New Year Honours

Professor Ann Dowling from the Department of Engineering and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College is to become a Dame for services to Science, while Professor Andrew Hopper, Head of the Computer Laboratory and a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, is to be made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the computer industry.

Ann Dowling is Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the University Gas Turbine Partnership with Rolls-Royce, and Head of the Division in which research in aeronautics and energy is carried out in the University of Cambridge. She has held visiting posts at MIT (Jerome C Hunsaker Visiting Professor, 1999) and at Caltech (Moore Distinguished Scholar 2001).

Professor Dowling works primarily in the fields of combustion, acoustics and vibration and her research is aimed, in particular, at low-emission combustion and quiet vehicles. She is the UK lead of the Silent Aircraft Initiative, a collaboration between researchers at Cambridge and MIT who have recently released the conceptual design of an ultra-low noise and fuel efficient aircraft, SAX40.

Professor Dowling is a Fellow of the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering (Vice-President 1999-2002) and is a Foreign Associate Member of the French Academy of Sciences. She serves on a number industry and government advisory committees, and chaired the EPSRC’s Technical Opportunities Panel (2003-06) and the Royal Society/Royal Academy of Engineering study on nanotechnology. She was appointed CBE for services to Mechanical Engineering in 2002.

Professor Andrew Hopper is Professor of Computer Technology and Head of Department in The Computer Laboratory at the University.

He is a world leader in computer network design and mobile computing, distinguished for his use of large industry-based research groups to develop new concepts and their commercial exploitation in tandem. His vision of 'Sentient Computing', involving the movement of people and sensors, has widely inspired academic research. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society last May and is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Former Senior Bursar at Trinity College Dr John Bradfield is to receive a knighthood for services to science, business and the community in Cambridge. He spearheaded the foundation of Cambridge Science Park in the early 70s and was its director for many years. He was made a CBE in 1985.

After 46 years' service to the Department of Zoology Peter Barlow has been made an MBE for his services to higher education. He retired last March after a long career which began when he entered the department as a student technician on day release.