George Marston

Professor George Marston took up the post of Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation in August 2014.

Born and raised in Newcastle, he was educated at Newcastle Royal Grammar School before graduating in Chemistry from Oxford in 1984, where he took his doctorate in 1987. He then spent two years as a NAS/NRC Resident Research Associate at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. Returning to Oxford as a post-doctoral researcher, he spent periods as a Teaching Lecturer at Christ Church and Somerville College, before taking a lectureship in Chemistry and Earth Observation Science at the University of Leicester in 1994. In 1995 he moved to the University of Reading as a lecturer in Chemistry, progressing to Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry in 2009. While at Reading, he held a number of management and leadership positions and was Dean of the Faculty of Science from 2011 to 2014.

Professor Marston’s research focuses on laboratory and theoretical studies of the spectroscopy and kinetics of species and processes of importance in atmospheric chemistry. He has published in areas related to airglow chemistry, ozone depletion, climate change, urban pollution and the chemistry of planetary atmospheres. At present, his particular interests are in particle formation resulting from oxidation processes in the lower atmosphere, and the determination of global warming potentials and radiative efficiencies of various classes of fluorinated compounds. He is an active member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and is currently Chair of its Gas Kinetics Group Committee.

George leads the University’s strategic commitment to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. He is Chair of the University Sustainability Management Group which oversees the Environmental Sustainability Policy and related activities.