The president of the British Academy has been made a dame in the King¡¯s 2025 Birthday Honours, with a number of university leaders and high-profile academics, including economist Mariana Mazzucato, also recognised for their services.

Julia Black, president of the academy and professor of law at the London School of Economics (LSE), received a damehood for services to research in the arts, humanities and social sciences. The legal scholar has advised the Bank of England and other key institutions, and served as interim LSE director.

Ursula Martin, emeritus professor at the University of Oxford, was also awarded a damehood for services to science and education, as was Chi Onwurah, chair of Parliament¡¯s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee. And Vernon Gibson, visiting professor at Imperial College London and former chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Defence, was knighted for services to science and defence.

A number of top scholars were recognised for their academic work, including Mazzucato, professor in the economics of innovation and public value at University College London, who receives a CBE.

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The author and founder and director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose is an?authority on the role of the state in economic transformation, and on ¡°mission-driven¡± innovation.

Astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a visiting professor at Oxford and the first female president of the Institute of Physics, has become one of the 65 members of the Order of the Companions of Honour, alongside the artist Anthony Gormley.

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Simon Wessely, regius professor of psychiatry at King¡¯s College London, has received a Knight Grand Cross ¨C the highest rank in the Order of the British Empire. Wessely, a former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal Society of Medicine, was honoured for services to mental health.

Several university leaders were recognised for their services to higher education. Sarah Greer, vice-chancellor of the University of Winchester, and Jane Longmore, recently retired vice-chancellor of the University of Chichester, both received CBEs. Lynn Dobbs, who recently stepped down as vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan University, has been awarded an OBE.

And Liam Smeeth, director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, was awarded a CBE for services to public health and education.

Emily Shuckburgh, director of Cambridge Zero and professor of environmental data science at the University of Cambridge, and Gabriele Hegerl, professor of climate system science at the University of Edinburgh, received CBEs for their work on climate change.

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In total, 13 people were recognised for their services to higher education, including a CBE for Philip Walker, chair of council at the University of Roehampton.

Wayne Campbell, former academic registrar at the University of York, Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, and Hanifa Shah, pro vice-chancellor at Birmingham City University (BCU) received CBEs.

There were MBEs for Frances Andrews, professor of history at the University of St Andrews; Karen Henderson, director of research and innovation at the University of Reading; Sharon Arkell, dean of the faculty of education, health and wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton; Amanda Wilcox, pro vice-chancellor at York St John University; and Umeshkumar Desai, BCU¡¯s director of estates and facilities.

And Aruna Mistry, a laboratory teacher at the University of Birmingham, was awarded the British Empire Medal.

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patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com