Professor Paul Meredith, inaugural recipient of the Learned Society of Wales’s Lady Rhondda Award for Outstanding Achievement
A Swansea University professor whose pioneering research is helping shape the future of semiconductor technology and sustainable manufacturing has won a prestigious award recognising his outstanding achievements.
Professor Paul Meredith, Professor of Materials Physics at Swansea University, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Learned Society of Wales’s Lady Rhondda Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Born, raised and educated in Wales, Professor Meredith has played a major role in developing the country’s research capabilities and semiconductor industry. His research has advanced understanding of the essential role semiconductors play in modern life, as well as how they can be manufactured more sustainably.
A passionate advocate for developing the next generation of research talent, he leads the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in the Semiconductor Industry, based at Swansea University.
His influence also extends well beyond Wales. During his time in Australia, he contributed to the development of Queensland’s world-leading renewable energy target policy and established three start-up companies. His wider international work has generated numerous patents and scientific publications, alongside a strong track record of securing research funding across the UK, Europe, Asia and America.
In 2017, Professor Meredith returned to his alma mater, Swansea University, to establish a research programme focused on the physics of sustainable advanced materials. This work helped pave the way for the creation of the Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM) at the University's Bay Campus, where he serves as Director.
His award recognises not only an exceptional contribution to his field, but also a career dedicated to strengthening Wales's research and innovation landscape and building its international reputation in advanced materials and semiconductor technologies.
Professor Meredith said: “I’m honored to receive the Lady Rhondda Medal from our National Learned Society. As someone born, bread and educated in south Wales, this Medal has particular significance for me as it celebrates a true pioneer of the social, industrial, and cultural heritage of our region – Lady Rhondda.
“My career has taken me all around the world, but I’m delighted to be back exactly where I started at Swansea University Physics, my home department. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the brightest minds on the planet – scientific research is a collective endeavor, and I’m therefore delighted to accept the Medal on behalf of all those colleagues and students who I have and continue to collaborate with here in south Wales and across the globe.”
This is the first year the Learned Society of Wales will present its relaunched medals, named after some of Wales’s most important innovators and pioneers who often succeeded against the odds. The Lady Rhondda Award, which recognises outstanding achievement in research and innovation, is named after Margaret Mackworth (1883–1958), a prominent Welsh suffragette who went on to become a pioneering industrialist, chairing 33 companies and playing a leading role in British business.