William Nicholas Hitchon
Nuclear fusion scientist (1957–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Nicholas Guy Hitchon (22 October 1957 – 23 July 2023), commonly known as Nick Hitchon, was a nuclear fusion scientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin.[1][2]
22 October 1957
William Nicholas Hitchon | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Nicholas Guy Hitchon 22 October 1957 Skipton, North Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 23 July 2023 (aged 65) |
| Education | University of Oxford (DPhil) |
| Occupations | Scientist, academic |
| Spouse(s) |
Jacqui Bush
(m. 1979, divorced)Cryss Brunner (m. 2001) |
| Children | 1 |
Early life and education
Hitchon was born in Skipton, West Riding of Yorkshire (now North Yorkshire), the eldest of three sons to Iona (née Hall) and Guy Hitchon.[1][3][4] He was educated at Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, from 1968 to 1975.[3] Later, he earned a bachelor's and master's degree in physics from Oxford University and a D.Phil. in engineering science from the same university.[3][5]
Career
In 1964, Hitchon was featured as a child in the Seven Up! documentary for ITV's World in Action series.[2][3] His life was revisited at seven-year intervals in subsequent episodes by director Michael Apted until 2019.[3][6] Before his death he filmed an interview for the series' final programme, 70 Up.[7]
In 1982, Hitchon joined the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in the department of electrical and computer engineering.[3][5] He became a professor in 1994 and served as the department chair from 1999 to 2002.[3][5] In 2022, he took retirement.[8] During his tenure, he authored three books.[3]
Personal life
Bibliography
- Plasma Processes for Semiconductor Fabrication