Symposium to celebrate Chemistry Professor’s 38 year career at Southampton
Bill Levason, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, has retired from the University of Southampton after 38 years of teaching and research, although he will remain in the department as an Emeritus Professor.
A symposium on 10 April, hosted by Head of Chemistry Professor Phil Gale, will celebrate his career with a series of seminars from his colleagues, collaborators and former students.
Bill joined as a Lecturer after studies and postdoctoral research at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. He was appointed to a Lecturership in Inorganic Chemistry at Southampton in 1976, being promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1987. He became a Reader in 1994 and was made Professor of Inorganic Chemistry in 1999. He has wide research interests in synthetic inorganic chemistry within the molecular assembly, function and structure group.
"I have enjoyed my years at Southampton, and have valued the support and friendship from my colleagues," says Bill, who has taught and supervised many of today's leading academic and professional chemists and estimates he must have delivered more than 1,000 lectures over the years.
His colleague Professor Gill Reid has paid tribute to his achievements. "Bill has always been incredibly enthusiastic for chemistry; even as a professor he makes time to work in the lab every day and support his research students. I am delighted he will continue with his research with us at Southampton."