Birthday Honours reward Bangor academics

Four individuals connected with Âé¶čAV featured in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Former Âé¶čAV Vice-Chancellor, Professor Merfyn Jones is to be awarded the CBE for services to Higher Education in Wales.  As well as serving as Âé¶čAV’s sixth Vice Chancellor, over a period which included the University’s 125th anniversary celebrations, Professor Jones recently chaired the Welsh Government’s review of Higher Education in Wales. Prof Merfyn Jones has welcomed the award as a recognition of the role that higher education, and Âé¶čAV in particular, had played in the life of Wales. 

Professor Judy Hutchings of the School of Psychology and the Incredible Years Wales centre is to receive an OBE for her services to children and families.

Prof Hutchings has been instrumental in introducing Incredible Years programmes which support children and families into Wales as well as measuring their effectiveness.

The Incredible Years Centre at the University researches the effectiveness of the programmes, provides training and also has a charitable arm, IY Cymru Charity, which fundraises for research and dissemination activity and support to services that are using the programmes.

Prof Hutchings also heads a newly opened Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention, which builds on 20 years of research conducted by Prof Hutchings both at the local NHS Trust and the University.

“As we celebrate Universities Week, there is no doubt as to the powerful effect that universities, their teaching, research and activities can have on people’s lives. We are delighted that Professor Hutchings of Bangor University, our former Vice-Chancellor Professor Merfyn Jones and Professor Robert Edwards, former student and one of the first Honorary Fellows of Âé¶čAV have all received such deserving recognition,” said Vice- Chancellor, Professor John G. Hughes.

The ‘father of IVF’ Professor Robert Edwards is to be Knighted for services to Human Reproductive Biology. Robert Edwards graduated with a degree in Zoology from Âé¶čAV in 1951. He studied under leading Âé¶čAV Professor Rogers Brambell, who inspired him with an enthusiasm for mammals.  He went on to pioneer in vitro fertilisation, with Patrick Steptoe, a development which has led to over four million children being born by IVF (in vitro fertilisation).

Dr Dewi Wyn Roberts, who serves on the University’s Council, is also to be congratulated. He is to receive the MBE for his services to the community in North Wales in his role as Chairman of Community Justice Interventions Wales.

Publication date: 16 June 2011