Chemistry department welcomes back former students for reunion

Alumni keep up with departmental developments - News

By Danielle Reeves
3 October 2006

Imperial's Department of Chemistry opened its doors to over 130 former students last week for an alumni reunion event which saw people travelling from across the UK to revisit the site of their studies.

The evening event saw many former Imperial chemists in their 70s and 80s – including three who graduated 64 years ago in 1943 – making a special trip into London. They joined more recent graduates to meet up with old friends and to see how much the department and the campus has changed over the decades.

Professor David Phillips delivered a short talk to the assembled alumni about AW Hofmann, the founder and first Professor of the Royal College of Chemistry – the direct parent of Imperial's chemistry department today. The talk also focused on Hofmann's student at the Royal College of Chemistry, Sir William Perkin, whose discovery of the first synthetic dye, mauveine, 150 years ago gave rise to the British dye industry and much of the country's chemical industry too. Professor Phillips' audience was also treated to a live demonstration of silk dyeing using mauveine, carried out by Chris Howard, Chemistry's head teaching technician.

Following the talk, the alumni were then able to take informal tours around the College's chemistry facilities and could look at a selection of historic photographs of former students and staff on display.

Professor Richard Templer, Head of the Department of Chemistry at Imperial said: “It's wonderful to see such a large number of former students of the department coming back to the College this evening. Some of them have travelled for hundreds of miles, from all corners of the British Isles, to be here and indeed one has come all the way from Australia. It's great to see our alumni from the 1940s to the 1990s sharing their very different experiences of their time at the College.

"We are looking forward to our network of alumni growing and becoming both an integral part of the department and a resource for the alumni themselves and our students. We know that many of our former students are extremely interested in keeping up with all the changes around here, from new buildings and renovations, to research breakthroughs and new courses being provided. This event was great fun for us, and judging by the noise on the night and responses we have received over the past few days it was enjoyed by our former students as well. Certainly learning what our students have been doing in the 'real' world has been both a revelation and an inspiration."

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