John Pethica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir John Pethica
FRS FREng
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| Chief Scientific Adviser, National Physical Laboratory | |
| In office 2007–2017 |
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| SFI Research Professor and Professor of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin | |
| In office 2001–2018 |
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| Professor of Materials Science, University of Oxford | |
| In office 1996–2001 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Bernard Pethica
1953 (age 71–72) |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
Sir John Bernard Pethica (born in 1953) is a British scientist. He is known for his important work in material science. He has been a professor at Trinity College, Dublin and a top science advisor for the UK.
Sir John helped create special tools. These tools let scientists study tiny things. One tool is called nanoindentation. It measures how hard super small materials are. Another is atomic force microscopy. This tool lets us see things at the atomic level.
Contents
Early Life and School
John Pethica went to St Ambrose College in Manchester, England. Later, he earned his PhD in the late 1970s. A PhD is a very high university degree.
His Amazing Career
Sir John Pethica has had a long and successful career in science. He has worked at several important places.
Moving to Dublin
In 2001, John Pethica received a special award. It was from Science Foundation Ireland (S.F.I.). This award helped him move his research activities. He moved from Oxford University in England to Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland.
Leading a Nanotechnology Center
In 2005, Sir John was chosen for a big role. He became the director of the Naughton Institute. This institute is home to CRANN. CRANN is a new center for nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is about working with materials that are incredibly small. We are talking about sizes measured in nanometers!
Top Science Advisor
In 2007, Sir John took on another key position. He became the Chief Scientific Advisor. This role was at the UK's National Physical Laboratory. This lab is the UK's main place for measurements and standards.
Awards and Special Honours
Sir John Pethica has received many awards for his scientific work.
- In 1999, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists. He also served as a Vice-President for the Royal Society.
- In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng).
- In 2014, he became an honorary fellow of St Cross College, Oxford.
He also won two major medals:
- The Hughes Medal from the Royal Society in 2001.
- The Holweck Prize in 2002. This was from the Institute of Physics.
In 2014, Sir John Pethica was made a knight. This was for his great contributions to science.
Personal Interests
Outside of science, Sir John Pethica is a talented musician. He plays the violin and other instruments. He especially enjoys Irish and British folk music.
