Thomas Edwin Nevin facts for kids

Thomas Edwin Nevin (born October 4, 1906, in Bristol, England – died July 16, 1986, in Dublin, Ireland) was an Irish physicist. He was also an academic, which means he was a teacher and researcher at a university. He was very good at studying something called molecular spectroscopy. This is a science that looks at how light interacts with tiny particles called molecules.

Thomas Nevin became a Professor of Experimental Physics and the Dean of the Science Faculty at University College Dublin (UCD). He held these important jobs from 1963 to 1979.

Meet Thomas Nevin: The Light Detective

His Early Life and Family

Thomas E. Nevin was born in Bristol, England. He was the oldest of seven children. His father, Thomas Nevin, was from Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland. His mother, Alice Nevin, was from Herefordshire, England.

Thomas had two famous siblings. His sister, Áine Ní Chnáimhín, wrote books. His brother, Donal Nevin, was a historian and worked for trade unions.

In 1936, Thomas married Monica T. M. Morrissey. She also studied at UCD. Monica was interested in old Irish history. She did research for Irish History Online. Thomas and Monica had four daughters together.

Thomas Nevin's Amazing Science Journey

Learning About Physics

Even though Thomas was born in England, his family soon moved to Ireland. He grew up there. From 1919 to 1924, he went to CBS Sexton Street school in Limerick City. This school did not have science classes. But Thomas loved physics and learned a lot about it by himself!

In 1924, he won a scholarship to University College Dublin (UCD). He was excellent at math and physics. He earned top grades every year. In 1927, he got his first degree in Experimental Physics and Mathematics.

In 1928, he earned his master's degree (M.Sc.). He worked with a professor named J.J. Nolan. His research was about "The Effect of Water Vapour on the Diffusion Coefficients and Mobilities of Ions in the Air." This means he studied how water in the air affects tiny charged particles.

Studying Light and Molecules

In 1928, Thomas Nevin won a special award called an 1851 Research Fellowship. This allowed him to study spectroscopy at Imperial College, London from 1929 to 1931. Spectroscopy is the study of how light and matter interact. It helps scientists understand what things are made of.

After his studies in London, he came back to Dublin in 1931. He continued his research and became an assistant in the experimental physics department at UCD.

In 1940, he earned a D.Sc. degree from the National University of Ireland. This is a very high science degree. In 1942, he received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast. This means they gave him a special degree to honor his work.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Thomas Nevin kept doing important research in molecular spectroscopy. He often worked with other scientists who studied tiny particles and cosmic rays.

Leading the Physics Department

Thomas Nevin was also a very good leader at UCD. He helped manage the university's money and buildings. He also helped improve the physics department a lot.

When his old professor, J. J. Nolan, passed away in 1952, Thomas Nevin took over his job. He became the Professor of Experimental Physics. He kept this job until he retired in 1979.

Thomas Nevin strongly believed that the UCD campus needed to grow. For many years, the university was in the city center. As a key member of UCD's planning committees, he played a big part in moving the science faculty to the new Belfield campus in 1964. This new campus was in the southern suburbs of Dublin.

He also helped create the Irish part of the Institute of Physics. This group helps physicists in Ireland. He was also a member of the boards for the School of Theoretical Physics and the School of Cosmic Physics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.

On March 16, 1942, he became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. This is a very old and respected group of scholars in Ireland. He was part of their council for many years.

The Thomas E. Nevin Medal

Today, there is a special award called the Thomas E. Nevin Medal and Prize. It is given every year to a student at University College Dublin. This award goes to the physics student who gets the best grades and earns a first-class honors degree in Physics. It is given to honor Thomas Nevin's amazing work and contributions to physics.