Former Grammar head girl receives MBE honour

Jun 18 2009 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

THE Rev Dr Fiona Douglas, chaplain of Dundee University, has been awarded the MBE for services to higher education in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Dr Douglas (46), who grew up in Hamilton, has been chaplain of the university since 1998. She said she was 'delighted' to be awarded the honour.

“I am really happy for all the staff at the chaplaincy centre', said Dr Douglas.

“I regard this as a reflection of all the great work they do. We have a really vibrant chaplaincy at the heart of the university community, and one of the reasons it works so well is that the team working in it do such a good job.”

When she receives the MBE it will not be the first time Dr Douglas has met the Queen – she has previously preached to Her Majesty at Crathie Church and was a guest of the royal family at Balmoral.

Dr Douglas, whose parents Allan and Isobel live in Hamilton Road, Motherwell, grew up in Hamilton, and is a former head girl of Hamilton Grammar School.

She was a member of Trinity Parish Church in Hamilton.

She gained an honours degree in sociology from Glasgow University and a Bachelor of Divinity from Edinburgh University.

Dr Douglas was assistant minister at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh from 1988 to 1990 and then returned to Edinburgh University to study for her PhD.

She later worked in the BBC's religious broadcasting unit in Scotland before going to Dundee and taking up her post as chaplain.

She is married to Edinburgh University historian Dr Jeremy Crang.