Prof Malcolm Heggie

Professor of Theoretical Chemistry, Malcolm Heggie, died on 17 January 2019 at the age of 63.

Malcolm arrived at Sussex in January 1996 as a Lecturer in Theoretical Chemistry and just two years later was promoted to Reader in Theoretical Chemistry. In 2004, he was promoted to Professor of Theoretical Chemistry.

His research involved the computer modelling of nanomaterials, addressing industrially and fundamentally important problems at an atomic level. He was particularly renowned for his work on dislocations, defects and impurities in semiconductors, fullerenes, ices and diamond, and his research underpinning industry proposals for disposal of irradiated graphite. Malcolm was one of the co-founders of the British Carbon Group and founder and co-organizer of the NanoteC International Conference Series.

Malcolm made a significant contribution to Sussex during his time here and enjoyed working closely with Professor John Murrell FRS and Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Harry Kroto FRS. He initiated a High Performance Computing consortium soon after he arrived at Sussex and led a successful proposal for a Silicon Graphics Supercomputer with HEFCE match funding, which he named BFG – the 'Big Friendly Giant'.

He collaborated with Physics colleagues, and planned the Chemistry strand of the Chemical Physics degree at Sussex. He even developed and launched a new degree in BSc Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, in 2003. He was also instrumental in setting up a Murrell Prize (with John Murrell) in 2007 to reward undergraduates for best performance in physical or theoretical chemistry.

He left the University of Sussex at the end of September 2012 to take up a Professorship in Chemistry at the University of Surrey, before launching his own consultancy in 2016 alongside a part-time post at Loughborough University.

'Malc' - as he was known by friends - was an excellent scientist, generous, kind and inclusive, and yet always was able to bring life to any situation with his quirky sense of humour. He leaves his wife Sally and daughter Laura.

Professor Hazel Cox