Staff
Professor Alison Fuller has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to higher education.
Dame Alison is Emeritus Professor of Vocational Education and Work at UCL IOE, Faculty of Education and Society. She is a leading scholar with an international reputation in the field of vocational education and training and education-to-work transitions, with a particular focus on issues of quality and progression. She is regularly consulted by policy makers on vocational education and apprenticeship policy, and has advised the Department for Education on the introduction of T Level qualifications focused on vocational skills.
She was the founding Chair of UCL's Collaborative Social Science Domain and has previously been Pro-Director (Research and Development) for IOE, leading on the development of structures, culture and strategies that facilitate and support world-leading educational and social research, and the vitality and sustainability of IOE’s research environment. Dame Alison is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Member of the Academia Europaea.
Dame Alison commented: "I was hugely surprised and humbled to be recognised for my services to higher education. I am delighted to accept this honour, and on behalf of all the inspirational and committed people I have worked with and that have helped and supported me throughout my career."
Professor Louise Archer has been awarded an OBE for services to education.
Professor Archer is currently the Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education and co-chair of the Centre for Sociology of Education and Equity, as well as a fellow of the British Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences.
She is passionate about social justice approaches to education and the potential for academic research to 'make a difference' to educational policy and practice. Her research seeks to understand educational identities and inequalities, particularly in relation to social class, gender and race/ethnicity across primary, secondary, higher and informal learning contexts.
Professor Archer has directed numerous large-scale national and international research studies, including the 14-year ESRC-funded ASPIRES study examining what shapes the trajectories of young people from age 10-22.
The impact of her research on supporting diversity and inclusion in STEM has also been recognised through prizes from the Royal Society (2022), ESRC (2020) and British Educational Research Association (2019).
Professor Archer said: "I feel hugely honoured by this award. I'd like to express my deepest thanks to all the fantastic colleagues, teachers, practitioners and young people whom I've had the privilege of working with over the years and whose commitment to advancing social justice in education has been so enriching and inspiring. I am also profoundly grateful to family and friends for their love and support, which makes it all possible."
Former staff member Jacqueline Salomë MacDonald-Davis JP, Magistrate Central London Bench, was awarded an OBE for services to the Administration of Justice and to Volunteering.
Jacqui held a long and esteemed career at IOE for almost 25 years. She first worked at IOE, then known as the Institute of Education, University of London, as Lecturer in Careers Education and Guidance followed by her role as Head of Staff and Organisational Development. Her engagement with the faculty has continued through several career development projects.
Alumni
Nathaniel Dye (UCL Music PGCE, 2008) received an MBE for political and community service. He is a music teacher and became a music lead in a school in Newham, London. In 2022 he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. A keen ultrarunner, he has campaigned for cancer awareness and has advocated for an improved NHS.
Hina Bokhari (UCL Professional Studies PG Dip, 2003) was awarded an OBE for her services to young people and the charity sector. She is the co-founder of the Naz Legacy Foundation, which supports young people from ethnic communities across the UK. Hina currently serves as the Liberal Democrats spokesperson for transport, the economy and fire safety. She was elected Chair of the Fire Committee by the London Assembly in 2024.
James Biddulph (UCL Music Education MA, 2005; UCL Education EdD, 2006) received an MBE for his services to education. He is a former primary school teacher and former Head Teacher of the University of Cambridge Primary School.
Dr Mine Conkbayir (UCL Early Years Education MA, 2010) received an MBE for her services to early years education and research. She is an award-winning author, lecturer and trainer in early childhood education.
Dr Timothy Shortis (UCL Education PhD, 2016) was awarded an MBE for his services to education. He is the Co-Director of Poetry By Heart, national poetry speaking competition for schools and colleges. He specialises in developing digital resources for teaching English.
Images
Top: Professor Louise Archer OBE (left) and Professor Dame Alison Fuller (right).
Bottom: From the video 'What do you do?' by Nat Dye. Film by Cath Longbottom, Flying Duck Ltd.