Ian Rankin elected to Royal Society of Edinburgh

SCIENTISTS, prominent academics and names from the arts world, including author Ian Rankin, have been elected to become fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).

Author Ian Rankin is among those elected to become fellows of the RSE. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The Rebus writer is among 56 people who have been chosen to join the organisation which works to place learning and useful knowledge at the centre of public life in Scotland.

Its fellows come from a wide range of disciplines and this year sees various academics joined by those from the arts, business and political spheres in being welcomed to the RSE.

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, becomes an honorary fellow.

Sir George Reid, former presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, poet Don Paterson and former Glasgow School of Art director Dame Seona Reid are some of the other new fellows.

Sir George said: “I am delighted by this honour, which recognises both my academic work and public service.

“I hope to participate in the society’s contribution to constitutional and international issues, and its outreach to universities, colleges and schools.”

Academics from various universities are among the newly announced fellows.

The University of Dundee’s Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, of the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, and Professor Colin Palmer, from the university’s School of Medicine, have both been elected.

Professor Nic Daeid said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. It is also further recognition for CAHID, which is now firmly established as one of the world’s leading research centres in forensic science and forensic anthropology.”

RSE president Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell said: “I am delighted to welcome such a wide range of outstanding individuals to the fellowship. Each of our new fellows is elected on the distinguished merit of their work.

“In joining the RSE, they strengthen our capacity to support excellence across all areas of academic and public life, both in Scotland and further afield.”

New fellows are elected each year through a five-stage nomination process.

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