Professor Dino Jaroszynski is among 56 new fellows elected to join the RSE in its work to place the advancement of learning and useful knowledge at the centre of public life in Scotland.
He specialises in lasers and plasmas, and has developed rays with the potential for use in areas such as medical imaging, radiotherapy and monitoring the integrity of stored nuclear waste, as well as making diagnostic equipment much smaller and less expensive than is currently available.
Professor Jaroszynski’s breakthroughs have included the development of gamma ray beams so intense they can pass through 20 cm of lead that would take 1.5 m of concrete to be completely absorbed. He has also carried out research which could make vast and expensive technology more affordable and compact enough to fit into a room.
The accolade is a further endorsement of the quality of Physics research at Strathclyde, which was ranked first in the UK in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), with 96% of output assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Professor Jaroszynski said: “It is a great honour to be recognised by my peers in a Fellowship of the RSE and to join the many Strathclyde colleagues who have also received this accolade.
“Physics has been responsible for some of the most significant and beneficial innovations of the past century, such as x-rays, computers and mobile phones. As the REF result demonstrates, Strathclyde is at the forefront of continued innovation in physics and we look forward to deepening and broadening knowledge in this field in the future.”
RSE President Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell said: “I am delighted to welcome such a wide range of outstanding individuals to the Fellowship. Each of our new Fellows is elected on the distinguished merit of their work.
“In joining the RSE, they strengthen our capacity to support excellence across all areas of academic and public life, both in Scotland and further afield.”
The new intake of RSE Fellows also includes National Theatre of Scotland Chair and former Glasgow School of Art Director Dame Seona Reid, who gained a degree in Sociology at Strathclyde and was awarded an honorary degree by the University in 2009.
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University of Strathclyde: ‘Strathclyde physicist joins Scotland’s National Academy‘