LSE alumni recognised in King's New Year Honours

Professor Michaela Benzeval (MSc Health Planning & Financing 1992, PhD Social Administration 1999)
CBE for Social Science

Professor Michaela Benzeval is Director of Understanding Society at the University of Essex. Michaela's CBE is in recognition of her work on the UK Household Longitudinal Study which investigates the changes in UK society.

Sir David Holmes (LLB 1989)
Knighthood for services to Children and Families

David Holmes CBE has been the Chief Executive of Family Action since 2013. Family Action is a charity which seeks to provide practical, emotional and financial support to those in poverty and social isolation.

Louisa Mitchell (MSc Social Policy 2010)
MBE for services to Children and Young People

Louisa Mitchell is Chief Executive of West London Zone,a charity that helps children and young people to build relationships and skills that will enable them to thrive in adulthood.

Isabelle Trowler (MSc Social Policy and Social Work 1996)
CBE for services to Children's Social Care

Isabelle Trowler has worked as the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families at the Department for Education since 2013. In this role she has co-designed frameworks for delivering social work which has influenced practice for providing child social care across England.

Zehra Zaidi (LLM Law 1998)
OBE for services to International Development, Humanitarian Action and Community Cohesion

Zehra Zaidi began her career as a solicitor at a global law firm before heading a legal reform project in Pakistan funded by the Asian Development Bank. Zehra has been active in supporting Afghan women since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021, helping to set up the All Parliamentary Group for Afghan Women and Girls.