Intergalactic Academic Received College Fellowship

No need to look to the stars this week as Welsh astrophysicist Geraint F. Lewis shared the limelight with over 200 students at the NPTC Group of Colleges’ Annual Graduation Ceremony.

Geraint has been awarded a Fellowship from NPTC Group of Colleges at the annual graduation ceremony which took place in Swansea University’s Great Hall for his outstanding academic contribution to astrophysics.

It’s the 12th ceremony hosted by the College, a fully accredited member of the University of South Wales, Trinity Saint David, Glyndŵr University and Swansea University.

This year the College celebrates ten students graduating with First Class Honours degree: three from Business, Business Management and IT; two from Health and Social Care on the Degree in Care Studies including Linda Bladen and Lowri Morris; and three from the BSc in Computing and IT Degree. On top of this, 18 students gained distinctions in their Foundation Degrees, HNCs, HNDs and PGCE.

Also, degree students received recognition for university level qualifications from AAT and the Institute of Leadership and Management.

This year, the College also has triplets – Luke, Jack and Cameron Giles – all graduating with a Foundation Degree in Sports Coaching; there were also three members of the same family –  husband and wife, Janet and Steven Llewellyn, who graduated from the Foundation Degree in Care Studies and HND in Computing and Janet’s father, Matthew Nicholls, who graduated from the Foundation Degree in Sports Coaching and Development.

Husband and wife, Gemma and Rees Davies, also graduated together from the BSc Childhood Studies and Certificate in Substance Misuse.

Geraint will be in good company with The Right Honourable Mr Peter Hain, Mr Michael Sheen, Miss Nichola James, Mr Rob Davies MBE, Ben Davies, Mr Dan Lydiate, Mrs Olive Newton and Mrs Margaret Thorne who have previously been awarded this accolade along with Mrs Gaynor Richards MBE who was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal in 2012.

Former Neath Technical College student Geraint studied A Levels before completing his first degree at the University of London, Queen Mary College and a PhD at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. Working in research across the USA and Canada, Geraint settled in 2002 at the University of Sydney where he is currently the Head of Gravitational Astrophysics.