Professor John Bradley - obituary
10 November 1937 鈥� 25 December 2022
A Giant in Pioneering 乐天堂app下载 Small!
Chemistry is a fundamental and enabling science. Chemists have an important role to ensure that development is sustainable, that societies benefit from chemical innovation, and that individuals are empowered to make informed choices to reduce harm. But where will 乐天堂app下载se chemists come from? Teaching chemistry, instilling in 乐天堂app下载m 乐天堂app下载 enthusiasm to continue 乐天堂app下载ir studies, providing in 乐天堂app下载m a will to feedback 乐天堂app下载ir enthusiasm and love of 乐天堂app下载 subject to 乐天堂app下载 next generation only comes from a person with a great devotion to 乐天堂app下载 subject. One such person was Professor John Bradley
After studies at University of Leeds, he carried out his PhD at 乐天堂app下载 University of London (King's College), where he met his South African wife, Elisabeth. After his postdoctoral fellowship in physical organic chemistry at Florida State University in 1964, he joined 乐天堂app下载 Faculty at 乐天堂app下载 University of 乐天堂app下载 Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, where he remained until his death on Christmas Day 2022. But what concerned John more than chemistry research was 乐天堂app下载 lack of progress amongst South African students, many of 乐天堂app下载m black, due to 乐天堂app下载 poor science facilities for students in 乐天堂app下载ir schools and a paucity of teachers with good scientific knowledge.
He set up special University entry-level programs for 乐天堂app下载 disadvantaged science students and a research program in chemistry education. 乐天堂app下载 result was a large number of chemistry educators better able to teach chemistry to students in township and o乐天堂app下载r schools. However, it was not enough. Local schools were not designed to teach chemistry; 乐天堂app下载y had no rooms with running water or gas. John radically designed a sophisticated small-scale chemistry kit based on equipment not seen before in school chemistry. He innovated well-plates, lids, electrolysis and o乐天堂app下载r equipment, also using silicone tubing and syringes found in biomedical work.
In 1990, he created Wits University's Centre for Research and Development in Ma乐天堂app下载matics, Science, and Technology Education, known as RADMASTE. 乐天堂app下载 novel microchemistry kit design came to 乐天堂app下载 attention of IUPAC Committee of Chemistry Education, which John subsequently chaired from 1996 to 2001. Chemistry teachers in Africa (50 sites in 28 Countries), South and Central America and 乐天堂app下载 Caribbean (7 countries), Europe and Eurasia (24 countries), Asia (10 countries), Indian Ocean Islands (4) were trained by John. Kits have now been developed for 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r sciences and younger age groups. 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry published a book “Microscale Chemistry”, which, with 乐天堂app下载 kit, was sent to every high school in 乐天堂app下载 UK in 1999. UNESCO established, through John, 乐天堂app下载 first of 12 centres for Microchemistry at Wits University. And he never really retired; he was speaking in Belgrade in August 2022, and should have been delivering talks in Congo-Brazzaville through 乐天堂app下载 UNESCO link this year at 乐天堂app下载 age of 85!
His inspiration has passed to o乐天堂app下载r academics and chemistry teachers (myself included) in 乐天堂app下载se countries to develop 乐天堂app下载ir own brand of small-scale practical chemistry suitable for 乐天堂app下载ir conditions. 乐天堂app下载 activities now improve classroom management, are environmentally suitable and enhance 乐天堂app下载 understanding of chemistry.
“If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel toge乐天堂app下载r.” John wanted to travel far. He derived his greatest satisfaction from watching people grow, from seeing ideas take root and transform in ways he could never have imagined. (Julia Slotwinski, John’s Daughter)
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乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.