K. Kunaratnam
| Professor K. Kunaratnam FRAS CPhys FInstP | |
|---|---|
| Born |
30 April 1934 Erlalai, Sri Lanka |
| Died |
9 September 2015 (aged 81) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Ethnicity | Sri Lankan Tamil |
| Education | Union College, Tellippalai [1] |
| Alma mater |
University of Ceylon, Colombo Imperial College London |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Title | Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jaffna |
| Term | April 1994 – February 1997 |
| Predecessor | A. Thurairajah |
| Successor | P. Balasundarampillai |
Kanthia Kunaratnam (30 April 1934 – 9 September 2015) was a Sri Lankan Tamil physicist, academic and former vice-chancellor of the University of Jaffna.[2]
Early life
Kunaratnam joined the University of Ceylon, Colombo in 1954 and graduated in 1958 with a first class honours B.Sc. degree in physics.[3]
Career
After university Kunaratnam worked at the University of Ceylon, Colombo and University of Ceylon, Peradeniya.[3] He studied at Imperial College London between October 1960 and July 1963, obtaining a DIC and a PhD degree.[3]
Kunaratnam was visiting fellow and lecturer in geophysics at the Department of Geology, University of Durham between January 1971 and September 1971.[3] He was visiting fellow at the Department of Physics, Queen Elizabeth College from October 1971 to December 1971.[3]
Kunaratnam was appointed Founder Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Sri Lanka Jaffna campus in April 1975.[4] He remained head of the department until October 1980.[4] He was visiting lecturer at the School of Physics, University of Science, Malaysia between Jan 1981 and October 1981.[3] He then returned to the University of Jaffna and resumed being Head of the Department of Physics, serving until February 1985.[4] He was visiting fellow and professor at the Department of Geophysics, University of Edinburgh between October 1988 and August 1989.[3] He was visiting fellow at the Department of Earth Sciences, Bullard Laboratories, University of Cambridge between Sept 1989 and October 1989.[3]
Kunaratnam was Head of the Department of Computer Science at the university between January 1991 and November 1993.[5] He then served as Head of the Department of Physics from March 1994 and April 1994.[4]
Kunaratnam served as dean of the Faculty of Science twice, from January 1977 to May 1978 and January 1985 to March 1988.[6] He served as vice-chancellor of the university between April 1994 and February 1997.[7] Kunaratnam retired in April 2000.[3] He served as an emeritus professor at the Department of Physics till his death.[8][9]
Kunaratnam was elected fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1998 and fellow and chartered Physicist of the Institute of Physics in 1999.[3] He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Jaffna in 2001.[3]
Kunaratnam died on 9 September 2015 in Colombo.[10][11]
References
- ↑ http://www.onlineuthayan.com/obituarymemo/62
- ↑
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Prof.K.Kunaratnam". Department of Physics, University of Jaffna.
- 1 2 3 4 "History". Department of Physics, University of Jaffna.
- ↑ "Heads of the Department". Department of Computer Science, University of Jaffna.
- ↑ "Dean's Office". Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna.
- ↑ "Establishment of the Jaffna Campus of the University of Sri Lanka". University of Jaffna. Archived from the original on 22 March 2008.
- ↑ "Academic Staff". Department of Physics, University of Jaffna.
- ↑ http://www.phy.jfn.ac.lk/morenews.php?action=show&id=130
- ↑ "Emeritus Professor Kanthia Kunaratnam". University of Jaffna.
- ↑ "Former VC of Jaffna University Professor Kunaratnam passes away in Colombo". Tamil Diplomat. 9 September 2015.