Personal Reactions
Bill Clegg
Biography:
Professor William Clegg, born 8 March 1949, Great Harwood,
Lancashire, UK. One of the most prolific of authors with more than 600
academic papers in the area of crystallography under his belt, before the
age of 50. Interested in many aspects of crystallography and structural
chemistry, including the development of X-ray data collection methods, use of
synchrotron radiation, applications in supramolecular chemistry as well as
wide ranges of organic, inorganic, and organometallic chemistry. Awarded
an Erskine Visiting Fellowship at the University of Canterbury,
Christchurch, New Zealand, this year.
Position:
Professor of Structural Crystallography, University of Newcastle
upon Tyne.
Major life events:
Academic - First degree (1970), PhD (supervisor Peter
Wheatley, 1973), and ScD (1989) from Cambridge. First employment a fixed-term
University Demonstratorship in Newcastle, where I quickly learnt to work
independently with very limited facilities. Six years at Göttingen with
George Sheldrick, doing mainly research (where I developed a major interest in
data collection methods) and some lecturing in German! Completed Habilitation
(German higher doctorate) before returning to Newcastle to a permanent post.
Personal:
Marriage in 1975, four children in 1976,
1978, 1980 and 1982 (fairly evenly spaced, and they
alternate girl-boy-girl-boy, as befits a
crystallographer!), as well as moving to Germany in
1978 and back to Britain in 1984. The most far-reaching event of all has to be becoming a Christian
in 1967, just a few weeks before starting University,
which has dominated my life's priorities ever since.
Music, especially singing, has always played an
important part.
Personal description:
Passionate and enthusiastic
about things that matter to me; not particularly easy
to get to know well, socially unskilled and poor at
general conversation, but with a few close
relationships; generally reliable and faithful when
people depend on me; not particularly good at
organising time and paperwork; not a workaholic,
though some people think I am (work comes no higher
than third in my priorities in life, after God and
family); very much a creature of habit.
How did you get your current job?
I was appointed to a Lectureship here in 1984, by application and normal
competitive interview. The promotion to Professorship came in 1992.
What do you think clinched the deal?
My reputation at those times, including a substantial
publication list. I had previously worked in this
department in Newcastle, so was personally known by
the people concerned, and in this case it was
obviously a positive factor.
What do you enjoy about your work?
The combination of research (which means finding out
what no-one else has discovered yet, and my subject
is very visual and beautiful) and teaching.
What aspects would you change?
The lottery of research funding and the distortions
produced by crude assessment procedures in research
and teaching, which dominate far too much of what
happens in British universities now.
What do you hate about your industry?
The stress generated by all the extra bureaucracy,
which has been imposed on us in recent years, often
with ridiculously short deadlines to meet.
What was your first experiment as a (a) child and (b)
a scientist?
(a) I cannot remember what was the first, but I know
I could read, write and do some arithmetic well
before I went to school and this meant writing all
over the tiled fireplace at home when I couldn't find
any paper to use; fortunately it was easy to clean
off, unlike the boot polish I put on the wall! I
would regard my first day at school (at the age of 4)
as an interesting experiment: at lunchtime, I decided
that was enough for one day and went home, without
consulting anyone.
(b) The first experiment I chose to do myself (and
essentially unsupervised: what would Health and
Safety rules make of it now?) rather than following a
teacher's instructions at school was the synthesis of
methyl orange, which I found in a large textbook in
the school library.
Did it work?
(a) That depends on your definition! I was quickly
taken back again and shown that it wasn't up to me
when I left.
(b) Yes, but the library book had some rather
brightly coloured pages, because the product (which
was actually the correct one) got everywhere.
What did that teach you?
(a) There are some things you have to do whether you
like them or not.
(b) Perhaps I'm not really a preparative chemist.
What was your chemistry teacher at school like?
A large, rather overweight Welshman (no national
prejudice intended!) with a pronounced facial tic,
which led to his nickname of Winky Barrel.
How did that inspire you?
That didn't, but he was enthusiastic and enjoyed his
subject, which mattered a lot to me and helped me
make my choice.
What would the teenage you think of the present-day
you?
