PRESS RELEASE

LSW welcomes New Fellows

Outstanding scientists, eminent academics and celebrated professionals join Wales’s National Academy

The Learned Society of Wales (LSW) is pleased to announce the results of its 2016Election of new Fellows spanning the arts, sciences and public service sectors. This election further strengthens the Society’sFellowship by adding 46 newFellows to its ranks. The Society now has more than 420 Fellows, distinguished men and women from all branches of learning who are prominent figures within their respective academic disciplines or professions. By bringing together the most successful and talented fellows connected with Wales, this range of expertise enables the LSW to contribute to the shared purpose and common good of advancing and promoting excellence in all scholarly disciplines including providing independent and expert advice to Government.This year,the Society also elected for the first time 2 Honorary Fellows.

Election to Fellowship is a public recognition of academic excellence, and LSW Fellowship is keenly competed. Fellows are elected following a rigorous examination of their achievements in their relevant fields. Fellows assist the Society in its work by serving on its various committees and working groups and by representing us nationally and internationally.

Sir Emyr Jones Parry, the Society’s President, said:

“I am delighted to welcome such a wide range of outstanding individuals to the Fellowship this year. Each new Fellow is elected on the distinguished merit of their work. These new Fellows will help strengthen our capacity to support excellence across all areas of academic and public life, both in Wales and abroad.

"It is also encouraging that the proportion of female Fellows elected (26%) represents the Society’s continuing efforts to improve the representation of women amongst the Fellowship. More women are reachingthe highest levels of their discipline, and this is rightly being reflected in their election to the Fellowship of the Society.”

Election to Fellowship of the Learned Society of Wales is through a rigorous five-stage election process. Fellowship is open to men and women of all ages and from all ethnic groups:

  • who have a demonstrable record of excellence and achievement in any of the academic disciplines or who, being members of the professions, the arts, industry, commerce or public service, have made a distinguished contribution to the world of learning; andwho are resident in Wales, or who are persons of Welsh birth but are resident elsewhere, or who otherwise demonstrate a particular connection with Wales.

Several new Fellows are notable not only for their individual successes, but also as inspirational figures for future generations in Welsh society

The 2016 Election is the sixthin a rolling process towards the building of a strong, representative Fellowship. The Society’s continuing focus on excellence and achievement will ensure that the Fellowship represents the very best in the major academic disciplines.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The Learned Society of Wales (LSW) set up in 2010 is an independent, all-Wales, bilingual, self-governing, pan-discipline educational charity, that provides public benefit including the recognition of scholarly excellence, promotion of research and provision of expert, independent, scholarly advice on a variety of publicpolicy issues. Unlike similar learned societies in the rest of the UK, our Fellowship includes fellows from a wide range of disciplines - science & technology, arts, humanities, social science, business and public service.

The Learned Society of Wales is a Registered Charity and currently a Company Limited by Guarantee. The Society was granted Royal Charter in September 2015 and will be incorporated as a Royal Charter from August 2016. Under the provisions of its Memorandum and Articles, the Society is governed by a Council which is chaired by the President.

As Wales’s national academy,the LSW undertakes a number of activities and initiatives to accomplish this mission including electing distinguished fellows, bestowing awards,organising and hosting symposia and meetings, and more generally promoting public intellectual life in Wales. The aim of the Society is to establish itself both as a recognised representative of the world of Welsh learning internationally and as a source of authoritative, scholarly and critical comment and advice on policy issues affecting Wales.

The Society now has more than 420Fellows, distinguished men and women from all branches of learning who are prominent figures within their respective academic disciplines. It will elect more Fellows during the years to come,continuing to use appropriate, transparent but fair procedures.

Election to Fellowship is via nomination by existing Fellows of the Society who are each year invited to submit nominations of persons to be considered for election. Thenominations submitted during the 2015/16 Election Cycle were considered in the first instance by nine Scrutiny Committees. Having considered the advice of these Committees, the Society’s Council drew up its approved list of candidates, which was then submitted to the Fellowship for confirmation and formal election in April 2016.

Women currently comprise 16% of the Society’s Fellowship, and 28% of the candidates nominated for Fellowship in 2015/16 were female.

The 46new Fellows electedare listed on the pages that follow.

