A pioneer of bomb disposal technology and two stalwarts of the University of Bath have received awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours
Sidney Alford, pictured, the founder of Chippenham-based Alford Technologies – which has developed innovative bomb disposals techniques – gets the OBE for services to explosive ordnance disposal technology.
University pro-chancellor Peter Troughton has been awarded a CBE for services to business, education and culture and Prof Chris Budd, its Professor in Applied Mathematics, has been awarded an OBE for services to science and maths education. 
Prof Chris Hodge, chief electrical engineer at Bath-based BMT Defence Services, has been awarded an OBE for services to Royal Navy Engineering.
Double Queen’s Award-winning Alford Technologies has pioneered ways of safely detonating explosive devices in war-scarred countries across the globe.
Alford’s products are used by militaries, police, law enforcement and commercial companies from across the globe. Its explosive charges are some of the most highly regarded in the industry and are said to have saved many lives.
Its equipment has been used most recently by the British Army in Afghanistan to counter the threat from improvised explosive devices.
Dr Alford, who invented the world’s first liquid-lined explosive disruptor, founded the business in 1985.
Peter Troughton was chair of the university’s council – its governing body – for almost nine years until he stepped down from the role last July. He became a pro-chancellor of the university in 2013.
During his chairmanship the university rose into the top 10 of all major UK league tables, significantly expanded its estate and student numbers and further strengthening its financial and international profile.
Peter was also a director of retail giant WH Smith and chairman of the boards of WHS Retail, Waterstones, Our Price Music and Virgin Retail until 1995.
For 11 years he then supported Lord Rothschild’s contribution to the UK’s arts and heritage. He is chairman of the Lowland Investment Company and vice chairman of regional newspaper and magazine publisher Archant.
He is a trustee of the Royal Collection and the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund, and has been a trustee of the National Gallery as well as a school governor.
Vice-chancellor Prof Dame Glynis Breakwell said: “Peter Troughton richly deserves this honour which recognises his distinguished contribution not only to the university but also to the nation. He has given magnificent leadership to the university’s council and continues to be a very effective ambassador for us."
Peter Troughton added: “This award is a wonderful surprise, for which I am very grateful. It honours above all the success of the University of Bath in its many endeavours in research and teaching, with which I am proud to be associated.”
Professor Chris Budd joined the university in 1995. He is the creator of Bath Taps into Science, a major hands-on science festival, which has won several national prizes in the 14 years it has been running.
The week of events aims to show students and families how the science and maths that they learn at school can be applied to the wider world and to inspire them to want to become a scientist or mathematician.
Many schools have praised its transformational effect on thousands of young people who have been given the ability to present science to their own peers and to world-leading scientists.
In 2010, some 70,000 members of the public attended the hands on maths exhibition ‘Living in a Complex World’ which was part of the Royal Society’s 350th anniversary celebration. Professor Budd led this exhibition, and has since taken it to Manchester, Japan, Canada, Ireland and (every year from 2011) to the Big Bang Fair, at which it has been presented to 300,000 members of the general public.
As a Higher Education Academy National Teaching Fellow he set up a Communicating Maths undergraduate course and, as the Royal Institution Professor of Maths since 2000, has spoken at maths masterclasses around the country in his own time most Saturdays.
He recruits students from the whole UK maths community to give talks to the general public and more generally works tirelessly for public engagement to be as worthy of respect as all other aspects of academia. In 2013 he was the mathematical consultant for the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, designing a maths trail for the underground.
He has published more than 100 research papers, raised over £5m in research funding and founded – and still runs – the university’s MSc in Modern Applied Mathematics. His work has always been centred on making mathematics directly relevant to the needs of society, and he collaborates closely with many different industries and bodies to do this, working on problems as varied as microwave cooking, cancer treatment, and land mine detection.
He is currently actively working in problems in meteorology and climate change, and his close collaboration with the Met Office has helped to improve weather forecasting accuracy. He co-founded an international network which brings together mathematicians working in climate change with policy-makers – and leads its outreach programme. He is also the UK lead on a Marie Curie network, which trains many PhD students across Europe.
Prof Breakwell said: “Professor Budd is a first-class applied mathematician with a remarkable commitment to public engagement and to young people. He has made an enormous contribution to the mathematical community and to the university. I am delighted that this has now been recognised in this way.”
Prof Budd added: “I am very honoured to receive this award. I believe passionately that the importance of maths and science should be communicated in an exciting way to as wide an audience as possible. I could not have done this without the support of many others, and I hope that this honour is a way of recognising the wonderful work of everyone involved in public engagement.”
