Girton College is delighted to congratulate six Girtonians who were recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List 2025.
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Professor Dame Ursula Martin
Trailblazing mathematician and computer scientist Ursula Martin has been appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to Science and Education in the King's Birthday Honours 2025.
Professor Dame Ursula Martin is an Emeritus Professor in Oxford Mathematics and a Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford. She has also worked at the Universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Illinois, and at Queen Mary University of London. She is a Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The first woman to hold a number of senior roles, she has been a steadfast advocate and mentor for women in computer science and mathematics, leading initiatives in the UK and US. She has also held a variety of UK and international policy roles.
Her research, initially in algebra, logic and the use of computers to create mathematical proofs, broadened to encompass wider social and cultural approaches to understanding the circulation and impact of computer science and mathematics. With international partners ranging from defence companies to computer museums, her unique collaborative research portfolio spans mathematics, computer science, and the humanities, with wide-ranging academic, practical, and cultural impact. She is particularly known for leading the first scholarly investigation of the mathematics of Ada Lovelace, and is currently supported by the Leverhulme Trust to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence on mathematics.
Dame Celia Ingham Clark
Celia Ingham Clark is an extraordinary healthcare leader who has been named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the NHS. Dame Celia is passionate about patient safety and quality of care and has pursued these goals with pioneering spirit and fierce resolve, always aiming to bring people together to achieve a common goal. Until 2024, she was Medical Director for Professional Leadership and Professional Standards at NHS England, and now is Chairman of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and Chairman of Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. She continues to strive to improve patient outcomes as one of the most experienced medical leaders in the UK.
After attending Girton College to study medicine, Dame Celia initially specialised as a surgeon with a focus on colorectal surgery. In 2007, she became the National Clinical Lead for colorectal cancer with the NHS Cancer Services Collaborative and Modernisation Agency, kickstarting her rise to some of the most influential positions shaping the quality of freely accessible healthcare in the UK.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Professor Sarah Greer CBE
Professor Sarah Greer is an esteemed academic and leader who has been named Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Higher Education. She has been serving as Vice Chancellor of the University of Winchester since January 2022 was previously the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Worcester. where she played a key role in developing the strategic vision for the University and was responsible for leading and ensuring excellence in teaching and research. Professor Greer is a firm believer in the power of higher education to create social change to benefit everybody. She has held multiple public appointments, including as a General Commissioner for the Disabled Students’ Commission.
After studying English Literature at Girton College, University of Cambridge, Professor Greer went on to qualify first as a chartered accountant and then, after a further degree in Law, as a barrister, completing pupillage with the Treasury Solicitor. As a Professor of Law, she has published on property and trusts law and women’s legal history.
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Sian Hampton OBE
Sian Hampton has been awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to education. She is CEO of the pioneering Archway Learning Trust, a charitable Trust facilitating an innovative model of collaborative working between school academies, allowing schools to help each other in overcoming barriers to education and build supportive communities.
As a National Leader of Education with the Department of Education, Sian works tirelessly to improve the quality of education nationwide. She is an extraordinary advocate for diversity in education and improving inclusivity so that all children may be free to achieve.
Sian studied History at Girton College before going on to complete a PGCE in Education at Cardiff University.
Alistair Brownlee OBE
Alistair Brownlee has been conferred Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to Triathlon and to Charity. Widely regarded as one of the best triathletes ever, Alistair’s extraordinary athleticism has seen him win multiple Olympic gold medals and many World Championship titles in triathlon. He remains the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the individual triathlon event, winning gold medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, and is the only male athlete, to have achieved a grand slam of Olympic, World, and continental championships.
As a passionate and proactive believer in the transformative power of sport, Alistair’s charitable work includes founding The Brownlee Foundation, alongside his brother, Jonathan (also a decorated triathlete), the mission of which is to inspire children from all backgrounds to enjoy sport, encourage them to lead active lifestyles, and benefit from all the opportunities sport provides. Alistair attended Girton College to read medicine.
Medal of the Order of the British Empire
Margaret Day MBE
Margaret Day has been awarded the Medal of the Order of the British Empire for services to her community in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. A tireless and hard-working individual, Margaret’s contributions to her community are many. As well as her many church activities, Margaret is a trustee of food banks across north Oxfordshire, including in Kidlington, Woodstock, and Chipping Norton.
Alongside this, she produces the Kidlington News, a magazine for Kidlington. Margaret read Mathematics at Girton College.