Cambridge Master opens ‘The Mond’

On Friday 17th September, Professor Adrian Dixon, the Master of Peterhouse at Cambridge University, officially opened ‘The Mond’ Science and Maths Centre of Excellence at Cronton Sixth Form College.

Consisting of brand new laboratories and a new team of outstanding teachers, ‘The Mond’ centre will revolutionise the science and maths department at Cronton Sixth Form College.

The centre has been named after Robert Mond who was born in Farnworth, Widnes in 1867. Professor Mond also studied at Peterhouse in Cambridge, and went on to famously develop new methods of producing iron carbonyl and discover new carbonyls.

In 1926 his company Brunner, Mond & Co merged with three others to form ICI which went on to become one of the largest chemical businesses in the world. He was knighted in 1932 and received many other honours including President of the Faraday Society and was Fellow of the Royal Society.

Professor Adrian Dixon M.A., M.D., FRCR, FRCP, FRCS, FMedSci is the current Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and he was delighted to be asked by Cronton Sixth Form to open the centre named after a fellow Peterhouse professor whose career he admires.

Professor Dixon’s outstanding career to date has included working and specilaising in Radiology, a subject in which he has been lecturing at Cambridge University since 1979. Now as Master of Peterhouse at Cambridge, he is also the Editor-in Chief of the international medical journal ‘European Radiology’.

He said; “It’s wonderful for any student wishing to pursue a science qualification. It’s great to see such a dynamic experience being performed. Congratulations on your success.”
Professor Dixon was joined at the opening by the College Principal, Michael Sheehan, who said, “Today is a remarkable day for Cronton Sixth Form College. The teaching team and facilities here at ‘The Mond’ possibly make this Science and Maths department the best in the country. I am delighted that our students will be able to benefit from the centre and would like to thank everyone who has been involved.”

Phil Taylor, the newly appointed Head of Science and Maths at Cronton Sixth Form College also said, “I am absolutely delighted that Professor Dixon has come all this way to be with us on this special day. This is a fantastic development for the students and the college as a whole.”

After the opening of the ceremony, students and staff at Cronton were treated to an exclusive lecture by Professor Dixon on “Medical Imaging” – the technique and process used to create images of the human body for medical purposes.