Mark Welland facts for kids

Sir Mark Edward Welland is a British physicist born on October 18, 1955. He is a professor of nanotechnology at the University of Cambridge. He also leads the Nanoscience Centre there.

Sir Mark has been a fellow at St John's College, Cambridge, since 1986. He began his work in nanotechnology at IBM Research. There, he helped create one of the first scanning tunnelling microscopes. From 2016 to 2023, he was the Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge.

Early Life and Education

Mark Welland was born on October 18, 1955. He studied physics at the University of Leeds, earning his first degree in 1979. Later, he continued his studies at the University of Bristol. He received his Master of Science and PhD degrees in physics in 1984. His research focused on how tiny boundaries between crystals behave.

Career in Science

Welland moved to Cambridge in 1987. He started the first group in the UK to study materials using tunnelling microscopy. This was done with John Pethica. At the Nanoscience Centre in Cambridge, he researches many areas of nanotechnology. This includes creating tiny sensors for medical uses. He also works on understanding and controlling very small structures and devices.

Nanotechnology Research

Sir Mark Welland led a big research project in nanotechnology. This project received a lot of money to build a special facility at Cambridge. This helped boost nanotechnology research. Until 2008, he was the main editor for the Nanotechnology journal. This is a science magazine from the Institute of Physics.

He also helps lead a special research effort between the UK and Japan. This project is called CORINT. It works with Hiroyuki Sakaki from the University of Tokyo. Sir Mark is also a member of the Council of the Royal United Services Institute. This group studies defense and security.

He also advises Seraphima Ventures. This company helps new businesses that focus on nanotechnology. In April 2008, he became the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence. This means he gave scientific advice to the UK government on defense matters.

His research has received funding from important science groups. These include the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). He also got support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). In September 2016, he became the Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He held this important role until October 2023.

Personal Life

Sir Mark Welland is married to Esme Lynora Otun. They have four children together. They have two sons and two daughters.

Awards and Honours

Sir Mark Welland has received many important awards. He was made a knight in 2011. This means he can use the title "Sir." In 2002, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. He also became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. These are very high honors for scientists and engineers in the UK.

His work in nanotechnology was highly praised. He is known for creating new tools to study tiny materials. He also studies how these tiny materials behave. His work includes understanding how strong single molecules are. He also looks at how small layers of materials act. He has studied the electrical and optical properties of tiny structures. He also works on making new materials using very small building methods. His important contributions are known all over the world.

In 2014, the University of Bristol gave him an honorary Doctor of Science degree. This was to recognize his amazing achievements.