2009 Press Releases
UCC Academic Remembered
29.04.2009
The Chemistry Department, UCC will hold a Seminar in memory of the late Professor Francis Leslie Scott tomorrow (Thursday, April 30th 2009) at 4.30 pm in the Kane Building, Room G19.
29.04.2009
The Chemistry Department, UCC will hold a Seminar in memory of the late Professor Francis Leslie Scott tomorrow (Thursday, April 30th 2009) at 4.30 pm in the Kane Building, Room G19.
Professor Scott was Professor of Chemistry from 1960 to 1973 at UCC during a critical period of its development. He entered the university in 1945 as an undergraduate having gained first place in Ireland in both Mathematics and Chemistry and then graduated top of his class in 1948. He completed an MSc and PhD with Professor Joseph Reilly and, by the time he moved to the University of California at Los Angeles in 1953 to work with the renowned Saul Winstein, he had published some 28 papers. He subsequently obtained his DSc from the National University of Ireland while still in his twenties, one of the youngest graduates of the NUI to do so. He then (in 1957) moved into industry working in the research division of Pennsalt Corporation, but returned to academia in 1960 when he was appointed as Professor of Chemistry at UCC.
His time at UCC was characterised by extraordinary energy and innovation, leading to significant expansion in student numbers, facilities and research publications. These included the new Science Building (in 1970), now known as the Kane Building, and the appointment of many staff, such as the inaugural Professors of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry.
Professor Scott hosted many international conferences at UCC. The first, in July 1964, was attended by more than 600 over six very full days. He was an inspirational teacher both in his own area of Chemistry and the wider scientific world, and for many this was the quality for which he was most renowned. This led to an exponential increase in student numbers. The expansion of the Pharmaceutical industry in Ireland, which began in the 1970s, then drew on the wide range of people trained in the undergraduate programmes at UCC and its research laboratories. Many of his students also went on to become academics and were critical to the Regional Technical Colleges which were formed at this time.
In 1973 he went to the University of Rochester initially on sabbatical but then was recruited again by Pennwalt where he was a Director of Pharmaceutical Research. In recent years he returned to Cork where he died on January 14th, 2008. He is survived by his daughters Fiona and Anne and his son Spenser.
Professor Frank Hegarty (UCD) who received his PhD under the supervision of Professor Scott will give an insightful lecture titled “F. L. Scott and his legacy at UCC”. This will be followed by a Research Lecture by Dr Stephen Connon (TCD).
Adapted from an essay by Professor Frank Hegarty
For information contact: Dr Gerard McGlacken g.mcglacken@ucc.ie
His time at UCC was characterised by extraordinary energy and innovation, leading to significant expansion in student numbers, facilities and research publications. These included the new Science Building (in 1970), now known as the Kane Building, and the appointment of many staff, such as the inaugural Professors of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry.
Professor Scott hosted many international conferences at UCC. The first, in July 1964, was attended by more than 600 over six very full days. He was an inspirational teacher both in his own area of Chemistry and the wider scientific world, and for many this was the quality for which he was most renowned. This led to an exponential increase in student numbers. The expansion of the Pharmaceutical industry in Ireland, which began in the 1970s, then drew on the wide range of people trained in the undergraduate programmes at UCC and its research laboratories. Many of his students also went on to become academics and were critical to the Regional Technical Colleges which were formed at this time.
In 1973 he went to the University of Rochester initially on sabbatical but then was recruited again by Pennwalt where he was a Director of Pharmaceutical Research. In recent years he returned to Cork where he died on January 14th, 2008. He is survived by his daughters Fiona and Anne and his son Spenser.
Professor Frank Hegarty (UCD) who received his PhD under the supervision of Professor Scott will give an insightful lecture titled “F. L. Scott and his legacy at UCC”. This will be followed by a Research Lecture by Dr Stephen Connon (TCD).
Adapted from an essay by Professor Frank Hegarty
For information contact: Dr Gerard McGlacken g.mcglacken@ucc.ie