“Distinction as a Fellow of the European Physical Society is awarded to EPS Members whose contribution to physics, education, industry, or the society itself warrants recognition.”Mike Poole has been awarded a fellowship for key early contributions to novel synchrotron operation leading to new photonuclear investigations, lasting contributions to the ealisation of second, third and fourth generation light sources, pioneering work on the development of Free Electron Laser facilities internationally, and life-long services to the field of accelerator science and technology.
There are only 56 current EPS Fellows, of which 6 (including Mike) are from an accelerator science discipline – and this is the first of these for the UK.
The European Physical Society (to which the UK’s IOP is affiliated) sponsors Europe-wide activities and has been particularly supportive to international accelerator physics through its historical sponsorship of the Inter-Divisional Group on Accelerators (IGA) and its biennial series of European Particle Accelerator Conferences (EPAC) since their initiation in 1988. Mike’s explicit role in EPAC support started with the 1994 London Conference LOC and subsequently he became an elected member of the IGA Committee for the period 1996-2002. The award, however, is for his whole career efforts, of which a great deal has been in an international context (especially via European collaborations that he has encouraged).
Mike Poole’s commented: “I am grateful for this unexpected recognition of my professional achievements, most of which have been attained in a team environment. I have always valued international collaboration most highly, not least because there seemed too little a UK role when I started my career more than 40 years ago; I hope I have helped to correct that.”