St Andrews and Cornell join forces in condensed matter physics (11/10/2007)

The University of St. Andrews is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Séamus Davis of Cornell University to a SUPA Distinguished Research Professorship.

SUPA (Scottish Universities Physics Alliance) is a research pooling collaboration between St Andrews, Edinburgh, Heriot Watt, Paisley and Strathclyde Universities.

Professor Davis is a distinguished low temperature and condensed matter physicist, and was a co-recipient of the 2005 Fritz London Memorial Prize. The 20% appointment, which came into effect in July, signals the beginning of what is hoped will be a long research collaboration between Cornell and SUPA. It will involve joint work between Davis's group and SUPA condensed matter physics groups, notably those of Professor Andy Mackenzie and Drs Santiago Grigera and Felix Baumberger of St Andrews and Professor Andrew Huxley of Edinburgh.

Professor Davis said, "I am excited about the great potential of this collaboration. Combining SUPA and Cornell expertise in this way opens avenues of science that neither of us could explore in isolation. Before formalizing our collaboration with this appointment, we performed a full year's feasibility study involving personnel interchange and transatlantic group meetings, and it has worked sowell that I am full of optimism for the future."

Professor Mackenzie, the leader of SUPA's Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Theme, said, "Séamus Davis is a brilliant and inspirational scientist who has received offers from all over the world. That he chose to accept this one is testimony to the benefits of setting up an alliance like SUPA. We are all looking forward immensely to working with him to set up something pretty special."

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the University of St Andrews

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