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School of Physical and Chemical Sciences

Our History

Rich in history the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences has a distinctive collegiate structure.

In 2021, the Department of Chemistry merged with the School of Physics and Astronomy to form the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences.

History of the Department of Physics and Astronomy

Throughout its 100 year history, the School of Physics and Astronomy has brought people together to foster world-changing discoveries. From trailblazing work on the structure of the atom, to the international collaboration jointly responsible for the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the Higgs boson, our discoveries capture headlines and showcase the diversity of our expertise and the breadth of our collaborations.

Our rich research heritage includes over 100 years of success, with our work playing a key role in....Proxima b.

 

History of the Department of Chemistry

Chemistry at Queen Mary College dates back to 1887; chemistry at Westfield College was founded in 1960. In 1984, before the QMC-Westfield merger, chemistry staff at Westfield (and three from Chelsea College) joined colleagues at QMC at the Mile End campus. 

Queen Mary College’s Department of Botany was established in 1908; its Department of Zoology in 1917. 

Botany at Westfield College was established in 1912; Zoology in 1960. In 1984, before the college merger, these four departments merged to become the School of Biological Sciences at Queen Mary and Westfield College (QMW).

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