John Watkinson (chemist)

John Herbert Watkinson (27 August 1932 – 14 February 2017) was a New Zealand soil chemist.

John Watkinson
Born	John Herbert Watkinson (1932-08-27)27 August 1932
Died	14 February 2017(2017-02-14) (aged 84) Hamilton, New Zealand
Alma mater	Victoria University of Wellington
Scientific career
Fields	Soil chemistry
Institutions	Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre
Thesis	The kinetics of ion exchange in soil  (1969)
Doctoral advisor	Alex T. Wilson

Watkinson studied at Victoria University College, graduating with a BSc in 1953.^[1] He later completed a PhD at the same institution in 1969, following its attainment of autonomy as Victoria University of Wellington. His thesis, supervised by Alex Wilson, was titled The kinetics of ion exchange in soil.^[2][3] Watkinson worked at the Ruakura Agricultural Research Centre,^[4] and he is noted for developing the fluorometric determination of selenium in biological samples,^[5] and his research into selenium fertilisers and the determination of the optimum particle sizes for elemental sulphur and reactive phosphate rock.^[6] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 1994, and was also a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Studies.^[7]

Watkinson died aged 84 in Hamilton on 14 February 2017.^[8]

References

1. "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: U–Wh". Retrieved 16 February 2017.
2. "The kinetics of ion exchange in soil". Victoria University of Wellington Library. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
3. Halton, Brian (2014). Chemistry at Victoria: the Wellington university (PDF) (2 ed.). Victoria University of Wellington. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-475-12408-1. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
4. "Members of the trace elements and health research group of New Zealand" (PDF). New Zealand Trace Elements Group. 1977. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
5. Quintanilha, A., ed. (1988). Reactive Oxygen Species in Chemistry, Biology, and Medicine. New York: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-4757-0419-8. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
6. "Challenges and innovations in fertiliser technology and spreading". Group One Consultancy. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
7. "The Academy: V–Z". Royal Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
8. "John Watkinson death notice". New Zealand Herald. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.