Advances in Physical Organic Chemistry

Nick Williams has been Professor of Physical Organic Chemistry at the University of Sheffield since 2011. He has many years experience in experimental studies that are focused on understanding mechanism and reactivity in organic chemistry. He studied for his first degree at the University of Cambridge, where he stayed for his PhD under the supervision of Tony Kirby. After a further short post doctoral period and a position as temporary lector in organic chemistry at Trinity College, Cambridge, he spent two years at McGill University in the laboratory of Jik Chin as a Royal Society/NSERC research fellow. He was appointed to a lectureship in Sheffield in 1996, where he has remained since, and has taught physical organic chemistry at all undergraduate levels and is currently Chair of the Curriculum Committee. His research involves the design, synthesis and analysis of organic and inorganic compounds to dissect and quantify contributions to reactivity and catalysis. This has been particularly focused on biologically relevant reactions and artificial models that functionally mimic natural systems, but has embraced topics as diverse as light induced surface patterning and transmembrane signaling. He has been a past chair of the Royal Society of Chemistry Organic Reaction Mechanisms Committee (renamed the Physical Organic Group at the end of his tenure) and took a particular effort to provide events to nurture the younger physical organic chemistry community. He is not related to the other Co-Editor of Advances in Physical Organic Chemistry! Jason Harper Ph.D. works in the School of Chemistry at the University of New South Wales, Australia.