Rate My Professor Jonathan Tennyson

Professor Jonathan Tennyson is the Massey Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University College London. He earned his BA in Natural Sciences (Part II Chemistry) from King's College, Cambridge, in 1977, followed by a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from University College London in 1981, with a thesis titled 'Studies in the ab initio calculation of molecular energies.' Tennyson joined UCL as a lecturer in Theoretical Atomic Physics in 1981, advancing to Reader in 1991 and full Professor in 1994. He served as Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 2004 to 2011 and assumed the Massey Chair in 2005. Additionally, he holds positions as Chief Scientist at Quantemol Ltd., a UCL spin-out company, and Chair of Blue Skies Space Ltd. His research focuses on the theory of small molecules, particularly electron-molecule collisions and the computation of molecular spectra, with applications to astrophysics, Earth's atmosphere, plasma physics, and other fields. Tennyson leads the ExoMol project, producing molecular line lists for hot atmospheres essential for exoplanet studies and astrochemistry. He has contributed significantly to the HITRAN molecular spectroscopic database and developed high-accuracy line lists for water and other key molecules.

Tennyson's prolific output includes over 700 peer-reviewed publications, with highly cited works such as 'The HITRAN 2008 molecular spectroscopic database' (2009), 'A high-accuracy computed water line list' (2006), and 'The ExoMol database: molecular line lists for exoplanet and other hot atmospheres' (2016). He authored the textbook 'Astronomical Spectroscopy: An Introduction to the Atomic and Molecular Physics of Astronomical Spectra' (2005), used in undergraduate courses. His impact is evident in applications to James Webb Space Telescope observations, atmospheric modeling, and plasma technology. Awards include election as Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009, the Ellis R. Lippincott Award from The Optical Society in 2007, and the Royal Astronomical Society's Gold Medal in 2025 for advancing exoplanet understanding. Tennyson serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Royal Astronomical Society journals since 2021 and has delivered public lectures on spectroscopy in alien atmospheres.