The British Science Association (BSA) has today, Monday 13 December, revealed its cohort of Honorary Fellows for 2021.

Accepting the prestigious accolade this year are (L-R above): 

• Christina Adane, Chair of Bite Back 2030
• Ade Adepitan, former Paralympian and broadcaster
• Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, campaigner and co-founder of The Ella Roberta Family Foundation
• Haleh Moravej, senior lecturer of Nutritional Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University and founder of MetMUnch
• Dr Friederike (Fredi) Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London

Each year, partners, colleagues and supporters of the BSA are invited to nominate individuals to be considered as Honorary Fellows. These are people who embody the BSA’s vision and mission in a variety of ways, including bringing science to the public in a clear and engaging way; challenging the stereotypes of what a scientist looks like; and furthering the inclusion and diversity of science in society.

In 2021, the BSA looked to recognise people who are making an outstanding contribution to engagement and communication on the topic of climate science, sustainability and the environment.

In particular, we wanted to celebrate people from diverse backgrounds, and those who are listening to and amplifying the voices of people and communities who are traditionally marginalised or missing from these conversations.

Katherine Mathieson, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, said:

“On behalf of the staff and trustees of the British Science Association, I would like to congratulate our five Honorary Fellows.

“Throughout 2021, despite continuing to live through the global pandemic, our Fellows have worked tirelessly to tackle environmental issues by collaborating with their communities, both local and beyond.

“The creativity and variety of ways in which they carry out their missions to make society more sustainable - whether through influencing the public, interacting with policymakers or speaking to the media - is inspiring to see.

“We believe our five newest Honorary Fellows embody our own vision to make science more relevant, representative and connected to society. We are delighted to celebrate Ade, Christina, Rosamund, Haleh and Fredi and their approaches to addressing the climate crisis.

“We look forward to bringing their knowledge and guidance to the BSA’s activities and programmes over the coming year.”

Christina Adane said:

“I’m proud to be part of this inspiring group of people addressing the climate crisis from their different viewpoints and positions in society. Having spoken on a panel for a previous BSA event, I’m looking forward to using my Fellowship with the BSA as an opportunity to continue to challenge other organisations, leaders and professionals who have the agency to make change in our world.”

Ade Adepitan said:

“Continuing to raise awareness of the consequences of the climate crisis is something I am extremely passionate about. Thank you to the British Science Association for recognising all of the fantastic ongoing efforts to fight it – let’s hope 2022 is a year of action and change.”

Rosamund Kissi-Debrah said:

“It is so important to use our power to campaign for change. Air pollution is just one aspect of the environment that is changing due to the climate crisis, but it affects every one of us. I’m looking forward to working with the BSA team, and their community networks, to further work of The Ella Roberta Family Foundation.”

Haleh Moravej said:

“It’s an honour to be recognised for my creative work at Met MUnch, and I’m looking forward to working with the BSA team on their community engagement programmes. I’ve learnt a great deal through setting up our student-led, sustainability-focused social enterprise and keen to pass on my learnings, as well as learn from the BSA’s networks.”

Dr Fredi Otto said:

“It’s wonderful to be in this list of such a diverse list of hugely impressive people who all believe that we can make the future of our planet more just and sustainable. My research is one puzzle piece to understand how the climate crisis unfolds and it’s really wonderful to share that with a new audience, in this cohort who all provide crucial pieces to address this crisis.”

Christina Adane is a young activist at the forefront of both the UK’s youth climate movement and the campaign to urge the Government to feed vulnerable children (the latter campaign being picked up by footballer Marcus Rashford). She is Chair of Bite Back 2030, which aims to “achieve a world where all young people have the opportunity to be healthy”.

Ade Adepitan is a broadcaster and former Paralympian. He recently travelled to countries on the frontline facing the climate crisis including Bhutan and the Soloman Islands for a BBC documentary series. He also hosted the Global Citizen Live concert, aimed at uniting people to tackle poverty and climate change. He is one of the COP26 ‘One Step Greener’ Ambassadors.

Dr Friederike (Fredi) Otto is a physicist with a doctorate from the Free University Berlin in Philosophy of Science. She is a Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute. She co-founded and leads World Weather Attribution, an initiative providing scientific evidence on the role of climate change in the direct aftermath of extreme weather events.

Rosamund Kissi-Debrah is a campaigner for better air quality, co-founding The Ella Roberta Family Foundation, named for her daughter. The Foundation raises awareness of asthma through workshops and activities in schools, and fundraises for asthma research and the children’s ward at Lewisham Hospital, the area in which Ella lived and went to school.

Haleh Moravej is a Senior Lecturer of Nutritional Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). She founded MetMUnch, an award-winning, student-led social enterprise which promotes sustainability, nutrition and entrepreneurship across MMU, local communities and beyond. The programme achieves its mission through consultancy, pop-up events and creative science projects.

Previous Honorary Fellows have included Sir David Attenborough, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, Dr Helen Sharman, Professor Alice Roberts, Professor Devi Sridhar and Wayne McGregor.

You can view the full list of BSA honorary fellows here.

Image of Friederike Otto courtesy of Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment.