Dr Mark Hepworth

Mark was born in Uganda in 1955 and finished school at the Waterford Kamhlaba School in Swaziland. He later moved back to the UK where he studied Social Anthropology and African History at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

In 1993 Mark moved to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, to help set up a new Information Studies Masters programme, and after six years joined Loughborough University in February 1998. He worked at Loughborough, rising to the level of professor, up until his early retirement in mid-2016 due to ill health.

In 2016 Mark was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals). After his retirement last year, a funded studentship was set up in his name at the SBE to build on Mark’s achievements in the field of information literacy and its importance in combatting social exclusion, particularly in the developing world.

Aside from his politeness, dedication to academic equality and support of staff and students, Mark was also apparently a legend for timekeeping. Professor Tom Jackson at the SBE said: “Many colleagues including myself could gauge how much trouble we would be in when delivering our marked scripts to the office. Needless to say if Mark had submitted his marked scripts before you, you were in big trouble!”

Outside of his professional life, Mark was a keen adventurer and explorer of the Great Outdoors, with a rebellious streak. He loved hill walking, sailing and climbing, and a ‘Keep Out!’ sign was, for him, an invitation.

Mark very sadly died in December 2016 after a relatively short and courageously borne battle with Motor Neuron Disease. Mark leaves behind his wife, Joan, and a son and daughter, Joe and Sian.