Sir Gareth Gwyn Roberts
(16 May 1940 – 6 February 2007) was a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
specialising in
semiconductors and
molecular electronics
Molecular electronics is the study and application of molecular building blocks for the fabrication of electronic components. It is an interdisciplinary area that spans physics, chemistry, and materials science. The unifying feature is use of mo ...
, who was influential in British science policy through his chairmanship of several academic bodies and his two reports on the future supply of scientists and how university research should be assessed. He was knighted in 1997 for his services to higher education.
Academic and public service career
Born in
Penmaenmawr
Penmaenmawr (, ) is a town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, which was formerly in the parish of Dwygyfylchi and the traditional county of Caernarfonshire. It is on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan and was an i ...
,
Caernarvonshire,
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
, he studied physics to
PhD level at the
University College of North Wales, Bangor
, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007)
, image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg
, image_size = 250px
, caption = Arms
...
, graduating in 1964.
Following a post at the
New University of Ulster
sco, Ulstèr Universitie
, image = Ulster University coat of arms.png
, caption =
, motto_lang =
, mottoeng =
, latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae
, established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...
, he was appointed Professor of Applied Physics at the
University of Durham
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...
in 1976, where he was elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
in 1984. He went back into industry in 1985 as director of research at Thorn EMI plc, and was appointed to a visiting professorship in the
Department of Engineering Science at
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and to a Fellowship at
Brasenose College
Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the m ...
in 1986. He won the
Fernand Holweck Medal and Prize
The Fernand Holweck Medal and Prize is a major European prize for Physics awarded jointly every year by the British Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Société Française de Physique (SFP). It is one of the four Grand Prix of the SFP and one of ...
in 1986. He presented the
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic each, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825, missing 1939–1942 because of the Second World War. The lectures present sc ...
in 1988.
He was a member of the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
's
Advisory Council on Science and Technology from July 1989 to July 1992.
He was vice-chancellor of the
University of Sheffield
, mottoeng = To discover the causes of things
, established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions:
– Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield
, type = Pu ...
from 1991 to 2000. From 1995 to 1997 he was chairman of the
Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals
Universities UK (UUK) is an advocacy organisation for universities in the United Kingdom. It began life in the early 20th century through informal meetings of vice-chancellors of a number of universities and principals of university colleges and ...
(now called Universities UK). In 1997 he was also president of the
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics (IOP) is a UK-based learned society and professional body that works to advance physics education, research and application.
It was founded in 1874 and has a worldwide membership of over 20,000. The IOP is the Physica ...
and was knighted for his services to higher education.
From August 1997 to August 2005 he was on the
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Board, and chaired the board's research committee.
He was the founding president of the
Science Council
The Science Council is a UK organisation that was established by Royal Charter in 2003. The principal activity of The Science Council is the promotion of the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of and education in science pure and applie ...
from 2000 to 2007.
Roberts received an honorary doctorate from
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...
in 2005.
He was appointed president of
Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with around sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research and ...
in 2001 and died in office. He also held a visiting professorship in science policy at the
Saïd Business School
Saïd Business School (Oxford Saïd or SBS) is the business school of the University of Oxford. The School is a provider of management education and is consistently ranked as one of the world's top business schools.
Oxford School of Management ...
.
He was elected to the Fellowship of the
Royal Academy of Engineering
The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering.
The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...
in 2003. In June 2006 he was elected chairman to
Engineering and Technology Board
EngineeringUK is an independent, not-for-profit organisation. Its stated purpose is to promote the contribution that engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and t ...
, succeeding
Sir Peter Williams
Sir Peter Michael Williams, (born 22 March 1945) is a British physicist.
Education
Williams was educated at Hymers College and completed his undergraduate degree at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1966, and his PhD at Selwyn College, Cambridge ...
.
Industrial career
He held two major industrial posts, the first in the United States, where he was senior research scientist with the
Xerox Corporation
Xerox Holdings Corporation (; also known simply as Xerox) is an American corporation that sells print and digital document products and services in more than 160 countries. Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (having moved from Sta ...
and later as director of research and chief scientist of
Thorn EMI
Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to:
Botany
* Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants
* ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species
Comics and literature
* Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Comic ...
. He was later chairman of cancer diagnostics and pathology specialist Medical Solutions plc, and of the management committee of the University of Oxford's
Begbroke Science Park
Begbroke Science Park is a science park located five miles north of Oxford, England. It is owned by Oxford University and managed as part of the university's Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division It lies within the parish of Begb ...
, and was also a board member of
Isis Innovation
Oxford University Innovation Limited (OUI) is a British technology transfer and consultancy company created to manage the research and development (R&D) of University spin-offs. OUI is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Oxford, and i ...
, the exploitation arm of the university.
Commissioned reviews
SET for Success
In March 2001, the UK Government commissioned Roberts to undertake a review into the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. The final report, entitled SET for Success was published on 15 April 2003. The report set out thirty-seven recommendations to the Government, employers and other organisations about how to maintain and develop the supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills into research and industry. All his recommendations were accepted by the Government. These included providing additional resources for schools, universities and research bodies, and the promotion of school/business links. The review led to increase of the
stipend
A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work pe ...
paid to PhD students, and a number of initiatives to encourage women and young people to consider a career in science.
The review of research assessment
In June 2002, after the
Research Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) was an exercise undertaken approximately every five years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils (HEFCE, SHEFC, HEFCW, DELNI) to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British hig ...
(RAE) of 2001, the four funding bodies for UK higher education commissioned Sir Gareth Roberts to review the future of research assessment in the UK. The report ''"The review of research assessment"'' was issued for consultation in May 2003. Many of Roberts' recommendations were implemented for the 2008 RAE, the first review following the completion of the consultation exercise.
Personal life
On 15 August 1962, at George Street Congregational Church, Croydon, he married Charlotte Standen (b.1942) an insurance clerk, and daughter of Albert John Williams Standen a shop manager. They had two sons and a daughter. The marriage ended in divorce in 1993.
[accessed 21 Aug 2015 Roger Allum, Roberts, Sir Gareth Gwyn (1940–2007), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Jan 2011, Accessed 19 August 2017](_blank)
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His second wife, Carolyn Mary Rich, née Butler (b.1948), was a health service executive, trained nurse and daughter of Albert Edward Butler, a musician, and former wife of Stephen Rich, whom he married at Leeds register office on 18 February 1994. She had two daughters from her first marriage.
References
External links
Joint funding bodies’ Review of research assessment
SET for Success
Final Report of Sir Gareth Roberts' Review
Roberts recommendations
on the UK GRAD programme website
Science Council
Founding President of the Science Council
Obituary
in ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'', 22 February 2007
Obituary
in ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', 17 March 2007
Obituary
in ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', 5 March 2007
Obituary
in ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', 20 March 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Gareth
1940 births
2007 deaths
Welsh physicists
Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Alumni of Bangor University
Academics of Ulster University
Academics of Durham University
Academics of the University of Sheffield
Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford
Presidents of Wolfson College, Oxford
Knights Bachelor
People educated at Ysgol John Bright
Presidents of the Institute of Physics
Presidents of the Association for Science Education
Vice-Chancellors of the University of Sheffield