Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell has congratulated Judy O’Rourke, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Studies in Academic Affairs at Syracuse University, who has been awarded an OBE for her work over the last 25 years following the Lockerbie Air Disaster.
The honour has been awarded in recognition of the driving force she has been in developing relations between the communities of Lockerbie and Syracuse, and her outstanding work in taking forward the Syracuse scholarships for Lockerbie Academy students, which have changed the lives of so many local young people.
Commenting Mr Mundell said: “This honour could not be more deserved. Judy is a truly inspirational person who has been the driving force behind the town’s relationship with Syracuse University, which many people in Lockerbie and the surrounding area consider to be the only good thing to have come from the 1988 Lockerbie Air Disaster.
“I know a number of people living locally will be delighted at this news, as Judy is a well known face locally and is seen to symbolise not just the links between the community and Syracuse. Over the last 25 years she has devoted endless hours of her own time to ensure each Lockerbie Scholar has had what they all describe as a "life changing" experience. ”
Mr Mundell added: “In everything she has done Judy has gone far beyond what her job would require in providing support to the students who have gone from Lockerbie Academy to Syracuse University. It is therefore fitting that she is honoured for her outstanding and long lasting friendship with Lockerbie and huge personal contribution she has made to US and UK relations in the most difficult of circumstances. All of the young people who have benefited from her devotion and humanity recognise that they owe Judy an enormous debt of gratitude, as do I, and the people of Lockerbie.”