MBE awarded to Claire Taylor

We are delighted to congratulate Claire Taylor (Mathematics, 1994), who has been awarded an MBE in the 2010 New Year Honours List for services to sport. Claire is a member of the England cricket team, and the first female ever to be named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

Queen’s postgraduate writes parliamentary briefing

Current postgraduate student Rebecca Ross (2006, Plant Sciences) has just completed a three-month Fellowship at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). POST is charged with providing balanced, independent and topical information to parliamentarians on topics of scientific interest and relevance. During this fellowship, which was sponsored by the British Ecological Society, she researched and wrote a science policy briefing on Insect Pollination. This was published last week, and there will be a seminar in Parliament to launch it on 20 January.

The document can be found via the link and summary below.

Publication number 348, Insect Pollination
Many plants, including crops, depend on insects to transfer pollen between flowers. Maintaining enough insect pollinators is therefore vital for biodiversity and a diverse food supply. Declines in pollinators, particularly in Europe and the USA, have provoked claims of a global pollination crisis. This POSTnote examines the risks of pollinator decline for the UK and explores strategies to provide stable pollination services into the future.

Queen’s Ball Tickets available to Old Members

Old Members can now reserve tickets for ‘Tender is the Night’ (the Queen’s Ball 2010) at http://www.queens2010.com. Tickets cost £100, and all enquiries should be directed to this email address.