Queen honours our Essex community

Inspiring graduates and one of our most famous honorary graduates were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Sir David Attenborough who received his honorary degree from Essex in 1987 has been appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael And St George for his services to broadcasting and conservation. The honour recognises service in a foreign country, or in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs.

Our graduates receiving honours include:

Dr Philip Orumwense (MA Political Behaviour, 1991) has received a CBE for public service. Dr Orumwense has excelled in his role as Commercial Director of IT at Highways England and his CBE recognises his work across the public sector.

“It is humbling to be so recognised and honoured in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List. This honour came as a surprise to me but reminds me of the essence of doing good public service. It is eminently gratifying to be meritoriously recognised by the nation for one’s contributions to public service. It is with great humility that I share this honour with everyone who has helped me along the way.”

Clare Woodman (BA Government & Sociology, 1989) has received a CBE for services to finance in her role as Head of EMEA and CEO of Morgan Stanley & Co. International Plc. She is the first woman to lead a major investment bank in the City of London.

Within her role she has been committed to leveraging her senior platform to support and encourage women in finance and support projects giving back to the communities Morgan Stanley operates in.

Describing her approach to business she told the Morgan Stanley website: "Culture permeates everything we do, from strategy to how we run the business day-to-day. I believe that sense of collaboration is stronger here than anywhere else I know. It’s the culture that gives us all energy, and the culture that drives innovation."

Carrie Anne Philbin (BA History, 2002) has received an MBE for services to education, championing diversity and inclusion in computing. She is the Director of Educator Support at the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

• Read more about Carrie Anne's work at the Raspberry Pi Foundation

Carrie Anne said the honour would encourage her to keep working to help young people to develop their technology skills. She said: “We’re living in an ever-changing world that is facing many challenges right now: climate change, democracy and human rights, oh and a global pandemic. These are issues that young people care about. I’ve witnessed this year after year at our international Coolest Projects technology showcase event for young people, where passionate young creators present the tech solutions they are already building to address today’s and tomorrow’s problems. I believe that equipped with a deeper understanding of technology, young people can change the world for the better, in ways we’ve not even imagined.”