IOP announces new Honorary Fellows

The Institute of Physics (IOP) has welcomed four new Honorary Fellows for 2024.

Professor Averil Macdonald and Professor Valerie Gibson, pioneering women hailed for championing greater diversity in physics, are joined by university entrepreneur Professor David Birch and condensed matter physics trailblazer Professor Xue Qikun in receiving the highest honour the IOP can bestow. 

Honorary fellowship reflects these individuals’ exceptional services to physics.

Professor Macdonald is cited for being an outstanding ambassador for physics, physicists and the IOP across skills, science and society. She has played a big role in championing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the sector, not least through the People Like Me initiative, which has attracted more girls into STEM careers.

She supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds to consider STEM qualifications as a route into the energy sector through a number of charities.

Professor Macdonald is also championing future energy solutions to decarbonise the UK economy, with particular focus on hydrogen to decarbonise heating systems and heavy goods vehicles.

She said: “The award demonstrates that the IOP wants to recognise formally and at the highest level that EDI is critical to the future of physics. 

“I hope never to see the same rollback of EDI in the UK as is happening elsewhere and I am confident that the IOP will play a significant role fighting any challenge to the rights of underrepresented groups to live and work in a fair environment.”

Professor Gibson, meanwhile, has played pivotal roles in key experiments designed to understand why our universe is made of matter (not antimatter).

She has also been central to EDI drives, including at the University of Cambridge, where she worked to address recruitment and promotion biases and the gender pay gap, and through her time as chair of the IOP’s Juno panel.

Her public engagement efforts have been highlighted too, such as a festival dedicated to Sir Isaac Newton, school lectures and her work in the media.

Professor Gibson said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this highest accolade from the IOP. I have been a member since I was an undergraduate in Sheffield, and it provides an opportunity to thank the excellent physics teachers, lecturers, colleagues, and mentors that have helped me through my career.

“My election showcases the dedication of many researchers over many years to understand why the universe exists at all.”

Professor Birch is a pioneering university entrepreneur. He cofounded IBH, the University of Strathclyde’s first spin-out, to commercialise fluorescence lifetime measurement, leading its growth to become the present-day market leader in fluorescence spectroscopy.

Its products feature technology that has societal impact across many disciplines including healthcare and semiconductors.

And by serving on IOP Publishing boards for 25 years, Birch helped attract multidisciplinary submissions and industry sponsorship.

He said: “Fifty years after my PhD set my career path in physics I am delighted and honoured to receive the IOP’s highest accolade. To be recognised for translating research into a world-leading company highlights the importance the IOP places on physics-powered business and university entrepreneurs.

“Facilitating the sharing of knowledge within the global research community by learned societies like the IOP and IOP Publishing helps create the application-focused innovation that is needed for business success.”

Professor Xue has made great strides in condensed matter physics. He and his team made the groundbreaking observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in topological insulators, while their discovery of high-temperature superconductivity at heterojunction interfaces opened a new research direction with worldwide reach.

As Chair of the IOP China Scientific Advisory Board, Professor Xue has brought together 21 leading Chinese scientists to foster research collaboration and strategic dialogue between the UK and China. His efforts have actively supported IOP Publishing’s China strategy.

He said: “This recognition is not just a personal milestone but also a reflection of the remarkable progress and contributions of the Chinese physics community to the global scientific landscape. It underscores the importance of fostering international collaboration and advancing fundamental research that can address some of the most pressing challenges in science and technology.

“The research we have conducted, particularly in quantum materials and topological phases of matter, has opened new pathways for understanding and manipulating electronic properties at the atomic level.

“These advancements have the potential to revolutionise technologies, from low-power electronics to quantum computing. I believe this recognition also demonstrates the importance of international collaboration in pushing the boundaries of our discipline and solving complex scientific challenges.”

Our community of Honorary Fellows have contributed to the advancement of physics through a range of means and serve as ambassadors for physics, physicists and the IOP.

We welcome self-nominations and nominations for peers you think:

• have made distinguished contributions to physics, physicists or the IOP;
• are recognised as eminent figures within the community; or
• hold influential roles to effect change to support the mission of the IOP.