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We are delighted to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our remarkable alumnae, whose outstanding contributions have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell - Companion of Honour

World-renowned astrophysicist and Honorary Fellow, Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, has been appointed a Companion of Honour (CH), one of the highest accolades in the UK, for her exceptional services to Astronomy, Physics, and Diversity. This rare and distinguished honour highlights her lifelong dedication to science and her powerful advocacy for inclusion.

As a postgraduate student at Murray Edwards (then New Hall), Jocelyn discovered the first radio pulsars while studying and advised by her thesis supervisor Antony Hewish.  Hewish subsequently shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with astronomer Martin Ryle, and her omission from the award was globally criticised.  She was President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2002 to 2004, President of the Institute of Physics from October 2008 until October 2010, and was interim President following the death of her successor in early 2011.  Bell Burnell was elected as President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in October 2014.  In March 2013 she was elected Pro-Chancellor of the University of Dublin. Jocelyn is also Visiting Professor of Astrophysics, University of Oxford

Claudia Winkleman - Member of the Order of the British Empire

Broadcaster Claudia Winkleman has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her outstanding services to Broadcasting. Known for her wit, warmth, and originality, Claudia has become one of the most recognisable and influential figures in British media. Claudia is widely known for co-presenting the BBC One dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing and received her fourth BAFTA nomination and first win for presenting the BBC One reality show The Traitors.

Karen Addington - Member of the Order of the British Empire

CEO of , Karen has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), in recognition of her exceptional services to people with type 1 diabetes.

The award recognises Karen’s dedication and impact over the past 20 years at Breakthrough T1D, where, through her determined leadership, she has propelled the organisation through remarkable growth and change.

Anna Shiel - Member of the Order of the British Empire

Anna is Chief Investment Officer of and has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her outstanding contribution to social impact investment. She is a member of the Investment Committee and Executive Committee.

She joined Better Society Capital in 2012. Over the past ten years, she has helped shape BSC’s strategy and make investments which have grown the UK social impact investment market ten-fold to almost £8bn. Within this, she led on developing a number of segments of this market including social property funds, blended finance, place-based investment and community finance.

Professor Bridget Eickhoff - Member of the Order of the British Empire

Bridget is the Principal Infrastructure Engineer at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and has received the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to railway engineering.

A Cambridge maths graduate and chartered engineer, Bridget was at the forefront of developing computer software to inform understanding of rail vehicle dynamics, as well as ways to reduce the risk of derailment. Since joining RSSB in 2008, Bridget has had a lead role in developing and updating rail infrastructure standards and is a key expert on the engineering issues at the platform-train interface. 

For over 20 years, Bridget has played a key role in IMechE’s Railway Division, including serving as Chair of the Railway Division in 2012-13, and contributing to professional development, training, and mentoring future rail engineers.  

Bridget was made an Honorary Professor at Birmingham in 2018, having become a visiting lecturer on the MSc programme in Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield in 1995. Today, she is an important contributor to the railway postgraduate programmes run by the at the University of Birmingham. Within BCRRE she supports a range of activities linked to the MSc programmes, including the practical weekend in Wirksworth, and the PG Cert in Urban Railway Engineering (Singapore). In October 2019, Bridget was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineers.

We are incredibly proud to see the brilliance and impact of our alumnae recognised at the highest level.