Alan MacDiarmid Building opening

Last evening Victoria University of Wellington opened its new Alan MacDiarmid Building. It was a magnificent occasion, with over 20 members of the MacDiarmid family present, including Alan's widow, Gayl Gentile, seen here (photo by DomPost) with Alan's Nobel medal outside the building. The Prime Minister, John Key, opened the building accompanied by cabinet ministers Steven Joyce (Tertiary Education) and Wayne Mapp (Science and Innovation).

John Key spoke first and then I followed, pointing out how Alan had changed the New Zealand science landscape, and including the remarks "On a personal note, I have to say, that to know Alan was to love him. When he spoke with you, he gave you his undivided attention. He was genuinely humble, he was full of playful humour, and his wit found expression in his famous aphorisms, “Science is people”, “I am a very lucky person and the harder I work the luckier I seem to be”, “Will New Zealand be a leader or a follower in this 21st century of science and technology?” and Prime Minister, I know you will love this one, “Vision without funding is an hallucination.”

The building, which cost VUW $48m, is beautiful, and houses science and engineering teaching and research space, in an interdisciplinary environment. In the large foyer, Alan's Nobel medal is on permanent display, to help inspire the students.

I had the opportunity to have a good chat with the Prime Minister afterwards, encouraging him to keep the momentum going around science and technology initiatives. He was kind enough to question me about my health and, surprisingly, had heard about and wanted to know more, concerning my "Sydney option". New Zealand is an amazing place.

The picture is interesting because in the background are Gayl, and Sean McConnell, Alan's oldest grandson, who also travelled from the US to be at the opening.


PS: Thanks to university photographer Les Maiden for the PM shot. The wonderful portrait of Alan is by New Zealand artist, Marianne Muggeridge.