New Year Honours 2019: damehood for ex-Hefce chief executive

Madeleine Atkins, the final chief executive of the former Higher Education Funding Council for England, and Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar are among the prominent figures in higher education and science recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.

Professor Atkins, who is president of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, and a former vice-chancellor of Coventry University, is appointed dame commander for services to higher education. The citation refers to her role in “ensuring a smooth transition” from Hefce to the Office for Students and for her work on the development of the teaching excellence framework. Louise Robinson, director of the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing and Regius professor of ageing, also received a damehood. 

Professor Farrar, who has led the Wellcome Trust since 2013, receives his knighthood for services to global health, in recognition of his “substantial contribution to the knowledge and treatment of infectious disease”. Others receiving knighthoods are Patrick Vallance, the Government Chief Scientific Adviser, and David Klenerman, professor of biological chemistry at the University of Cambridge, who co-developed next-generation DNA sequencing.        

Others honoured in the annual list include University of Worcester vice-chancellor David Green, appointed a CBE for services to higher education. Professor Green said that it was “very much an award for the whole of the University of Worcester, whose staff, students, graduates and governors do such wonderful work in the city, county and country”.

There were also OBE awards for former University of Sunderland vice-chancellor Shirley Atkinson and for Lynette Ryals, pro vice-chancellor (education) at Cranfield University, both for services to higher education.

This year 544 women are recognised in the list, representing 47 per cent of the total, and 9 per cent of the honours are for work in education.

New Year Honours 2019

Among those appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire:

• Madeleine Atkins, former chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England and current president of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. For services to higher education.
• Louise Robinson, director of the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing and Regius professor of ageing. For services to primary care.

Among those appointed Knight:

• Donald Bryson, chairman of the Medical Research Council. For services to business and charity.
• Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust. For services to global health.
• Michael ​Ferguson​, Regius professor of life sciences at the University of Dundee. For services to science.
• Melvyn Greaves​, director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research. For services to childhood leukaemia research.
• Alexander Halliday​, former professor of geochemistry and head of science and engineering at the University of Oxford, now director of Columbia University's Earth Institute. For services to science and innovation.
• David Klenerman​, professor of biological chemistry at the University of Cambridge. For services to science and the development of high-speed DNA sequencing
• Jonathan Robert Montgomery, chair of the Healthcare Research Authority and professor of healthcare law at UCL. For services to bioethics and healthcare law.
• Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser. For services to open clinical science.

Among those appointed CBE:

• Robert Bartlett, emeritus professor of medieval history at the University of St Andrews. For services to history.
• John Frederick William (known as Ewan) Birney, joint director of the European Bioinformatics Institute. For services to computational genomics and leadership across the life sciences.
• Fiona Devine, head of the Alliance Manchester Business School and professor of sociology at the University of Manchester. For services to the social sciences.
• David Green, vice-chancellor of the University of Worcester. For services to higher education.
• William Hamilton, professor of primary care diagnostics at the University of Exeter. For services to improving early cancer diagnosis.
• Frederick Hobbs, director of the National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research, Oxford. For services to medical research.
• Veronica Lewis, former joint principal of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. For services to higher education in dance, drama and circus arts in the UK and abroad.
• David Livingstone, professor of geography and intellectual history at Queen’s University Belfast. For services to scholarship in geography, history of science and intellectual history.
• Geoffrey Maitland, professor of energy engineering at Imperial College London. For services to chemical engineering.
• John McCrudden, professor of human rights and equality law at Queen’s University Belfast. For services to human rights law.
• Ian McInnes, professor of medicine and director of the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow. For services to medicine. 
• David Newell, emeritus professor of cancer therapeutics at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research. For services to medical research and drug development.
• Alison Park, professor of social research and director of CLOSER at UCL’s Institute of Education. For services to the social sciences.

Among those appointed OBE:

• Jane Armitage, professor of clinical trials and epidemiology at the MRC Population Health Research Unit, University of Oxford. For services to medical research.
• John Armitage, emeritus professor of cryobiology in the Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences and former director of Bristol Tissue Bank, for his services to corneal transplantation.
• Shirley Atkinson, former vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland. For services to widening participation in higher education.
• Christopher John Brown, chair of council of the University of Huddersfield. For services to higher education.
• Anne Carlisle, vice-chancellor of Falmouth University. For services to higher education in Cornwall.
• David Cunningham, professor of cancer medicine at the Institute for Cancer Research. For services to cancer treatment.
• Ian Deary, professor of differential psychology and director of the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh. For services to the social sciences.
• Malcom Dick, director of the Centre for West Midlands History at the University of Birmingham. For services to history in the West Midlands.
• Brian Dolan, visiting professor of nursing at the Oxford Institute for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research. For services to nursing and emergency care.
• Charlie Foster, reader in physical activity and public health in the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, in recognition of his work to promote of physical activity.
• Hugh Griffiths, Thales/Royal Academy of Engineering Chair of RF Sensors at UCL. For services to engineering.
• Sarah Hainsworth, pro vice-chancellor and executive dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and a professor of materials and forensic engineering, Aston University. For services to engineering and forensic science.
• Jagbir Jhutti-Johal, senior lecturer in Sikh Studies at the University of Birmingham. For services to higher education, faith communities and the voluntary sector.
• Raymond Linforth, vice-chancellor and principal, University College Birmingham. For services to higher and further education in the West Midlands.
• Helen Margetts, professor of society and the internet and former director at the Oxford Internet Institute. For services to social and political science.
• David Martin, professor of geography, University of Southampton. For services to geography and population studies.
• James McElnay, pro-vice-chancellor for research, enterprise and postgraduate affairs at Queen’s University Belfast. For services to higher education and pharmacy.
• May Nevill, head of sports science, the School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University. For services to sport and sports science.
• Rafaella Ocone, professor of chemical engineering, Heriot-Watt University. For services to engineering.
• Nicola Phillips, professor of sport and exercise physiotherapy, Cardiff University. For services to physiotherapy.
• Lynette Ryals, director of Cranfield School of Management and programme director for MK:U. For services to higher education.
• Jennifer Schooling, director, Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction, University of Cambridge. For services to engineering and digital construction.
• Jonathan Seckl, Moncrieff Arnott Professor of molecular medicine and vice-principal, planning, resources and research policy, University of Edinburgh. For services to endocrinology.
• Kate Tiller, reader emerita in English local history, University of Oxford. For services to local history.
• Stephen Wootton, associate professor in human nutrition, University of Southampton. For services to nutrition and physical exercise.

Among those appointed MBE:

• Susan Allen, director of estates and commercial services, University of Glasgow. For services to higher education.
• Catherine Bell, former director, development and alumni, University of Glasgow. For services to education and charity.
• Stacey Johnson, associate professor, University of Nottingham. For services to healthcare and higher education equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Derek Jones, director, Cardiff University Brain Imaging Research Centre. For services to medical imaging and the promotion of science engagement.
• Valsa Koshy, emeritus professor, Brunel University London. For services to education.
• Stephen Mobbs, director, National Centre for Atmospheric Science and professor, atmospheric dynamics at the University of Leeds. For services to atmospheric sciences.
• Gail Rothnie, head of outreach, University of Birmingham. For services to widening participation in higher education.
• Lucinda Rumsey, senior tutor, Mansfield College, University of Oxford. For services to widening participation in higher education.
• Barbara Ryan, professor of optometry and vision sciences at Cardiff University. For services to optometry.
• Jacqueline Stevenson, sociologist and head of research, Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University. For services to education.
• Arthur Summerfield, professor of psychology, University of York. For services to psychology and people with hearing loss.

Among those appointed Medallist of the Order of the British Empire:

• John Jardine, retired University Bedellus at the University of St Andrews. For services to the University of St Andrews and the community in St Andrews, Fife.
• Gwen Smyth, residential life manager, accommodation Queen’s University Belfast. For services to education.
• Sarah Starbuck, cleaner, school of social sciences, Queen’s University Belfast. For services to higher education.

Among those appointed Order of the British Empire:

• Joanna Dunkley, professor of physics and astrophysics, Princeton University. For services to science.
• Ian Hancock, professor of linguistics, University of Texas at Austin. For services to creole linguistics, Romani studies and community development.
• Adrian Owen, Canada Excellence Research Chair in cognitive neuroscience and imaging at Western University. For services to scientific research.

anna.mckie@timeshighereducation.com