The Queen’s Birthday Honours list announced on Friday included a number of university members.

Polly Courtice will be commended for her services to sustainability leadership, having founded, built, and led the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, which has spurred serious progress in sustainable practices in business and government for over 25 years.

Dame Courtice responded to the announcement, saying: “This is a wonderful recognition of the work of the Institute, its brilliant and dedicated staff and associates, and its global network of over 7,000 alumni.

“I’m delighted to be recognised for having built an institute that in many ways has pioneered leadership efforts to tackle global sustainability challenges.

“In recent decades there has been an important shift in the way many businesses have come to view their impact on society and the environment and we are glad to have played a small part in that.”

Professor Susan Gathercole will receive an OBE for services to psychology and education, having served as Director of the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the Medical Research Council.

Gathercole, a Fellow of the British Academy, is a cognitive psychologist who works on memory and learning, particularly in the causes of specific learning difficulties in children.
Her present work deals with cognitive mechanisms of working memory and how they might be modified through training.

Gathercole said: “I’m delighted and surprised in equal parts. It’s wonderful to receive this recognition of research that crosses the boundary between psychology and education.

“Engaging with education professionals who work on a daily basis with struggling learners has enriched the research of our excellent team immeasurably, and we will continue to build on this in coming years with the aim of improving children’s learning.”

Allen Packwood was also awarded an OBE for services to archives and scholarship. Packwood has been Director of the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College since 2002 and and was co-curator of ‘Churchill and the Great Republic’ at the Library of Congress.

He said: “Like all recipients I feel honoured, delighted and surprised in equal measure. I would certainly not be receiving this award without the support of all my wonderful colleagues in the Archives Centre, College and University”.

Fiona Duncan received the British Empire Medal for services to higher education, having worked in the field since 1982.
Duncan is the Departmental Administrator at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience and has contributed to the merger of the Departments of Anatomy and Physiology to create the current structure.

Commenting on the award, Duncan said: “This is an interesting and varied job. I am fortunate to work with academic and support staff, whom I like as people and respect as colleagues. They are committed to delivering world-class teaching and research.”