A Surrey academic whose research has contributed tremendously to industries from coatings to climate technology has been awarded one of the most respected honours in colloid and interface science.
Professor Joseph Keddie, Professor of Soft Matter Physics at the University of Surrey, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Sir Eric Rideal Award, jointly presented by the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of Chemical Industry. The award recognises a lifetime of sustained and distinguished contribution to the field.
Over a career spanning more than 30 years, Professor Keddie has built an international reputation for pioneering work in polymer colloids, soft matter physics and sustainable materials. His research has helped deepen scientific understanding of how materials form, behave and interact – knowledge that impacts technologies used in everyday products as well as emerging environmental solutions.
A Royal Society Industry Fellow and a Fellow of Surrey’s Institute for Sustainability, Professor Keddie has authored more than 150 journal papers and book chapters, holds multiple patents and co-authored the influential text Fundamentals of Latex Film Formation. His work has already been recognised with major accolades including the Institute of Physics’ Paterson Medal and the RSC/SCI Graham Lectureship.
Beyond academia, his research has had practical reach, informing advances in coatings, adhesives, nanocomposites, wastewater treatment and bioremediation –sectors where materials science plays a critical but often unseen role.
As part of the award, Professor Keddie will deliver the Sir Eric Rideal Lecture on 8 April 2026 at the symposium Polymer Colloids – From Engineering to Biology. Titled More than Watching Paint Dry, the lecture will trace key moments from his career, from early studies of drying processes using magnetic resonance imaging to recent work on self-layering coatings and “living paints” capable of storing carbon and producing oxygen.
Reflecting on the honour, Professor Keddie said:
“It is a tremendous honour to be recognised with the Sir Eric Rideal Award. Colloid and interface science underpins so many essential technologies, from adhesives and coatings to emerging biological and sustainable materials. I’ve been fortunate to contribute to the field of colloids over the past three decades only because of so many wonderful PhD students, research assistants and collaborators. I look forward to sharing some of the insights and discoveries that have shaped our work.”
Registration is now open for the Rideal Lecture and Symposium, which brings together researchers working at the intersection of materials science, engineering and biology.
