Russell E. Morris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Russell Morris FRS FRSE FRSC FLSW
Morris in 2016
Born	(1967-06-08) 8 June 1967 (age 58) St Asaph, Wales
Education	Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy
Alma mater	Oriel College, Oxford
Spouse(s)	Silke Wewetzer ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	2
Awards	Frank Brian Mercer award
Scientific career
Institutions	University of St Andrews
Thesis	Synthesis and characterization of metal phosphites and selenites (1992)
Doctoral advisor	Anthony Cheetham
Cricket information Batting Right-handed Bowling Right-arm medium Domestic team information Years Team 1987–1991 University of Oxford 1990–1991 Wales Minor Counties Career statistics Competition First-class List A Matches 35 4 Runs scored 1,109 44 Batting average 23.10 11.00 100s/50s 0/10 0/0 Top score 96 19 Balls bowled 162 – Wickets 2 – Bowling average 72.50 – 5 wickets in innings 0 – 10 wickets in match 0 – Best bowling 2/82 – Catches/stumpings 8/– 0/– Source: Cricinfo, 10 November 2011

Russell Edward Morris (born 8 June 1967) is a British chemist. He is a special professor of chemistry at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Before becoming a scientist, he also played first-class cricket and association football while studying at the University of Oxford.

Early Life and Education

Russell Edward Morris was born on 8 June 1967 in St Asaph, a town in Wales. His father, Merfyn Morris, worked as a plumber.

Russell went to school at Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy. Later, he studied chemistry at Oriel College, Oxford. He earned his first degree in 1989. In 1992, he completed his PhD, which is a higher degree for research. His research looked into making and studying special materials called metal phosphites and selenites.

Amazing Discoveries in Chemistry

Professor Morris is very interested in making and using materials that have tiny holes or layers. These are called porous or layered materials. He studies things like zeolites and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

New Ways to Make Materials

He created a new way to make solid materials using special liquids called ionic liquids. This method is called ionothermal synthesis. It has changed how many different chemicals are made.

Recently, he has been working on a method called ADOR. This stands for assembly–disassembly–organisation–reassembly. It helps create new types of zeolites that were not possible to make before.

Materials for Medicine

Professor Morris is also known for using these porous materials in medicine. He explores how they can store and deliver special gases that are good for health. This could help treat different illnesses.

Awards and Recognitions

Professor Morris has received many important awards for his work.

• In 2016, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.
• He also won the Brian Mercer Award for Innovation. This award recognized his work with MOFgen Ltd. and Sasol Technology UK, which helped turn his research into useful products.
• He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (FLSW), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
• In 2019, he received the Tilden Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Cricket Career

Before becoming a famous chemist, Russell Morris was also a talented cricket player. He was a right-handed batsman and bowled right-arm medium pace.

Playing for Oxford University

While studying at the University of Oxford, he played for the Oxford University Cricket Club. He played his first first-class cricket match in 1987. A first-class match is a high level of cricket, usually played over several days.

He played 33 more first-class matches for the university. His last game was in 1991 against Cambridge University at Lord's, a famous cricket ground. In these matches, he scored 981 runs. His highest score was 96 runs in one game. He also scored 50 runs or more eight times.

In 1990, he even captained a team of players from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. They played against the New Zealand team that was touring the UK. He scored 75 runs and 53 runs in that match.

Other Cricket Teams

In 1991, Russell Morris also played for the Combined Universities team. He played in four List A matches. These are shorter, one-day cricket games. In these games, he scored 44 runs.

He also played for Wales Minor Counties in 1990 and 1991.

Family Life

Russell Morris married Silke Frauke Karen Wewetzer in 2002. They have two children, a son and a daughter.