The British Science Association (BSA) has today announced its latest cohort of Honorary Fellows.

For 2024, the BSA’s Honorary Fellowships committee have named science writer and broadcaster Alom Shaha; business leader and former BSA Chair, Gisela Abbam; and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Swansea University's Professor of Digital Policy Tom Crick MBE.

Each year since 2001, the BSA asks its staff, trustees, stakeholders and supporters to nominate individuals for an Honorary Fellowship who are then selected by the committee. The Fellowship recognises people who have made a significant contribution to advancing the vision and mission of the BSA.

Hannah Russell, Chief Executive of the BSA, said:

“We are so pleased to be welcoming Alom, Gisela and Tom as British Science Association Fellows. It’s a Fellowship that recognises significant contributions made towards our vision: to create a future where science is more relevant, representative and connected to society. In different ways, through their different institutions and bodies of work, our new Fellows have worked and continue to work hard to bring people and science together, to engage, connect, and open doors, challenge stereotypes or further the inclusion and diversity of science. We are proud for them to be joining us and excited to work with them toward our shared goals.”

Introducing our 2024 Honorary Fellows:

Alom Shaha is a father of two, teacher, and writer who has dedicated his career to sharing his passion for science and education. His books include Why Don’t Things Fall Up?, Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder, and How to Find a Rainbow.  

Early in his career, Alom worked in television, making programmes on topics ranging from Tudor history to particle physics, occasionally appearing on screen himself. He has created online video series such as ExpeRimental for the Royal Institution and, with the Institute of Physics, a series about science teaching which is used on teacher training courses around the world.

Alom has worked with prominent scientists to help them communicate their work and ideas to the public, and his creative and innovative approaches have earned him fellowships from NESTA and the Nuffield Foundation.

In a commitment to serving his local community, Alom has been a local councillor, chair of governors at the primary school he attended, and chair of a children’s charity based on the estate where he grew up. He continues to volunteer, including at his children’s school.

Alom says:

“It’s wonderful to have my work as a science teacher and communicator recognised by this Fellowship. Despite giving up on my teenage dream of becoming a scientist, my love of science has led to a rewarding and fulfilling career. I firmly believe that science belongs to all of us, that it is part of our joint cultural heritage, and that understanding of it can enrich our lives in the same way as art, music, and literature. In many ways, I have been a ‘cheerleader’ for science, and I will be proud to take on that role for the BSA.”   

Gisela Abbam FRSA has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship as a former Chair of the British Science Association. She is currently the Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, and the Senior Director for Government Affairs at Revvity, a global Life Sciences and Diagnostics corporation, and also serves on the Boards of the Bar Standards Board and Briyah Institute, USA. Gisela is the Founder and former Managing Director of OTGA Management Consultancy and is a Commissioner for the National Preparedness Commission in the UK. She has worked in conjunction with the WHO, World Bank and the UN to improve health outcomes globally, and is the author of more than 50 white papers on public policy issues.

Gisela was named one of the 100 Women to Watch for FTSE 350 Boards and was the winner of the 2019 Black British Business Person of the Year Award. She was awarded the title of Iconic Woman Creating a Better World for All by the Women Economic Forum. In 2018, Gisela was named a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce for her contribution to social change. Previously, she was the Director of Strategic Partnerships and a Company Officer for Abt Associates, one of the top 20 research and evaluation companies in the world.

Gisela says:

“I feel incredibly honoured to accept this Honorary Fellowship from the British Science Association. I was privileged to serve the BSA as Chair from 2019 to 2022 – a role that meant a great deal to me, as I was given the opportunity to further the BSA’s ambition to make science more relevant, representative and connected to society. I would like to thank the trustees and staff for this tremendous honour, and I look forward to working closely with the charity in the future.”

Professor Tom Crick MBE is Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Professor of Digital Policy at Swansea University.

While his disciplinary background is in computer science, his interests sit at the interface of research, policy, and practice, identifying and addressing domain problems with broad digital, data-driven and computational themes, and especially focusing on the impact on citizens, communities, culture and the economy.

Tom has led major science and technology curriculum reforms in Wales over more than 10 years, and has recently driven the development of Swansea University’s civic mission strategy. Alongside his academic work, Tom was an inaugural Commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, and has held senior advisory roles with Nesta, Ofcom, the Campaign for Science & Engineering, and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. Tom was also a Trustee and elected member of Council of the British Science Association from 2011-2017.

Professor Tom Crick says:

“I’m absolutely delighted to be made an Honorary Fellow of the British Science Association. The BSA is very close to my heart, in part having previously been a Trustee, but especially through its mission and ambition of bringing people and science together: creating a future where science is more relevant, representative, and connected to society. I look forward to working with the BSA going forward in highlighting the importance of diverse citizen voices to ensure that science is recognised as a key part of culture and society.”

View the full list of current British Science Association Honorary Fellows