Jeremy Watson, Visiting Professor at the University Southampton and Arup’s director of Global Research has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s 2013 Birthday honours. His citation was for services to engineering.
Prof. Jeremy Watson
Jeremy has worked as Arup’s global director of Research for the last seven years; spending three of these as part-time Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Jeremy has been instrumental in working with academia, businesses and the Government to inform the UK’s scientific research priorities. He played a key role in realising GBP 3.5m of direct funding for academic partners as well as enabling access to GBP 50m of current EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) projects.
Within Arup, Jeremy created the Arup Doctoral College (a group of 50 students looking as Arup research themes and working towards Masters and PhD qualifications). Jeremy is also VP of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and served for 3 years as governing board member of the Technology Strategy Board.
“I am delighted to receive this important honour, and hope it brings reputational value to Arup and the University of Southampton”, said Professor Watson. I would like to thank all my colleagues who have supported the mission to create value from, and give a higher visibility of purposeful research”.
For over five years Jeremy has been a visiting Professor at the University of Southampton’s Energy and Climate Change Division (ECCD) within the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment (FEE) and has been contributing to both research and lecturing activities of the Division and the Faculty.
The Dean of FEE Professor William Powrie commented: “Jeremy has supported and advised the Faculty for many years across a broad spectrum of activity. We are delighted that his sustained contribution to engineering globally and in its widest sense has been recognised with this well-deserved honour.”
Professor AbuBakr Bahaj, Head of Energy and Climate Change Division added: “This is deserving honour for Jeremy and we are delighted by his success. Jeremy is a pioneer within research and development in the build environment and how to enhance it for the benefit of society. “We look forward to furthering our interactions within this important area.”