(1 March 1949 – 26 July 2014)

In recognition of his lifetime dedication to science, particularly in the areas of nuclear magnetic radiation (NMR) and spectroscopy, Dr Roger Newman has been posthumously awarded Scion’s Science Excellence prize for 2014.

Roger’s ground-breaking work into the structure and biosynthesis of cellulose, and its role in the longitudinal shrinkage of wood has made a huge contribution to the science community. Longitudinal shrinkage is a prime culprit in causing dimensional instability in timber, a major problem with radiata pine during drying and in service. While broadly associated with compression wood, the patterns of occurrence and severity of longitudinal shrinkage had, until recently, long remained a puzzle for wood scientists.

Roger made other highly meritorious achievements throughout his long science career and a fitting tribute to his commitment and dedication to his chosen field was published in Cellulose journal (December 2014, Volume 21, Issue 6, pp 3861-3863).

Roger had been working at Scion since 2004 as a Principal Scientist in the area of bio-based materials.

 

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