A chemist who first came to the University of Bristol as an Assistant Lecturer in 1965 has achieved the rare distinction of being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Professor Roger Alder is an Emeritus Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Bristol. He said, “My work is very much ‘chemistry for chemists’.  A major theme of my research has been the preparation and study of interesting molecules – nature has no monopoly on these, and making new molecules with unusual properties is both useful and intellectually challenging.”

This latest award brings to 31 the number of academics currently at Bristol University whose work in the fields of science, engineering, technology and medicine has been honoured in this way.

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Eric Thomas, said: “As well as being a great personal distinction for Professor Alder, this is a further reflection of the University’s excellence in research and continues the success the University has had in recent years.”

There are currently around 1,240 Fellows of the Royal Society. Only 44 new members are elected each year.

The Royal Society is the world’s oldest scientific academy and has been at the forefront of enquiry and discovery since its foundation in 1660.  Past and present members include Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Dorothy Hodgkin, Isaac Newton, Christopher Wren and Stephen Hawking.