Graduates from Usher programmes were celebrated with a pre-graduation reception, prestigious award presentations and a formal graduation ceremony. Students, along with their families and friends, were warmly welcomed to a pre-graduation reception held on Monday 24 November 2025 at the Playfair Library, Edinburgh. The event offered a valuable opportunity for students to come together ahead of graduation. With many attendees studying online, the reception provided a rare chance to connect in person - often for the very first time. The reception also featured the presentation of several prestigious student awards.2025 Brotherston AwardThe Brotherston Award is a highly regarded accolade recognising outstanding academic achievement in the field of Public Health. It celebrates exceptional performance and dedication to study.This year’s recipient was Master of Public Health on-campus student Zoe Nylund, who was the highest-performing student of the 2024–25 academic year. 2025 John Last AwardTwo Master of Public Health online students, Yvonne Kinyanjui and Shane McCarthy, were joint winners of the 2025 John Last Award.Yvonne received nominations highlighting her excellent work as a student representative and the high quality of her dissertation.Shane was commended for his outstanding dissertation examining bloodstream infections in dialysis patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, combining strong clinical and public health insight. He will also present this work at a clinical conference in December. The John Last Award is an annual prize awarded to student(s) on the Master of Public Health online programme who are considered to have made an exceptional contribution to the public health and/or academic community. The award is funded through a donation from the late eminent epidemiologist and public health advocate, Dr John Last.Graduation ceremonyFollowing the reception, celebrations continued at McEwan Hall, where graduates donned their caps and gowns and were formally awarded their degrees during the official graduation ceremony.Further InformationPublic Health, Master of MPH | The University of EdinburghPublic Health (part-time) (Online Learning) MPH, PgCert, PgDip, PgProfDev | The University of Edinburgh Publication date 02 Dec, 2025
