School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh
UK academic institution
The School of Chemistry is an academic department within the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the school was ranked sixth in the UK.
History and alumni
The teaching of Chemistry at Edinburgh began in 1713 when James Crawford was appointed to the 'Chair of Physik and Chymistry' (where 'physik' = natural science/art of medicine). The department has occupied many sites in its history, from a house at the top of Robertson's Close in the city centre, to purpose-built facilities in the central campus at Old College through to its current location at King's Buildings. Each move has brought with it expansions in size and status until the department occupied the position it does now, as one of the world's leading Chemistry teaching and research establishments.
The department also hosts the oldest student-run Chemistry society in the world which was created in 1785 and is still active today.
Today the department carries on the traditions of Chemistry at Edinburgh both in teaching and research. The collaborative research School formed with St Andrews University Chemistry department to form EaStCHEM has strengthened research in Scotland in the chemical sciences.
Alumni and former staff include:
Thomas Anderson, discoverer of pyridine
Joseph Black, discoverer of carbon dioxide, latent heat and specific heat
Perdita Barran, Professor in the School of Chemistry, University of Manchester
Neil Campbell, chemist and amateur athlete
Archibald Scott Couper, proposed an early theory of chemical structure and bonding
John Davy, discoverer of phosgene
James Dewar, inventor of the Dewar flask
Narayan Hosmane, cancer researcher, BNCT
David Leigh, Forbes Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh from 2001 to 2012, Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology winner in 2007
Christina Miller, synthesized phosphorus trioxide
Dai Rees, CEO of the Medical Research Council from 1987 to 1996
Prafulla Chandra Roy, distinguished chemist and founder of Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
Daniel Rutherford, discovered nitrogen while he was studying at the University of Edinburgh in 1772
James Fraser Stoddart, supramolecular chemist
Lesley Yellowlees CBE, first female president of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Vice-President of the University of Edinburgh
Organisation
The school has a research staff of approximately 120 individuals, and an academic staff of over 40. Current annual enrollment includes around 200 research students, and 450 taught postgraduate and undergraduate students.
EaStCHEM is the joint research school in chemistry between the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews.
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