and also helped to establish the city’s Discovery Centre for Translational Interdisciplinary Research, which brings scientists from different disciplines together to find medicines for malaria, trypanosomiasis and other diseases.
Students graduating in science, geography and medicine received their degrees in the Younger Hall on Thursday morning.
Welcoming those graduating, Professor Alan Dearle warned against a “so-called post-truth” society where expertise is not respected.
He said:Â “You have become or started to become experts in your respective fields. And that is of great value.”
