Sever Sternhell DSc AO FAA FRACI CChem was a prominent figure in Australian organic chemistry, academia and public life for more than forty years. He held the Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Sydney from 1977 until his retirement in 1998. He was very influential, not only directly through his science and his leadership in Australian Chemistry, but also indirectly through the graduate students that he inspired and mentored, and the thousands of undergraduates he taught over the years. Sev undertook his PhD with Professor D. H. R. Barton (later Sir Derek Barton) at Imperial College, London, and it was there that he was introduced to NMR spectroscopy: NMR would become Sev’s major research area for the rest of his career. He was appointed as senior lecturer in organic chemistry at the University of Sydney in 1964 and, in 1977, he was appointed to the Chair of Organic Chemistry and Head of Department. Sev served as Head of the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney on two occasions. He is probably best known for his pioneering research into the use of NMR as a tool to unravel the structures of organic compounds. His seminal monograph (with Lloyd Jackman), Applications of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in organic chemistry, published in 1969, became a ‘bible’ to generations of organic chemists.

Sever Sternhell DSc AO FAA FRACI CChem 是澳大利亚有机化学、学术界和公共生活中四十多年的杰出人物。他从 1977 年开始担任悉尼大学有机化学讲座教授，直到 1998 年退休。他非常有影响力，不仅直接通过他的科学和他在澳大利亚化学方面的领导，而且间接地通过他激励和指导的研究生，以及他多年来教过的数千名本科生。Sev 在伦敦帝国理工学院师从 D. H. R. Barton 教授（后来的 Derek Barton 爵士）攻读博士学位，正是在那里，他接触到了核磁共振波谱学：核磁共振将成为 Sev 在他余下职业生涯中的主要研究领域。他于 1964 年被任命为悉尼大学有机化学高级讲师，并于 1977 年被任命为有机化学系主任和系主任。Sev 曾两次担任悉尼大学化学学院院长。他最出名的可能是他对使用 NMR 作为解开有机化合物结构的工具的开创性研究。他于 1969 年出版了开创性的专著《核磁共振波谱在有机化学中的应用》，成为几代有机化学家的“圣经”。