Newcastle University

Professor Ella Ritchie, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University has been awarded an OBE for Services to Higher Education and Professor Jimmy Steele, Head of the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University, has been awarded a CBE for Services to Dentistry and Oral Health.

Professor Ritchie began her career at Newcastle University in 1974 as a lecturer in politics. With a special interest in European Politics and Policy, Professor Ritchie has contributed extensively to the Europeanisation of Higher Education. She has also been active in ensuring the high quality of training of postgraduate students in the UK and Europe.

Throughout her 37-year career Ella Ritchie has been a champion for quality in teaching and in promoting fair access to Higher Education for students from under-represented groups. Her role in leading the UK’s ‘Realising Opportunities’ programme, which helps to raise educational aspirations among ‘harder to reach’ groups, won national acclaim this year for its success in increasing the number of young people, from all walks of life, choosing to go to university.

Last year Professor Ritchie became Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University and has special responsibility for the University’s engagement activities and in its increasing international presence, which includes a medical campus in Malaysia and operations in Singapore.

Professor Ritchie said: “I am overwhelmed and touched to be receiving such an honour and in an area that I feel so passionately about.  I am very fortunate that my academic career has allowed me to help shape the direction of key areas of higher education policy, not only in this country, but across Europe and always with a focus on improving standards of teaching and learning.

“Throughout my career I have recognised that there are some very bright and able pupils who, for all sorts of reasons, don’t see university as being within their reach. That’s why I have focused a major part of my work with many other talented colleagues at Newcastle in engaging with schools and colleges to raise aspirations and give young people the confidence to think that university, particularly a leading university like Newcastle, could be for them.”

With a career spanning teaching, research and clinical practice Professor Jimmy Steele, Head of the School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University, has been awarded a CBE for Services to Dentistry and Oral Health.

Beginning his career as a lecturer at Newcastle in 1989, Professor Steele became involved in research in public dental health looking at how the health service operates.

Unusually whilst undertaking research in dental public health, he was also a practicing clinician as a consultant in the Newcastle Hospital Trust, Professor Steele was uniquely positioned to lead the 2008 Review of NHS Dental Services in England. This paved the way for new pilot contracts aimed at resolving some of the longstanding problems in NHS dentistry.

Internationally recognised, having received the 2008 International Association of Dental Research Distinguished Scientist Award and providing leadership in clinical research in the UK as head of the Oral Dental Research Group for the National Institute for Health Research, Professor Steele continues his interest in reforming dental services.

He said: “I believe that NHS dentistry now has a sense of direction and that relevant parties continue to talk to improve the experience of patients while championing excellence in practising dentists.

“To be recognised in this way is a great honour, and is all the better for being something that is totally unexpected.

“Dentistry is a team effort, whether it comes to the excellent teaching we provide at Newcastle or the commitment we have made to opening up dentistry to young people who may not otherwise consider it as a career and I feel that this CBE is partly in recognition of that team work.”

Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University, Professor Chris Brink, added: “I am delighted that Ella and Jimmy have been recognised in this way. It is a tribute, not only to their talent in their own academic areas of expertise, but also to their commitment to the teaching profession and in improving education and health standards.

“Both Ella and Jimmy have made major contributions to Newcastle University, to the city and at a national level and we are very proud of their achievements.”

Also honoured were Professor Madeleine Atkins, previously Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University, who received a CBE for services to higher education; Mr Derek Nicholson, Registrar Emeritus, who was awarded an MBE for services to education; and Professor Stephen James Singleton, who was awarded an OBE for services to healthcare, and who holds an honourary position with Newcastle University.