Biography


Colin Trevor Pillinger


  • Born 9 May 1943, Kingswood, Bristol
  • Father Alfred (Jack) Pillinger
  • Mother Florence Pillinger (neé Honour)
  • Married Judith Mary Hay
  • Children Shusanah Jane, Nicolas Joseph


    • See Who's Who


    Education


  • 1954-1961 Kingswood Grammar (now Kingsfield) School
  • 1961-1965 University College Swansea (now University of Swansea), Wales, BSc (Hons) Chemistry
  • 1965-1968 University College Swansea, PhD Mass spectrometry
  • 1984 University of Bristol DSc Chemistry


    • Honours and Medals


  • CBE (2003) Queen's Birthday Honours
  • Fellow of the Royal Society (1993)
  • Gresham Professor of Astronomy, City of London (1996-2000)
  • British Mass Spectrometry Society, Aston Gold Medal (2003)
  • British Interplanetary Society, Space Achievement Medal (2005)
  • British Rocketry Oral History Project, Arthur C Clarke Award for Public Awareness of Space Research (2005)
  • Reginald Mitchell Memorial Medal for Engineering
  • Chelsea Flower Show (with Hadlow College) Gold Medal
  • Runner-up European Union Descartes Prize for Science Communication (2005)

    • Receiving the CBE Signing the Royal Society Science book Gresham College hall


    Fellowships


  • Fellow of the University of Swansea (2005)
  • Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (1981)
  • Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (1981)
  • Fellow of the Meteoritical Society (1986)
  • Gresham Fellow (2000)
  • Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society (2005)
  • Member of Trinity Hall Cambridge (1983)


    • And honorary membership of:


  • Blur Fan Club
  • Open University Astronomical Society
  • Eagle Comic Society
  • British Made for Quality


    • Other activities


  • Patron, Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival
  • Trustee, National Maritime Museum's Time and Space Appeal
  • Sponsor of SS Great Britain's winning entry for the Gulbenkian Prize
  • Chairman of the Royal Society Science Book Prize (2007)
  • Judge (with Astronaut Michael Foale), Edge into Space competition offering British schoolchildren a chance to visit NASA (4000 entrants)
  • Judge, Huxley Science Prize, Eton College

    • On the SS Great Britain Chairing the Royal Society Science Book Prize


    Other acknowledgements


    Asteroid presentation
  • Asteroid 15614 named Pillinger (2005)
  • Explorer of the year, Oldie Magazine (2003)
  • Ambassador for London (1996)


    • And called one of the:


  • 100 most influential people (Sunday Times)
  • 50 most important scientists
  • 10 best known geologists
  • Makers of the 20th century
  • And the Star Czar by the Think Tank Demos


    • Academic posts held


  • Research Associate, University of Bristol (1968-1976)
  • Senior Research Associate, University of Cambridge (1976-1984)
  • Senior Research Fellow, Open University (1984-1993)
  • Professor of Planetary Sciences, Open University (1993-)
  • Emeritus Professor of Astronomy, Gresham College, (2007-)
  • Founder and first Head of Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University - a group of 70 scientists housed in a purpose built building paid for by the Government's Strategic Investment Fund
    • The Robert Hooke Building, home of PSSRI