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We regret the passing of Professor Janet Scott, CSCT Training Director

It is with great sadness that we announce that Professor Janet Scott passed away on Sunday 23 January.

The funeral service will take place at Haycombe cemetery on Wednesday 16 February 2022 at 11.45am. Friends and colleagues are welcome to attend.

For more details regarding Janet’s funeral, please see here.

Professor Scott joined the Department of Chemistry in 2010, initially as a Group Leader and training director within the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies, then from 2016 as a Reader in Sustainable Chemistry, with promotion to Professor following in 2018.

During her time at Bath, Janet had a strong portfolio of research grants from industry, EPSRC, Innovate UK and EU. She had a very strong international research profile in the area of sustainable chemical technologies and she was instrumental in developing the University’s Integrated PhD in Sustainable Chemical Technologies as well as the joint PhD programme with Monash University in Australia, where she had previously been a senior lecturer.

Professor Scott was originally from South Africa and received her PhD from the University of Cape Town. She worked in academia and industry during her career in South Africa, Australia and the UK.

This background was a strength when it came to designing research projects and bringing together colleagues from diverse fields to collaborate on solving problems and addressing challenges.

Her primary research interest was in the use of renewable raw materials in developing useful products. This helped lead to the creation of Naturbeads, a start-up company formed in 2018 with her colleagues Davide Mattia and Giovanna Laudiso, to develop biodegradable microbeads to replace plastic ones in a wide range of consumer goods.

Janet left the University in the summer 2020 due to ill health. Senate conferred the status of Professor Emeritus on her when she left the University.

Professor Andrew Burrows, Head of the Department of Chemistry, said: “Janet was a great person to have in the department. She was incredibly effective in both her work with the CDT and as a professor, and was someone who would just get things done. She took no nonsense from staff or students and had a knack of asking perceptive questions, seeing to the heart of an issue.”

Professor Davide Mattia said: “I started working with Janet about 10 years ago and I was immediately struck by her encyclopaedic knowledge of chemistry and sustainability. As we became friends, I discovered this extended into plants, food, travel, books, walks…pretty much everything!

“Janet has provided a fundamental contribution to the University becoming a world-leading centre in sustainable technologies and she has made a positive difference in the life of many students, colleagues and friends around the world. She will be very much missed.”

Professor Matthew Davidson said: “Janet was the most wonderful colleague, collaborator and friend. Her influence on the development of sustainable chemical technologies at Bath has been profound. Whether it was writing a grant proposal in the early hours, meeting with CDT students or sharing a good meal, her enthusiasm and dynamism cut through and we always had fun. She cared passionately about people, science and natural justice – a combination that touched the lives of so many colleagues, students and collaborators. We will all miss her deeply and remember her fondly.”

By 9 February 2022
 

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