As we approach the end of the year, Royce is taking the opportunity to congratulate those individuals from across the materials community who have received prestigious 2020 Medals and Awards from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).
Professor Philip Withers Royce Chief Scientist and University of Manchester Regius Professor of Materials commented on attending the virtual Awards night: “The Henry Royce Institute is delighted to see this important recognition by IOM3 for our materials scientists who are making such a tremendous contribution to the discipline – from promoting it to a wider audience and increasing public understanding to achieving scientific breakthroughs which change our world. We wish them continued success with all their research and innovation endeavours and in representing materials science.”
Congratulations go to:
Rhys Archer
Rhys Archer, PhD researcher in the University of Manchester Department of Materials was awarded the IOM3 Robert Perrin Medal which recognises an outstanding and sustained commitment, from an individual working in university or industry, to outreach activity covering materials science and technology targeted at 11 to 19-year-old students. Rhys is currently finishing her PhD in materials science and is set to start an EPSRC fellowship in biomedical materials engineering in the New Year. Read more about Rhys and her award on the University of Manchester Department of Materials blog.
Professor Mark Rainforth
Prof Mark Rainforth FREng CEng FIMMM, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield was awarded the Verulam Medal and Prize in recognition of distinguished contributions to ceramics including refractories. Professor Rainworth’s research centres on the high resolution characterisation of microstructures, in particular interfaces and surfaces. His research programmes are broadly based and cover metals, ceramics and coatings. He is co-author of the book Ceramic Microstructures’ with W E Lee and has recently finished his term as President of the Royal Microscopical Society.
Professor Stephen J Eichhorn
Professor Stephen J Eichhorn CEng FIMMM, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Bristol and Royce Science Advisory Board (SAB) member received the Swinburne Medal & Prize for outstanding contribution to the advancement and knowledge of science, engineering or technology of plastics. Professor Eichhorn is an internationally-leading expert in the physical properties of cellulosic materials, with interests in cellulose fibres, nanocomposites, gels and functional materials. His pioneering work showed for the first time that it was possible to follow the molecular deformation of cellulose using Raman spectroscopy, being able to make the first predictions of the modulus of crystalline cellulose.
Professor Manish Chhowalla
Prof Manish Chhowalla, Royce Core Area Champion for Energy Efficient ICT, was also awarded one of IOM3’s Premier Awards, the Griffith Medal & Prize, for his major contribution to our understanding of 2D materials and devices. Acknowledged as a world leader in the fields of diamond-like carbons, chemically-exfoliated graphene oxide and mono-layered transition metal dichalcogenides, Professor Chhowalla has, in particular, advanced our understanding of the electronic and electrochemical properties of atomically thin two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and our utilisation of phases with disparate properties for catalysis and energy storage.