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)
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
Other acknowledgements
- 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
