King's College London

Team GB sprinter and 2019 200m World Champion Dina Asher-Smith (History, 2017) became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours list. The sprinter, who also won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 4x100m, received the MBE for her contribution to athletics.

Honours for families, arts and women in business

Other alumni who were honoured included:

• Helen Bonnick (Child Studies, 2006) received an MBE for services to families. The alum, social worker and researcher, whose masters dissertation at King’s focused on the then-little-known topic of child-to-parent abuse, is a respected specialist in this area. A published author, her website, www.holesinthewall.co.uk, acts as an international discussion and resource hub for this subject.
• Dr Henry Brünjes (Medicine, 1980) is a philanthropist and health executive who trained at Guy’s in the late 1970s. A former chair of the board of the English National Opera and a founding fellow of the College of Medicine, he was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the arts.
• Bethan Darwin (Law, 1987) is the founding partner of a law practice, a volunteer for the Cardiff Law Centre and a lecturer on discrimination law. She is also the founder of Superwoman, a businesswomen's charity networking group. She was awarded an MBE for services to women in business and to charity.

Alumni-turned-staff honoured

Two alumni-turned-members-of-staff were also among those honoured:

• Professor Nicola Fear (Pharmacology, 1991) studied at King’s for her undergraduate degree in the 1990s. She returned as a member of staff to our Department of Military Mental Health in 2004. She became a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to veteran and military family health.
• Professor Stephanie Amiel (Medicine, 1978), who trained at Guy’s College in the 1970s, became a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE). The Emeritus Professor at King’s was awarded this honour for services to people living with diabetes.

The complete list

The full list of King’s alumni honoured is below:

• Professor Stephanie Amiel (Medicine, 1978): DBE for services to people living with diabetes
• Professor Louise Archer (Academic Pedagogic Practice, 2007): OBE for services to education
• Dina Asher-Smith (History, 2017): MBE for services to athletics
• Colonel Russell Atherton (Defence Studies, 2020): MBE for services to the military
• Group Captain Neill Atkins (Defence Studies, 2018): OBE for services to the military
• Dr Roger Bland (Classics, 1978): CBE for services to heritage
• Helen Bonnick (Child Studies, 2006): MBE for services to families
• Professor Leszek Borysiewicz (Life, Basic Medical & Health Sciences, 1981): GBE for services to cancer research, to clinical research, to medicine and to charities
• Air Commodore Nigel Bradshaw (Defence Studies, 2001): CBE for services to heritage
• Professor Keith Brown (Nursing Studies, 1984): MBE for services to adult safeguarding
• Dr Henry Brünjes (Medicine, 1980): CBE for services to the arts
• Colonel Sebastian Burn (Defence Studies, 2020): OBE for services to the military
• Colonel Alistair Carns (Defence Studies, 2016): DSO for service to the military
• Shanez Cheytan (European Studies, 2002): OBE for services to rail passengers and transport
• Diane Corner (International Relations & Contemporary War, 2020): CMG for services to British foreign policy
• Commander Stuart Crombie (International Relations & Contemporary War, 2018): OBE for services to the military
• Andrew Cropley (Defence Studies, 1999): MBE for services to the community of Ashfield and Mansfield
• Bethan Darwin (Law, 1987): MBE for services to women in business and to charity
• Dr Peter Dawson (Medicine, 1973): BEM for services to the community in Lincolnshire
• Squadron Leader Simon Devenish (Defence Studies, 2008): MBE for services to the military
• Professor Nicola Fear (Pharmacology, 1991): CBE for services to veteran and military family health
• James Gurd (War Studies & History, 2009): MBE for political and public service
• Andrew Haines (History, 1985): Knighted for services to the transport sector and to the economy
• Stewart Harrison (International Government, 2021): MBE for services to digital skills education for young learners in Gibraltar
• Beverley Higgs (Criminology & Criminal Justice, 2012): MBE for services to the administration of justice
• General Gwyn Jenkins (Defence Studies, 2005): Knighted for services to the military
• Air Vice-Marshall Tamara Jennings (Defence Studies, 2013): CB for services to the military
• Colonel Anna Kimber (Defence Studies, 2004): OBE for services to the military
• Alan Kurtz (Primary Care & Community Pharmacy, 2001): BEM for services to community pharmacy
• Rear-Admiral Thomas Mansion (Defence Studies, 1999): CB for services to the military
• Dr Emma Meredith (Medicine & Surgery, 1994): OBE for services to business and consumers
• Wing Commander Noel Rees (Defence Studies, 2020): OBE for services to the military
• Dr Joan Rutherford (Psychiatry): OBE for services to the administration of justice
• Air Commodore James Savage (Defence Studies, 2008): CBE for services to the military
• Lieutenant-Colonel Adam Shindler (Military & Security Studies, 2018): MBE for services to the military
• Thomas Solloway (War Studies, 2012): OBE for services to defence
• Wing Commander Kevin Terrett (Defence Studies, 2020): OBE for services to the military
• Rear-Admiral Judith Terry (Defence Studies, 2012): CB for services to the military
• Brigadier Lucinda Westerman (Defence Studies, 2020): CBE for services to the military
• Sally Weston (Law, 1992): OBE for public service
• John Westwell (Mathematics Education, 2000): MBE for services to education
• Group Captain Michael Wilson (Defence Studies, 2014): OBE for services to the military
• Professor Florence Wong (Medical Sciences, 1995): CBE for services to diabetes and metabolism
• Professor Zaheer Yousef (Medicine, 1991): OBE for services to the treatment of heart failure

We’ve done our best to identify all alumni recognised in the honours list. But if you know an individual we’ve missed, please do let us know.