David Tsiklauri, 32
Lecturer in Space Technology
Job advertised in The Times Higher , July 11 2003
Salford may not be the first place that springs to mind when the topic of space is raised, but if David Tsiklauri has his way, that will soon change.
In November, the 32-year-old joined Salford University's School of Computing, Science and Engineering after successfully applying for the position of lecturer in space technology.
The road to Salford has been long and winding for the academic, who hails from Georgia.
He was awarded a doctorate in theoretical physics from Cape Town University in 1996. He then returned to Georgia to work as a research scientist in the physics department of Tbilisi State University. There he developed numerical algorithms and software before joining the department of geological and atmospheric sciences at Iowa State University in the US to work on physical modelling of acoustic simulation of oil fields.
In 1999, Tsiklauri was named Young Scientist of the Year at the International Union of Radio Science general assembly in Toronto. He then moved to Britain to take up a research fellowship at Warwick University's space and astrophysics group, where he conducted successful research into phenomena such as flares and waves in the solar corona.
Tsiklauri says he plans to establish a solar physics group at Salford to advance understanding of the sun and outer space and has already won Nuffield funding for doctoral students.
Tsiklauri collaborates with scientists at other universities, including the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and Sheffield University.
Two other candidates were interviewed for the position and some 35 to 40 applications were received.