US based laser expert’s bequest boosts physics research at Aberystwyth University

An Aberystwyth graduate whose work was recognised by NASA has bequeathed over £720,000 to his former university to support research and the Old College project.

Originally from Trefin in Pembrokeshire, Dr Rhidian Lawrence graduated with first class honours in Physics in 1962 and studied for a PhD as a member of the shockwave research group before moving to the University of Toronto.

In a professional career that spanned nearly forty years, Dr Lawrence worked for aerospace companies in Alabama and Seattle, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Colorado.

An expert in laser technology, he retained his love for the Welsh language and culture, singing with the Seattle Welsh Choir and supporting events such as the National Cymanfa Ganu.

He was also an admirer of the Ceredigion born physicist and Fellow of the Royal Society, Professor E J Williams, whose most striking achievement was the direct demonstration in the Old College in 1940 of the decay of a cosmic ray meson into an electron.

Welsh scientists

Dr Lawrence, who died in July 2023, was also a great advocate for Welsh scientists and wrote a book in Welsh on important scientists from Wales, which is currently being edited for publication.

His bequest will fund a series of PhDs in the Department of Physics at Aberystwyth University, with the first being offered from September 2024.

His contribution will also be commemorated as part of the redevelopment of the Old College, where his career as a research scientist began in the early 1960s.

A state-of-the-art cinema in the World of Knowledge zone of the ambitious Old College project will be named in his honour and will host an annual public lecture in his name.

His donation will also support the cataloguing of the Physics Department’s historical collection, and there will be further recognition next to an exhibit dedicated to the history of Professor E J Williams FRS.

Dr Lawrence’s generosity was recognised on Thursday 1 August as the University hosted a visit by his sister Ann Lawrence and his good friends Dr Alan and Gretta Upshall.

Remarkable legacy

Speaking at a reception to celebrate Dr Lawrence’s enduring link with the University, Professor Timmis, Vice Chancellor of Aberystwyth University said: “I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable legacy that Rhidian entrusted to our institution.

“His bequest towards physics research and the Old College project are not only an act of extraordinary generosity but also a testament to Rhidian’s enduring connection with Wales, his family and his alma mater.

“Rhidian’s time here was marked by academic excellence, and it is evident that these values continued to guide him throughout his career and his life, and his legacy will undoubtedly inspire future generations. We are profoundly grateful for his support and dedication to ensuring that the transformative education he received is accessible to others that will promote continued excellence in physics at our University.”

Dr Lawrence was a long-term supporter of Aberystwyth University, contributing to the Vice-Chancellor’s Giving Circle in memory of his brother Elgan, who died in 2018 and who was also awarded a first degree and PhD in Physics from Aberystwyth University.

Generous 

His friend Alan, who is originally from Ystrad Rhondda, graduated in Agricultural Botany from Aberystwyth University in 1964 and has lived in Seattle for forty years, said: “It’s a pleasure to be here today to celebrate how generous Rhidian’s philanthropy was in terms of education. He was very concerned that his bequest was put to students at Aberystwyth where he worked with some of the best physicists at the time and where he learnt all his good physics and met all the quality people that he got on with.”

As part of the visit, Dr Matt Gunn who is leading the development of Enfys, the infrared spectrometer for the European Space Agency’s mission to Mars, presented a copy of Dr Lawrence’s PhD thesis “Shock Tube Studies of Gaseous Detonation Waves” to his sister Ann Lawrence.

“I was very glad to be here today to recognise Rhidian’s generosity. It was also good to meet his friends Dr Alan and Gretta Upshall, who knew him so well”, said Ann.