MBE for NTU Covid-19 impact researcher
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) researcher Professor Rowena Hill has been awarded an MBE - Member of the British Empire - in the King’s Birthday Honours for her work to understand the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Helen Breese | Published on 14 June 2024
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Social Sciences;
Rowena, who is Professor of Resilience, Emergencies and Disaster Science at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, will receive the recognition for public service through her role as collaborative lead for the Covid-19 National Foresight Group (C19 NFG).
The independent task force was set up to consider how Covid-19 would affect different groups, organisations and practices across society and to share rapid learning to save lives, relieve harm and support communities.
Professor Hill worked on the project full-time for ten months as a pro bono secondment from the University and was supported by colleagues from across NTU.
She led teams from different universities and sectors to understand what the pandemic impacts were going to be days, weeks, years and even decades ahead - enabling national and local decision makers to plan as effectively as they could.
Working to urgent timescales and at rapid pace, C19 NFG produced a broad range of outputs such as weekly intelligence briefings, roundtables, focused reports and rapid reviews. The work has since appeared in the Covid Inquiry.
Although the original C19 NFG has concluded, the group has reconvened to apply its learnings on society wide risk and civil protection to focus on climate change, resilience and adaptation.
Professor Hill said: “I am extremely proud of this work and particularly the contribution of NTU and colleagues who worked on this with me. It was a time of such turmoil and uncertainty for everyone, but as individuals and an institution, we did what we could, when we were asked and made a difference.
“It was extremely hard work and there were many difficult decisions along the way, but receiving this MBE has reaffirmed that we did the right thing at the right time. I'd like to share this with my colleagues across the many teams we worked with. My thanks to my family too, who were so understanding at the time.”
Professor Daragh McDermott, Executive Dean, School of Social Sciences, said: “On behalf of the School of Social Sciences, I share mine and my colleagues' warmest congratulations with Professor Hill and her family on this significant recognition by HM King Charles.
“This honour is a wonderful acknowledgement of the critical contributions that the C19 National Foresight Group made to supporting our civil and emergency responses during the Covid-19 pandemic and underscores the importance that social sciences play in such significant events.
“I know that Professor Hill is keen that the contributions the many colleagues both within NTU and with whom the C19 National Foresight Group worked closely with during the key period in our recent history are also recognised and celebrated, and I share my thanks and congratulations to all whose contributions are represented here.”
Notes for Editors
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About Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021 for cultural heritage science research. It is the second time that NTU has been bestowed the honour of receiving a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its research, the first being in 2015 for leading-edge research on the safety and security of global citizens.
The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU was awarded The Times and The Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2023 and ranked University of the Year in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023. It was awarded Outstanding Support for Students 2020 (Times Higher Education Awards), University of the Year 2019 (Guardian University Awards, UK Social Mobility Awards), Modern University of the Year 2018 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide) and University of the Year 2017 (Times Higher Education Awards).
NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with approximately 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
Since 2000, NTU has invested £570 million in tools, technology, buildings and facilities.
NTU is in the UK’s top 10 for number of applications and ranked first for accepted offers (2021 UCAS UG acceptance data). It is also among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge.
NTU is ranked the second most sustainable university in the world in the 2022 UI Green Metric University World Rankings (out of more than 900 participating universities).