Roy Kerr, Christchurch, CNZM
For services to astrophysics. Professor Kerr was Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Canterbury, serving in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics for 22 years, including 10 years as its Head. He is considered the unsung hero of mathematical physics in New Zealand and internationally. The significance of the Kerr metric—now an everyday tool for astrophysicists—continues to grow as new telescopes reveal the role of black holes in the universe. Through his ‘monumental intellectual achievement’ in solving Einstein's equation and in his subsequent years of teaching and research he has gained widespread respect from the scientific world. While retired since 1993, he is sought after on the international speaking circuit, recently delivering a lecture, Unravelling Einstein’s Secrets, at Cambridge University.