OBITUARY

Brian Wilson died on 09/06/2019.

Emeritus Professor Brian Wilson was a leading university reformer, an accomplished physicist and the University of Queensland’s longest serving Vice Chancellor.

Born in Northern Ireland in 1930, he attained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Queens University in Belfast and a PhD in Astrophysics from the National University of Ireland in Dublin 1956. The next year he moved to Canada, where he was based until 1979.

A noted researcher in astrophysics and X-ray astronomy, Professor Wilson published extensively and acted as project officer for rocket firings throughout the world. He worked at the University of Calgary as a Professor of Physics and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Professor Wilson had a passion for breaking down silos and drawing together diverse fields of research. In the early 1970s he created the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, where he served as a Professor of Astronomy and Vice-President (research).

In 1979 Professor Wilson moved to Australia to become Vice Chancellor of the University of Queensland (UQ), which he would lead until 1995. Current VC Peter Varghese said that Professor Wilson transformed “a good regional university,” into an institution “of national and international standing”.

His many achievements at UQ include pioneering initiatives to tackle institutional sexism and championing research commercialisation through the 1984 founding of UniQuest, which has led to the creation of more than 100 start-ups. He also led university reform on a national scale as Chair of the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee from 1987 to 1990 and the Higher Education Quality Review program in 1993.

Professor Wilson was elected a Fellow of ATSE in 1990. His many honours include Officer of the Order of Australia in 1995 and he received a Centenary medal in 2001. In 1996 Professor Wilson retired to Paris. He died peacefully in his home on September 6, 2019. The Academy offers its condolences to his wife Dr Joan Opdebeeck, and his children Bronwen, Patrick, Brendan, Conor, Fergus and Cormac.