Faculty of Science & Health honours new Personal Chairs and Adjunct Professors
15 November 2002

Prof Brian MacCriath, Dr Ray Leonard, Prof Gordon Wallace, Prof Dermot Diamond, Prof Robert Forster, Prof Martin Henry, Prof Malcolm Smyth

On 3 November 2004, the Faculty of Science & Health at DCU held a reception to honour four new Personal Chairs and two Adjunct Professors. The four recipients of Personal Chairs were Professors' Dermot Diamond, Robert Forster, Martin Henry and Brian MacCraith. All have made very significant contributions to the teaching and research missions of the Faculty over many years, and have been involved in the strategic development of interdisciplinary initiatives involving the National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR), the National Centre for Plasma Science & Technology (NCPST) and the Centre for the Advancement of Science Teaching & Learning (CASTeL). They are all well respected scientists in their own right nationally and internationally, and have also held/hold significant leadership roles both within the Faculty and in the university.

The two new Adjunct Professors who were recently appointed are Prof. Gordon Wallace (Director, Intelligent Polymer Research Laboratory, University of Wollongong, Australia) and Dr. Ray Leonard (Associate Director, Materials Testing & Analytical Support, Henkel Loctite Technology Centre, Dublin).

Prof. Wallace has had a long association with DCU on various research projects involving conducting polymers, and is currently a SFI funded Walton Research Fellow in the NCSR. His research interests include development of intelligent fabrics, nanotechnology and separation science. The Faculty of Science & Health at DCU is currently having discussions with the Faculty of Science at the University of Wollongong on developing some new strategic initiatives, including a possible new international degree in science & technology.

Dr. Leonard has been associated with the School of Chemical Sciences at DCU for a number of years and is currently serving as President of the Institute of Chemistry in Ireland. In particular, he has contributed much to the Masters degree in Instrumental Analysis, and has been involved as the industrial research supervisor of ten postgraduate students in DCU since the mid-1980's. His body of published work in the area of analytical chemistry and the underlying chemistry of the anaerobic cure mechanism of industrial sealants has been important for the research programme at the Henkel Loctite Technology Centre in Dublin, and has, in turn, provided a good model for academia - industry partnership. Henkel Loctite currently sponsor the medal for the top student graduating from the Masters course in Instrumental Analysis.