OU lit the spark for professor’s lifetime achievement in chemistry research

Posted on 23 July 2026 • Science, Science, maths, computing and technology

Picking up a coveted Doctor of Science – a qualification that is only awarded by The Open University (OU) for exceptional scientific contributions – seems a long way from Professor Simon Hall’s memories of crashing out of sixth form with dreams of becoming a rock star.

The University of Bristol’s Professor of Chemistry recalls being asked to leave his West Country school in the late 1980s for “exhibiting an astounding lack of effort in A-level Chemistry, preferring instead to devote my time and effort to being in a rock and roll band”.

But it was in fact the OU which set him back on track: “By 1990 I had left the band and thanks to The Open University, had the opportunity (and maturity) to study deeply all of the subjects I loved, but had hitherto neglected.”

Graduating from the OU in 1997 with a 2:1 BSc (Hons) in Chemistry with Geology, Simon’s career in science began in earnest.

Exceptional contributions to the field of materials chemistry

He completed a PhD in in 2000 from the University of Bristol and has since built a flourishing career in the discipline. It extends from postdoctoral positions and a prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship at Bristol in 2004, to being appointed Lecturer in 2009 and Professor of Chemistry in 2021 and now Head of Inorganic and Materials Chemistry at Bristol, the number one ranked chemistry research department in the UK.

It’s fitting that Professor Hall will now be graduating from the OU this autumn with the very rare degree of Doctor of Science (DSc), awarded only nine times in its history by his alma mater.

The DSc is a so-called “Higher Doctorate” which is awarded for a body of scientific work that constitutes a significant contribution to a scientific field.

Professor Hall’s success recognises his exceptional contributions to the field of materials chemistry. His body of work was reviewed by a panel of international experts who were unanimous in their assessment that Professor Hall’s research has been transformative to our understanding of crystal growth in organic and inorganic solids. These advances have contributed to the development of superconducting materials and novel drug release mechanisms.

Professor Hall said:

“I am incredibly proud and humbled that this is from the university that gave me a second chance to have an incredible career, doing the science that I love. I thank, honour and praise The Open University. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Professor Arosha Bandara, Associate Dean & Director of STEM Research, said

“It was a privilege to act as the chair for Professor Hall’s examination panel for this higher degree award. His scientific contributions were clear to the examiners. It was particularly special to later learn that his academic journey began with a Degree in Chemistry with Geology at the OU. I look forward to congratulating him in person at his graduation ceremony later this year.”

The full list of Doctor of Science recipients at The Open University appears here:
https://oro.open.ac.uk/view/thesis/dsc.html