Huge congratulations to DR Alexander Rhys who's been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours 2026.
We are delighted to hear that former SU Education Officer and student at the University of Bath, Dr Alexander Rhys has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours 2026 for services to healthcare and the LGBTQ+ community.
Alex currently serves as CEO of two organisations: the Infection Prevention Society, a professional membership organisation with over 2,050 members working to reduce healthcare-associated infections, and It Gets Better UK, a charity he founded in 2017 that has reached over 2.5 million LGBTQ+ young people through crisis intervention and support programmes.
Alex was Education Officer at The Students' Union for a year from 2012. Alex commented to The University of Bath "I'm deeply honoured by this recognition," said Dr Rhys. "My time at Bath gave me both the scientific foundation and the leadership experience that shaped my career. Serving as Education Officer in the Students’ Union taught me how to advocate for others and work within complex organisations – skills that have been essential in everything I've done since."
Well done Alex, we're so proud to have been part of your journey.
Find out more about Alexander's Career.