Graeme Davies

He was the son of Harry John Davies and Gladys Edna Davies (née Pratt). He was born in New Zealand and attended Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland. He later attended the University of Auckland when he obtained a BE in Aeronautical Engineering and PhD in Materials Science. His doctoral thesis was entitled The work-hardening behaviour of polycrystalline copper during interrupted tensile testing.{{cite thesis |last=Davies |first=Graeme |year=1961 |type=Doctoral thesis |title=The work-hardening behaviour of polycrystalline copper during interrupted tensile testing |publisher=ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland |hdl=2292/2523 |url=https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/handle/2292/2523}}

Davies taught metallurgy at the University of Auckland (1960–1962), the University of Cambridge (1964–1977) and the University of Sheffield (1978–1986) where he was Professor of Metallurgy.

He moved in 1962 to the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, initially as a TI Research Fellow. He was made a Demonstrator in 1964 and a Lecturer in 1966. Some details of his time in the Department are provided in a book covering its history."Light Blue Materials", JA Charles and AL Greer, Maney, 2005, ISBN 1-904350-35-6. He also became a Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, serving as Dean and as a Tutor.

Davies became Chief Executive of the Universities Funding Council (UFC), and also of the Polytechnic and Colleges Funding Council (PCFC), and then of their successor, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). He was also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, the Royal Veterinary College, the UCL School of Pharmacy, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, St George's, University of London, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply. He was awarded Honorary Doctorates by thirteen universities.

Davies became an Honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge in 1989. Davies also served as the Chairman of Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Ltd. He also held roles including Emeritus Vice Chancellor of the University of London; Chairman of the British University Vietnam, the Foundation for Liver Research, Governor of the University of Lincoln, of Taylor's University, of the British Institute of Technology and E-commerce, and Trustee of Regent's University London.

Davies was Member of the Council of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, and was Master from 2005 to 2006. He was also the Chairman of the NZ-UK Link Foundation and the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils, and a Governor of the University of Hertfordshire, of the University of Seychelles, and of Shrewsbury School. For five years he served as a Member of the Public Interest Body of Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

Davies was knighted in 1996 New Year Honours for services to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. He died at his home on 30 August 2022, at the age of 85.{{cite web | url=https://news.liverpool.ac.uk/2022/09/01/tribute-former-vice-chancellor-sir-graeme-davies// | title=Tribute: Former Vice-Chancellor Sir Graeme Davies - University of Liverpool News | date=September 2022 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.caths.cam.ac.uk/graeme-davies | title=Professor Sir Graeme Davies (1937–2022) | St Catharine's College, Cambridge }}

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• Solidification and Casting (1973)
• Texture and the Properties of Materials (co-ed, 1976)
• Solidificacao e Fundicao das Metals e Suas Ligas (jtly, 1978)
• Hot Working and Forming Processes (co-ed, 1980)
• Superplasticity (jtly, 1981)
• Essential Metallurgy for Engineers (jtly, 1985)
• Herding Cats (jtly, 2010)

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• List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of London

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• [http://www.london.ac.uk/vice_chancellor.html Profile of Sir Graeme Davies at the University of London] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022014020/http://www.london.ac.uk/vice_chancellor.html |date=22 October 2017 }}
• [https://www.caths.cam.ac.uk/directory/professor-sir-graeme-davies Profile of Sir Graeme Davies at St Catharine's College, Cambridge]
• [http://www.materials.ac.uk/features/davies.asp UK Centre for Materials Education: Interview with Professor Sir Graeme Davies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060924214902/http://www.materials.ac.uk/features/davies.asp |date=24 September 2006 }}

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{{succession box | title=Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool| before=Professor Robert Whelan | after=Professor Philip Love| years=1986–1991}}

{{succession box | title=Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow | before=Sir William Kerr Fraser | after=Sir Muir Russell| years=1995–2003}}

{{succession box | title=Vice-Chancellor of the University of London | before= Professor Graham J Zellick CBE | after=Professor Geoffrey Crossick| years=2003–2010}}

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Category:1937 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:Vice-chancellors of the University of Liverpool

Category:Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge

Category:University of Auckland alumni

Category:New Zealand academics

Category:New Zealand Knights Bachelor

Category:Principals of the University of Glasgow

Category:Vice-chancellors of the University of London

Category:Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand

Category:New Zealand expatriates in England

Category:21st-century British engineers

Category:20th-century New Zealand engineers

Category:People educated at Mount Albert Grammar School

Category:Academics of the University of Sheffield