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History of Physics and Astronomy at Sussex
Introduction
Physics at Sussex started at the beginning of the university in 1961, although the first undergraduates were not admitted until October 1962. In 1965, an MSc in Astronomy was started, with what was initially a separate astronomy subject group. The two subjects merged in 1989, into what is now called (since 2003) the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The Department has been part of a number of Schools: Physical Sciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MAPS), Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science (CPES), Science and Technology (SciTech) and currently Mathematical and Physical Sciences again - but now with the less pronounceable acronym MPS.
The purpose of this history is to trace the development of the two subjects, and the combined department, from its early days to the present, when the university as a whole is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The web pages will contain tables of facts, essays giving reminiscences and accounts of developments in both teaching and research, and a linking narrative following major events in the life of the department.
The founding professors in the department were Roger Blin-Stoyle and Ken Smith, who were involved in the curriculum discussions in the Old Ship Hotel in Brighton in 1961-2. The other founding faculty, who were there during the first year, 1962-63, were Douglas Brewer and Phil Elliott (senior lecturers), Les Allen, Sandy Grassie, Dennis Hamilton and Geoff Jones (lecturers in experimental physics), and Michael Radcliffe, Roy Turner and Maurice Wilford (lecturers in theoretical physics). R V Turley was there for that year only, as a tutor, and Brian Smith joined the department in January 1963.
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If you want to make any comments on this wik or contribute to iti, you can contact the editors by e-mail: physics_history at sussex.ac.uk (replace "at" by "@").
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