New Year Honours: Imperial achievements recognised

Professor Maggie Dallman OBE was honoured for her contributions to bioscience

Several Imperial staff, alumni and friends have been awarded with New Year's Honours.

Alumnus Michael Uren (Mechanical Engineering, 1943) received a knighthood for his services to philanthropy. Among Sir Michael’s philanthropic investments is a £40 million gift to found the Michael Uren Biomedical Engineering Research Hub at Imperial’s White City Campus. 

Sir Michael Uren

Professor Maggie Dallman, Associate Provost (Academic Partnerships), was awarded an OBE for services to bioscience. 

Commenting on her honour, Professor Dallman said: “I am truly delighted to have been recognised through the award of an OBE and have been deeply touched by the very many warm notes of congratulation I've received from colleagues, family and friends.

"The award reflects, I believe, my research and educational contributions in the biosciences, together with my work with agencies including the BBSRC, NC3Rs and medical charities – but none of this would have been possible without the many wonderful colleagues I have been inspired by and had the privilege of working with over the years both before and since moving to Imperial. I’m looking forward to the trip to the Palace with my nearest and dearest who have supported me throughout my career.”

Academic privilege

Professor David Miles CBE

David Miles, Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College Business School, received a CBE for services to monetary policy. Between 2009 and 2015, Professor Miles served on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee.  

On learning of his CBE, Professor Miles said:  “I was surprised and delighted to find out I had been nominated for this award. It’s an honour to be recognized for having made some contribution to the difficult task of setting monetary policy during an extraordinary period in this country’s economic history. Much of my current thinking about economic policy was shaped during my academic career at Imperial where I’ve had the privilege to work alongside some of the world’s leading experts in finance and economics.”

Clive Hargeaves (Civil Engineering, 1988), Technical Services and Facilities Manager in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was honoured with a British Empire Medal. Clive has supported the Department for 35 years as it rose to become one of the world’s top-ranked centres in its field.  

Alum Judith Hackitt (Chemical Engineering, 1975) was awarded a DBE for services to engineering and health and safety. Dame Judith is Chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 

Order of Merit

In addition to the honours announcements, the Queen has admitted three new members to the Order of Merit. The award, which is limited to 24 living recipients, is granted to those who have rendered exceptionally meritorious services towards the advancement of the arts, learning, literature and science.

The new members include Professor The Lord Darzi, Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial, for his contributions to medicine. Lord Darzi joins his colleague Sir Magdi Yacoub, Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, who joined the Order in 2014.

Sir James Dyson, who opened the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial last year, was admitted to the Order of Merit for his work in industrial design.

Sir James Dyson

Professor Dame Ann Dowling, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering who delivered Imperial’s Athena Lecture in 2015 and received an honorary doctorate from the College in 2013, also joined the Order.

Alumni success

Several other Imperial alumni were also recognised in the New Year’s Honours list. Among them were four recipients of the OBE: Ian Pigott (Wye College, 1992) for services to agricultural and countryside education; Josephine Farrar (MBA, 2000) for services to local government; Stephen Smye (MSc Physics, 1980) for services to healthcare research; and John Edmunds (PhD Biology 1993) for services to infectious disease control, particularly the Ebola crisis response in West Africa. Michael Jacobs (PhD, Surgery, Anaesthetics & Intensive Care, 1998) received a Knighthood for services to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

Two other alumni received British Empire Medals: Rudolf Oppenheimer (Electrical Engineering, 1953) for services to Holocaust education and awareness, and Robin Woodd (Civil Engineering, 1969) for services to the community in Hemel Hempstead, particularly through the Samaritans and St Mary’s Church. Paul Cosford (Medicine 1987) received a CB for services to public health.