That's not at all easy: as a teenager I wasn't much
of a rebel, so my thoughts wouldn't have been
particularly negative (and my own children, recently
or still teenagers, generally approve of me), but I'm
sure I would have considered the present-day me to be
perhaps too busy with work and a bit narrow in
interests, with appalling ignorance on some important
subjects! Of course, the teenage me might not be
right...
What are your greatest strengths?
Optimism and perseverance. I get told off by
colleagues for being too positive sometimes, and I
can keep going on a task until it's done (whether at
work or elsewhere, such as walking or cycling, which
are keen interests).
Weakness?
Impatience. This might seem a bit odd combined with
the strengths, but they really do exist together!
How do you overcome this?
In purely human terms it isn't possible. It's a prime
topic for prayer, by myself and by close friends who
are aware of it. Recently I'd say that's had a
significant effect for good, but it still needs more.
What advice would you give a younger chemist?
Don't enter academic work unless you really know what
you want to do and are prepared to stick with it, and
certainly not if you have an ambition to be rich and
have an easy time!
What areas would you like advice yourself?
Prioritisation in the face of huge numbers of
competing demands for attention, and organisation (of
time and my office).
What would you rather be if not a scientist?
A church minister or something related. In fact,
there are times when the present job is at its least
attractive that I wonder whether...
What draws you to that particular occupation?
Quite a bit of experience I have in Christian
teaching and other leadership, and the clear need
there is for such people.
Which scientist from history would you like to meet?
There could be quite a few, but let's go for Isaac
Newton.
What would you ask him?
How did you get your inspiration for so many
scientific ideas?
If you could guess, what do you think his answer
would be?
I'm sure his Christian faith would come into the
answer.
How has the Internet influenced what you do?
Mainly in providing fast and easy access to
information, including on-line publications, and
computer software. This also includes the growing
opportunities for electronic submission of
publications and other results and the use of
computer databases.
Why do you think the public fears science?
Because it seems complicated; people are always
afraid of what they don't understand. Scientists' use
of specialist jargon and difficult language doesn't
help.
What can scientists do to gain more acceptance?
We should learn to speak more ordinary language
outside (and sometimes even inside) our own
specialist communities, and be more prepared honestly
to let our failures and weaknesses be seen.
What research goals should scientists set themselves
for the next few years?
One important one is the development of sustainable/renewable energy sources
with a degree of economic viability, especially if they can be of practical
value outside the wealthy nations of the world. Anything which has a
significant impact against crime and drug abuse would also be well worthwhile.
In terms of structural chemistry/biology, the characterisation of some
important protein and virus structures, leading to the development of effective
treatment of diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, will be widely welcomed.
What will science actually achieve in the next ten years?
Unless scientists are very careful and forthright, the most significant
achievement in the view of the public may be a negative, even a disastrous one,
regarding genetically modified food. The push for development of GM is economic
and political, and, as with the BSE crisis (do we never learn from
experience?), the politicians are claiming that it is perfectly safe, with at
least an implication that science has 'proved' this. What's unfortunately
likely to come out of this, unless proper scientific results can be obtained
and explained to the public, is either a bad press for science ('scientists got
it wrong') or an impression that we don't know what we're talking about.
What invention would you like to wipe from history?
The mobile phone.
Why that?
Need you ask? It must have one of the highest 'annoyance factors' of any device
let loose on the general public.
What's your favourite chemical reaction?
Perhaps this is cheating, since it's not a single reaction, but the whole
complex of reactions occurring in cookery, particularly in the baking of bread.
Home-made bread (especially the German recipe) is one of life's special
pleasures. The exercise of making it can be very therapeutic and rewarding.
Which living scientist do you most admire?
That's about the hardest question of the lot, and I
really can't pick out one particular name. For the
sake of being specific, my list would probably
include Professor Michael Woolfson.
Why him?
He's an eminent crystallographer, who has played a
significant role in the development of the subject,
now retired from York University. I have always been
impressed by his genuine interest in people and his
memory for those he has met and interacted with, and
I have enjoyed several fascinating conversations with
him, not just on scientific topics.
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