Geoff Palmer (scientist)
Sir Geoff Palmer CD | |
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Born | Godfrey Henry Oliver Palmer 9 April 1940 |
Education | Kingston Senior School, and North Street Congregational School, Jamaica. Highbury County School, London. |
Alma mater | University of Leicester University of Edinburgh Heriot-Watt University |
Known for | First black professor in Scotland, Barley abrasion process |
Scientific career | |
Doctoral advisor | Edmund Hirst |
Other academic advisors | Anna Macleod |
Sir Godfrey Henry Oliver Palmer
He discovered the barley abrasion process while he was a researcher at Heriot-Watt University under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Anna M. Macleod. In 1998, Palmer was honoured with the
In 1989, he became the first black professor in Scotland,[6] becoming a professor emeritus after he retired in 2005. He was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours.[7][8]
Early life
Palmer was born in
Palmer joined his mother in London in March 1955, shortly before his 15th birthday, living at a house on the
In 1961, Palmer went to the
Academic career
After an interview with Professor
Palmer specialises in grain science and has extensive expertise with barley,
He attracted and received funding to set up the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University, through initiating contact with the distilling industry. He has also contributed to the Encyclopedia of Seeds and the Encyclopedia of Grain Science, writing the Foreword for the latter.
On 29 April 2021, it was announced that Sir Geoff Palmer had been appointed as the Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, for an initial term of five years.[18] The role is central to promoting Heriot-Watt's prominence and profile in research in the university's campuses in Scotland, Malaysia and Dubai.[19]
Views
Human rights and racial equality work
Alongside his academic work, Palmer is also a prominent
In 2007, the Bicentenary of the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807 by Parliament, which abolished the slave trade, Professor Geoff Palmer was named among the "100 Great Black Britons",[23] as well as on the 2020 updated list.
He serves as the Honorary President of Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC), an Edinburgh-based organisation which works to tackle discrimination and promote human rights and equality in the community, specifically with regard to the nine protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010.[24] Palmer recently spoke about the Ethnic Coding in NHS Scotland at ELREC's 40th Annual General Meeting.[25]
Melville Monument and slavery
During the George Floyd protests, Palmer was a leading proponent of calls to reinterpret the Melville Monument, a large column in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh dedicated to Scottish statesman Henry Dundas, due to his support for "gradual abolition", which delayed the abolition of slave trade by fifteen years. Noting that he did not support the removal of controversial statues "because [they are] part of black history", Palmer instead called on Scottish society to "take down... racism."[26] On 4 April 2021, Palmer appeared on an episode of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, presenting his antique collection of silver sugar bowls and tongs.[27] On the programme, he described the significance of these items to slavery: "After the 200 year commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade I decided to look at sugar, because it was one of the main reasons for slavery. I thought I would find some evidence of this and acquired these silver items. While slaves were working and dying, people... were consuming the sugar, in those bowls, and with those tongs. To me, those silver bowls tell us the sort of things we do in order to make money, and to have a lifestyle that we think we deserve."[28]
Awards and media
In recognition of his work and achievements in the field of grain science, Palmer was appointed
In 1998, Palmer became the fourth individual, and first European, to be honoured with the
He was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to human rights, science, and charity.[34][35][36]
In August 2015 Palmer was the guest of interviewer Jim Al-Khalili on the BBC Radio 4 programme The Life Scientific.[37]
In 2020 Palmer was awarded Commander of Order of Distinction in the Jamaican national honour.[38]
On 14 November 2022 He received the Edinburgh Award from the Edinburgh City Council.[39][40]
In December 2022, with Lord Carloway, Lord President of the Court of Session, Palmer unveiled a plaque commemorating the 1778 Knight v Wedderburn case, which ruled that slavery was incompatible with Scots law.[41]
In March 2024,
Personal life
Palmer has lived in the town of Penicuik in Midlothian since 1977.[7] He is married to educational psychologist Margaret Palmer and has three children.[10]
References
- ^ "Godfrey Henry Oliver (Geoff) PALMER" Archived 10 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Debrett's People of Today.
