Press Releases
Professor Keith Shine joins illustrious ranks of the Royal Society
Release Date : 15 May 2009
Keith Shine, Professor of Physical Meteorology at the University of Reading has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, it was announced today.
As a Fellow of the UK's national academy of science, Professor Shine joins the likes of Richard Dawkins, Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Stephen Hawking.
Professor Shine said: "I am delighted and honoured that my research has been recognised in this way; it is not only recognition for myself, but also for the University and my many colleagues, who have helped create the environment in which my work could thrive."
The Royal Society is the world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, and has been at the forefront of enquiry and discovery since its foundation in 1660. New Fellows are elected through a peer review process that culminates in a vote by existing Fellows. The main criterion for election as a Fellow is scientific excellence.
Professor Keith Shine is Director of Research in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, having previously held the post of Head of Department. He joined the University in 1988 after studying physics at Imperial College London and taking a doctorate in meteorology at the University of Edinburgh followed by spells as a researcher at Liverpool and Oxford Universities. He became a Professor in 1998. His research focuses on understanding how human activity initiates climate change and the role of water vapour in the Earth's energy balance. He has been heavily involved in major United Nations' assessments of both climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion. He also led the University's successful bid for a Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2006.
Professor Gordon Marshall, Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: "This is the ultimate accolade for Keith's remarkable 20 year contribution to the University's world-renowned Department of Meteorology, which is central to the wide-ranging study of climate change currently being undertaken here. Keith's election to the Royal Society continues a tradition of distinguished scholars from Reading being elected to the Royal Society."
The Fellowship of the Society is composed of the most distinguished scientists from the United Kingdom, other Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland. Fellows of the Royal Society are elected for life and designate themselves through the use of the letters FRS after their names. Current Fellows include, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, Harry Kroto, Tim Berners Lee, Paul Nurse and John Sulston. Previous Fellows include Isaac Newton, Christopher Wren, Charles Darwin, Ernest Rutherford and Dorothy Hodgkin.
Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society, said: "Our new Fellows are at the cutting edge of science worldwide. Their achievements represent the vast contribution science makes to society. They join an outstanding group of over 1400 Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society, and all rank among the international leaders in their field."
More information at http://royalsociety.org/newFellows
ENDS
Further information from Alex Brannen, Media Relations Manager, at the University of Reading on 0118 378 7388
Notes to editors:
A high resolution image of Professor Shine is available from the University Press Office on 0118 378 7388
Department of meteorology
The Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading is internationally renowned for its excellent teaching and research in atmospheric, oceanic and climate science. Established in 1965, it is the only UK university which offers a full range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in meteorology.
In 2006 Meteorology at Reading was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 75% of the department's research was graded as world leading or internationally excellent. Its weighted score placed the department third in the country in the "Earth Systems and Environmental Science" category, and makes it the highest-graded department focusing on the fundamental science of weather and climate.
Royal Society
Forty-four scientists have been recognised for their exceptional contributions to society, with their election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, it was announced today (Friday 15 May).