Passing of Emeritus Professor Alan Kaiser
Tributes have poured in for Emeritus Professor Alan Kaiser, who passed away in October 2021.
Emeritus Professor Kaiser was an internationally renowned physicist who specialised in solid state physics, particularly the study of electronic conduction and other properties of novel materials. He was also an extremely well-loved and highly respected colleague, professor, and friend to many people around the University and beyond.
Dr Ben Ruck from the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences remembers Emeritus Professor Kaiser as one of his first physics lecturers in 1990:
“His wonderfully clear explanation of projectile motion still sticks with me today. Ultimately, that course was instrumental in helping me to realise my passion for physics, although I never imagined it would lead me to become the Head of School here!”
Emeritus Professor Kaiser’s association with the University goes back to 1965, when at the age of 19 he completed a Bachelor of Science in physics and received the Sir Robert Stout Scholarship for the best student completing a degree that year.
Shortly after, in 1967, he received a Commonwealth scholarship, enabling him to undertake a PhD in physics at Imperial College London. He completed the last of his PhD research at Stanford University in California.
He moved back to New Zealand in 1971 to take up a position as a lecturer in physics at the University. During his early career, Emeritus Professor Kaiser was one of the young scientists who established condensed matter research in New Zealand. He and his colleagues would then go on to grow the study of advanced materials into what is now a major strength of New Zealand science.
During the 1980s and 90s, Emeritus Professor Kaiser was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, enabling him to further his research at the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart, Germany. In 1998, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and in 2001, he was appointed as a professor at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
In 2009, Emeritus Professor Kaiser received the Shorland Medal, awarded by the New Zealand Association of Scientists in recognition of major and continued contributions to scientific research such as the advances he and colleagues helped set in motion, including next-generation graphene batteries that could power greener electric cars or charge mobile phones in minutes.
Today, the study of advanced material continues at New Zealand’s MacDiarmid Institute, launched in 2001, where Emeritus Professor Kaiser was a long-serving investigator even after retirement.
“His teaching at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Chemical and Physical Sciences was very highly regarded, and he was known as a warm and generous colleague to everyone in the school. He will be greatly missed by New Zealand’s physical sciences community,” says Professor Shaun Hendy, associate investigator at the MacDiarmid Institute.
Dr Ruck also remembers Emeritus Professor Kaiser as an important colleague:
“My first physics research project conducted during my Honours year was supervised by Alan. He was extremely supportive and patient, and he had a fantastic way of explaining things. I’m very proud that the first two papers on which I co-authored were published with him. He had an especially important impact on my career as a physicist, and I’ll always remember him fondly.”
Not only was Emeritus Professor Kaiser a brilliant scientist, having published hundreds of articles in reputable academic journals, but his humble, gentle nature and passion for all things physics made him a popular lecturer and supervisor to his students. Many former students also remember him for the very popular astronomy courses he taught.
Emeritus Professor Kaiser married Susan Woodward in 1973, after being introduced by his mother. They were happily married for nearly 47 years until Susan’s death in 2020. He and Susan pursued their passion for travel right until their last trip to Taiwan in 2019. All up, they visited nearly 60 countries, spanning every continent.
Emeritus Professor Kaiser is survived by his three children, James, Anna, and Stephen, along with three grandchildren.
–A version of this obituary was previously published on Stuff (By James Kaiser and family members)