Imperial celebrates Queen’s Birthday Honours recipients

Professor Nigel Brandon and Mr Alan West among those recognised – News

Friday 17 June 2011
by Colin Smith

Fostering sustainable energy research collaborations between the UK and an emerging Asian superpower and promoting wider student participation in higher education are some of the achievements of Imperial College London staff who have been recognised in this month’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

The List recognises the achievements of people across the full spectrum of public life. Among the Imperial staff being honoured in this year’s list are Imperial’s Professor Nigel Brandon, from the Energy Futures Laboratory (EFL), and Mr Alan West, from the Reach Out Lab.

Other awardees include Elisabeth Willemien Paice, Visiting Professor in the Department of Surgery and Cancer, who was awarded an OBE for services to medicine. Brian Gazzard, Visiting Professor in the Department of Medicine, was awarded a CBE for services to medicine. Dr David McIntosh, Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Department of Medicine was made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia. He was recognised for services to medicine, particularly in the areas of vaccines and infectious diseases. Several alumni were also honoured (see list below) including Mr John Loughhead who is  Execuitve Director of UKERC, which is based at Imperial.

Congratulating Imperial’s awardees, Sir Keith O’Nions, Rector of Imperial, said:

“The Honours list really brings home the amazing depth and breadth of activities that Imperial people are involved in. This ‘royal nod’ recognises the very best of British accomplishment and it is great to see Imperial staff, past and present, celebrated for the many hours of hard work that they dedicate to improving the world around us. On a more personal level, these awards represent a moment for families and close friends to feel justifiably proud of their loved ones, who are held in such high esteem both here and abroad. On behalf of the College, I congratulate this year’s recipients.”

Nigel Brandon OBE

Professor Brandon is the Director of the EFL, which is the College’s hub for interdisciplinary energy research. He was awarded his OBE for services to UK/China relations in science. Speaking about it, he said:

Professor Brandon joked that his children could now call him 'Dad OBE'

“My kids asked me the other day if they needed to address me differently now that I have this honour. I told them that they could address me as ‘dad OBE’! Jokes aside, I am absolutely delighted to receive this award. I know my family and my mum and dad are really proud. It is astounding to think that people went to all this trouble and did the reams of paperwork associated with this award to nominate me. I sincerely thank them, everyone else involved in the nomination process, and my wife Jan for her support with all my trips to China in recent years.”

For the past five years, Professor Brandon has been working with Research Councils UK as a Senior Fellow on their energy programme, with a focus on developing international collaborations between the UK and China. He has been the UK focal point on climate change, energy and the environment with China, working for the last four years with the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Science and Innovation Network in China on science policy issues and joint collaborations. So far, these initiatives have spawned 22 new research collaborations with a UK investment of more than £16 million pounds, supported by additional resources in China. Joint projects include developing new types of solar cell technologies and novel ways to make electric power generation cleaner.

Alan West MBE

Alan West is the Director of Imperial’s Reach Out Lab, which provides a high tech, multi-disciplinary space where teachers and students can get practical experience of science, participating in activities and experiments that many state schools would be unable to organise. He was awarded an MBE for services to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education (STEM).

Alan West says his honour was a complete surprise to him

Speaking about receiving this, Mr West said: “I had just come back from a conference in Houston Texas and discovered a special envelope in the mailbox, which my wife Moira and I opened together. It was a complete surprise for both of us and Moira was visibly moved and proud, which then stirred emotions in me. The second person I told was my mother who has been really ill in hospital. The news really lifted her spirits and helped her to understand what my work is all about.

“At the Lab we seek to recognise the value and contribution of young people. Now that the ‘shoe is on the other foot’ and I am being recognised, it feels like my contributions are being valued, which is a nice feeling. I can’t stop smiling,” he added.

For several decades, Mr West has been working with industry, government and schools to widen student participation in higher education. Alan’s work on behalf of Imperial College Outreach has helped to build up partnerships with a raft of organisations including Local Education Authorities, hundreds of schools, various trusts and a number of national and international organisations.

Among his many achievements, Mr West has been integral in establishing the Reach Out Lab with Imperial’s Professor Robert Winston. To date, more than 8,000 students and teachers have benefitted from the facility. Alongside his colleagues in Outreach he was recently recognised in the London Education Partnership Awards. The accolade, sponsored by the Wellcome Trust, recognised innovative and inspiring support for STEM subjects and efforts to widen student participation.

Imperial Alumni

Imperial alumni recognised with Honours:

Knights Bachelor
Knighthoods
Professor John Gregson, PhD and DIC Materials1983, for services to higher education

OBE
Officers of the British Empire
Professor Richard Lane, BSc DIC Biology 1974, PhD DIC Biology 1977, for services to museums
John Neil Loughhead, BSc ACGI Mechanical Engineering 1970, MSC DIC Mechanical Engineering 1971, for services to technology
Stephen Rumsey, for services to nature conservation

MBE
Members of the B ritish Empire
Robert Mitchell, BSc Agriculture 1980, for services to young people
Dewi Roberts, for services to the community in North Wales
Judith Webb, MSc DIC Environmental Technology 1982, for services to conservation in England
Bernard Robinson, BSC ARSM Geology 1969, Department for Works and Pensions