Paul Newman Recognised in King’s Birthday Honours

Congratulations to Paul Newman, Keble Professorial Fellow and BP Professor of Information Engineering, who has been appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to engineering and technology.

Professor Newman is also a member of the Department of Engineering Science and founded the Oxford Robotics Institute, which enjoys a world-leading reputation in mobile autonomy, developing machines which ‘roll, walk, poke, swim and fly in the real world’. His research work focuses on pushing the boundaries of navigation and autonomy techniques in terms of both endurance and scale. In 2014, he founded Oxbotica, now Oxa, a spinout company focused on Mobile Autonomy. Professor Newman has already been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and of the IEEE with a citation for outstanding contributions to robot navigation.

He said: “This is a very nice surprise, and one that brings me full circle. On my first visit to Oxford as a schoolboy, I sat on the grass at Keble as I contemplated applying to read Engineering Science there. What a pleasure it is now, as a Fellow of this remarkable institution, to receive this honour for my contributions to Engineering and Technology. Keble has had a central and catalytic role in robotics. For me, it formed the perfect crucible for launching both the Oxford Robotics Institute and Oxa (born Oxbotica). The very first self-driving vehicles headed out onto the road from Keble, so this is an honour I share with the college I am proud to call my second home.”