Jump to content

Leon Phillips (chemist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leon Phillips
Born
Leon Francis Phillips

(1935-07-14)14 July 1935
Thames, New Zealand
Died24 September 2023(2023-09-24) (aged 88)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Alma materCanterbury University College
University of Cambridge
AwardsHector Medal (1979)
Scientific career
FieldsPhysical chemistry
InstitutionsUniversity of Canterbury

Leon Francis Phillips (14 July 1935 – 24 September 2023) was a New Zealand physical chemist who specialised in the gas-liquid interface and atmospheric chemistry.

Biography

[edit]

Born in Thames on 14 July 1935, Phillips was educated at Westport Technical College and Christchurch Boys' High School.[1] He studied at Canterbury University College, from where he graduated with an MSc with first-class honours in 1958.[2] After a PhD at the University of Cambridge and post-doctoral research at McGill University, he returned to lecture at Canterbury, rising to the rank of professor in 1966.[3]

In 1968, Phillips was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand,[4] and in 1979 he won the society's Hector Medal.[5]

In 1959, Phillips married Pamela Anne Johnstone, and the couple went on to have two children.[1] He died in Christchurch on 24 September 2023, at the age of 88.[6][7]

Selected works

[edit]
  • Phillips, Leon Francis (1967). Electronics for experimenters in chemistry, physics and biology. New York: Wiley.
  • Phillips, Leon Francis (1965). Basic quantum chemistry. New York: Wiley.
  • McEwan, Murray J.; Phillips, Leon Francis (1975). Chemistry of the atmosphere. London: Wiley. ISBN 0713124776.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Traue, J. E., ed. (1978). Who's Who in New Zealand (11th ed.). Wellington: Reed. p. 220. ISBN 0-589-01113-8.
  2. ^ "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: P". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Photochemistry – the clouds of Venus". Alert Newsletter (173). Royal Society of New Zealand. 26 April 2001. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  4. ^ "The Academy: P–R". Royal Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Hector Medal". Royal Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Leon Phillips obituary". The Press. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  7. ^ Packwood, Daniel. "Obituary: Leon Phillips". Chemistry in New Zealand. Retrieved 12 April 2024.