Michael Proctor (academic) facts for kids

Michael Richard Edward Proctor (born 19 September 1950) is a British scientist. He is a physicist and mathematician. He teaches at the University of Cambridge. He is known for his work in astrophysical fluid dynamics. This field studies how liquids and gases move in space, like inside stars. Since 2013, he has also been the Provost of King's College, Cambridge. This is a top leadership role at one of Cambridge University's colleges.

His Early Life and Studies

Michael Proctor was born on September 19, 1950. He grew up in a place called Spalding, Lincolnshire. His father was a farmer. He went to Shrewsbury School.

He earned a scholarship to study mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge. He started there in 1968. He completed his Master of Mathematics (MMath) degree in 1972.

From 1972 to 1973, he was a Kennedy Scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. He then returned to the University of Cambridge. There, he worked on his PhD. He finished his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1975. His research was about how stars and planets create magnetic fields. In 1995, he earned a Doctor of Science (ScD) degree. This is a very high academic award from the University of Cambridge.

His Career in Science

In 1974, Michael Proctor became a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. From 1975 to 1977, he worked as a researcher and assistant professor at MIT. He came back to the University of Cambridge in 1977. He became an assistant lecturer in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. In the same year, he became a college lecturer at Trinity College.

He helped students as a tutor at Trinity from 1979 to 1991, and again from 1992 to 1994. At the university, he was promoted to lecturer in 1982. He became a Reader in 1994. In the same year, he was chosen as the Dean of Trinity College.

In 2000, he became a Professor of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics. This means he became a full professor in his field. In 2006, he was elected Vice-Master of Trinity College. In 2012, he was chosen to be the Provost of King's College, Cambridge. He started this important job in 2013. He was re-elected for a second term as provost in 2017.

Awards and Recognitions

Michael Proctor has received many honors for his work. In 1977, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS). This is a group for people who study space and stars.

He was awarded a Doctor of Science (ScD) degree by the University of Cambridge in 1995. In 2006, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is one of the oldest and most respected science groups in the world. In 2007, he was also made a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (FIMA).