Honours and awards
New Year’s Honours
Three Oxford academics were recognised:
Professor Valerie Beral, Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit, was made a DBE for services to science.
Professor Marcus du Sautoy, Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Professor of Mathematics, was made an OBE for services to science.
Professor Bob Williams, Royal Society’s Napier Research Professor Emeritus, was made an MBE for services to the community in North Oxford.
Queen’s Birthday Honours
Four Oxford academics were recognised:
Professor Fergus Millar, FBA, FSA, Camden Professor Emeritus of Ancient History, was knighted for services to scholarship.
Professor David MacDonald, Professor of Wildlife Conservation and Director of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit in the Department of Zoology, was made a CBE for services to natural sciences.
Dr Peter Carey, emeritus fellow of Trinity College and co-founder of the Cambodia Trust, was made an MBE for services to the rehabilitation of the disabled in South East Asia.
Dame Valerie Beral, Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit, was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australian Queen’s Birthday Honours list for ‘eminent service to medicine and women’s health through significant advances in cancer research and epidemiology, through seminal contributions to public health policy and as a mentor to young scientists’.
Royal Society
The achievements of seven Oxford academics have been recognised by the Royal Society.
Professor Sir David Cox, FRS, honorary fellow of Nuffield College and Warden 1988–94, was one of two recipients of the Copley Medal. He was awarded the prize for his contributions to the theory and applications of statistics.
Professor Allen Hill, of the Department of Chemistry, was awarded the Royal Medal for his pioneering work on protein electrochemistry, which revolutionised the diagnostic testing of glucose and many other bioelectrochemical assays.
Professor Carol Robinson, FRS, Royal Society Professor and Dr Lee’s Professor of Chemistry, was awarded the Davy Medal for her ground-breaking and novel use of mass spectrometry for the characterisation of large protein complexes.
Dr Graeme Segal, FRS, of the Mathematical Institute, was awarded the Sylvester Medal for his work on the development of topology, geometry and quantum field theory, bridging the gap between physics and pure mathematics.
Professor Katherine Blundell, Professor of Astrophysics and University Research Fellow of the Royal Society, won the Rosalind Franklin Award.
Professor Gil McVean, University Lecturer in Mathematical Genetics, was selected to give the Francis Crick Lecture.
Dame Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, DBE, FRS, FRAS, Visiting Professor in Astrophysics, was awarded the Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture in recognition of her excellence in communicating science.
Four Oxford researchers were elected as new Fellows:
Philip Candelas, Rouse-Ball Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute.
Georg Gottlob, Professor of Computing Science.
Robert C Griffiths, Professor of Mathematical Genetics.
Ian Hickson, Professor of Molecular Oncology at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine.
British Academy
Eight Oxford academics were elected as new Fellows:
Eric Clarke, Heather Professor of Music.
Professor Robert Gildea, Professor of Modern History.
Professor Cecilia Heyes, Senior Research Fellow in Theoretical Life Sciences at All Souls College and in the Department of Experimental Psychology.
Terence Irwin, Professor of Ancient Philosophy in the Faculty of Philosophy.
Aditi Lahiri, Professor of Linguistics.
Professor Emilie Savage-Smith of the Faculty of Oriental Studies and Senior Research Consultant of the Bodleian Library.
Michael Sheringham, Marshal Foch Professor of French Literature.
Roland Smith, Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art.
American Academy
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, was elected to join the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of America’s most prestigious honorary societies. Professor Hamilton was elected as a Foreign Honorary Member for his work in chemistry.
Sheldon medal
In March Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman were awarded the prestigious Sheldon Medal – the University's highest level of recognition for philanthropy – for their £25 million gift to Christ Church. The couple’s donation is the largest financial gift in the college’s history and among the largest ever by an alumnus to an Oxford college.
Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors
In Michaelmas term 2009, seven new members were admitted to the Court in recognition of their generosity to the collegiate University. The benefactors admitted were:
Graham Sharp, Founder of the Helsington Foundation; Martin Smith, Founder and Partner of Oxford-based Beaumont Partners; Dr Elise Becket Smith, an arts administrator in the classical music world; Dr Lawrence Tseu, a well-respected Hawaii dentist; Dr Catherine Wills, Trustee of the Dulverton Trust, as the representative of the Dulverton Trust; Christopher Lintott, partner of Penningtons Solicitors LLP, as the representative of the City Solicitors’ Educational Trust; and Peter Mather, Head of Country, UK and vice-president, Europe Region at BP, as the representative for BP.
In addition, eight members were honoured with the new Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors Fellowship as a result of their exceptional support for the University. The new CCB Fellows are:
Dr James Martin; Mr Paul Ramsbottom, representing the Wolfson Foundation; Mr Wafic Rida Saїd and Mrs Rosemary Saїd; Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover and Lady Sainsbury, representing the Linbury Trust; Dame Stephanie Shirley, representing the Shirley Foundation; and Mr Guy Weston, representing the Garfield Weston Foundation.