Chch Men Elected F.R.S.N.Z.

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32302, 21 May 1970, Page 12

Chch Men Elected F.R.S.N.Z.

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON,

May 20.

Two Christchurch men are among the five scientists who were elected fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand at the society’s annual meeting in Wellington.

The five are: Dr M. P. Hartshorn, Christchurch; Profes-i sor B. G. Wybourne, Christchurch: Mr B. G. BarrattBoyes, Auckland; Dr L. Corkill, Palmerston North; and Professor P. B. D. de la Mare, Auckland.

The fellowship of the society now comprises 110 of New Zealand's leading scientists, who form the controlling body .of the society Election comes after a rigorous selection procedure by panels of fellows who examine and compare the scientific record and publications of the many scientists who are nominated.

Professor Wybourne, of the physics department of the University of Canterbury, was also awarded the top annual

prize of the society, the Hector Memorial Medal and prize.

Awarding the medal and prize, Professor J. A. R. Miles, retiring president of the socciety said that to receive in one day the distinction of being elected a fellow and the society's highest scientific award recognised the brilliant researches of one of New Zealand's younger physicists. Professor Wybourne was

the best known internationally of physicts working in New Zealand, he said. “We are fortunate that his attachment to his native country led to his return during 1966 to the second chair of physics at the University of Canterbury.” Important Contributions Professor Wybourne, aged 35, was born at Morrinsville and was a student at the University of Canterbury before going overseas. He is mainly a theoretical physicist but has made some important contributions to solid-state physics. He has published more than 40 scientific papers and two books—“ The Spectroscopic Properties of the Rare Earths,” in 1965, and “Symmetry Principles and Atomic Spectroscopy,” to appear soon. He was the first person to . give a theoretical classifica- [ tion of the very complicated and rich spectra of the rare I earth atoms. These are , closely related substances occurring naturally in very minute quantities. The results of his work are of some importance in astrophysics since the rare earth spectral intensities are used in the studies of stellar atmosphere. International Reputation

Dr Hartshorn, reader in organic chemistry at the University of Canterbury, is one of the outstanding chemists engaged in both research and teaching in New Zealand at the present time. Dr Hartshorn has rapidly established an international reputation as an authority on the reactions of steroidal compounds. Steroid chemistry is a rapidly expanding subject which now goes far beyond the natural products aspect to which it was originally limited. A significant trend over th’e last decade has been towards the selection of steroids as model compounds for the study of organic reaction mechanisms as a consequence of their unique combination of ready availability and rigid stereochemistry. Dr Hartshorn has been one of the leaders in this new approach and has made outstanding contributions with his work, particularly on steroidal epoxides and their rearrangements. Dr Hartshorn’s “Steroid Reaction Mechanisms,” copublished with Dr D. N, Kirk, has gained excellent reviews as the first text to attempt a comprehensive survey of the reactions undergone by steroids.