Professor Rachel Hilliam, Head of the School of Mathematics and Statistics at The Open University in Milton Keynes, has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to data sciences.
Rachel joined The Open University in 2011 and has since held a number of senior leadership positions, including Director of Teaching for Mathematics and Statistics and academic lead for the university’s Mathematics and Statistics student support team.
The honour recognises her contribution to the development of professional standards across statistics and data science in the UK and internationally, alongside her work with the Royal Statistical Society and the Alliance for Data Science Professionals (AfDSP).
Rachel played a leading role in establishing professional standards for the rapidly growing data science sector. The AfDSP was created in 2020 to bring together organisations from across the discipline, and she became its first Chair in 2021.
She also helped develop the organisation’s professional framework, which promotes ethical principles, transparency and fairness in the use of data and the development of algorithms. The framework requires certified professionals to demonstrate an understanding of responsible data practices.
Beyond data science, Rachel has contributed extensively to mathematics and statistics education. Her work includes leading the Teaching Statistics Trust Lecture series between 2020 and 2026, helping establish the Royal Statistical Society’s Section for Teaching Statistics in Higher Education, and co-creating Teaching and Learning Mathematics Online (TALMO), an international initiative that continues as an active seminar series.
Her contribution to the profession was recognised in 2024 when she received the Royal Statistical Society’s Chambers Medal.
Speaking about the award, Rachel said: “I was both thrilled and overwhelmed to be awarded this honour. I am incredibly fortunate to work not just with exceptionally talented colleagues at the OU, but also nationally.
“It was a privilege to work with so many amazing people across multiple professional and learned societies, industry and education to create and establish the Alliance for Data Science Professionals, and associated Data Science standards. This award is the result of a huge collaborative effort, and I want to thank everyone involved.”
Professor Mike Fernando, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at The Open University, said Rachel had made “an outstanding contribution to the professionalisation of data science”, adding that the honour reflected her impact across the sector.
Sarah Cumbers, chief executive of the Royal Statistical Society, said Rachel’s leadership had been instrumental in developing the UK’s first professional standards for data science and helping create a framework that is ethical, rigorous and internationally influential.
