Alwyn Davies facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alwyn G Davies
|
|
|---|---|
A portrait of AG Davies taken in his office in 2019.
|
|
| Born | 13 May 1926 |
| Died | 1 September 2023 (aged 97) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Chemist, historian of chemistry |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | RSC Ingold Lecturer 1992-3, RSC Medal for Organic Reaction Mechanism, 1989; Humboldt Prize, Freiburg University, 1994. |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University College London |
| Doctoral advisor | Christopher Ingold |
Alwyn George Davies was a brilliant British chemist and professor. He was a special member, called a Fellow, at University College London (UCL). He was born on May 13, 1926, and passed away on September 1, 2023, at the age of 97.
Contents
A Life in Chemistry
Alwyn Davies was born on May 13, 1926. He started studying at University College London (UCL) in 1944. He earned his first degree (B.Sc.) from UCL in 1946. Then, he got his Ph.D. in 1949. He learned a lot from his teacher, Christopher Kelk Ingold, who was also a famous chemist.
Teaching and Research
Alwyn Davies started teaching at Battersea Polytechnic (now University of Surrey) in 1949. He taught there until 1953. After that, he returned to UCL in 1953. He taught at UCL for many years, until 1991. He became a Reader in 1964 and then a full Professor in 1968.
His main research was about special types of chemicals. He studied things like organic peroxides and radicals. He also worked a lot with organotin chemistry. This is a field that looks at compounds containing both carbon and tin atoms.
"Alwyn's Tin Men"
Because of his work with organotin chemistry, his students had a fun nickname for themselves. They were sometimes called "Alwyn's Tin Men"! This shows how dedicated they were to his research.
Leading the Department
From 1971 to 1974, Alwyn Davies was the temporary Head of the Chemistry Department at UCL. This happened after the previous head, Ronald Sidney Nyholm, passed away.
In 1989, Alwyn Davies was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.
UCL's Historian
Alwyn Davies loved sharing the history of chemistry. He often gave talks about William Ramsay. Ramsay was another famous chemist who worked at UCL. Alwyn was known as UCL Chemistry's unofficial historian. He also helped keep important records and documents.
Alwyn Davies passed away on September 1, 2023. He was 97 years old. He left behind a great legacy in chemistry and teaching.
