News

The Nuffield Foundation remembers Frank Ellis
Fri, 23 May 2008

The Nuffield Foundation.

It was with great sadness that we recently learnt that Frank Ellis from GlaxoSmithKline had passed away.

Colin Osborne and Frank Ellis at a Nuffield Seminar last year Our connections with Frank went back a long way. Frank’s blend of enthusiasm, knowledge and wise observation made him a first point of contact for a wide range of initiatives in science education. He was always keen to facilitate contacts between curriculum developers and the scientific community; ideas for case studies of scientists or expert advice on a text-book section were always willingly given.

His interest in the holistic role of science education allowed him to engage fully with the development of approaches to scientific literacy, and his inputs to specific projects such as the PUPPETS project and Science in Society were highly valued.

He was an enthusiastic and thoughtful supporter of our Science Bursary scheme. The way that the scheme was implemented at GSK not only led to a high quality programme at GSK, it has also acted as a model and a point of reference for many other companies who have become engaged in the scheme. The results have benefited hundreds of young people, who have been inspired to continue with their studies in science due to the stimulating and unique project work experiences that Frank was able to coordinate and provide.

He will be sorely missed.