Service to military education, social equality, gene therapy, higher education, sport and technology in the West Midlands recognised.
University of Birmingham Professors David Dunn and Martin Coppack, and alumni Dr Tom Goodman, Andy Train, Professor Alan Boyd and Professor Paul Bartholomew have each been recognised in His Majesty the King’s New Year Honours List for 2026.
Welcoming the honours for Birmingham staff and alumni, Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, said:
"On behalf of the University, I am proud to send our warmest congratulations to each of our richly deserving staff and alumni recognised in the 2026 New Year Honours.”
"It is joyful to see these national honours given to each member of the Birmingham community for their tireless service, making a real difference to their fields and to improving the lives of others across the UK."
Academic and military educator Professor David Dunn has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to military education and to recruitment.
Professor Dunn joined the University of Birmingham in 1991 after roles teaching at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and completing his PhD in War Studies at King’s College London.
Professor David Dunn MBE
Since 2000, Professor Dunn has chaired the West Midlands Military Education Committee, overseeing the relationship between universities in the region and the University Service Units that recruit officers from them, and strengthening the linkages between the Ministry of Defence and the national Military Education Committee.
David Dunn, Professor of International Politics, said: “I am delighted to receive this award and the attention that it brings to my work in the area of military education in the Higher Education sector. This recognition is not primarily for my academic and media contributions but for the support and service that I have given to Military Education in the broadest sense and in particular to the university service units of the West Midlands - Officers Training Corps, University Air Squadron and University Royal Naval Unit.
“Supporting the units to develop and train their students in these key skills has been an abiding passion over the years. It has also been an inspiring and rewarding pursuit as the students who commit to these units benefit enormously as a result.”
It is joyful to see these national honours given to each member of the Birmingham community for their tireless service, making a real difference to their fields and to improving the lives of others across the UK.
Financial inclusion and consumer policy expert Professor Martin Coppack becomes a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM), for services to social equality and inclusion.
Professor Coppack joined Birmingham in 2025 and is Professor of Practice in Financial Inclusion and Consumer Policy in the Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM). His career has focused on using research to engage commercial, regulatory, government and civil society organisations to create change for consumers.
Professor Martin Coppack BEM
As the former Director and now Senior Adviser of Fair By Design, Martin focused on eliminating the poverty premium – the extra costs poorer people pay for essential services like insurance, credit, payments and energy. The poverty premium is now at the top of political and regulatory debates on fairness in essential services, with Martin’s work leading to tangible policy and practice changes to tackle it and increase financial inclusion in the UK.
In December 2024, Professor Coppack was appointed to the government’s new Financial Inclusion Committee, tasked with developing a new financial inclusion strategy for the UK.
A graduate with both a first degree and a doctorate in Computer Science from the University, Dr Tom Goodman becomes a Medallist of the British Empire (BEM) for services to Technology in the West Midlands.
Dr Goodman is CEO and founder of HackTheMidlands, the UK’s first 24-hour ‘creative marathon’ open to people of all ages and backgrounds. He is also the organiser of TechMids Conference – a flagship West Midlands event which brought together 210 technologists and 24 world-class speakers in Birmingham in November 2025.
Dr Tom Goodman BEM
Dr Goodman graduated with a first-class honours degree in 2018 and completed his PhD at Birmingham in 2022, for his dissertation on geometric approaches to pitch estimation of acoustic musical signals. He served as a Trustee of the University of Birmingham Guild of Students from 2020 to 2022.
Dr Goodman said: "I am incredibly honoured to receive the British Empire Medal for services to Technology in the West Midlands. This recognition reflects the hard work, time and energy that so many organisers have poured into the region’s tech community - without them, none of this would be possible. I hope it helps me to continue giving back to a community and city that I care deeply about and encourages others to do the same."
Dr Goodman has held several roles at the Birmingham branch of BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT, including Chair, Secretary, and Inclusion Officer. He is currently the branch’s Treasurer & Community Engagement Officer.
Five-time Olympian and Birmingham community sports organiser Andy Train is appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to sport.
Andy graduated from Birmingham in 1988 with a degree in Law, and during his studies, he competed at the pinnacle of his sport, canoeing. A three-time world champion, Andy represented Great Britain at five consecutive Summer Olympic Games between 1984 and 2000. After graduation, Andy initially worked as a solicitor before retraining in primary and special needs education.
During the COVID pandemic, Andy conceived the Birmingham Community Paddle Sports Project to engage the most underserved communities in paddle sports across the city’s canal network.
Andy Train MBE
Supported by Paddle UK in collaboration with StreetGames and the Canal & River Trust, thousands of people from a diverse range of backgrounds are now using Birmingham’s waterways for paddle sport.
More than half of its participants remain involved for over a year, and many go on to become volunteer instructors, helms and organisers – helping to embed paddle sport at the heart of their communities.
Andy said, “It's humbling to be chosen for the award, working as I do with so many great people deserving of recognition for their efforts. I'm accepting the award on their behalf and in the hope that it highlights the inequalities that still exist in sport, health and society generally. Birmingham has so much 'green and blue' space and should be particularly proud of its canals. We need to protect them and make sure that everyone has easy access. I hope our project will enable many more from all backgrounds to benefit from being out on the water!”
Professor Alan Boyd FMedSci is appointed MBE for services to gene therapy and medical education.
Professor Boyd graduated from Birmingham in 1980 with degrees in biochemistry and medicine before embarking on a career as a pharmaceutical physician, working for Glaxo, ICI and Zeneca and then setting up Ark Therapeutics Ltd. He founded Boyds Consultants in 2005, where he currently serves as President and CEO, to support early-stage life-science companies translating ideas into medicinal products and treatments.
Professor Alan Boyd MBE
Professor Boyd was appointed an Honorary Professor of Medicine by the University in 2009 and serves as a Leadership Mentor for those students interested in the health sector and a pharmaceutical career.
He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2021 and served as President of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine from 2015 to 2019.
Ulster University’s Vice Chancellor since 2020, Professor Paul Bartholomew, has been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to Higher Education and Public Service.
Professor Paul Bartholomew CBE
After beginning his career as a diagnostic radiographer in the NHS, Professor Bartholomew moved into higher education in 2001, completing his Doctor of Education (EdD) in Learning and Learning Contexts at Birmingham in 2013. He is an established leader in higher education curriculum design and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2017.
For more information, please contact the University of Birmingham press office on pressoffice@contacts.bham.ac.uk or +44 (0) 121 414 2772.
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
Professor in International Politics
Professor David H. Dunn's research interests are diverse and have evolved and broadened over his career.
Professor of Practice in Financial Inclusion and Consumer Policy (CHASM)
Martin uses research and advocacy to create change for consumers. He’s held a range of positions, all with the common objective of placing low income and vulnerable consumers at the heart of policy-making within essential services.
