Two Wolfson College Fellows Recognised in New Year Honours
Wolfson College is thrilled to announce that two of its Fellows have been recognised in the 2025 New Year Honours for their exceptional contributions to their respective fields.
Professor Ros Rickaby FRS OBE, an Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College and Professor of Biogeochemistry at the Department of Earth Sciences, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to Biogeochemistry. A trailblazer in her field, Professor Rickaby has spent the past 30 years studying the co-evolution of life, environmental chemistry, and Earth’s climate to inform our understanding of future environmental changes.
Her research and dedication to the natural world have earned her widespread recognition, including prestigious medals from the European Geosciences Union, American Geophysical Union, and the Geological Society of London. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022. Reflecting on the honour, Professor Rickaby said:
“I am absolutely gobsmacked, humbled and hugely grateful to receive this recognition from His Royal Highness, King Charles. It has been truly a thrill to uncover the power of the plankton in maintaining a habitable Earth, and to appreciate the importance of planetary-scale thinking for plotting forward pathways.”
Paul Roberts OBE, a Supernumerary Fellow at Wolfson College and Archaeologist and Research Keeper of the Department of Antiquities at the Ashmolean Museum, has also been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to Archaeology and Heritage.
Paul Roberts is renowned for his expertise in the ancient world, particularly in Roman art and culture. In 2019, he curated the Ashmolean Museum’s record-breaking exhibition Last Supper in Pompeii, which became its most visited exhibition to date. Prior to his tenure at the Ashmolean, he served as Roman Curator and Senior Roman Curator in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum, where he curated the acclaimed 2013 exhibition Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Wolfson College would like to congratulate both Fellows on these well deserved honours. Their achievements exemplify the College’s tradition of academic excellence and impactful contributions to society.
