Katie Piper
Areas of Interest
Health CareHonorary Award
Honorary Doctor of Health SciencesBiography
Katie Piper is a television presenter, philanthropist, author and survivor of a shocking acid attack in 2008 that left her blind in one eye and suffering severe facial disfigurement. The attack was orchestrated and carried out by two men who are now serving life sentences for their crimes. It was a truly life-changing event, one that led to unimaginable trauma, yet in the long-term, has enabled Katie to have a positive impact on the lives of countless people around the world.
To date, Katie has published three books; Beautiful - her autobiography; Things Get Better - in which she shares her insights into how people can overcome all kinds of challenges; and Start Your Day With Katie - which reveals her most powerful inspirational thoughts that helped her through her darkest moments. Katie continues to work in TV, she writes for newspapers and magazines, and a growing share of her working week is taken up with the Katie Piper Foundation.
Katie already has close ties with our university as the Katie Piper Foundation is working with our Postgraduate Medical Institute to help co-fund a Chair and further research into burns treatment.
Citation
"Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to read the citation for Katie Piper for the award of Doctor of Health Sciences, honoris causa.
Katie Piper is a television presenter, philanthropist, author and survivor of a shocking acid attack that left her blind in one eye and suffering severe facial disfigurement.
Katie was born and grew up in Hampshire. After leaving Harrow Way School, she trained as a beautician, yet her good looks and warm personality soon led her career down a different path. After a variety of modelling and promotional contracts, she began to develop a career as a presenter on digital television.
In 2008, however, Katie suffered a horrific attack, orchestrated and carried out by two men who are now serving life sentences for their crimes. It was a truly life-changing event, one that led to unimaginable trauma, yet in the long-term, has enabled Katie to have a positive impact on the lives of countless people around the world.
After the attack, Katie underwent pioneering surgery at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, and she was subsequently referred to the Centre Ster in Lamalou-les-Bains, a world-leading specialist rehabilitation facility in France. Katie also received ground-breaking ex-vivo limbal stem cell allograft transplantation to help restore sight in her damaged eye. Katie's ongoing treatment in France had a remarkable impact on her recovery, not just physically, but psychologically too. She began to interact with other burns survivors, and to explore other, non-surgical burns treatments.
In 2009, Katie chose to share her experiences with the world, taking part in the now celebrated Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face, in which she tells her story with a compelling honesty, humour and a remarkable lack of self-pity. That same year, Katie set up the Katie Piper Foundation, a charitable organisation that seeks to improve outcomes for burns survivors, to help facilitate the provision of effective burns rehabilitation, and to support burns survivors through their journey of recovery.
In 2011, Katie presented a four part series for Channel 4 called Katie: My Beautiful Friends, in which she draws upon her personal experiences to help other people living with disfigurement rebuild their confidence and their lives.
To date, Katie has published three books; Beautiful - her autobiography; Things Get Better - in which she shares her insights into how people can overcome all kinds of challenges; and Start Your Day With Katie - which reveals her most powerful inspirational thoughts that helped her through her darkest moments. Katie continues to work in TV, she writes for newspapers and magazines, and a growing share of her working week is taken up with the Katie Piper Foundation.
Katie already has close ties with our university. The Katie Piper Foundation is currently working with our Postgraduate Medical Institute to help co-fund a Chair and further research into burns treatment.
By recognising Katie's courage, determination and willingness to help others, we have the opportunity to raise awareness of our ongoing burns research. Katie Piper is an inspiration to us all, and we are delighted to welcome her to our Anglia Ruskin community.
Vice Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present Katie Piper for the award of Doctor of Health Sciences, honoris causa"