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University reptile expert receives MBE
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Professor Mark O’Shea was awarded an MBE at Windsor Castle for services to Higher Education, Zoology, Reptile Conservation and Snakebite Research.
The award was made in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2020, but the investiture was delayed due to Covid. Mark received his award from the Princess Royal, Princess Anne on 30 November 2021.
Wolverhampton born and educated, Mark O’Shea, graduated from Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1985 with a degree in Applied Sciences, with honours.
Now, Mark teaches on the University’s Animal Behaviour and Wildlife Conservation and Biosciences courses in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He also held the position of Consultant Curator of Reptiles at West Midland Safari Park from 1987 until 2019.
An internationally renowned TV presenter and reptile expert, he is also an explorer, professional photographer, author of seven books, public speaker and a respected scientist. Mark’s adventurous herpetological television series, O’Shea’s Big Adventure, was broadcasted internationally and ran for four seasons.
As an advocate for herpetological conservation issues, Mark has conducted herpetological fieldwork or made films in almost 50 countries, on every continent except Antarctica. He has worked on numerous tropical expeditions and co-lead a team documenting the entire herpetofauna of Timor-Leste, Asia’s newest country, many of the species being new to science. He has so far described seven new snakes and a gecko but upwards of a dozen more species are pending.
Mark has also worked on snakebite projects in countries where there are high incidences of snakebites, a neglected tropical disease which globally claims up to 138,000 lives each year and permanently disable a further 400,000 victims. He has captured and “milked” (done venom extractions) on some of the most venomous snakes on the planet, for venom research and antivenom production. When he talks about snakebite, he understands the problem from both the researcher’s and the victim’s standpoints, having survived several serious snakebites himself.
His popularity means his public lectures and outreach work are well-attended by people of all ages, encouraging young herpetologists interested in studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.
Receiving his MBE, Mark said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and humbled to have been recognised in this way. Not only is this rewarding me for my long, varied and, at times, dangerous career, it is putting the spotlight on the research I do, especially highlighting the problem of snakebites around the world.”
“What I learned during my time at Wolverhampton Polytechnic played a really important role in my transition from reptile enthusiast to reptile scientist. And the most important thing is that my life experiences enable me to give back to and encourage the next generation of zoologists and herpetologists.”
The University awarded Mark with an honorary doctorate in science in 2001 for his contributions to herpetology and he was appointed Professor of Herpetology in 2018. In 2000 Mark received one of only eight Millennium Awards for Services to Exploration from the Explorers’ Club of New York (British Chapter). In 2018 a group of German herpetologists named a new Asian pipesnake Cylindrophis osheai in his honour.
Anyone looking to study at the University of Wolverhampton should register for one of our forthcoming Open Days.
For more information contact the Corporate Communications Team comms@wlv.ac.uk
For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.