The Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC’s) immediate past president, Gill Reid, is one of several members of the chemical sciences community to have been recognised in the UK’s 2025 new year honours list.
Reid, who has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the chemical sciences and to inclusion and diversity, described the honour as one of her ‘proudest moments’.
‘That the citation refers to both the chemical sciences and inclusion and diversity, is significant to me,’ she said. ‘I firmly believe that we must strive to create a truly inclusive chemistry community that welcomes diversity and inspires young talent to follow careers in chemistry. More than ever, bringing together different talents and experiences is essential to tackle the climate, sustainability and biodiversity challenges that the world faces.’
Helen Pain, chief executive of the RSC, said she was ‘delighted’ that Reid had been recognised for her ‘incredible’ services to the chemical sciences. ‘Her leadership as immediate past president of the Royal Society of Chemistry and her commitment to enabling young people access to an excellent science education and opportunities for life-long careers in chemistry, are just two examples of the impact she has made,’ Pain added. ‘I have worked with Gill for many years and I am so grateful to her as a role model for leadership within our discipline.’
Also to be recognised in the 2025 honours was Ijeoma Uchegbu, professor of pharmaceutical nanoscience in the School of Pharmacy at University College London and chief scientific officer of the pharmaceutical nanotechnology spinout Nanomerics, who was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the chemical sciences and to inclusion and diversity.
Uchegbu, who took up the position of president of Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge last year and became an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2022, has played a key role in the RSC’s work on inclusion and diversity – including its Missing elements report – in line with her work as UCL’s pro vice provost for Africa and the Middle East and UCL provost’s envoy for race equality.
Pain said Uchegbu’s honour was ‘testament’ to her ‘groundbreaking research’ using nanoparticles to formulate medicines to help control drug transport around the body which she described as ‘incredibly promising’. ‘Ijeoma plays such an important leadership role in so many aspects of her career, so it is fitting that this honour captures her unique contribution across science,’ Pain added.
Also to be recognised in the new years honours was Harry Destecroix, founder of Science Creates – an ecosystem that helps scientists and engineers accelerate their ideas and build businesses from scientific discoveries – who was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to science. Destecroix was the 2023 Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the year.
Paul Monks, professor of atmospheric chemistry and earth observation science at the University of Leicester and chief scientific adviser for the department for energy security and net zero in the UK government was recognised with a Companions of the Order of the Bath (CB) for services to science in government.
Peter Thompson, chief executive officer of the National Physical Laboratory, the UK’s National Metrology Institute, also received a CB for his services to science and technology.
Finally, Rosalind Rickaby, chair of geology at the University of Oxford, was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to biogeochemistry.
No comments yet