David Arnold Williams (born 9 September 1937) is a retired British
astrochemist and Emeritus Perren Professor of Astronomy at
University College London
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Background
He was born in Nottingham the son of Unitarian minister James Arnold and Frances Barbara (Begg) Williams. In 1945 the family moved to Larne, Northern Ireland where David was educated at
Larne Grammar School. He entered
Queen's University, Belfast
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, Northern Ireland to study mathematics, physics and chemistry and was awarded a
B.Sc.
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in 1959 and a
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...
in 1963.
Career
He was an assistant lecturer at the
Manchester College of Science and Technology from 1963 to 1965, after which he was a research associate at the NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959 as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC emp ...
near
Washington, D.C.
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from 1965 to 1967. He was then successively lecturer, reader and professor at the
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for research. On 1 Oct ...
between 1967 and 1994. Since 1994 he has been a Professor of Astronomy at University College, London.
Work
Professor Williams field of study is astrochemistry, involving the study of molecular line emissions in outer space to analyse and interpret the evolutionary process of the universe.
He led research groups at both Manchester and London and produced more than 300 publications in journals and books. His particular interests are the chemistry of the very early universe, the formation of low and high mass stars and the formation of hydrogen in the universe.
He served as
President of the Royal Astronomical Society for 1998–2000.
Honours and awards
He was awarded
OBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 2000.
In 2009 he was awarded the
Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society
The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society is the highest award given by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The RAS Council have "complete freedom as to the grounds on which it is awarded" and it can be awarded for any reason. Past awa ...
for Astronomy for his contributions to astronomy in the field of astrochemistry, applying it in progressive phases of star formation, from prestellar objects to protostars to the disks and planets found around young stars.
Private life
He married Doreen Jane Bell in 1964, with whom he had two sons, Richard and Alan.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, David
1937 births
Living people
Scientists from Nottingham
People from Larne
People educated at Larne Grammar School
Alumni of Queen's University Belfast
20th-century British astronomers
Presidents of the Royal Astronomical Society
Recipients of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society