(Edwin) Roland Dobbs (born 2 December 1924) is a British physicist, best known for his work in physical acoustics.[1]
Professor Dobbs was educated at Ilford County High School, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet and University College London.
After radar research for the Admiralty, 1943-6, he was a research student at University College London, 1946-9 and lecturer in Physics, Queen Mary and Westfield College, 1949-58.
He was Fulbright Scholar, Applied Mathematics, 1958-9 and, Associate Professor of Physics, 1959-60, Brown University, U.S..
On returning home, he became AEI Fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 1960-4, Professor and Head of Department of Physics, University of Lancaster, 1964-73.
He then went to Bedford College, University of London as Head of Department of Physics, 1973-85 and Hildred Carlile Professor, 1973-90. Following the merger of Bedford and Royal Holloway College, he was Head of Department of Physics, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, 1985-90. On his retirement, he became Emeritus Professor.
He was also Vice-Principal, 1981-2 and Dean of the Faculty of Science, 1980-2; Chairman of the Board of Studies in Physics, University of London, 1982-5; Vice-Dean, 1986-8 and Dean, 1988-90, Faculty of Science, University of London.
He was a member of the Physics Committee of the Science Research Council, 1970-73 and of its Nuclear Physics Board, 1974-77, and a member of the Physics Committee of the Science and Engineering Research Council, 1983-86. He was Convenor, Standing Conference of Professors of Physics of Great Britain, 1985-88.
He is noted for his research on the physics of helium 3, including its behaviour as a superfluid, and published what was regarded as the definitive monograph on this subject in 2001.