Newnham fellow Rachel Padman has become the inaugural recipient of the Barbara Burford Honour for Excellence in STEM.

Padman, who is a transgender woman originally from Australia, gained her undergraduate degree at Monash University before coming to Cambridge in 1977 for her PhD. She came out as transgender a year later. She was appointed lecturer in 1998, and is currently a lecturer at the Department of Physics.

The nine Gay Times honours are given to commend those who have “paved the way for justice, visibility and equality,” and as such are named posthumously for “trailblazers” in the community.

The award received by Padman is given in honour of Barbara Burford, a prominent civil servant who campaigned for greater diversity in the public sector until her death in 2010.

Earlier this term, Padman spoke to Varsity about Murray Edwards’ recent change to their admissions policy, which means that accept transgender and transitioning women will be able to apply to the college without needing to have their gender recognised by law.

Padman was at the centre of controversy in 1996, when her election to the fellowship at Newnham College was criticised by Germaine Greer. Greer argued that, since Padman was born a man, her election would contravene the college’s statutes.

At the award ceremony at the National Portrait Gallery on Saturday, Padman said: “The Gay Times Honours recognise ’those who have had a tremendous impact on what it means for LGBT+ people to live openly and freely in modern Britain.“

It is humbling to be in the same company as activists like Euan Sutherland, Rikki Beadle-Blair and the team from EastEnders, but it’s also an affirmation that it’s possible to make a difference simply by being a visible role model in a field like physics.”