For more information please the Society web page :

Prof Peter W Halligan, Chief Executive, the Learned Society of Wales

 029 2037 6951; Email:

More information about the Learned Society of Wales (including a complete list of Fellows) can be found at: 

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Fellows Elected 2016

Honorary Fellows
Sir Michael Francis Atiyah OM FRS FRSE FMedSci FAA HonFREng HonFLSW
Honorary Professor University of Edinburgh
and Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge / Professor Martin Rees, Lord Rees of Ludlow KT OM FRS FREng FMedSci HonFLSW
Astronomer Royal and
Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge
Fellows
Professor SirManselAylward CB DSc FFPM FFOM FFPH FRCP FLSW
Chair of Public Health Wales; Director of the Centre for Psychosocial Research, Occupational and Physician Health, Cardiff University / ProfessorJames Durrant FRSC FLSW
Sêr Cymru Solar Professor, Swansea University; Professor of Photochemistry, Imperial College London
Professor Gillian Bristow FLSW
Dean of Research; Professor of Economic
Geography, Cardiff University / Professor MeridethGattis FLSW
Professor of Psychology, Cardiff University
Professor Ronald Brown FLSW
Emeritus Professor of Mathematics,
Bangor University / Professor Abderrahmane Haddad FIET FLSW
Founder Director of the Advanced High Voltage Research Centre, Cardiff University.
Professor Jane Cartwright FRHistS FLSW
Professor of Welsh,
University of Wales Trinity St. David / Professor Michael Hambrey FHEA FRGS FLSW
Professor of Glaciology and Emeritus Director of the Climate Change Consortium of Wales
Professor Antony Chapman FBPsSFAcSSFIoD DSc HonFBPsS FLSW
President and Vice Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University / Professor Paul Harper FORS FLSW
Deputy Head of School of Mathematics, Cardiff University
Professor Eryl Wynn Davies DD FLSW
Professor and Head of School of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Bangor University / Professor Trevor Herbert DlittFLeedsCM FRCM FLSW
Emeritus Professor of Music, Open University
ProfessorNora De Leeuw FRSC FLSW
Pro-Vice Chancellor (International and Europe) and Professor of Computational Chemistry, Cardiff University / ProfessorMererid Hopwood FLSW
Poet and Professor of Education, University of Wales Trinity St. David
Professor John Doonan FLSW
Professor of Genetics, Aberystwyth University; Director of National Plant Phenomics Centre, IBERS / Professor Shi-min Hu FLSW
Professor of Computer Science, Cardiff University and Tsinghua University
Professor Diana Huffaker FIEE FOSA FLSW
Sêr Cymru Professor of Advanced Materials and Engineering, Cardiff University. / Professor Mark Ian Rees FRCPath FLSW
Professor of Molecular Neuroscience, Swansea University
Mr Robert Humphreys CBE FLSW
Director of The Open University in Wales / Professor Robert Rogers FLSW
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Bangor University
Professor David JilesFInstP FIEE FIET FREng FIMA FIMMM FLSW
Anson Marston Distinguished Professor, Palmer Endowed Department Chair, Iowa State University / Professor Len Scott FRSA FHEA FRHistS FLSW
Emeritus Professor of International History and Intelligence Studies, Aberystwyth University
The Right Honourable Sir David Lloyd Jones PC QC FLSW
Lord Justice of Appeal; Chairman of the Law Commission / Professor Meic Stephens FLSW
Emeritus Professor, University of South Wales
Professor J Gwynfor Jones DLitt FSA FRHistS FLSW
Emeritus Professor of History, Cardiff University / Professor Carol Tully FLSW
Professor of German, Bangor University
Professor Urfan Khaliq FLSW
Professor of Public International and European Union Law, Cardiff University / Professor Diana Wallace FLSW
Professor of English Literature, University of South Wales
Professor Owen Lewis FRES
Professor of Ecology, Oxford University / Professor Diane Watt FLSW
Professor of English Literature and Head of the School of English and Languages, University of Surrey
Ms Mary Lloyd Jones FLSW
Artist and Artist in Residence, Aberystwyth University / Professor GerwynWiliams FLSW
Professor of Welsh, Bangor University
Professor Julie Lydon OBE FRSA FLSW
Vice Chancellor, University of South Wales / Professor Gavin Wilkinson FLSW
Professor of Molecular Virology, Cardiff University
Professor Peredur Lynch FLSW
Professor of Welsh, Bangor University / Professor Christopher Williams FLSW
Professor of History and Head of School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University
Professor Marco Marletta FLSW
Professor and Deputy Head of School of Mathematics, Cardiff University / Professor Daniel Williams FLSW
Professor of English, Director of the Richard Burton Centre, Swansea University
Professor Faron Moller FBCS FIMA FLSW
Professor of Computer Science, Swansea University / Dr Lynn Williams FLSW
Secretary to the Chairs of Universities Wales; former Chief Executive Learned Society of Wales
Professor Sarah Prescott FLSW
Rendel Chair of English Language and Literature, Aberystwyth University / Professor Daniel Wincott FLSW
Blackwell Professor of Law and Society and Head of the School of Law, Cardiff University
Professor Richard Rawlings FLSW
Professor of Public Law, University College London / Professor Richard Winpenny FRSC FLSW
Professor and Head of the School of Chemistry, Manchester University
Professor Gareth Ffowc Roberts FLSW
Emeritus Professor of Education, Bangor University / Professor Thomas Wirth FRSC FLSW
Professor of Organic Chemistry, Cardiff University.

Sir Emyr Jones Parry GCMG FInstP PLSW
President /
Professor Peter W. Halligan FBPsS FPSI FMedSci
Chief Executive