- ^ The Z Files: Professor Geoff Palmer Open.edu. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "Professor Geoff Palmer to Made Freeman Midlothian" Archived 16 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine, News & events, Heriot-Watt University, 14 September 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Award of Distinction Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, American Society of Brewing Chemists
- ^ a b c Keith Joseph suggested I 'go back and grow bananas', Times Educational Supplement, 15 August 2003
- Daily Telegraph, 10 March 2015.
- ^ a b "First black university professor knighted", Herald Scotland, 31 December 2013.
- ^ "Godfrey Henry Palmer is Scotland's first black professor in Scotland", jackiekemp.com. Retrieved 25 December 2011.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d Professor Palmer Archived 20 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, 100 Great Black Britons. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ a b c Jackie Kemp, "Jamaican scientist opens doors for African-Caribbean children", The Guardian, 28 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "Biography - Geoff Palmer". From Marjorie H. Morgan, Caribbean Britain: The Cultural and Biographical Directory, 2013.
- ^ "Geoff Palmer". The University of Edinburgh. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Palmer, Geoff (1967). "Ultra-structure of cereal grains in relation to germination".
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - OCLC 606124041– via Open WorldCat.
- ^ "Geoff PALMER, Grain Scientist" Archived 12 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Penicuik Greats.
- ^ "Anti-racism chief given knighthood" Archived 23 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, The Scotsman, 15 January 2014.
- ^ International Brewer and Distiller, 8:8 (August 2012), 5.
- ^ Jackson, Luke (29 April 2021). "Penicuik's Sir Geoff Palmer is the new Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University".
- ^ Phyllis, Stephen (29 April 2021). "Sir Geoff Palmer is appointed Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University". The Edinburgh Reporter.
- OCLC 48932829– via Open WorldCat.
- ^ "Transcript of 'Trading Truth' clip", BBC. Retrieved 25 December 2011. Archived 9 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Jackie Kemp, "Tartan and home truths. A new centre for the study of the Scottish diaspora is already caught up in controversy", The Guardian, 25 November 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ List of 100 Great Black Britons. Archived 15 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine 100 Great Black Britons. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ ELREC directors Archived 22 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ 40th AGM Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine ELREC Newsletter, December 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ Euro News (11 June 2020). "Sir Geoff Palmer: 'Don't take down statues – take down racism'".
- ^ Jolene Campbell (5 April 2021). "Sir Geoff Palmer shared 'hugely poignant' evidence of Slave Trade on Antiques Roadshow". Edinburgh Evening News Scotsman.
- ^ "Antiques Roadshow". BBC IPlayer - Antiques Roadshow (series 43, Culdean Castle). BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
- ^ "2009 | Abertay announces honorary graduands", Abertay University, 6 July 2009. Archived 13 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine, 2009.
- ^ Conferment of Honorary Degrees and Presentation of Graduates Archived 6 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Open University, 2010.
- ^ "21 Honorary Degrees at The UWI Graduation Ceremonies", Campus News, UWI, 1 June 2015.
- ^ "Edinburgh Campus graduations", Heriot-Watt University, 2015
- ^ "Penicuik Man to Join Nelson Mandela as a Freeman of Midlothian" Archived 19 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Midlothian government site. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
- ^ "No. 60728". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2013. p. 2.
- ^ "Eminent alumni named in New Year’s Honours list", News - The University of Edinburgh, 28 January 2014.
- ^ "Scots awarded New Year's Honour", BBC News, 31 December 2013.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Life Scientific, Geoff Palmer". BBC.co.uk. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
- ^ "Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor appointments". hw.ac.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ "Sir Geoff Palmer to receive Edinburgh Award". Heriot-Watt University. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "Sir Geoff Palmer receives the Edinburgh Award 2022". Edinburgh City Council. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "Scotland's slavery role cannot be glossed over, Lord Carloway says". BBC News. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "No. 64354". The London Gazette. 26 March 2024. p. 6066.
- ^ "University Chancellor given Scotland's highest royal honour". Heriot-Watt University. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ "No. 64354". The London Gazette. 26 March 2024. p. 6066.