Paul Callaghan (physicist)
Encyclopedia
Sir Paul Terence Callaghan, GNZM
, FRS, FRSNZ
(born 1947) is a New Zealand
physicist
who, as the founding director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology
at Victoria University of Wellington
, holds the position of Alan MacDiarmid
Professor of Physical Sciences and is also immediate past-president of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance
.
A native of Wanganui
, Paul Callaghan took his first degree in physics at Victoria University of Wellington and subsequently earned a DPhil degree at the University of Oxford
, working in low temperature physics. On his return to New Zealand in 1974, he took up a lecturing position at Massey University
where he began researching the applications of magnetic resonance to the study of soft matter. He was made Professor of Physics in 1984, and was appointed Alan MacDiarmid Professor of Physical Sciences in 2001. The following year, as its founding director, he helped establish the multi-university MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.
Callaghan is past president of the Academy Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand
and has published over 240 articles in scientific journals as well as the books, Principles of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microscopy in 1994 and Translational Dynamics and Magnetic Resonance in 2011. He is also a founding director and shareholder of Magritek, a technology company based in Wellington
, which sells nuclear magnetic resonance and MRI instruments. He is a regular public speaker on science matters and, in 2007, one of his radio series appeared in book form, As Far as We Know: Conversations about Science, Life and the Universe. A 2009 book, "Wool to Weta: Transforming New Zealand's Culture and Economy", deals with the potential for science and technology entrepreneurialism to diversify New Zealand's economy. He is also the presenter of a concurrent documentary, "Beyond the Farm and the Themepark", which deals with the same issues.
In 2001 Callaghan became the 36th New Zealander to be made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London
. He was awarded the Ampere Prize in 2004 and the Rutherford Medal
in 2005. He was appointed a Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
in 2006 and in 2007 was recognised by a KEA/NZTE
World Class New Zealander Award and the Sir Peter Blake
Medal. He was awarded a 2 year James Cook Research Fellowship by the Royal Society for New Zealand in 2008. He was knighted on 14 August 2009. In 2010 he was awarded the Günther Laukien Prize for Magnetic Resonance and shared the New Zealand Prime Minister's Science Prize. In 2011 he was named Kiwibank "New Zealander of the Year" and later that year elected an Honorary Fellow of Corpus Christi College Cambridge.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, FRS, FRSNZ
Royal Society of New Zealand
The Royal Society of New Zealand , known as the New Zealand Institute before 1933, was established in 1867 to co-ordinate and assist the activities of a number of regional research societies including the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of...
(born 1947) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
who, as the founding director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology
MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology is a New Zealand research organisation specialising in materials science and nanotechnology...
at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
, holds the position of Alan MacDiarmid
Alan MacDiarmid
Alan Graham MacDiarmid ONZ was a chemist, and one of three recipients of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2000.-Early life:He was born in Masterton, New Zealand as one of five children - three brothers and two sisters...
Professor of Physical Sciences and is also immediate past-president of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance is a physical phenomenon in which magnetic nuclei in a magnetic field absorb and re-emit electromagnetic radiation...
.
A native of Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
, Paul Callaghan took his first degree in physics at Victoria University of Wellington and subsequently earned a DPhil degree at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, working in low temperature physics. On his return to New Zealand in 1974, he took up a lecturing position at Massey University
Massey University
Massey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
where he began researching the applications of magnetic resonance to the study of soft matter. He was made Professor of Physics in 1984, and was appointed Alan MacDiarmid Professor of Physical Sciences in 2001. The following year, as its founding director, he helped establish the multi-university MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.
Callaghan is past president of the Academy Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal Society of New Zealand
The Royal Society of New Zealand , known as the New Zealand Institute before 1933, was established in 1867 to co-ordinate and assist the activities of a number of regional research societies including the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of...
and has published over 240 articles in scientific journals as well as the books, Principles of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microscopy in 1994 and Translational Dynamics and Magnetic Resonance in 2011. He is also a founding director and shareholder of Magritek, a technology company based in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, which sells nuclear magnetic resonance and MRI instruments. He is a regular public speaker on science matters and, in 2007, one of his radio series appeared in book form, As Far as We Know: Conversations about Science, Life and the Universe. A 2009 book, "Wool to Weta: Transforming New Zealand's Culture and Economy", deals with the potential for science and technology entrepreneurialism to diversify New Zealand's economy. He is also the presenter of a concurrent documentary, "Beyond the Farm and the Themepark", which deals with the same issues.
In 2001 Callaghan became the 36th New Zealander to be made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. He was awarded the Ampere Prize in 2004 and the Rutherford Medal
Rutherford Medal
The Rutherford Medal is the premier award of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and has been awarded annually since 1991 in recognition of people who have made outstanding contributions to New Zealand society and culture in science, mathematics, social science, and technology...
in 2005. He was appointed a Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in 2006 and in 2007 was recognised by a KEA/NZTE
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is the government of New Zealand's official economic development agency. It works to stimulate growth, boost export earnings, strengthen regional economies, and deliver economic development assistance to industries and individual businesses...
World Class New Zealander Award and the Sir Peter Blake
Peter Blake (yachtsman)
Sir Peter James Blake, KBE was a New Zealand yachtsman who won the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Jules Verne Trophy – setting the fastest time around the world of 74 days 22 hours 17 minutes 22 seconds on catamaran Enza, and led his country to successive victories in the America’s Cup...
Medal. He was awarded a 2 year James Cook Research Fellowship by the Royal Society for New Zealand in 2008. He was knighted on 14 August 2009. In 2010 he was awarded the Günther Laukien Prize for Magnetic Resonance and shared the New Zealand Prime Minister's Science Prize. In 2011 he was named Kiwibank "New Zealander of the Year" and later that year elected an Honorary Fellow of Corpus Christi College Cambridge.
Publications
- Callaghan, P. (1994). Principles of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microscopy. Oxford University Press.
- Callaghan, P. and Hill, K. (2007). As Far as We Know: Conversations about Science, Life and the Universe. Penguin.
- Callaghan, P. (2009). Wool to Weta: Transforming New Zealand's Culture and Economy. Auckland University Press.
- Callaghan, P. (2011). Translational Dynamics and Magnetic Resonance: Principles of Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo NMR. Oxford University Press