David Arnold Williams (born 9 September 1937) is a retired British astrochemist and Emeritus Perren Professor of Astronomy at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

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 , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

, 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. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

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