Alan Cottrell

Sir Alan Howard Cottrell, FRS was an English metallurgist and physicist. He was also former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government and vice-chancellor of Cambridge University 1977–1979.

Early life

Cottrell was educated at Moseley Grammar School and the University of Birmingham, where he gained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1939 and a PhD for research on welding in 1942.

Cottrell joined the staff as a lecturer at Birmingham, being made professor in 1949, and transforming the teaching of the department by emphasising modern concepts of solid state physics. In 1955 he moved to Atomic [Energy Research Establishment|A.E.R.E. Harwell], to become Deputy Head of Metallurgy under Monty Finniston.
From 1958 to 1965 Cottrell was Goldsmiths' Professor of Metallurgy at Cambridge University, and a fellow of Christ's College. He later worked for the government in various capacities, ultimately as Chief Scientific Adviser from 1971 to 1974, before becoming List of Masters of [Jesus College, Cambridge|Master] of Jesus College, Cambridge, from 1973 to 1986, and Vice-Chancellor of the university in 1977–1979.

Cottrell died on 15 February 2012 after a brief illness.

He was a member of the Royal [Swedish Academy of Sciences].