Richard G. Carter graduated in physics from the University of Cambridge in 1965 and received his PhD in electronic engineering from the University of Wales in 1968.

From 1968 to 1972 he worked on high power travelling-wave tubes as a Development Engineer at English Electric Valve Co. Ltd.. He joined the Engineering Department of the University of Lancaster as a Lecturer in 1972 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1986 and Professor of Electronic Engineering in 1996. He became an Emeritus Professor on his retirement in 2009. His research interests include electromagnetics and microwave engineering with particular reference to the theory, design and computer modelling of microwave tubes and particle accelerators. He is the author of two books and numerous papers in the field.

Professor Carter is a Fellow of the IET, a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of the Vacuum Electronics Technical Committees of the IEEE Electron Devices Society. He received the IVEC 2009 Award for Excellence in Vacuum Electronics for ‘a life-long commitment to education in vacuum electronics and visionary leadership in academia and technical research in the field’.