Royal recognition

The outstanding achievements of University experts have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for 2019.  

Professor Nicola Phillips, Professor Barbara Ryan and Professor Derek Jones all received honours in recognition of their contribution and achievements in their respective fields.

Professor Phillips receives an OBE for services to physiotherapy.

Professor Phillips’s passion is widely recognised amongst her profession as is her ability to juggle the demands of clinical and academic work.

She is also widely recognised for her work at high profile sporting events and has travelled extensively with Welsh and British Teams to major games, including Commonwealth and Olympic games.

She acted as Chef de Mission for Team Wales at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Professor Phillips said: “I am passionate about my profession and the role physios play in helping people to get active and stay active – whether that is getting off the sofa or competing on a world stage.

“Seeing how the role of physios in the sporting world has developed over the last 20-30 years is very rewarding and playing a part in helping develop professionals who can support athletes of all abilities is very rewarding.

“I feel very lucky to have had the opportunities to help make a difference in something I love doing.”

Professor Barbara Ryan was awarded an MBE for services to optometry.

Professor Ryan is the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences’ Director of postgraduate programmes and Co-Director of the Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC), the world’s first dedicated centre of postgraduate optometry study.

Her research is focused on the development of high-quality rehabilitation services for people with a visual impairment.

As an optometrist she continues to work in the community-based low vision service, the Low Vision Service Wales, which operates in over 200 optometry practices and is linked with social and voluntary sector services.

Professor Derek Jones receives an MBE for services to medical imaging and the promotion of science engagement.

He is the Director of the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) and widely recognised as one of its key driving forces.

As well as overseeing the scientific and strategic direction of the Centre, Professor Jones remains research active. His research focuses on maximising the amount of quantitative information that can be extracted about brain structure non-invasively using magnetic resonance imaging techniques.

Professor Jones said: "It's an extremely pleasant surprise. I was really pleased it mentioned the brain imaging centre. I feel I'm accepting on behalf of all the people who work there. It's a huge team effort."

Honorary Fellow Captain Hannah Graf (née Winterbourne) received an MBE for outstanding leadership.

Hannah remains the highest-ranking transgender soldier within the British Army and acts as the Army’s Transgender Representative, advising Senior Army commanders on transgender policy and mentoring the Army’s transgender soldiers.

Members of Cardiff University’s alumni community were also recognised in the New Year’s Honours list, including Dr Andrew Goodall (PhD 1997), Chief Executive of NHS Wales, who was awarded a CBE for services to Health, Social Care and public service in Wales.

Miss Susan Hemming OBE (LLB 1986), Head of Special Crime and Counter Terrorism for the Crown Prosecution Service, was awarded an MBE for services to law and order.

A Medal of the Order of the British Empire was awarded to Miss Ceri Harris (MSc 2008) and Mr Jeffrey Howard (BMus 1990), whilst there was an MBE for Miss Caroline Matthews (LLB Law 1997, PGDip 1998), Rev Peter William Stephen King (MTh 2014) and Mrs Gail Powell (DIP1) and OBEs for Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann (BScEcon 1982, PhD 1999), Professor David Martin (PhD 1989) and Mr Richard Stephenson (PGDip 1998).

The full list of New Year’s Honours 2019 can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/news/the-new-years-honours-list-2019.