Peter Williams (physicist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sir Peter Michael Williams, CBE, FRS (born 1945) is a British physicist.

Williams completed his first degree and PhD at the University of Cambridge, and began an academic career at Selwyn College. He then moved to industry and worked first at VG Instruments and later Oxford Instruments. He was chairman of Oxford Instruments from 1991 until his retirement in 1999.

Sir Peter is currently Chairman of the UK's Engineering and Technology Board and Chairman of the National Physical Laboratory. He was previously Master of St Catherine's College, Oxford (2000–2002), President of the Institute of Physics (2000–2002) and President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (2002–2003).

He received the CBE in 1992 and was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list of 1998.

In 2005 Williams became the fifth chancellor of the University of Leicester. He was also appointed patron for research at Marie Curie Cancer Care.

[edit] References

• Commentaries - Sir Peter Williams, Department of Trade & Industry, 2004
• Patron Council Members (PDF), The BA, 2003
• New Heads of House, Oxford Blueprint, 10 October 2002
• New Chancellor Installed at Ceremony (PDF), Bulletin, University of Leicester, December 2005 / January 2006
• Sir Peter Williams is new research patron, Marie Curie Cancer Care, 2005 news archive

Preceded by Sir Michael Atiyah

Chancellor of the University of Leicester 2005–

Succeeded by Current incumbent