LONDON — Former Yale Provost Alison Richard is not just Alison Richard anymore — she’s Dame Alison Richard.

Richard, who now serves as vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge, received the accolade during Queen Elizabeth II’s 2010 Birthday Honours on Saturday. Richard was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), the second most senior rank in the Order.

Before her departure for Cambridge in 2003, Richard served in a variety of capacities at Yale, including as chair of the Department of Anthropology and director of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. She maintained her last appointment, the provostship, for nine years and received an honorary degree from Yale in 2009. Richard’s term at Cambridge expires this coming fall, when she will step down as vice-chancellor.