On receiving the award, Professor Zhang said, “I'm very grateful and in fact a little surprised to receive this honour. I'm so fortunate to be able to work on the academic subject I love, which has given me a career full of creativity, curiosity and technological insights. I am also grateful to have been part of a wonderful team, so the honour also reflects the work of my students and colleagues I've worked alongside over the years.”
Alongside Professor Zhang's recognition, other members of the BU community were also honoured in the King's Birthday Honours.
BU Television Production graduate Georgina Hurcombe, founder and managing director of LoveLove Film has been honoured with an MBE for services to television and the creative sector. Georgina graduated from BU in 2006 before founding LoveLove Films, an independent animation and video production company creating content for television, film and digital platforms. Through the company's placement programme, LoveLove Films has helped develop emerging talent, providing opportunities for hundreds of students. Georgina also works to encourage more women into animation through talks, workshops and mentoring.
Also recognised was Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Franklin, who was made an OBE for services to visual effects design and the international motion picture industry.
Dr Franklin, who received an honorary doctorate of the arts from BU in 2021, is the co-founder of DNEG and creative director of beloFX. His movie credits include Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. He has worked for over a decade with director, Sir Christopher Nolan, including designing and supervising the visual effects for Nolan’s Dark Night trilogy and winning Oscars for his work on Inception and Interstellar.
