:John Holman (chemist)

{{Infobox scientist

| honorific_prefix = Sir

| name = John Holman

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRSC|CChem|size=100}}

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| education = Royal Grammar School, Guildford

| alma_mater = University of Cambridge (MA)

| birth_name = John Stranger Holman

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|09|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bath, Somerset, England

| workplaces = University of York
Gatsby Foundation

| fields = {{Plainlist|

Careers guidance policy

| awards = {{Plainlist|

Lord Lewis Prize (2014)
Kavli Education Medal (2014)

}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/academic/emeritus/jholman}}

| module = {{Listen| |embed=yes |filename = John Holman (chemist) voice.flac |title = Holman's voice |type = speech |description = recorded December 2014}}

}}

Sir John Stranger Holman {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRSC|CChem}} (born 16 September 1946) is an English chemist and academic. He is emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of York, senior advisor in education at the Gatsby Foundation, founding director of the National STEM Learning Centre,{{cite web|title=Professor Sir John Holman|url=http://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/academic/emeritus/jholman/|website=University of York|access-date=20 January 2015}} Chair of the Bridge Group, past president of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC),{{cite web|url=http://www.rsc.org/news-events/features/2016/jul/new-president-2016//|title=Presidential plans|date=16 July 2016|access-date=22 November 2016}} and of The Association for Science Education (ASE).{{cite web|url=https://www.ase.org.uk/|title=Association for Science Education|website=ase.org.uk}}

Education

Holman was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in 1967.{{Who's Who | author=Anon| title=Holman, Sir John (Stranger) | id = U250632 | year = 2017 | doi =10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U250632 | edition = online Oxford University Press|location=Oxford}}

Career

Holman served as a Headteacher of Watford Grammar School for Boys between 1994 and 2000,{{cite web |title=John Holman – Biography |publisher=Department for Children, Schools and Families |url=http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/stem/biog.shtml |access-date=1 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415052621/http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/stem/biog.shtml |archive-date=15 April 2009}} and was the British government's National STEM Director from 2006 to 2010{{cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/john-holman/|title=Sir John Holman|publisher=Royal Society|access-date=27 April 2015}}{{cite news|title=Honour for top science educator|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8435305.stm|website=bbc.co.uk|date=31 December 2009 |publisher=BBC News|access-date=20 January 2015}} (STEM referring to the academic disciplines of Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). He served as president of the Royal Society of Chemistry from 2016 to 2018,{{cite web|title=Our structure|url=http://www.rsc.org/about-us/our-structure/#council|website=rsc.org|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|access-date=20 January 2015}} and was a trustee of the Natural History Museum (2011–2019). He was the founding director of Salters' Advanced Chemistry programme,{{cite web |title=Professor Sir John Holman |url=http://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/academic/emeritus/jholman/ |access-date=27 April 2015 |website=york.ac.uk |publisher=University of York}} and is the author of numerous chemistry textbooks.

Holman is author of the Good Career Guidance report for the Gatsby Foundation,{{cite web | url=http://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/focus-areas/good-career-guidance | title=Good Career Guidance | Education | Gatsby }} which is the basis for the English government's national strategy for career guidance in schools: Careers strategy: making the most of everyone's skills and talents.{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-strategy-making-the-most-of-everyones-skills-and-talents|title=Careers strategy: making the most of everyone's skills and talents|website=gov.uk}} He is independent strategic adviser on careers guidance to ministers in the Department for Education. (2021 - ) Holman also authored the Good Practical Science report{{Cite web|url=https://www.gatsby.org.uk/education/programmes/support-for-practical-science-in-schools |title=Good Practical Science |website=gatsby.org.uk|year=2017}} and was the lead author of Improving Secondary Science guidance report for the Educational Environment Foundation (2018).{{Cite web|url=https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/|title=Education Endowment Foundation|website=educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk}} He is a member of the Wolfson Foundation's School Panel. (2020)

=Awards and honours=

Holman was Knighted in the 2010 New Year Honours. In 2014 the Royal Society of Chemistry awarded him the Lord Lewis Prize "in recognition of his extensive influence over chemistry education policy".{{cite web|title=Lord Lewis Prize 2014 Winner|url=http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Awards/LordLewisPrize/2014-Winner.asp|website=rsc.org|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|access-date=20 January 2015}} Holman was named in 2014 by the Science Council as one of the UK's 100 leading practising scientists,{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencecouncil.org/content/100-leading-uk-practising-scientists|website=sciencecouncil.org|title=100 leading UK practising scientists|publisher=Science Council|access-date=27 April 2015|archive-date=16 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116095841/http://www.sciencecouncil.org/content/100-leading-uk-practising-scientists|url-status=dead}} and was the 2014 recipient of the Royal Society's biennial Kavli Education Medal, "in recognition of his significant impact on science education within the UK".{{cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/awards/kavli-education-medal/|website=royalsociety.org|title=Kavli Education Medal|publisher=Royal Society|access-date=27 April 2015}} He was elected President of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society in 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.ypsyork.org/resources/articles/a-new-president-for-the-yps-2018/ |author1=Smith, Carole |title=A new President for the YPS, 2018 |publisher=Yorkshire Philosophical Society |accessdate=4 May 2021}}

References

Category:1946 births

Category:Living people

Category:English chemists

Category:People educated at Royal Grammar School, Guildford

Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Category:Academics of the University of York

Category:Presidents of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Category:Academics from Bath, Somerset

Category:Scientists from Bath, Somerset

Category:Knights Bachelor

Category:Presidents of the Association for Science Education

Category:Members of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society