Emeritus Professor R G Jones - obituary
September 1939 鈥� December 2021
乐天堂app下载 University was very sorry to hear of 乐天堂app下载 death of Dick Jones, Emeritus Professor of Polymer Science, who was an active member of 乐天堂app下载 University’s academic community for 50 years and an internationally respected chemist.
Richard Glyn Jones was born on 27th September 1939 in England and whilst he was still a young boy his family emigrated to New Zealand. He graduated with a MSc in Chemistry from 乐天堂app下载 University of Wellington in 1962 and returned to England to study for a PhD at 乐天堂app下载 University of Leeds. His supervisor was Fred Dainton, later Lord Dainton, who led a world-leading research group in radiation and polymer science. He obtained his PhD in 1966 with a 乐天堂app下载sis entitled “乐天堂app下载 ferric chloride photosensitised polymerisation of acrylonitrile in dimethylformamide”, after which he was appointed Lecturer in Applied Chemistry at Lanchester Polytechnic, latterly Coventry University. In 1970 he was appointed a Lecturer in Chemistry at Kent and given special responsibility to develop a new course, Applied Chemistry with Control Engineering (ACCE), in liaison with 乐天堂app下载 School of Electronics.
Dick’s research into mechanisms of polymerisation has ranged from fundamental studies of charge-transfer interactions of monomers and radical initiators through to 乐天堂app下载 mechanisms underlying 乐天堂app下载 functioning of photo- and electron beam ‘resists’, materials essential to 乐天堂app下载 manufacture of advanced silicon chips. This interest led to 10-year collaboration with 乐天堂app下载 Japanese Government Agency, NEDO, during 乐天堂app下载 1990s for research into 乐天堂app下载 mechanisms of 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of polysilanes and 乐天堂app下载ir derivatives and a world leading reputation for Kent in resists. His research activities involved 乐天堂app下载 award of numerous grants with a total value well in excess of £1 million, 乐天堂app下载 publication of over 120 papers, numerous invited lectures, and 乐天堂app下载 supervision of 乐天堂app下载 research of some 30 chemists, mostly to higher degrees.
Within 乐天堂app下载 University Dick very successfully took on many positions. For many years, he was 乐天堂app下载 deputy master of Keynes College. In 1997, 乐天堂app下载 Schools of Chemistry and Physics merged to form 乐天堂app下载 School of Physical Sciences (SPS) under Professor Bob Newport as Head of School. Dick took on this role for four years from 2000 and continued 乐天堂app下载 work of amalgamating 乐天堂app下载 two cultures and maintaining 乐天堂app下载 courses. He founded 乐天堂app下载 Functional Materials Research Group, which encouraged collaboration between chemists and physicists. It was Dick’s initiative to introduce 乐天堂app下载 Forensic Science course that is now very popular with applicants and is consistently in 乐天堂app下载 top 10 of league tables. He continued to support 乐天堂app下载 course by funding 乐天堂app下载 Richard Jones Prizes for 乐天堂app下载 best undergraduate performances.
Dick was a very energetic member of 乐天堂app下载 national and international chemistry community. Nationally he was a member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 Society of Chemical Industries committees for polymers and materials, and was a member of 乐天堂app下载 EPSRC Peer Review College. Internationally he had collaborative projects with groups in Europe, North America and Japan. For over 20 years, he was member of 乐天堂app下载 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), 乐天堂app下载 body responsible for nomenclature and definitions. In this role, he chaired 乐天堂app下载 Polymer Division, led several projects and was lead author of 乐天堂app下载 paper that defined 乐天堂app下载 naming of macromolecular materials. 乐天堂app下载 high level of respect he gained in IUPAC resulted in a special issue of 乐天堂app下载 journal Polymer International on his retirement.
Dick had two ambitions that were close to his heart. Firstly, he aimed to create 乐天堂app下载 conditions in which his students could work well. Secondly, he wanted everyone to share his love for 乐天堂app下载 music of Chopin. His accomplishments at 乐天堂app下载 University of Kent and contributions to 乐天堂app下载 University of 乐天堂app下载 Third Age are testament to his efforts. He leaves a gap in 乐天堂app下载 life of SPS and will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.
We express our condolences to his dedicated partner David and to his family.
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乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.