A lecture theatre at the University of Leeds has been renamed as a tribute to a pioneering professor.
The Anne Neville Lecture Theatre in the School of Mechanical Engineering was officially named at a ceremony attended by family, friends and colleagues on what would have been Anne’s 55th birthday.
The event recognised her passion for science, ability to inspire and remarkable achievements. It coincided with the Royal Society’s upcoming publication of her memoir.
The dedication, spearheaded by Anne’s colleagues Professor Ardian Morina, Dr Rachael Spraggs and Professor Giles Davies, was proposed as “a tribute to Anne’s outstanding contributions to engineering science and education, but also a source of inspiration to future generations of engineers and scientists who will go through this auditorium to follow in her footsteps.”
A trailblazing career in engineering
Professor Neville, who passed away in 2022 aged 52, authored more than 700 articles and has been cited 14,000 times by other research papers. She is internationally renowned for her contributions to tribology, surface engineering and corrosion, which has transformed our understanding of the physics of surfaces.
Professor Anne Neville
Her breakthroughs also improved our understanding of issues as wide-ranging as brake pads, endoscopic tools, miniature robots, animal dexterity and the mouthfeel of wine.
Anne was awarded numerous accolades during her distinguished career, including fellowships with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2016, she became the first woman to win both the Leverhulme Medal and the James Clayton Prize.
In 2017, she achieved her lifelong ambition when she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). That same year, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to engineering.
Anne was an internationally renowned and dedicated colleague, an inspirational engineer and superb role model – particularly for female mechanical engineers.
The dedication event was attended by 100 people who knew Anne closely including family, friends, colleagues and former students. Speakers celebrated her incredible achievements in engineering, modesty, determination, selflessness and the impact she left at Leeds and across the world.
The event was opened by Professor Hai-Sui Yu, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Leeds and a fellow engineer, who said he could only scratch the surface of her 17-year career with the University.
He said: “Anne was an internationally renowned and dedicated colleague, an inspirational engineer and superb role model – particularly for female mechanical engineers.
“She has been described as a force of nature, hugely energetic, productive and focused – and none of us here could disagree with any of that. She was also an excellent and inspiring leader, great at building teams and encouraging them to achieve their very best.
“Perhaps most importantly of all, Anne was selfless, thoughtful and kind, and proved that being a hugely successful engineer is compatible with enjoying a fulfilling family life. We were very lucky to have her as a colleague and a friend.”
Professor Hai-Sui Yu leading the dedication ceremony.
He was followed by former colleagues Professor Rob Dwyer-Joyce of the Leonardo Centre for Tribology at the University of Sheffield and author of her Royal Society memoir; Professor Edmund Linfield, Director of the Bragg Centre for Materials Research; and Sheetal Handa, who serves on the Bragg Centre External Advisory Board.
Professor Linfield praised Anne for her groundbreaking work and her key role in shaping the Centre. “Much wisdom came from Anne,” he said. “She didn’t always say so much in meetings, but when she did, one listened and took careful note. She was always perceptive, to the point, insightful and supportive.”
Each speaker was keen to underline the achievement that Anne held most dearly: nurturing 129 PhD students on their paths to becoming experts in their fields.
The dedication ceremony drew to a close as Mark McKelvie, Anne’s husband, and Rachel, her daughter, took to the stage to highlight how Anne’s personality shone just as brightly away from Leeds, as a dedicated mother and wife.
Mark said: “Rachel and I were delighted that the university chose to name a lecture theatre in memory of Anne. The event on Friday allowed us to celebrate Anne’s life along with other family members, friends and colleagues.
“It is lovely to know that there will be a permanent memorial in the building in which Anne spent the majority of her career, which many of her colleagues still work in, and which Rachel and I both have very fond memories of.”
Professor Dame Jane Francis FRS, the University's chancellor, closed the presentation by unveiling the plaque, which will be installed inside the lecture theatre.
In 2024, Anne’s contribution to the city of Leeds was honoured as part of the Ribbons sculpture, which champions women’s achievements in Leeds from the past and present. The sculpture comprises five steel ribbons that carry the names of more than 350 nominated women.
Ribbons, created by artist Pippa Hale for a project led by Leeds Arts University in partnership with Leeds City College and Leeds City Council, was unveiled in October 2024 by Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP.
Further information
Photos: Mark Bickerdike.
For media and other enquiries, please contact Faculty Communications Manager Matt Gardner at M.D.Gardner@leeds.ac.uk.