

New Year Honours 2018
Prof Robert Stephen John SPARKS
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Knight Bachelor
Professorial Research Fellow
Organisation: University of Bristol
“Lately Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol. For services to Volcanology and Geology.”
Timeline

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Chaning Wills Professor of Geology, University of Bristol. For services to Environmental Science.
View London Gazette notice
Knight Bachelor
Lately Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol. For services to Volcanology and Geology.
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London Gazette notice
Knights Bachelor
Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
St. James’s Palace, London SW1
30 December 2017
THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to signify her intention of conferring the honour of Knighthood upon the undermentioned:
Professor Robert Stephen John SPARKS C.B.E.
Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol
For services to Volcanology and Geology.
Source: The London Gazette, issue 62150 · Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0
Location
Bristol
In context
Each honour in context
Role, region and citation as recorded for each award.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Birthday Honours 2010- Role at the time
- Professorial Research Fellow
- Region
- Bristol
“Chaning Wills Professor of Geology, University of Bristol. For services to Environmental Science.”
Knight Bachelor
New Year Honours 2018- Role at the time
- Professorial Research Fellow
- Region
- Bristol
“Lately Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol. For services to Volcanology and Geology.”
Mark the occasion
Commemorate Robert's honour
Celebrate this recognition with a keepsake worthy of the achievement - free to share, beautifully made to keep.
New Year Honours 2018
Prof Robert Stephen John Sparks
Knight Bachelor
“Lately Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol. For services to Volcanology and Geology.”
Free
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A digital card to post or send. Free, with the Honoria mark.
New Year Honours 2018
Prof Robert Stephen John Sparks
Knight Bachelor
“Lately Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol. For services to Volcanology and Geology.”
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New Year Honours 2018
Prof Robert Stephen John Sparks
Knight Bachelor
“Lately Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol. For services to Volcanology and Geology.”
Print · from £5.99
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In context
The bigger picture
How common is this award?
The Knight Bachelor was awarded 25 times in the New Year Honours List 2018 — about 2% of the list.
In their area
6 Knight Bachelor recipients are from Bristol.
What organisation were they with?
Professorial Research Fellow, University of Bristol.
How widely is this recognised?
1,920 people have been recognised for Science, Engineering & Technology.
Counts reflect the 2008–2026 honours lists in our records; earlier years are not yet included.
Honoured alongside them
Others awarded the Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours 2018
Alan John Tuckett
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Leicestershire
“Professor of Education, University of Wolverhampton. For services to Education, Particularly Adult Learning.”
Alan Thorpe Richard Wood
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“Lately Corporate Director, Children and Young PeopleÕs Services, London Borough of Hackney. For services to ChildrenÕs Social Care and Education.”
Andrew Charles Parmley
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“Lately Lord Mayor of London. For services to Music, Education and Civic Engagement.”
Anthony Habgood
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“Chairman, Court of the Bank of England. For services to UK Industry.”
Barry Alan Crompton Gibb
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Buckinghamshire
“Singer, Songwriter and Record Producer. For services to Music and charity.”
Bernard Walter Silverman
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Oxfordshire
“Lately Chief Scientific Adviser, Home Office. For public service and services to Science.”
Christopher Robert Chope
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Dorset
“Member of Parliament for Christchurch. For political and public service.”
Craig Mackey
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Wiltshire
“Deputy Commissioner, Metropolitan Police Service. For services to Policing.”
Edward Astley (John) Troup
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“Lately Executive Chair, HM Revenue and Customs. For public service to Taxpayers and the Tax System.”
Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Gloucestershire
“Member of Parliament for The Cotswolds. For political and public service.”
Graham Stuart Brady
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Greater Manchester
“Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West. For political and public service.”
Iain Torrance
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Edinburgh
“Pro-Chancellor, University of Aberdeen. For services to Higher Education and Theology.”
John Kevin Curtice
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Glasgow
“Professor of Politics, University of Strathclyde and Senior Research Fellow, NatCen Social Research. For services to the Social Sciences and Politics.”
Kenneth Aphunezi Olisa
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“For services to Business and Philanthropy.”
Lindsay Harvey Hoyle
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Lancashire
“Member of Parliament for Chorley. For parliamentary and political services.”
Mark Hendrick
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Lancashire
“Member of Parliament for Preston. For parliamentary and political service.”
Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Devon
“Author. For services to Literature and charity.”
Nicholas William Peter Clegg
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“For political and public service.”
Prof Timothy John Besley
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science. For services to Economics and Public Policy.”
Richard Julian Long
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Bristol
“Artist and Sculptor. For services to Art.”
Richard Starkey
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Abroad
“Musician. For services to Music.”
Terence Stephenson
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“Chair, General Medical Council. For services to Healthcare and ChildrenÕs Health Services.”
