Delight for alumni in New Year’s Honours

18 Jan 2016

Seven University alumni have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list

Seven members of the University of Manchester alumni community have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director for Wales Dr Ruth Hussey OBE (MSc Community Medicine 1987) was awarded Companion of the Order of the Bath for services to healthcare.

She was appointed to her current role in September 2012, with her award recognising both this and her former positions as Regional Director of Public Health and Senior Medical Director at NHS North West, as well as leading the Department of Health in the north-west.

The University’s Professor Karen Luker, Queen’s Nursing Institute Professor of Community Nursing and former Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, was also awarded a CBE, this time for services to nursing. She told the University of Manchester website that she sees the award “as recognition of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, and the hard work of all the staff.”

Also in health, Julia Flaherty (Cert Education for Further Education Teachers 1992), who has cared for more than half a million children during her career, was awarded an MBE for services to paediatric nursing.

Catherine Arlidge (MusB 1987), one of only four recipients of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Salomon Prize, was awarded MBE for services to musical education, and Paul Chidgey was awarded the BEM for services to education. He has been described by the Cabinet Office as an “inspirational figure in education in Manchester for over 50 years” and is currently Chairman of Governors at The Barlow RC High School.

An MBE was also awarded to Stacey Davis (MSc Management & Implementation of Development Projects 2008) for services to law and order. Stacey, from Oldham, has worked with criminal justice and voluntary organisations across the north-west to increase understanding and reporting of hate crime.

Lieutenant Commander Paul Thomson (MEng Aerospace Engineering 2003) was awarded an MBE in recognition of his outstanding performance as the senior engineer officer on 17 (Reserve) Squadron. Currently serving at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall as the senior engineer for the Fixed Wing Force, Paul played a vital role in establishing a new joint Royal Navy/RAF engineering structure, enabling the preparation and delivery of the technologically complex F35B Lightning II aircraft into United Kingdom service.