Professorial success for The James Hutton Institute

These appointments clearly demonstrate the leading nature of our science in the environmental forensics area.

Two top scientists at The James Hutton Institute have been appointed to Visiting Professor positions at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Dr Lorna Dawson, Principal Soil Scientist and Head of Soil Forensics, and Dr Wolfram Meier-Augenstein, Principal Stable Isotope Scientist and Head of Mylnefield Isotope Signatures both take up the posts within the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences.

Drs Dawson’s and Meier-Augenstein’s appointments cement already existing links with a prestigious team of forensic practitioners and analytical scientists in the Environmental and Forensic Sciences Research group of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences.

Both Dr Dawson and Dr Meier-Augenstein are well known for applying knowledge gained from their fundamental and basic research and their respective expertise in Soil Forensics and Stable Isotope Forensics to criminal and environmental case work.

Professor Colin Campbell, The James Hutton Institute’s newly appointed Director of Science Excellence commented: “I am delighted by these appointments which are highly deserved and clearly demonstrate the leading nature of our science in the environmental forensics area.”

The launch of The James Hutton Institute earlier this year has created one of the biggest multi-disciplinary science organisations in Europe. The science groups in Aberdeen and Dundee include mineralogists, soil scientists, isotope chemists, micobiologists, molecular biologists, plant scientists, pathologists, geography specialists....to name but a few. This allows The James Hutton Institute to deliver expert analysis and opinions in the field of environmental forensics.

Notes for Editors

The James Hutton Institute was formed earlier this year by the coming together of the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen and SCRI, Scotland’s leading crop research centre in Dundee.

Robert Gordon University is a dynamic, modern place to study with an international reputation for providing high quality education from undergraduate through to PhD level. Consistently ranked among the UK's top universities for graduate employment for many years, recent accolades have included:

• ‘Best Modern University in the UK' - The Times Good University Guide 2010
• Top Modern University in 2009
• Top Modern University for Research in Scotland.