H/02/02/02 eSenate: January 2012 The University of Edinburgh ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

David’s work has been remarkable in three ways. It has drawn its inspiration in part from the Sociology Department's founder, Tom Burns, whose maxim was that it was the business of sociologists to conduct a critical debate with the public about the equipment of its social institutions. How fitting then, that his work has been so closely bound up with the resurrection of perhaps its most important one. The public that David has addressed has always been Scottish, as much as British; not in any parochial sense, but, on the contrary as part of a most prescient exploration of the multinational character of the United Kingdom. Finally, the extremely long list of his collaborators, across a wide spectrum of academic disciplines, tells us a lot about his commitment to collegiality and interdisciplinarity. His work has been recognized by Fellowships of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and British Academy. It will come as no surprise to learn that retirement for David could hardly mean and end to research. His current project, Heat and the City explores sustainability. We do not yet know what his next project will be, but look forward to it, while wishing him well for a happy and fulfilling future.
Special Minute Professor David Rankin, BSc, PhD, FRSE Professor David Rankin obtained his first degree from the University of Cambridge, followed by research under the supervision first of Evelyn Ebsworth and then George Sheldrick. In 1969 he obtained his PhD with a thesis entitled “Germyl Derivatives of the Elements”. His initial research on the synthesis of germyl compounds paved the way to spectroscopic and structural studies, including an introduction to the technique of gas electron diffraction in Manchester. Following his PhD, David moved to Edinburgh University as a temporary ICI Research Fellow. This move reunited him with Evelyn Ebsworth who had been appointed as the first holder of the Crum Brown Chair in Chemistry at Edinburgh in 1967. David remained in Edinburgh for the rest of his scientific career, being promoted to a Personal Chair in Structural Chemistry in 1989. After moving to Edinburgh, the focus of his synthetic work shifted to fluorophosphine derivatives, but the structural emphasis remained with the establishment of a gas electron diffraction laboratory in Edinburgh in 1977. The initial gas electron diffraction apparatus (imported second hand from the USA) served David faithfully over the years and has now been moved to the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, where it will continue to contribute to the determination of molecular structures under the care of Sarah Masters, one of David’s former students. David’s name has been synonymous with gas electron diffraction research in the UK for more than three decades and is to be found on many an undergraduate reading list thanks to the “Structural Methods in Inorganic Chemistry” book he coauthored with Evelyn Ebsworth and Stephen Cradock. He is currently working towards preparing a third edition (with Carole Morrison, University of Edinburgh, and Norbert Mitzel, University of Bielefeld), which will be published by Wiley in the Spring of 2012. In an academic career spanning more than 40 years David has published almost 500 papers. He was the most cited electron diffractionist for over nearly 20 years and the most cited chemist in the University of Edinburgh over the same period. He received the Royal Society of Chemistry Award for Structural Chemistry (1990), was awarded a Tilden Lectureship (1996) and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1991. More recently he has been a recipient of the International Barbara MezStarck Prize awarded annually for outstanding contributions in the fields of experimental structural chemistry and molecular physics. David held many important posts in the School including Head of Inorganic Chemistry and Head of Department (on two occasions). In the years before his retirement he was the Chairman of the Board of Examiners. In this role, David has received the highest praise from External Examiners and greatly alleviated colleagues in the School of time consuming tasks by streamlining the processes and procedures. One of his duties was to oversee the preparation of exam papers. His abhorrence of split infinitives and incorrect punctuation is legendary! David has many interests outside structural chemistry. He has e.g. accrued an international reputation as an expert on rhododendrons. His studies of the relationships between metals in plants and soils are accompanied by biennial trips to hunt rhododendrons on Chinese limestone mountains! His wonderful garden in Lasswade has been enjoyed by many colleagues and the gardening hobby he shares with his wife Stella has developed into a thriving nursery business, Kevock Garden Plants. Having dominated the Best in Show category at Gardening Scotland for the last few years, David and Stella exhibited for the first time at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2011 and were awarded a silver gilt medal. David continues to contribute to the life of the School but now has the opportunity to devote much more time to his love of plants and garden design. We wish David and Stella a long, happy and busy “retirement” with lots more Garden Show success.
Page 1 and 2: H/02/02/02 eSenate: January 2012
Page 3 and 4: MINUTES OF AN ORDINARY MEETING OF T
Page 5 and 6: (iv) The University should consider
Page 7 and 8: complying with requirements in a ti
Page 9 and 10: University of Edinburgh Senatus Aca
Page 11 and 12: Special Minute Professor Zenon Bank
Page 13 and 14: Special Minute Kenneth Mackenzie Bo
Page 15 and 16: Special Minute Professor James L. C
Page 17 and 18: Special Minute Professor William J
Page 19 and 20: Special Minute Judith Green BA, DPh
Page 21 and 22: Special Minute Professor Chris Hims
Page 23 and 24: Larry will continue his research an
Page 26 and 27: ooks in the 1950s. We look forward
Page 28 and 29: The years ahead promise to see Bob
Page 32 and 33: Special Minute Professor Lyn Tett,
Page 34 and 35: H/02/02/02 eSenate: January 2012
Page 36 and 37: COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY
Page 38 and 39: Asif Ahmed until 28 February 2014.
Page 40 and 41: Central Management Group Tuesday 11
Page 42 and 43: H/02/02/02 eS: January 2012 C3 Th
Page 44 and 45: H/02/02/02 eS: January 2012 C4 Th
Page 46 and 47: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH Appendix 1
Page 48 and 49: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH Draft Resol

H/02/02/02 eSenate: January 2012 The University of Edinburgh ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?