William Hayes (academic) facts for kids

William Hayes (born 12 November 1930, died 16 March 2025) was a brilliant physicist and a leader in education. He was born in Ireland but spent much of his career in the United Kingdom. He was known for his work studying tiny flaws in crystals.

Early Life and Education

William Hayes was born in Killorglin, Ireland, on November 12, 1930. He went to school at Synge Street CBS. He then studied at University College, Dublin and the University of Oxford.

In 1955, Hayes moved to St John's College, Oxford as a special student from another country. He became a Fellow and Tutor there from 1960 to 1987. This meant he was a senior member of the college who taught students.

From 1977 to 1987, he was the Principal Bursar. This role meant he managed the college's money and finances. He also taught at the university as a Lecturer from 1962 to 1985. Later, he became a Professor from 1985 to 1987.

William Hayes became the President of St John's College, Oxford in 1987. He held this important leadership position until 2001. During this time, he also served as a Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the entire University of Oxford from 1990 to 2001.

Scientific Discoveries

Professor Hayes was an expert in studying crystals. He focused on finding tiny imperfections or "defects" inside them. These are like small mistakes in the perfect pattern of a crystal.

He used many special tools to study these defects. For example, he used light scattering techniques like Raman and Brillouin spectroscopy. These methods help scientists see how light changes when it hits a crystal.

He also used magneto-optics, which involves light and magnets, like the Zeeman effect. Other methods included nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). These techniques help understand the tiny particles inside materials.

Personal Life

William Hayes married Joan Ferris in 1962. They had three children together. Their marriage lasted until Joan's death in 1996.

Hayes passed away on March 16, 2025, when he was 94 years old.

Books and Publications

William Hayes wrote several important books about his research. These include:

• Scattering of Light by Crystals (written with Rodney Loudon)
• Defects and Defect Processes in Nonmetallic Solids (written with A.M. Stoneham)

Awards and Recognition

In 1990, William Hayes was chosen as a Fellow of the American Physical Society. This is a big honor for physicists. He received it for his "creative applications of spectroscopy and laser techniques to the understanding of defects in solids, phase transitions, and semi-conductor physics." This means he found new ways to use light and lasers to study flaws in materials.

External links

• St John's College, Oxford page on William Hayes
• Department of Physics, Oxford University page on William Hayes
• 'William Hayes, Honorary Degree Recipient'. Purdue University, Department of Physics and Astronomy
• Frank Taaffe, 'William Hayes President St. John's College Oxford'. Frank Taaffe's Eye on the Past blog, 18 February 2014