‘I was regarded as someone who would never amount to much’, says IChemE Fellow awarded MBE

Peter Robertson

IChemE Fellow Peter Robertson has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours this week for “services to research and innovation” following a 40-year career in academia across Northern Ireland and Scotland. 

Receiving his Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) exactly forty years after learning his bachelor’s degree results, Robertson said he was “surprised and overwhelmed”. Growing up with dyslexia, he said he was once "regarded as somebody who was never going to amount to much”. He learned of the award just days before retiring from Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). 

Robertson’s research has focused on semiconductor photocatalysis for water treatment and solar energy applications. Among the highlights of his research career is pioneering work with microbiologist Linda Lawton while at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Together “over a cup of tea” they decided to investigate whether photocatalysis could be applied to cyanotoxin removal in water treatment. “We found back in 1997 we could remove these toxins released by the blue-green algae.” 

However, Robertson was keen to stress that the award reflected the contributions of colleagues throughout his career. “This is not down to what I’ve done individually. I’ve had an opportunity to work with so many wonderful people throughout my career and this is as much about working with them as it is about me,” he said.

His most recent research at QUB saw him study biomass valorisation using photocatalysis to generate hydrogen and other high-value products. 

Since 2025, Robertson has served as associate pro-vice-chancellor for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at QUB, and believes inclusion should be seen as an opportunity to “thrive as a wider community”. He said: “As a dyslexic person, with appropriate adjustments I was able to do my best work.

“We have people that have phenomenal ability and resilience. By putting in appropriate support, you can get the best out of people.”

Reflecting on his career, which has included leadership roles in academia, research and chemical engineering education, Robertson said inspiring future engineers remained one of his proudest achievements. “It’s been a real privilege for me as a lecturer, being able to inspire the next generation of chemical engineers,” he said. 

IChemE CEO Yvonne Baker congratulated Robertson on his honour: “We are delighted for Professor Robertson, whose leadership and impact exemplifies the values of IChemE and the power of chemical engineering to improve the world,” she said. “This award recognises not only individual excellence but also the profound contribution chemical engineers make to society.”