Press Releases

Welcoming the announcement, Council President, Paul Loveluck said: "The National Museums & Galleries of Wales is delighted to announce the names of our six Honorary Fellows, who are all being recognised for their support for the work of the Museum as well as for their own outstanding achievements in their chosen field.

"All six individuals have played an important part in the continual change and development of NMGW and on behalf of the Museum Council I am delighted in recognising their achievements formally with these special Research Fellowships".

Professor W. T. Dean has worked extensively with the Geology Department at the National Museum & Gallery for several years. With an international reputation as a respected authority on Lower Palaeozoic stratigraphy, palaeogeography and trilobite faunas, Professor Dean has contributed extensive collections of important material to the Geology department at the National Museum where he continues a programme of active research.

Professor J.C.W. Cope is a leading geologist and his research interests are Jurassic stratigraphy and ammonite faunas; Lower Palaeozoic bivalves and late Precambrian faunas. On the strength of his extensive contributions to the museum's collections, and his close collaboration in research with staff, Professor Cope was appointed an Honorary Research Fellow in 1987. Following his retirement from Cardiff University in 2003, Professor Cope has worked with the Department of Geology as a resident Honorary Research Associate, where he continues to pursue an active programme of research.

Dr Peter Webster has taught Archaeology since 1969 and his research interests include Roman, Medieval and Post-Medieval ceramics and military and civilian structures of the Roman and Medieval periods. Currently nearing completion is a research project aiming to catalogue and summarise the Roman samian ware from Caerleon, based upon the holding of the Roman Legionary Museum and the collections in Cardiff. Dr Webster has also supervised postgraduate theses on aspects of the Museum collections. Dr Webster is a regular visitor both to the Department and to Caerleon, and contributes considerably to the understanding of the collection.

A lecturer in Roman Archaeology in the School of History & Archaeology at Cardiff University, Dr Peter Guest's main research interest is the archaeology of Roman Britain. In particular, his interests are the role of Roman coinage, the development of towns and the cultural changes that occurred at the end of Roman Britain. Dr Guest is in the process of co-ordinating the post-excavation phase of the Caerwent Forum-Basilica Project on behalf of the National Museums & Galleries of Wales and has also initiated a Board of Celtic Studies project on Iron Age and Roman Coins in Wales with key staff from the Department of Archaeology & Numismatics.

Honorary Research Fellow Rev. Dr David H. Williams is a Geographic Historian and Anglican priest who has written extensively on the Cistercians in Wales and ecclesiastical seals. The Rev Dr Williams has been engaged on completing a detailed catalogue of seals at the National Museum in the department of Archaeology & Numismatics and was first appointed a Research fellow in 1993.

The National Museums & Galleries of Wales extends a warm congratulation to all its Honorary Research Fellows and looks forward to a continued partnership of academic discovery and innovation.

Entry to the National Museums & Galleries of Wales is free thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

For further information contact Gwenllian Carr, Head of Press & PR, National Museums & Galleries of Wales 029 2057 3175 gwenllian.carr@museumwales.ac.uk