Michael Mingos facts for kids

David Michael Patrick Mingos is a famous British chemist and academic. He was born on August 6, 1944. He used to be the head of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, a college at the famous University of Oxford, from 1999 to 2009. He was also a professor there, teaching about Inorganic Chemistry, which is a big part of how chemicals work.

Michael Mingos's Education Journey

Michael Mingos went to several schools and universities to become the brilliant chemist he is.

Early Schooling and University Degrees

He attended the Harvey Grammar School and the King Edward VII School Lytham St Anne's. He then studied at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. There, he won a Chemistry Department Prize in 1963 and earned his first degree, a BSc, with top honors in 1965. Later, in 2000, the university gave him an honorary DSc degree.

He also studied at the University of Sussex, where he earned his DPhil degree in 1968. In 2001, he received another honorary DSc from the University of Sussex.

Michael Mingos's Career in Chemistry

After finishing his studies, Michael Mingos started his exciting career in chemistry.

Early Research and Teaching Roles

From 1968 to 1970, he did special research after his PhD at Northwestern University in the USA, thanks to a Fulbright Fellowship. He then continued his research at the University of Sussex from 1970 to 1971 as an ICI Fellow.

In 1971, he became a Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, teaching students until 1976. After that, he moved to the University of Oxford. There, he became a Fellow and Tutor at Keble College and a University Lecturer. He also taught at Pembroke College, Oxford from 1977 to 1992.

Important Contributions to Chemistry

In 1978, Michael Mingos worked with two other chemists, Stephen G. Davies and Malcolm Green. Together, they created a special set of rules. These rules help scientists understand where certain chemical reactions, called nucleophilic additions, will happen on specific parts of molecules called pi ligands.

In 1984, Mingos wrote an important paper about the polyhedral skeletal electron pair theory. This theory builds on Wade's rules for counting electrons. It helps chemists predict the shapes of complex molecules called cluster compounds.

Leadership and Professorships

In 1990, he was promoted to Reader in Inorganic Chemistry at Oxford. He also served as an Assessor for the university in 1991-1992.

From 1992 to 1999, he worked at Imperial College London. He was the Sir Edward Frankland British Petroleum Professor of Inorganic Chemistry. He also served as the Dean of the Royal College of Science from 1996 to 1999, which is a big leadership role.

In 1999, Michael Mingos became the Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford. At the same time, he was a visiting professor at Imperial College London. In 2000, he was given the special title of Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford. He finished his role as Principal in 2009.

He also co-wrote a textbook called Introduction to Cluster Chemistry with David J. Wales. This book helps students learn about cluster chemistry.

Awards and Recognition

Michael Mingos has received many awards for his amazing work in chemistry.

Prestigious Awards and Fellowships

In 1980, he was given the Corday-Morgan Medal and Prize by the Royal Society of Chemistry. This is a very important award for chemists. In 1992, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Being a Fellow of the Royal Society is one of the highest honors a scientist in the UK can receive.

Michael Mingos's Family Life

Michael Mingos is the son of Vasso Mingos, who was from Athens, and Rose Enid Billie Mingos, whose maiden name was Griffiths.