Monday, 10 June 2019
Melanie Leng, Professor of Isotope Geoscience, is one of three Queen’s Birthday Honours being celebrated by The University of Nottingham today.
Professor Leng, of the School of Biosciences, who is also Chief Scientist for Environmental Change Adaptation and Resilience at the British Geological Survey, has been awarded an MBE for services to environmental research.
The honour recognises her work as Director of the Centre for Environmental Chemistry, a collaboration between the University of Nottingham and the British Geological Survey where she heads a specialised laboratory researching environmental and climate change, human impact on the environment, food security and resource management.
Professor Melanie Leng
Part of the Centre for Environmental Geochemistry has recently been commissioned by NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) as a national facility to provide geochemistry expertise and collaboration to the UK’s environmental research community and especially as a training facility for young environmental scientists.
“I am delighted to be awarded an MBE, which recognises my work on behalf of the University of Nottingham and the British Geological Survey.
She continued: “I have been fortunate in my career to collaborate with some fantastic scientists who have worked with me on environmental issues including understanding past environmental and climate change from natural archives such as soils and lake sediments and understanding how conditions on Earth have and are changing due to human impact on the environment.
“Over the last few years we have established the Centre for the Environmental Geochemistry – a collaboration between the University of Nottingham and the British Geological Society - which is a growing brand recognised for research in the environmental sciences.”
Harminder Dua, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, in the University’s School of Medicine, has been awarded a CBE for services to eye healthcare, health education and ophthalmology.
Professor Dua’s most famous contribution to ophthalmology was his research group’s discovery of a previously undetected layer of the human cornea in 2013. His work to develop our understanding of this Pre-Decemet layer – also dubbed Dua’s Layer - has already informed three new surgical techniques and made lamellar corneal transplantation safer.
He served as co-Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Ophthalmology and is a past president of both EuCornea and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. He was made Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in September 2018.
I was thrilled to receive this great honour, which was not something I expected. On reflection, this is clearly a recognition of the multitude of individuals from amongst my family, friends, colleagues and students, who helped me reach where I am. I am proud to be part of the University of Nottingham and the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Congratulations also to Rosie Tressler on her award of OBE for services to mental health in higher education. A Nottingham alumna and former Student Union Equal Opportunities and Welfare Officer, Rosie is CEO of Student Minds, with whom the University is collaborating on the recently announced Office for Students-funded project to develop a sector-wide approach to supporting the mental health of international students.
Story credits
More information is available from Emma Thorne, Head of Media in the Communications Office at The University of Nottingham, on +44 (0)115 951 5793, emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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