Timothy David Melville-Ross
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
London
“Chair, Higher Education Funding Council for England. For services to Higher Education.”
William Thompson Wright
PersonKnight Bachelor · 2018
Antrim
“Founder, Wrightbus Ltd. For services to the Economy and the Bus Industry.”
In the same field
Others recognised for Science, Engineering & Technology
Across the 2008–2026 honours lists in our records, 1,920 people have been recognised for Science, Engineering & Technology. See the full list →
Debra Padgett
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear
“Pathology Network Operational Lead and Clinical Pathology Lead, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. For services to Biomedical Science in the NHS”
Peter Mambara
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Stanford Le Hope, Essex
“Head of Technical and Training for First Bus. For services to Public Transport and Transport Engineering”
Tina Patricia Barton
PersonBritish Empire Medal · 2026
Shaftesbury, Dorset
“Chief Operations Officer, Emerging Markets Quality Trials Ltd. For services to Science and to Trade”
Simeon John Yates
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
“Professor of Digital Culture, University of Liverpool. For services to Digital Inclusion.”
Jian Zhang
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Bournemouth, Dorset
“Professor of Computer Animation, National Centre for Computer Animation, Bournemouth University. For services to Computer Animation Research, to Education and to Innovation in STEM”
Matthew Wilson
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Robertsbridge, East Sussex
“Chair, Blood Cancer UK. For services to Blood Cancer Awareness and Research”
Keith Chalmers-Watson
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
North Berwick, East Lothian
“Life Member and lately Chair of World Pheasant Association. For services to Wild Bird Research and Conservation”
Claire Vincent
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Bangor, County Down
“Deputy Director Marine and Fisheries Division, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. For services to Marine Science and to Women in Science”
Ann Watson
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“Chief Executive Officer, Enginuity. For services to the Advancement of Skills in the Engineering and Manufacturing Sector”
Stephen Michael Smith
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Oxford, Oxfordshire
“Executive Director, CO2RE and Associate Professor of Greenhouse Gas Removal, University of Oxford. For services to Climate Science”
Martin John Rolles
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Swansea, West Glamorgan
“Clinical Oncologist, Swansea Bay University Health Board. For services to Healthcare Science and Cancer”
Peter Robertson
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Belfast, County Borough of Belfast
“Professor of Energy and Environmental Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast. For services to Research and Innovation in Northern Ireland”
Professor Mykaell Riley
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“Director for The Black Music Research Unit and Principal Investigator for Bass Culture Research, University of Westminster. For services to Research and Education around Black British Music”
Beena Puri
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Manchester, Greater Manchester
“Digital Equity Senior Principal, Greater Manchester Combined Authority. For services to Digital Inclusion”
Ghulam Andre Ng
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Leicester, Leicestershire
“Head of Department, Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester and President, British Cardiovascular Society. For services to Medical Research and Healthcare”
Ian Marson
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“Lately Digital Product Manager, Home Office. For services to Migration and Borders Technology”
James Markey
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Guildford, Surrey
“Founder, UNI SIM. For services to the Technology Sector”
Carolyn Heitmeyer
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
London, Greater London
“Head of Social Sciences, Government Office for Science. For services to Social Science”
Jane Gate
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Thatcham, Berkshire
“Executive Director, The Association of Innovation, Research and Technology Organisations. For services to Science and the Innovation Ecosystem”
Maurice Geddis
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Dromore, County Down
“Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Avondale Foods Ltd and ENE Ltd. For services to Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland”
Jenny Barbara Ellis
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
“Founder, NextJenSecurity. For services to Cyber Policy”
Mark Edward Antony Downs
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Deal, Kent
“Lately Chief Executive, Royal Society for Biology. For services to Biology”
Nicola Collett
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Lutterworth, Leicestershire
“Lately Partnership Development Manager, Leicester City School Sport Partnership. For services to School Sport and Physical Education and to the communities in Leicester City and Leicestershire”
Thomas Malcolm Calvert
PersonMember Order Of The British Empire · 2026
Belfast, County Down
“Senior Professional Technical Officer, Rivers Directorate, Department for Infrastructure, Northern Ireland Civil Service. For services to Flood Risk Management and Digital Transformation”
Source & provenance
Where this record comes from
Commander of the Order of the British Empire · 2010
Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list (Birthday Honours List 2010). No individual Gazette notice has been matched to this record yet.
Published 14 June 2010.
Knight Bachelor · 2018
London Gazette (official record), issue 62150, notice 2937650. View the official notice ↗
Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list (New Year Honours List 2018).
Published 29 December 2017.
Location (Bristol) comes from the Cabinet Office / gov.uk published honours list, not the Gazette notice, which records no recipient home location.
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