Today@Dal

Dr. Derek Jones (obituary) died on February 15 at the age of 91.

Dr. Jones joined Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Dentistry in 1974 with a PhD from the University of Birmingham in England. He was drawn to Dalhousie by the opportunity to set up his own research lab.

Over the next 25 years, Dr. Jones proceeded to build a biomaterials division in the Faculty of Dentistry. He brought in $3.5 million in funding to research dental materials, wrote or co-wrote over 300 papers and abstracts, and presented the results of his work widely. In 1987, he became the Faculty’s first assistant dean of research.

Dr. Jones reluctantly retired in 1999, becoming professor emeritus. Even after retirement, he continued to teach part-time and write papers on standards for dental materials. He received many honours and awards during his career, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Umeå in Sweden for his contributions to dental science.

You can read more about Dr. Jones’s career in the Faculty of Dentistry.