Bill Wakeham
Encyclopedia
Sir William Arnot Wakeham (born 25 September 1944) is a British
chemical engineer
. From 2001 to 2009 he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton
.
Wakeham received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Exeter University. He then served as a Research Associate at Brown University
, and was then in 1971 appointed Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College, London. He was successively Reader in 1979, Professor of Chemical Physics in 1985, and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1988.
His academic specialty is thermodynamics
, particularly the thermophysical properties of fluids and intermolecular forces.
In 1996 he was appointed Pro-Rector (Research) and subsequently also Deputy Rector and Pro-Rector (Resources) at Imperial College, holding these positions simultaneously, and overseeing the College's merger with a series of London medical schools.
In 2007 the then Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
, Rt. Hon. John Denham
MP invited him to Chair a Review of UK Physics which reported in October 2008.
He was knighted
in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chemical engineer
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
. From 2001 to 2009 he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
.
Wakeham received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Exeter University. He then served as a Research Associate at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, and was then in 1971 appointed Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College, London. He was successively Reader in 1979, Professor of Chemical Physics in 1985, and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering in 1988.
His academic specialty is thermodynamics
Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a physical science that studies the effects on material bodies, and on radiation in regions of space, of transfer of heat and of work done on or by the bodies or radiation...
, particularly the thermophysical properties of fluids and intermolecular forces.
In 1996 he was appointed Pro-Rector (Research) and subsequently also Deputy Rector and Pro-Rector (Resources) at Imperial College, holding these positions simultaneously, and overseeing the College's merger with a series of London medical schools.
In 2007 the then Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills was a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom, heading the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills . The post was created on 28 June 2007 from parts of the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Trade and...
, Rt. Hon. John Denham
John Denham
John Denham may refer to:* John Denham , British Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen* John Denham , English poet* John 'Abs' Denham is a fictional nurse in the UK television drama Casualty...
MP invited him to Chair a Review of UK Physics which reported in October 2008.
He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
Current positions
- President, Institution of Chemical EngineersInstitution of Chemical EngineersThe Institution of Chemical Engineers is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members in over 120 countries worldwide, founded in 1922, and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.-Structure:...
2011–2 - Visiting Professor, Imperial College, London
- member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEngineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilThe Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences , mainly to universities in the United Kingdom...
(EPSRC), - Chair of the Resource Audit Committee, (EPSRC)
- member of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) Board
- member, European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
expert panel on Philanthropy and Universities. - UK Chair of the British-Italian Partnership Programme. http://www.britishcouncil.org/it/italy-science-partnership-programme-wakeham.htm
Honours
- Chartered EngineerChartered Engineer (UK)In the United Kingdom, a Chartered Engineer is an engineer registered with Engineering Council UK . Contemporary Chartered Engineers are master's degree-qualified and have gained professional competencies through training and experience...
- Chartered PhysicistChartered PhysicistChartered Physicist is a chartered status and a professional qualification awarded by the Institute of Physics.Achieving chartered status in any profession denotes to the wider community a high level of specialised subject knowledge and professional competence...
- Fellow of the Royal Academy of EngineeringRoyal Academy of Engineering-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
- Fellow, Institution of Chemical EngineersInstitution of Chemical EngineersThe Institution of Chemical Engineers is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members in over 120 countries worldwide, founded in 1922, and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.-Structure:...
- Fellow, Institution of Electrical EngineersInstitution of Electrical EngineersThe Institution of Electrical Engineers was a British professional organisation of electronics, electrical, manufacturing, and Information Technology professionals, especially electrical engineers. The I.E.E...
- Fellow, Institute of PhysicsInstitute of PhysicsThe Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
. - Fellow of Imperial College London.
- Touloukian Medal of the American Society of Mechanical EngineersAmerican Society of Mechanical EngineersThe American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
(1997) - Honorary degrees from Lisbon University, Exeter University, Loughborough UniversityLoughborough UniversityLoughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...