University retirement celebration BBQ
On 18 August 2024, Sloan Water Technology Ltd. had a BBQ with salsa dancing and croquet to celebrate Professor Leighton’s retirement from the University of Southampton after over 31 years of teaching and mentoring there.
Professor Leighton left the University on 19 July 2024 in order to convert to full-time his role as Executive Generate Director and Inventor-in-Chief at Sloan Water Technology Ltd. (he had previously led the company when employed part-time).
At the University of Southampton, he will be missed by undergraduates, who commented:
"Tim gave me the best, most useful, feedback I have ever received in my entire educational path. Highly appreciated."
"Tim Leighton is excellent and just about the only lecturer who can hold my full attention for an entire 2-hour slot. No idea how he does it, but I think it's because he seems actually passionate about what he is teaching!"
"If modules were all like this, I would stay for a fourth year."
"Very interesting module! I'd say my favourite."
"Best module in all years. Didn't want to do 4th year but now actually enjoying it."
Going forward, Professor Leighton plans to continue leading SWT, but he will not be leaving academia entirely, because the University of Cambridge, Madgalene College, has elected Professor Leighton to an Honorary Fellowship , and University College London has elected him to an Honorary Professorship, with lectures planned for students and researchers at both Universities. The University of Southampton has invited him to become an Emeritus Professor and an Honorary Professor.
In addition to teaching undergraduates, Professor Leighton took great care and consideration in nurturing the next generation of researchers. He leaves Southampton with a body of some 50 PhD students, who have themselves now gone into academia, industry and healthcare services. Dr Amelia Holgate, Professor Leighton’s most recently graduating PhD student, said:
‘It has been a pleasure to have been supervised by Professor Timothy Leighton throughout not only my PhD but also my MSc project. Throughout my time studying at Southampton University, I found the advice, support and guidance of Prof. Leighton incredibly valuable. His conscientious yet approachable nature allowed me to grow as both a scientist and a writer. He often helped me with coming with ideas too - a testament to his extensive subject knowledge - whilst highlighting potential avenues for improvement that make an exciting study. I hope to approach the rest of my career (and frankly my life!) with the vigour and curiosity as that of Prof. Leighton‘.
The web page on which the University broke the news of his leaving, contained a quote by his current PhD student, Maryam Malakoutikhah, whom he will continue to supervise as an external supervisor.
Professor Leighton’s departure also will see the end of Global-NAMRIP, the Global Network for AntiMicrobial Resistance and Infection Prevention, which the Professor founded at the University of Southampton, but then expanded to cover bases across Low/Middle Income countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Members of Global-NAMRIP said:
“Now retired, without doubt, the most rewarding and enjoyable years of my career were thanks to Professor Leighton. My interview, positive from start to finish, was like no other I’d experienced at the University, an indication of what working for the Prof would be like. His sheer enthusiasm and energy for a multidisciplinary approach to tackling anti-microbial resistance shone through. I was shown such respect and given an opportunity to share my views. Over subsequent years, I watched as the Prof brought people together, inspiring them and giving then opportunities to shine.” (Yvonne Richardson)
“I have worked multiple times with Professor Leighton since 2015 (before I started university) and ongoing throughout my education and onto my current career. Professor Leighton has always been a supportive, constructive supervisor and I have very much appreciated the opportunities he has afforded me. Professor Leighton invested in me the ethics of professional science, and has acted as a mentor to me, and I would not have been able to pursue a career in science without his encouragement and guidance.” (Laura Overton-Hore)
“Thanks to NAMRIP and Tim's generous and inspiring leadership, I had space and confidence to develop as an early career researcher and public engagement practitioner, and to forge professional friendships and ways of working that will have a lifetime impact. For that I am incredibly appreciative and grateful.” (Paul Hurley)
“ ‘Applying a pre-conceived solution to an unknown problem is not as influential as using cross-disciplinary skills to design bespoke solutions to solve these problems’ - these were words that rang so true to me when I first met Professor Leighton, and this is exactly the ethos that was glued into NAMRIP. For me, working in NAMRIP with people from all disciplines working to solve the same world problems is exactly the way I like to work. NAMRIP opened doors and instigated many of these collaborations, working on solutions for antimicrobial resistance and infection prevention that were applicable to wide-reaching corners of the world. On a personal level, NAMRIP reignited my passion for science, taught me many collaborative and leadership skills, and gave me a platform for innovation and discovery which continues to guide the path of my career. I will forever be thankful for NAMRIP and Professor Leighton.” (Tom Secker)
At Southampton University, Professor Leighton formed and led a research group, served on Senate, and served for 5 years as Associate Dean for Research, where he was entrusted by his Faculty to lead the highly successful REF2014 submission, in which, as he promised, Southampton University came top in research power in General Engineering. He set up two highly-successful schemes to support early-career researchers during that difficult part of their career.
His research made world-wide impact. An Institute of Physics medal citation called him ‘a world leader in four fields’. A Royal Society medal citation was ‘for translation of his fundamental research into acoustics and its application in many areas including anti-microbial resistance, mine detection, foetal scanning, catastrophe relief, climate change and marine life’.
For his work in medical science alone, the Academy of Medical Sciences stated: