A trade unionist and offshore health and safety campaigner and a community archaeologist and will be recognised with honorary degrees from the University of Aberdeen.
Jake Molloy and Colin Shepherd will receive Master of the University (MUniv) awards during the 2024 Winter graduations.
Jake Molloy is a trade unionist and offshore health and safety campaigner. Jake spent almost two decades working offshore in the North Sea’s oil and gas industry, an experience which led him to actively campaign for improvements to health and safety in the offshore industry.
In 1997, he assumed the role of general secretary of the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee (OILC), an independent trade union for offshore workers. OILC was founded in 1989 in response to a series of high-profile incidents, including the Piper Alpha disaster.
After merging with the RMT Union in 2008, he became the RMT regional organiser with responsibility for all offshore energy activity and has served on a number of industry forums including the Oil Spill Prevention Recovery Advisory Group (OSPRAG) which reviewed the impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG) looking into helicopter safety in the sector after a number of fatal accidents, the Step Change Leadership Group which engages workers in offshore health, safety and environmental matters, and the Energy Jobs Task Force, and the Strategic Leadership Group, for Scottish Government as well as the UK Government’s North Sea Transition group.
Since 2022, he has served as a commissioner on the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Commission, an independent advisory body which provides advice and scrutiny on how to deliver Scotland’s just transition to a low carbon economy.
In 2023, Jake retired from the RMT Union after a 25-year career as a senior trade union official but continues to participate in the climate change debate, with a particular interest in how to deliver a just transition for workers and society.
Colin, who is also an honorary research fellow at the University, has been a leading figure in the Bennachie Landscapes Project, jointly developed by the Bailies of Bennachie, a community group dedicated to the conservation and interpretation of the hill of Bennachie, and the University of Aberdeen, across a 12-year period.
He holds a PhD from the University of Exeter which examined the role of iconography in the development of early medieval kingship in North-west Europe, and his research interests focus on landscape and the changing patterns of ideological thought and its effects upon socio-economic change in the later middle ages.
Colin has authored, co-authored and edited numerous publications on the history and archaeology of North-east Scotland and his work has helped to extend our understanding of the history and archaeology of North-east Scotland.
His work has also nurtured a team of community researchers working on the historic and current management of the landscape of North-east Scotland.
Professor George Boyne, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, said: “Master of the university degrees are awarded to those who have made important contributions to the success of the university, to the local community, and to the region.
“Both Jake Molloy and Colin Shepherd exemplify this, and their achievements will inspire our graduands as they begin their own career journeys.
“We look forward to presenting them with their honorary degrees at our Winter Graduation ceremonies.”
Jake Molloy will receive his award on Monday November 25 at 10.30am while Colin Shepherd’s will be presented during the morning ceremony on Tuesday November 26.