Ken Henderson formally appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Princess Anne at Windsor Castle.
WINDSOR, England — When Princess Anne asked Ken Henderson about Northeastern University’s dual-degree program, the chancellor and senior vice president for learning knew she had done her homework.
The encounter took place Tuesday at Windsor Castle, where Henderson — a native of Scotland — was formally appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). The honor recognizes his contributions to strengthening higher education partnerships between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Anne, known formally as the Princess Royal and sister to King Charles, is one of only three members of the royal family — along with the king and Prince William — authorized to conduct investiture ceremonies.
After pinning the officer’s medal to Henderson’s lapel in the castle’s Grand Reception Room, the 74-year-old royal asked about Northeastern’s dual U.S.-U.K. degree program and its growing impact.
Henderson was struck by how well-informed she was.
“She actually asked about the dual degrees,” said Henderson, “and how that worked between the United Kingdom and the United States. We had a little discussion about the benefits of having both a degree from England and from the U.S., and what benefits that provides for students who can then work in both countries.
“She seemed to be very impressed by that. She was clearly very well briefed — it was a very comfortable, enjoyable conversation.”
The Order of the British Empire was instituted in 1917 by King George V to honor service in civil roles, according to Michael Peplar, an associate professor in history at Northeastern in London.
Peplar says the honor was created to fill a gap during World War I, as existing orders at the time primarily recognized military and royal service.
“Today, it is used to recognize extraordinary contributions and service in a wide range of public roles, including in the arts, science, sports, education and in charitable work,” Peplar explains.
“Nominations are made by government officials and are limited to a hundred or so per year. In the U.K., it is seen as a great honor, both for the individual and for the organizations they represent.”
Henderson recalled being “completely shocked” when he was called last year by the outgoing British consul general to New England to let him know he would feature in the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List.
The honor puts him in the same bracket as famous faces such as British actor Keira Knightley and Blur frontman Damon Albarn, who have both been appointed an OBE. Officer status is two rungs below a knighthood or damehood.
Speaking outside Windsor Castle after the investiture ceremony, Henderson described it as a “fantastic” feeling to be recognized by his country. He was accompanied at the ceremony by Liz, his wife of 31 years, and his parents, Peter and June.
He cited his involvement with establishing Northeastern’s presence in London, with the school merging with the former New College of the Humanities in 2019, as his proudest achievement since joining the university almost a decade ago.
“We’ve always kept very strong ties in the U.K., through our work and through Northeastern University in London, having been very heavily involved in that over the years,” Henderson said.
“At Northeastern, we’ve developed a whole series of programs within the U.K., so hundreds of thousands of students at this point have benefited from these programs.”
Henderson grew up in East Kilbride, a town just outside Glasgow, and earned both his undergraduate and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of Strathclyde. He got his first taste of international education between 1994 and 1995, conducting postdoctoral research at Brown University in Rhode Island before returning to Scotland to teach.
In 2002, Henderson and his wife immigrated to the United States with their two children, Emma, now 27, and Oliver, 24. The move marked the beginning of Henderson’s 14-year tenure at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where he focused on developing strategic international partnerships for research and educational collaboration. He joined Northeastern in 2016.
A respected chemist, Henderson has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2007. He initially came to Northeastern as dean of the College of Science.
In 2019, he was promoted to become the university’s first chancellor and senior vice president for learning. In this role, he oversees a broad portfolio that includes advancing innovation in experiential learning and expanding opportunities for students to study across Northeastern’s global network of campuses.
His OBE means Henderson has followed in his paternal grandfather’s footsteps in being honored by the royal family. Peter Henderson was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1953 by the late Queen Elizabeth II in recognition for his services to the mining industry.
The day before the investiture ceremony, Henderson and his wife toured Windsor Castle. Having met at university, the glimpse inside the royal residence — which traces its origins to the 11th century — had been decades in the making.
“We came to Windsor as students when we were both undergraduates together,” recalls Henderson.
“We basically did something similar to co-ops back then. We both did five months working down in the London area. We came to Windsor but we had no money, so we decided it was too expensive to do the castle tour, so yesterday was the first time we had ever been inside.”
Another 24 hours later, Henderson would step inside the historic walls for a second time — this time leaving with a medal from a royal to mark his new status as an OBE.