Members have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to society
Members have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to society
Professor Dame Ann Dowling has been appointed to the Order of Merit by HM The Queen.
The Order of Merit is given to those who have rendered exceptionally meritorious services towards the advancement of the arts, learning, literature and science. The award is in the personal gift of The Queen, and is limited to 24 recipients.
President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Dowling’s research is primarily in the fields of combustion, acoustics and vibration, aimed at low-emission combustion and quiet vehicles. The Professor of Mechanical Engineering is one of the founders of the Energy Efficient Cities initiative in Cambridge and was the UK lead of the Silent Aircraft Initiative.
She was appointed CBE for services to Mechanical Engineering in 2002, and promoted DBE for services to Science in 2007.
Dowling, a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, said: “I was surprised, delighted and very, very honoured to be appointed to the Order of Merit.”
Members of the University were also recognised in the New Year’s honours list. Professor David MacKay, the Regius Professor of Engineering since 2013, has been knighted ‘for services to scientific advice in Government and science outreach.’
Mackay, a Fellow of Darwin College, said: “I am absolutely delighted to receive this honour. I'd like to thank all those from across the political spectrum who supported my work advocating a numerate, engineering-based approach to energy policy and climate-change action, and the civil servants who taught me how to deliver scientific advice in Whitehall; I'd also like to express my gratitude to the University of Cambridge for their support for me throughout my career.”
Harvey McGrath, co-chair of the £2 billion fundraising campaign for the University and Colleges of Cambridge, was also knighted in the New Year’s honours list ‘for services to economic growth and public life’. McGrath, an Honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, is a philanthropist and businessman.
Professor of Neurology Alastair Compston was appointed CBE ‘for services to multiple sclerosis treatment’. Compston has been involved with research on the mechanisms and treatment of multiple sclerosis since 1976, the last 26 years based in Cambridge.
Apart from work identifying many genetic risk variants for susceptibility to the disease, he has introduced Alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) as a highly effective treatment for early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Since 2013, Alemtuzumab has been licensed throughout the world and is now used increasingly as a first-line therapy in young adults with this potentially disabling condition.
Compston, a Fellow of Jesus College, said: “I am delighted to receive this honour but especially pleased that the citation recognises the work of a large research community, in Cambridge and elsewhere, that has transformed the outlook for young people with multiple sclerosis facing an otherwise uncertain future.”
Dr Emily Shuckburgh has been appointed OBE 'for services to science and public communication of science'. A Fellow of Darwin College, she is a member of the Faculty of Mathematics and holds a number of positions in the University.
Image shows (left to right): Professor Sir David MacKay, Professor Alastair Compston, and Professor Dame Ann Dowling.
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