Laureation Address: Professor Dame Anne Glover CBE BSc PhD FRS
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science
Laureation by Professor Malcolm White, School of Biology
Tuesday 3 December 2024
Vice-Chancellor, it is my privilege to present for the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, Professor Dame Anne Glover.
Born in Arbroath and schooled in Dundee, Anne Glover undertook her Batchelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh, before moving to Cambridge for a PhD. Our paths first crossed when Anne took up a lectureship at the University of Aberdeen, where I was an undergraduate in Biochemistry. I have a vivid memory of Anne and an accomplice bursting into a lecture theatre with red clown noses on, causing consternation for the poor lecturer, and explaining that it was a technique they had learned at a teaching workshop to improve student engagement.
As a molecular biologist, Anne has always liked to take things apart to understand how they work. When she established her research group, her attention alighted on bioluminescence – the generation of visible light by living things. She realised that if she could engineer microbes to generate light they could be used as biosensors for toxic chemicals. This work was highly successful, resulting in the formation of a spin out company, Remedios Limited, dedicated to the detection of environmental contamination.
Anne learnt early in her career that “Research not published is research not done” – in other words that the communication of science is crucial. She is an extremely good communicator with a strong interest in the application of scientific evidence to policymaking. This led to her appointment as the first Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland in 2006 and as the inaugural Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission in 2012. She had a tremendous impact in both these roles, learning quickly that when dealing with politicians you need to offer them options for policies informed by the science.
Anne has been unflinching in defending the importance of evidence-based policymaking, even when politicians would have liked some alternative facts to support their preferred policies. She champions the importance of science in tackling the challenges of climate change and has long been a member of our community, serving for a good number of years as a member of the judging panel of the St Andrews Prize for the Environment.
Anne has worked tirelessly throughout her career to dismantle the stereotype that scientists are “men in white coats in a smelly laboratory”, championing the idea that “you have to see it, to be it”. And she has certainly “been it”, providing an inspirational role model for women in science. This has not always been a smooth path – Anne’s advice for when you encounter a barrier is to “first just try ignoring it”.
It will be no surprise to you that Anne Glover’s achievements have been recognised at the highest levels, including Fellowship of the Royal Society, Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences, President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, as well as a Damehood in the late Queen’s birthday honours list in 2015. You get the picture!
I could go on, but instead I will leave you with a final nugget of wisdom from Anne, echoing that young academic bursting into the class with a red nose on: “Retain the ability to laugh at yourself.”
Vice-Chancellor, in recognition of her outstanding contributions and leadership in science, I invite you to confer the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, on Professor Dame Anne Glover.