Honorary award for leading chemistry professor

Professor Lesley Yellowlees has championed women in science and received a CBE for services to chemistry in 2014

A LEADING chemistry researcher who has also been a torchbearer for women in science has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Huddersfield.

Professor Lesley Yellowlees received her award for services to chemistry at one of the November graduation ceremonies taking place at the University, and an oration describing her career and achievements was delivered by Andrew Laws, who is Professor of Chemical Biology.

He told how Professor Yellowlees was raised in Scotland, where she would eventually become Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at Edinburgh University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Her research career has included the development of dye-sensitised solar cells and techniques to study the transport of electrons in ruthenium dyes.

Professor Laws added that it is very rare for gifted researchers to be talented managers.  But Lesley Yellowlees was one of few exception, he said, and listed managerial and executive roles that included the presidency of the Royal Society of Chemistry – the first time a woman had held this post.

“Lesley’s involvement with the Royal Society of Chemistry has been extensive and she has taken particular interest in contributing to curriculum development and widening participation in education,” said Professor Laws, who added that Professor Yellowlees had also been active in promoting gender equality, working tirelessly to support the promotion and adoption of the principles of the Athena Swan charter.

In 2005, she received an MBE for services to science and in 2014 a CBE for services to chemistry.

After her Honorary Doctorate was conferred by University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Cryan, Professor Yellowlees said receiving the award was a privilege and a pleasure.

Her advice to science graduates at the ceremony was: “Look for opportunities, make them, take them and grasp them with both hands.”