New Year honours list: knighthoods for academics and Nobel laureates
This article was written by Stephen Bates, for The Guardian on Saturday 31st December 2011 00.01 UTC
A knighthood for the Oxford church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch, author of landmark works on Thomas Cranmer and the Reformation but perhaps best-known for his television series on the history of Christianity, comes as something of a rebuke to the Church of England. Macculloch turned to an academic career instead of his original intention of ordination because of the church’s attitude to gay people.
About 11% of the honours go to people working in education: among them Glynis Breakwell, vice-chancellor of the University of Bath who is made a dame in recognition of her efforts increasing her institution’s profile as a world-class research centre. Sylvia Morris, head of the Cathedral School of St Saviour and St Mary Overy in Soutwark, rated outstanding by Ofsted, is also made a dame.
A CBE goes to Jean Gross for her work in improving services to children with speech and communication difficulties and an MBE is awarded to Jeanette Orrey, the school catering manager credited with inviting Jamie Oliver to take an interest in children’s nutrition.
Science and technology make up 3% of the awards, with knighthoods for professors Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov (below), Manchester University’s Nobel Prize-winning physicists, and to Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, who received the Nobel chemistry prize three years ago for his work on DNA. Jonathan Ive, the British-born, American-resident designer of the iPad, iPod and iPhone, is awarded the KBE.
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