We are delighted to announce that Professor Helen Roy has been recognised in the New Year Honours list 2018!
Helen, who was given Honorary Membership of the NBN in November, has been awarded a MBE for her outstanding service to biodiversity research, citizen science and science communication. She said, “I am surprised and delighted to receive this honour. I am so privileged to work with many, many, volunteers in the biological recording community – they are inspiring and this award celebrates their fantastic contributions to biodiversity research.”
Professor Mark Bailey, Director of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, said, “I am delighted for Helen. This honour is a fitting recognition of her contribution to the field of biodiversity research.”
Helen’s research focuses on the effects of environmental change on insect populations and communities. She is particularly interested in the dynamics of invasive non-native species and their effects on biodiversity, a research area in which she has led or co-led several large EU projects during the last decade. She is currently Head of Zoology within the Biological Records Centre, based within the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and jointly leads CEH’s Population Ecology research group.
Helen is well known for her work on citizen science. Her CV includes leadership of several major citizen science initiatives involving tens of thousands of people. These include the BBC Breathing Places Parasite Survey and EDF Energy Big Bumblebee Discovery. She has been the volunteer scheme organiser for the UK Ladybird Survey for many years, and regularly tweets about ladybirds, ecology and citizen science. She is often interviewed on TV and radio about her research and passion for biological recording, and has previously been awarded the Zoological Society of London Silver Medal in recognition of her contribution to public understanding and appreciation of zoology.
In addition to her role at CEH, Helen is also a visiting Professor in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading.
Congratulations from all your colleagues at the NBN, Helen!