After gaining his PhD in 1953, Professor Smallman spent five years at the Atomic Energy ResearchEstablishment at Harwell before returning to the University of Birmingham, where he became Professorof Physical Metallurgy in 1964 and Feeney Professor and Head of the Department of PhysicalMetallurgy and Science of Materials in 1969. He subsequently became Head of the amalgamatedDepartment of Metallurgy and Materials (1981), Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, andthe first Dean of the newly created Engineering Faculty in 1985. For five years he wasVice-Principalof the University (1987-92).He has held visiting professorship appointments at the University of Stanford, Berkeley, Pennsylvania(USA), New SouthWales (Australia), Hong Kong and Cape Town, and has received HonoraryDoctorates from the University of Novi Sad (Yugoslavia), University ofWales and Cranfield University.His research work has been recognized by the award of the Sir George Beilby Gold Medal of theRoyal Institute of Chemistry and Institute of Metals (1969), the Rosenhain Medal of the Institute ofMetals for contributions to Physical Metallurgy (1972), the Platinum Medal, the premier medal ofthe Institute of Materials (1989), and the Acta Materialia Gold Medal (2004).Hewas elected a Fellowof the Royal Society (1986), a Fellowof the RoyalAcademy of Engineering(1990), a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Engineering (2005), andappointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992. A former Council Member of theScience and Engineering Research Council, he has been Vice-President of the Institute of Materialsand President of the Federated European Materials Societies. Since retirement he has been academicconsultant for a number of institutions both in the UK and overseas.