Page 2 - Periodic Issue 04

L etter from the Head of Department

Professor Mark Brouard

I am delighted to introduce They have the promise to make a real impact in a wide range of
the fourth edition of Periodic fields from manufacturing and industrial processing, diagnosis and
and to thank its creator Tim treatment of disease, and drug discovery. Our many collaborations
Softley, my predecessor as Head with industrial partners have also flourished; the Oxford-SCG
of Department and now Pro- Centre of Excellence alone has filed 30 patents since its launch in
Vice Chancellor for Research 2012 and accounted for 12% of the University’s new Intellectual
and Knowledge Transfer at Property over the year 2014/15. Such collaboration enables
the University of Birmingham. fundamental research to link with the key challenges faced by
One of the most significant industry, and accelerates the pace of innovative development, to the
achievements of Tim’s leadership benefit of all partners and stakeholders. We are always open to the
was to help us become more idea of new collaborative partnerships and have recently launched a
connected and outward-looking. I intend to continue his efforts new industry-facing website and newsletter.
and to strengthen and maintain the world-leading position that
enables us to attract the very best and brightest students and 2016 is also a year of significant anniversaries – the Physical and
researchers. Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory has reached the grand age of 75,
and we celebrate the centenary of the Dyson Perrins Laboratory.
My first year as Head of Department has been tremendously Named after C W Dyson Perrins (heir to the Lea and Perrins
busy and exciting. I congratulate my colleagues on their many Worcester Sauce empire) whose generous benefaction enabled
achievements, both individual and collective, that contribute to its construction, the Dyson Perrins Laboratory is now a listed
the Department’s continuing success and help make it a better building. The motivational inscription ‘ALCHYMISTA SPEM
place to work and study. I am pleased to report that our work ALIT AETERNAM’ (‘chemistry offers eternal hope’) on its wall
to address gender inequality in science has been recognised seems particularly apt – this remarkable lab produced research
with a Silver Athena SWAN Award, and that our Green Impact that shaped organic chemistry throughout the 20th Century.
Team has achieved Gold in a national scheme to promote The centenary celebrations provided a wonderful opportunity to
sustainability. As Chemistry becomes increasingly unified I am reconnect and form new friendships with our diverse community
delighted to announce two new appointments that strengthen our of alumni and I would like to thank all those of you who support
senior management team and reinforce the core activities of the the Department in so many ways, providing advice and guidance,
Department: Nick Green has become Associate Head for Teaching giving financial support or participating in events.
and Tom Brown is Associate Head for Research. I also extend a
warm welcome to Professor Charlotte Williams, who joins us from I look forward to meeting many of you again in the New Year,
Imperial College London. when we will mark 100 years since the completion of the first Part
II, an innovation unique to Oxford Chemistry in that it enables
Promoting excellence in teaching and research has been, and will final year undergraduates to undertake a whole year of cutting-
remain the cornerstone of the Department’s strategy over the edge research in a field of their choice. As a former undergraduate
coming years. It has been exciting to see our success in the 2014 chemist in the Department, I know first-hand how informative
Research Excellence Framework exercise followed-up by numerous the experience of the Part II year can be, and I will certainly never
individual achievements and awards, both for teaching and forget my Part II viva in front of nine examiners.
research, and it is a privilege to be the head of a department so full
of exciting and creative colleagues, students, and researchers. The For our future undergraduates, work on our new teaching
year has seen record levels of research income, and a huge range of laboratories began in spring and continues apace. Scheduled for
outstanding research published in the best scientific journals. Some completion in October 2018, they will provide our students with
of the highlights from the year provide the focus of articles in this a purpose-built, fully-integrated facility suited to 21st Century
edition of Periodic. chemistry. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and supporters,
the labs are being kitted out with state-of-the-art equipment that
This year the spin-out companies established by our chemists have will enable us to educate the first-class scientists of the future.
continued to succeed and thrive and new ones have been launched.

On the Cover
o
‘Little planet’ 360 view of the 100-year-old Dyson Perrins Laboratory and opposite, the Chemistry Research Laboratory on South Parks Road,
Oxford. Photograph by Dr Karl Harrison.

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Periodic The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry