Roger Cashmore
Encyclopedia
Roger John Cashmore CMG is the Chair of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
. Previously he was Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford
and Professor of Experimental Physics
at the University of Oxford
.
His interests include the origin of the masses of particles and the Higgs boson
.
Cashmore was educated at Dudley Boys Grammar School, St John's College, Cambridge
(BA
1965, MA
), Balliol College, Oxford
, and University College, Oxford
(DPhil
1969, Weir Junior Research Fellow, 1851 Research Fellow
). His doctoral thesis was entitled A study of inelastic pion-proton interactions in the range 600-800 MeV/c.
He was a Research Associate at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
1969–74. Returning to Oxford
he was a research officer (1974–78), teaching lecturer at Christ Church
(1976–78), Senior Research Fellow at Merton
(1977-79), and Fellow and Tutor at Balliol
and University Lecturer in Physics (1979–90). He was appointed Reader
in Experimental Physics in 1990 and Professor of Experimental Physics in 1991. He was also Head of Particle and Nuclear Physics 1991–96 and Chair of the Department of Physics 1997–99. He was appointed Principal of Brasenose
from 2002 onwards. He is also Deputy Director General and Research Director of Collider Programmes at Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire (CERN)
.
He was Visiting Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
in 1982, Science and Engineering Research Council Senior Research Fellow
1982–87, a guest scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
1986-87, and held an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Research Award 1995/96.
HM The Queen
appointed Roger Cashmore Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George
for services to international cooperation in particle physics in the New Year Honours List 2004. He was awarded the C.V. Boys Prize in 1983. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics
in 1985, a member of Academia Europa in 1992, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
in 1996, and a Fellow of the Royal Society
in 1998. He is a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering
.
Cashmore's final years at Oxford were marked by allegations of improper claims for travel expenses, following the publication in May 2010 of a leaked report from an investigation committee at Brasenose College. Cashmore denied any misuse of expenses, claiming that the report contained a number of inaccuracies. During October 2010 Brasenose College announced that Cashmore would be taking research leave. The college denied that there was any link between this decision and the previous allegations concerning expenses, but a second leaked document indicated that the Governing Body of the College had passed a motion of no confidence in Cashmore, who subsequently applied for the post of chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
On 9th December 2010 Brasenose's Acting Principal Alan Bowman
announced Professor Cashmore's retirement from his role as Principal at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year "to focus on his role as Chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and to return to his research interests at CERN and the LHC (Large Hadron Collider), at what is a particularly exciting time for particle physics." This announcement led to the republication of previous allegations.
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of nuclear fusion power. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and was formerly chaired by Lady Barbara Judge CBE...
. Previously he was Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
and Professor of Experimental Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
His interests include the origin of the masses of particles and the Higgs boson
Higgs boson
The Higgs boson is a hypothetical massive elementary particle that is predicted to exist by the Standard Model of particle physics. Its existence is postulated as a means of resolving inconsistencies in the Standard Model...
.
Cashmore was educated at Dudley Boys Grammar School, St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
(BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
1965, MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
), Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, and University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
(DPhil
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
1969, Weir Junior Research Fellow, 1851 Research Fellow
1851 Research Fellowship
The 1851 Research Fellowship is a UK scheme conducted by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 to annually award a three-year research scholarship to approximately eight "young scientists or engineers of exceptional promise"...
). His doctoral thesis was entitled A study of inelastic pion-proton interactions in the range 600-800 MeV/c.
He was a Research Associate at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford University under the programmatic direction of the U.S...
1969–74. Returning to Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
he was a research officer (1974–78), teaching lecturer at Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
(1976–78), Senior Research Fellow at Merton
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
(1977-79), and Fellow and Tutor at Balliol
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
and University Lecturer in Physics (1979–90). He was appointed Reader
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
in Experimental Physics in 1990 and Professor of Experimental Physics in 1991. He was also Head of Particle and Nuclear Physics 1991–96 and Chair of the Department of Physics 1997–99. He was appointed Principal of Brasenose
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
from 2002 onwards. He is also Deputy Director General and Research Director of Collider Programmes at Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire (CERN)
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
.
He was Visiting Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
in 1982, Science and Engineering Research Council Senior Research Fellow
Science and Engineering Research Council
The Science and Engineering Research Council used to be the UK agency in charge of publicly funded scientific and engineering research activities including astronomy, biotechnology and biological sciences, space research and particle physics...
1982–87, a guest scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Fermilab
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a US Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics...
1986-87, and held an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a foundation set-up by the government of the Federal Republic and funded by the German Foreign Office, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and others for the promotion of international co-operation...
Research Award 1995/96.
HM The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
appointed Roger Cashmore Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
for services to international cooperation in particle physics in the New Year Honours List 2004. He was awarded the C.V. Boys Prize in 1983. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The 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....
in 1985, a member of Academia Europa in 1992, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
in 1996, and a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1998. He is a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering
Campaign for Science and Engineering
The Campaign for Science and Engineering is a non-profit organization which promotes science and engineering in the UK. It focuses on arguing for more research funding, promoting a high-tech and knowledge-based economy, highlighting the need for top-quality science and maths education at all...
.
Cashmore's final years at Oxford were marked by allegations of improper claims for travel expenses, following the publication in May 2010 of a leaked report from an investigation committee at Brasenose College. Cashmore denied any misuse of expenses, claiming that the report contained a number of inaccuracies. During October 2010 Brasenose College announced that Cashmore would be taking research leave. The college denied that there was any link between this decision and the previous allegations concerning expenses, but a second leaked document indicated that the Governing Body of the College had passed a motion of no confidence in Cashmore, who subsequently applied for the post of chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
On 9th December 2010 Brasenose's Acting Principal Alan Bowman
Alan Bowman
Alan Keir Bowman FBA is the Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford.Born in 1944 Bowman was educated at Manchester Grammar School, The Queen's College, Oxford and the University of Toronto...
announced Professor Cashmore's retirement from his role as Principal at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year "to focus on his role as Chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and to return to his research interests at CERN and the LHC (Large Hadron Collider), at what is a particularly exciting time for particle physics." This announcement led to the republication of previous allegations.
Doctoral theses supervised or advised
- Mark Lancaster, The design of a first level tracking trigger for the ZEUS experiment & studies for low-x physics in electron-proton collisions at HERA (University of Oxford DPhil, 1992)
- Ian Richard Tomalin, Strange baryon production in e+e- annihilation (University of Oxford DPhil, 1988)
- David John Mellor, A measurement of bottom hadron lifetimes in e+e- annihilations (University of Oxford DPhil, 1986)
- Peter E.L. Clarke, A study of tau leptons in electron-positron annihilations at high energies (University of Oxford DPhil, 1985)
Publications
- Roger Cashmore and Gerald Myatt, eds, Perkins conference: meeting in honour of the retirement of Professor D H Perkins, Oxford, 11–13 July 1993 (Singapore; London: World Scientific, 1994)
Sources and further information
- University of Oxford Annual Review 2002/03
- University of Oxford Annual Review 2003/04
- Roger Cashmore's personal website
- Debrett's People of Today (12th edn, London: Debrett's Peerage, 1999), p. 332