William Penney Fellow appointed to full professor

We are delighted to announce that Mark Whiting, one of our esteemed William Penney Fellows, has been promoted to full professor at the University of Surrey – a key strategic partner for AWE.

Professor Mark Whiting is AWE’s Director of the Centre of Excellence for Materials Ageing, Performance and Lifetime Prediction (CoE MAP-Life), which he has proudly led since 2022 before he was appointed William Penney Fellow a year later – in recognition of his outstanding work in materials ageing.

Mark said: “It has been a privilege to help evolve the Centre of Excellence – with continuing support from fantastic AWE experts – to the point where the first doctoral researchers have completed their research; we’ve welcomed seven visiting researchers to the University of Surrey and seen around 150 scientists and research managers attend our flagship events. I am looking forward to some significant milestones in 2025 and early 2026, which will enable the reach and impact of the Centre to increase still further.”

Mark’s expertise is fundamental to AWE’s research in exploring how materials behave, in often extreme conditions, to support the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

Head of the University of Surrey’s School of Engineering, Professor Nicholas Hills, added: “Mark’s title of Professor of Materials Ageing is especially timely in the light of the growing importance of the study of the ageing of conventional materials in the School of Engineering, and more widely at Surrey. This welcome news fits well with ongoing investments we are making in the experimental tools and capabilities for understanding the ageing of conventional engineering materials.”

The science of materials ageing is important to all those who work within the Centre and beyond. The Centre’s understanding enables positive environmental impact in improved life spans of components and better engineering solutions. Data generated by the scientists and engineers provide insight into enhancing lifetime assessment in areas as diverse as offshore wind power, and transport as well as defence and security.

AWE Executive Director Science, Andrew Randewich, said: “I am delighted to hear of the news of Mark Whiting’s promotion as full professor at the University of Surrey. Mark’s professorship is testament to the high regard in which he is held at Surrey and his leadership of the Centre of Excellence, which is a hugely important capability for AWE in materials science. Mark is an excellent ambassador for the AWE-Surrey partnership. I offer him my heartfelt congratulations!”