The first recipient of the endowment was Dr. Craig Grimes, Department of Electrical Engineering. Dr. Grimes received a PhD from the University of Texas in 1990. After working in the private sector, he accepted a position in the Department of Electrical Engineering at UK in September, 1994. He is currently a professor of electrical engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. His research interests included: chemical sensors based on magnetic thin films, high performance magnetic films for use in magnetic recording, and electrically small antennas.
Electrical Engineering Department Chair, Vijay Singh said about Dr. Grimes "He is an exceptionally talented researcher and the department is proud to have him as an esteemed faculty member. He is the kind of person who can guide UK into becoming a leading university in during this century."
To honor his many contributions to carbon science, education, and an interdisciplinary approach to education, the Frank J. Derbyshire Research Professorship Endowment Award was established at the University of Kentucky in the year 2000. The $5,000 award is granted for up to a five-year period to a faculty member who is a tenured full professor and has made outstanding contributions to research and graduate education.
During his tenure at UK, Dr. Grimes had published 64 refereed journal papers, had eight patents filed through UKRF, and been PI or co-PI on some 20 grants worth $17M.
For more information on the Derbyshire Endowment -(PDF), contact Don Challman at challman@caer.uky.edu.