Emeritus Professor Keith Birkinshaw (1942 – 2023)

It is with sadness that we report the passing of Prof Keith Birkinshaw, Emeritus Professor at the Department of Physics, Aberystwyth University, in December 2023.

Keith joined the University in 1979 following periods at University College London, the Academy of Sciences in Prague, Birkbeck University of London and the University of Warwick.

Building on his PhD work on ion-molecule reactions, he developed an interdisciplinary research programme at Aberystwyth focused on the detection of charge particles.

He collaborated with many international partners, spending time at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Charles University, Prague, developing a unique integrated detector for space exploration and materials analysis.

He was a very popular and energetic teacher, introducing new modules and courses in electronics and instrumentation.

He was an accomplished musician, playing banjo in a bluegrass band and provided the soundtrack for an innovative promotional video that he produced for the department in 1984.

He maintained links with the University after he retired and will be missed by those privileged to have known him as a friend, colleague and teacher.

Professor Andrew Evans and Dr Dave Langstaff, Department of Physics