The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has appointed Cambridge Zero Director Professor Emily Shuckburgh OBE to its board as a science trustee, alongside a newly appointed chair.
The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) is a leading research institute employing more than 500 of the world’s best environmental scientists. It exists to provide the vital environmental science that governments, businesses, NGOs, and researchers rely on to meet the great challenges of our time, contributing substantially to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals.
"It's a great honour to join the UKCEH board as science trustee at a time when the kind of scientific evidence it provides is most needed to inform the response to the unprecedented environmental, societal, and economic challenges we face across climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water security, and pollution," Professor Shuckburgh said.
Professor Shuckburgh is a world-leading climate scientist and science communicator, a mathematician and professor of environmental data science at Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology.
“I look forward to working with our new chair and trustees, who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the board. These appointments mark a significant step forward for UKCEH, strengthening its governance and leadership as it continues to address critical environmental issues,” UKCEH Chief Executive Dr Stuart Wainwright said.
Professor Shuckburgh also leads the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training on the Application of AI to the Study of Environmental Risks and is a director of the Centre for Landscape Regeneration. Her experience includes more than a decade working at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and as a Fellow of BAS, the Royal Meteorological Society, and Darwin College, Cambridge.
Emily was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to science and the public communication of science and has written a children's book with His Majesty King Charles III, entitled A Ladybird Book: Climate Change.
Judith Batchelar OBE will take up the role of chair of the UKCEH board in December 2024. Judith has 40 years’ experience in the food and drink industry, notably as Sainsbury’s brand director from 2004-2021, where she was instrumental in driving product quality and innovation, corporate responsibility, sustainability, and public affairs. She is currently deputy chair of The Environment Agency and a trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Victoria McMyn was also appointed to join the UKCEH board as finance trustee in July 2024. Victoria is currently chief change officer at UK Shared Business Services and was previously chief operating officer at the Natural Environment Research Council.
