Prof. Dame Lorna Dawson, a long-term Fellow of the British Society of Science, was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) by His Majesty the King in the 2026 New Year Honours list. Dame Dawson is Head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute. During her 40+ year career she has been at the forefront of developing and applying environmental tools in search and trace evidence in the Criminal Justice System. She is a registered advisor with the National Crime Agency, a trained Expert Witness and has worked on over 200 cases with police, agencies, and lawyers across the UK and overseas. Her science has featured in crime novels and television, including a sabbatical working with the BBC.
Dame Dawson has always advocated soil science as a career, encouraging students to follow her into what she sees as a ‘cool job’. She has been a dedicated BSSS member, serving as a council member of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists (2009-2013) and as a keynote speaker.
Of her honour and the BSSS, Dame Dawson said:
“I am deeply honoured and immensely humbled to be recognised with a Damehood in His Majesty the King’s Christmas Honours List 2025. This award reflects the extraordinary contributions that I have made in the subjects of soil and forensic science. Soil science may sometimes seem an unsung discipline, but its applications — from underpinning sustainable land management, biological protection, producing safe nutritious food, enabling fresh water, to providing robust scientific evidence that supports the criminal justice system — make a real difference to society in the UK and across the world. I am grateful for the support of my professional networks, such as BSSS and the professional Institute of Chartered Science. I am also very grateful to the University of Aberdeen where I learnt my trade with a deep understanding of soil science which has helped me to develop and apply this pioneering work.”
