Person
Smith, Thomas Frederick (Fred) (1939 - 2014)
AM FTSE
- Born
- 30 May 1939
London, United Kingdom - Died
- 1 March 2014
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- Physicist and Research administrator
Summary
Fred Smith was a physicist whose early research career was at the University of California, San Diego, and the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, United Kingdom. His research focussed on superconductivity, particularly the effect of high pressure. In 1973 he joined the staff of the CSIRO Division of Physics, National Measurement Laboratory, where he began a long collaboration with Trevor Finlayson at Monash University on superconductivity and thermal expansion at low temperatures. This collaboration resulted on over 50 papers. Smith was Professor of Physics, Monash University, from 1976 to 1991, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), La Trobe University, 1991 - 2004. Her served as President of the Australian Institute of Physics, 1984 - 1986.
Details
Chronology
- 1960
- Education - BSc, University of Sheffield
- 1963
- Education - PhD, University of Sheffield
- 1964 - 1967
- Career position - Research Physicist, University of California, San Diego, U.S.A
- 1967 - 1970
- Career position - Senior Research Fellow, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, United Kingdom
- 1970 - 1973
- Career position - Research Physicist, University of California, San Diego, U.S.A.
- 1973 - 1974
- Career position - Senior Research Scientist, National Measurement Laboratory
- 1974 - 1976
- Career position - Senior Lecturer, Department of Physics, Monash University
- 1976 - 1991
- Career position - Professor of Physics, Monash University
- 1981 - 1991
- Career position - Chairman, Department of Physics, Monash University
- 1984 - 1986
- Career position - President, Australian Institute of Physics
- 1985 - 1987
- Career position - President, Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies
- 1987 - 1993
- Career position - Chair, Australian Science Olympiads Committee
- 1991 - 2004
- Career position - Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), La Trobe University
- 2000
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
- 2001
- Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society in applied physics
- 2004
- Life event - Retired
- 2005
- Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - For service to higher education, particularly research policy and administration, to science and technology development, and to science education
- 2005 - 2008
- Career position - Secretary, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
- 2007 - 2010
- Career position - Secretary, Royal Society of Victoria
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Finlayson, Trevor, Gardner, Bill and Smith, Paul, 'Thomas Frederick (Fred) Smith AM, FTSE 1939 - 2014', Australian Physics, 51 (3) (2014), 94. Details
Newspaper Articles
- Finlayson, Trevor, Gardner, Bill and Smith, Paul, 'Fred Smith, a physicist with a wide influence: Fred Smith, 1939-2014', Sydney Morning Herald (2014). Details
Resources
- 'Smith, Thomas Frederick (19390530-20141231)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1772604. Details
Helen Cohn
Last modified: 24 April 2023