Carnegie PhD Scholar awarded Robertson Medal, 2021-22

On Monday 10th January 2022, Emma Olver, PhD scholar in History of Art at the University of Edinburgh received the Robertson Medal in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for academic year 2021-22. Due to the latest government guidance regarding Covid-19, this presentation was held virtually.

The silver medal is awarded each year to the Scholarship candidate judged to be the most outstanding for that year’ competition. The medal was introduced in 2003 to mark the contribution of the retiring Chairman of the Trust, Sir Lewis Robertson, who served the Trust for over 40 years.

About this year’s recipient

Emma completed her undergraduate degree in History of Art at the University of Edinburgh from 2013 to 2017, achieving First Class Honours. The nature of the courses offered as part of this degree, as well as involvement in various student societies and of course the unique surroundings of the City of Edinburgh itself, all helped to foster Emma’s interest in historic buildings. This led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors at the University of Buckingham whilst simultaneously working at a number of different historic properties, including Chiswick House and Kensington Palace. After achieving a Distinction in her Master’s degree, Emma returned to Edinburgh to take up a position with the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust before deciding to take her interests and aptitude for academic research a stage further in the form of a Doctorate dedicated to the study of eighteenth-century Scottish Country Houses.