Announcement from the Chair, on behalf of Trustees
I’d like to announce Dr Colin Groom has decided that now is the right time to step down as the Executive Director of the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre.
Over nine years, Colin has led the Centre through a truly transformative period. During his leadership, the Cambridge Structural Database has doubled in size, celebrated its half millionth structure, it’s 750,000th structure, it’s 50th anniversary, and the CCDC played a valuable role in the International Year of Crystallography.
Users have benefited from increased accessibility through the delivery of next generation web-based systems and the introduction of an Application Programming Interface. Collaborations with all major publishers have ensured that data is shared as quickly, widely, and effectively as possible and new relationships with other data providers have helped bring the crystallographic community together.
The Centre has led the way in developing strategies to provide effective access to data, where anyone can freely access crystal structures, yet in a financially sustainable manner and continues to be a world-leading research institute. Users continue to be supported, with the establishment of CCDC Inc. in North America cementing the global role of the organisation. Colin has personally spread the CCDC message by meeting scientists on visits to over twenty countries.
I’m sure you will join me and my fellow Trustees in thanking Colin for the tremendous contributions he has made to our community and in wishing him well in his next endeavours.
Paul R. Raithby
Chair of Trustees
Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre