RCUK would like to congratulate the following Research Council colleagues on receiving an award in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
Georgina Mace FRS, Director of the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) Centre for Population Biology, has been awarded a CBE for services to environmental science.
Professor Mace became Director of the Centre for Population Biology (CPB) in September 2006. Prior to this she was the Director of Science at the Zoological Society of London. In her role at CPB she leads a large team of scientists working on diverse research projects including biodiversity patterns, ecology and evolution.
Dr Monica Winstanley, Head of External Relations at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has been awarded an OBE for her services to science.
Dr Winstanley began her career studying molecular biology at the University of Edinburgh, completing her PhD in Birmingham. She has worked for BBSRC and its predecessors since 1979. She is also a member of RCUK's Science in Society group - created to take a strategic overview of the Research Councils' Science in Society activities which raise public awareness of, and engage in, science and innovation and the promotion of science in schools.
She says: "I was very flattered to find out I had been nominated so I'm delighted to hear I have been given it. I'm obviously very pleased and it is great to be recognised. Much of my work is directed at raising awareness of the work we do here so this will help."
Helen Thorne, Head of RCUK Secretariat, has been awarded an MBE for services to the administration of science.
Ms Thorne took up her present post as the first Head of Secretariat to the newly established RCUK partnership in 2002. Prior to that, she worked for the Natural Environment Research Council as Head of Evaluation, becoming Head of Strategic Planning in 2000.
She says, "I'm delighted to receive this honour for services to the administration of science.
"The UK has excellent scientists, engineers and researchers. Their ideas and inventiveness are responsible for some incredible advances in knowledge and understanding and have a huge if often unsung impact on our lives.
"I'm immensely privileged to have worked with all seven of the UK's research councils over the last five years - it has provided a wonderful insight into much of the exciting research we are doing in this country."
Hugh Pilcher-Clayton, retired Programme Manager for High Performance Computing at the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, has been awarded an MBE for service to the administration of science.
Mr Pilcher-Clayton joined the Science and Engineering Research Council, the predecessor to EPSRC, in 1990 as a Senior Executive Officer. He was promoted in 1992 and moved to the Information Technology Directorate managing research projects, followed by a similar role in the Innovative Manufacturing Directorate. He assumed responsibility for the HPC Programme in June 2000 and played a vital role in developing a more dynamic strategy.