RESEARCH BOOST AT THE UNI; 'Top-class appointment'.

Byline: By NEIL ATKINSON News Editor

PLANS to enhance the research reputation of Huddersfield University have taken a major step forward.

The university has confirmed the first of a series of "world-class" professorial appointments.

Physicist Prof Bob Cywinski will leave Leeds University to join Huddersfield.

He will start at the beginning of the next academic year in September.

P rof Cywinski will join the School of Applied Sciences.

It is intended that his appointment will be the first of 20 such posts across a range of disciplines which are intended to add to the university's overall research output and reputation.

Prof Cywinski is a former head of condensed matter and pro-dean for research in maths and physical sciences at Leeds University.

There he uses a technique called neutron scattering to study properties of materials.

He is a passionate believer in communicating science and has taken part as The Quantum Cowboy in a series of films aimed at explaining quantum physics to 12 and 13-year-olds.

Prof Cywinski is currently chairman of the European Neutron Scattering Association, an affiliation of 18 national organisations and societies that directly represents 5,000 European neutron beam users of all disciplines.

As its chairman he has a seat at the EU-funded Neutron Round Table and has also been appointed to the International Committee on the Future of Neutron Sources, a sub-group of the IUPAP Commission on the Structure andDynamics of Condensed Matter.

Prof Robert Smith, Huddersfield University's Dean of Applied Sciences, believes that the appointment of Prof Cywinski will make a real difference.

He said: "During the last year Applied Sciences has attracted a top pharmacist from Bradford University in Prof Henry Chrystyn and now an eminent physicist from Leeds University in Bob Cywinski.

"We already have excellent teaching and this is underpinned by the excellent research of scientists at the top of their professions.

"Bob Cywinski has already suggested a number of innovative ideas in both research and teaching.

" The School of Applied Sciences also strongly encourages 'public understanding of science' and Bob is very keen to play a part in this when he arrives in the autumn."

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EXPERT: Physicist Prof Bob Cywinski