Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome LT DSc

Their story

Celebrating Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome LT DSc

We are proud to feature Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome LT Dsc in our latest Honorary Doctorate Spotlight from Glasgow Caledonian University. In July 2025, Professor Black was awarded a Doctor of Science (DSc) for her peerless contributions to forensic anthropology and academic leadership.

A Pioneer in Forensic Science A graduate of the University of Aberdeen (BSc 1982, PhD 1986), Professor Black has spent three decades at the forefront of human identification. From her early days at St Thomas' Hospital, she became the go-to expert for the Metropolitan Police, shaping the modern landscape of forensic investigation.

War Crimes & International Justice In 1999, she served as Lead Forensic Anthropologist for the British Team in Kosovo, identifying victims of war crimes for the UN, work that earned her an OBE in 2001. Her expertise has since aided investigations in Sierra Leone, Iraq, and the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Innovation in Criminal Justice At the University of Dundee, she founded the award-winning Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID). Her pioneering work in vein pattern analysis revolutionised forensic evidence, securing the first criminal conviction of its kind in 2009. This technique has since helped secure over 30 life sentences for child sexual abuse.

Service & Distinction Professor Black’s career is marked by the highest honors: 2016: Appointed Dame Commander (DBE). 2023: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). 2024: Appointed Lady of the Order of the Thistle (LT), Scotland’s highest honor. Current: President of St John's College, Oxford and the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.

"Education is a Weapon" In her address to GCU graduates, she spoke on the power of knowledge: "𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺... 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵." She urged the new graduates to remain humble, selfless, and to always support those climbing the ladder behind them.

Bestselling Author Her memoir, All That Remains, won the 2018 Saltire Book of the Year, offering a profound look at a life spent in service of the dead to seek justice for the living.