a chance to serve…

Brian Foster - Saxonfest

1

A Chance to Serve…Brian Foster

Oxford Unversity

Some selected committee highlights.

Saxonfest30/5/08

Introduction

Postscript


2

Introduction

It takes longer to read the section of David’s CVrelating to committee and “pro bono” work thanI have for my talk!

Extracts from archeology in the Foster Archive ofUK particle physics committees.

His Glasgow committee work will be covered afterlunch. I will concentrate on the other stuff - mostly,but not exclusively - pp.


3

The way we wereBut first – extracted from the Oxford NPL archive.


KendrewDavid was my first boss – I worked on TASSO as RAL RA from 78 – 82 until moving to IC and then getting lectureship in Bristol in 84.The regular crisis in pp was in full flow at thispoint – SERC were worried about growth in contribution to CERN due to weakness of pound.Sir John Kendrew chaired committee thatrecommended 25% indomestic spend and triedto implement 25% cut insubscription. The wholecommunity, including David, were mobilised. 4


From archives

One of the initiatives of thosedays was writingto MPs.

5


Post Kendrew

Cutting the domestic spend by 25% was the easy part. Then the government tried to bully CERN –Abragham.

6


Post Kendrew

The trench warfarecontinued for severalyears.

David played an important part in initiatives at thistime, such asfoundation of IoPHEPP group.

7


Glasgow in Kendrew era

In the midst ofall this excitement,PPC still found timefor its programme of visits to groups.

Glasgow hostedus in 1987. Thisto quote KS, wasstill BD.

8


Planning for the future

As an SERC employee, David was, if not ineligible,then at least not encouraged, to serve on SERC committees.

He was however in demand outside the UK, andbegan a long involvement with ECFA and its manyorgans in 1986 – utilising expertise on trackingdetectors as Chair of LHC tracking WG.

9


The committee years

In 1990, David came to Glasgow as Kelvin professor.Once this was known, he was immediately inductedinto PPESP, 89-92.

At this point the avalanche began. Unusually, Davidmade Chairman of the PPC without having servedas a member. He became PPC chair in 1992 andex officio member of first NPB and then PSAB. Hehad to cope with his share of the perennial crises –including threats to withdraw from LHC.

10


The committee yearsIn the middle of his term, PPARC was formed. David played a crucial roleas midwife – laying foundations for atmosphereof respect & trust with astronomers that persiststo this day.As so often, I followedin David’s footsteps – in 1996 I succeeded him as PPC Chair and then became Co-Chair of SC. 11


The committee years

In 1997 David became amember of PPARC Council, where he servedfor 4 years. He was alsoa distinguished chairof the PPARC PUSpanel.

We had lots of fun, sinceI also attended Council as co-chair of SC.

12


The committee years

In all of these roles, David strongly interactedwith UK policy on CERN; he attended UKCCand was an advisor to the delegates to CERNCouncil, attending Council and Committee ofCouncil.

In CERN itself, David has had a most distinguished record, as DRDC member, SPC member 1993-98and member of Review Committee in 2002. He was also a PRC member at DESY and is currently amember of IUPAP C11 Commission.

13


The committee yearsGoing well beyond particle physics, David alsohad two terms on the Council of the formerCCLRC – 2000-2001 and 2005-2007. He was Chairof PPUAC for many years. He has also served the MRC as a member of “Discipline Hopping Awards Panel” and Adv. Group on Technology. Outside RC’s, David’s contributions bewildering invariety. Council of RSE, External Examiner at Oxford, British Council, 1996 RAE. Many servicesto Anglican Church.

14

David is chair of the King’s College LondonRedundancy Committee!


University CommitteesI promised I wouldn’t talk about this – butone anecdote.Current University positions:

Head: Experimental Particle Physics Research Group 1990 –Chair: Recruitment Advisory Panel from Jan 2006Convener: Deans’ group 2005-Member: Research skills training group 2004-Member: Research Planning and Strategy Committee 2005-Member: Scottish Univ's Environmental Research Centre Mgmt C’ttee 2005-Member: Gifford Lectures Committee (Natural Theology) 1993 -

15

“Saxon Glasgow”Google “Saxon Glasgow” gives:

16Brian Foster - Saxonfest


Ave atque vale

17

David, I hope your wise counsel will continue to beavailable to us in the crises of the future! Thankyou from us, your colleagues, but most of all,from UK particle physics – it would have beena different, and poorer, discipline, if you hadn’t been among its leaders for so many years.

a chance to serve…

Documents

kendrew era