New Year's honours for Loughborough's athletes, alumni and honorary graduates
No fewer than 22 Loughborough University linked athletes, alumni and honorary graduates have been recognised in the Queen's New Year Honours list.
Following Britain’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic Games ever, many of the sporting inclusions focus around achievements in Rio de Janeiro, where Loughborough played a significant role in Team GB and Paralympics GB’s success.
Having captured the hearts of the nation, all of Team GB’s gold medal winning women’s hockey team have been awarded an MBE, including five Loughborough alumnae Giselle Ansley, Hannah MacLeod, Maddie Hinch, Laura Unsworth and Nicola White.
On the water, Liam Heath has also received an MBE for his gold and silver medal winning performances in his canoe, whilst Matt Gotrel, part of the gold medal winning men’s coxed eight rowing squad, received the same accolade.
Fellow alumnus Adam Duggleby has also been awarded an MBE for his efforts in the Paralympic Games, where he piloted his cycling partner Stephen Bate to double gold.
Loughborough based swimmer Adam Peaty has received an MBE in recognition of the medals he won in Rio, and there are also MBEs for Loughborough based Paralympic athletes Libby Clegg and her guide Chris Clarke, Sophie Hahn and Andy Lewis, as well as former Loughborough student and Paralympic swimmer Mikey Jones.
Alumnae Sonia Briscoe, who served as Chef de Mission at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and Karen Carney, who plays for the England Women's Football Team and Chelsea Ladies, have been awarded an OBE and an MBE respectively.
Outside of sport alumnus Christopher Newsome has been awarded an OBE for services to Civil Engineering and Carbon Reduction, and alumnus Gordon Phillips an MBE for services to young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
And four Loughborough honorary graduates have been recognised: Jonathan Agnew has received an MBE for services to broadcasting; Sir Roger Bannister CBE a Companion of Honour for services to sport; Dame Evelyn Glennie DBE a Companion of Honour for services to music; and Dr Christopher Simpkins a CBE for services to the Armed Forces community.
Loughborough University Vice Chancellor Professor Robert Allison said: “We would like to congratulate all of Loughborough’s New Year’s Honours recipients. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and delighted that they have been recognised.”
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.
The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.