UK higher education gets a boost to welcome the new year with its leaders, researchers and support staff gaining recognition for their extraordinary achievements and contributions for the past year.
The Queen is set to confer honours to 1,223 individuals in fields such as education, sports, art and business. Recognition will also be given to those involved in charitable work for their respective communities.
Sixty-one of the awardees are recognised for their contributions to higher education. One individual will be conferred the Companion of Honour (CH), five as Knight Bachelors, one as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), fourteen as Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), twenty-three given the Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and seven will be admitted to the list of the Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Ten will also be recognised for their services to further education.
Amongst the prominent names on this year’s list is Professor Peter Higgs, who will be awarded a Companion of Honour (CH) for his work in particle physics leading to the discovery of the “God particle” in July last year after waiting 45 years. The discovery of the Higgs boson is significant in providing essential clues of how the universe was formed.
Professor Ian David Diamond, Principal and Vice Chancellor at the University of Aberdeen is recognised for his world class reputation as one of the leading academics in the field of social statistics and for his exemplary contribution in leading the UK social science research community.
Dr Christine Braddock CBE will also be rewarded for her services to further education for her contributions in leading the Birmingham Metropolitan College through multiple awards and as one of the top performers amongst colleges in the UK.
The Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) honour will also be given to Professor Carol Robinson, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the university of Oxford. Her research in mass spectrometry, as well as the awards and medals she has received, has made her a role model for other female scientists.