Background

Richards was born on August 30, 1948 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, United Kingdom; the son of William James Richards and Anne Florence (Fletcher) Richards.

Education

Richards received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Salford in 1971. Three years later he earned his Ph.D. from the same university. In 1994, Randal was given a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Salford.

Career

Richards began his career as a research associate at Imperial College London in 1975. Two years later he took a position of a lecturer and senior lecturer at the University of Strathclyde. In 1989, Randal was appointed a reader in chemistry at the University of Durham. Then in 1994, he became a professor at the same university, where he worked until 2003. Randal chaired the Board of Studies in Chemistry at the University of Durham from 2001 to 2002.

In 2003, he became a director of research and innovation at Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. In 2008, Richards retired as the Council's deputy chief executive.

Achievements

• Randal Richards has been an academic for over 30 years having held posts in Germany, the United States, Imperial College, Strathclyde University and Durham University. His research focussed on the chemical physics of macromolecules resulting in over 150 publications and supervision of 30 Ph.D. students.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Polymers at Surfaces and Interfaces

    (This text deals from a fundamental viewpoint with the beh...)

    1999

Membership

Richards is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and American Chemical Society.

Connections

On September 7, 1972 Randal Richards married Patricia Margaret Magee. They have two children.

Father:

William James Richards

Mother:

Anne Florence (Fletcher) Richards

Spouse:

Patricia Margaret Magee

child:

Robert James Richards

child:

Gregory Peter Richards