University of Central Lancashire
Philip Dyer
The University of Central Lancashire has appointed an alumnus as its first entrepreneur in residence. Philip Dyer, chairman of NXO and regional president of Lancashire's Chartered Institute of Marketing, has taken up the voluntary role at Uclan, where he studied first in the 1980s and more recently for a postgraduate diploma. He said he was looking forward to offering his 20 years of experience to the "next generation" of entrepreneurs via guest lectures, establishing live student projects and undertaking a mentorship role. He will also provide students and start-up businesses with support sessions, seminars and one-to-one advice clinics. Mr Dyer said he wanted to correct people's perceptions of entrepreneurs, which may be influenced by high-profile business figures such as Sir Richard Branson and Lord Sugar. "It is much more than that," he said. "It is the 16-year-old behind a computer or the 50-year-old with their own market stall. It's about taking a risk and I'm looking forward to working with them and sharing my knowledge." Mr Dyer is also an honorary teaching Fellow in the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development at Lancaster University Management School.
Lauren Ancel Meyers
A mathematical epidemiologist has been appointed as the new director of the division of statistics and scientific computation at the University of Texas at Austin. Lauren Ancel Meyers, currently professor of integrative biology and Donald D. Harrington faculty Fellow at the institution, called the role a "unique opportunity". She said her highest priority would be equipping students "with the intuition and computational skills required for understanding, communicating and problem solving in today's world". She added: "As massive volumes of complex data flood in from the internet, satellites, science labs and beyond, modern statistics has become essential for progress in science, technology, public health and society." Professor Meyers studied for an undergraduate degree in mathematics and philosophy at Harvard University and went on to complete a doctorate in biology at Stanford University. Between 2000 and 2002, she held a Santa Fe Institute postdoctoral fellowship and a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship in biological informatics. Before taking up her current role at Texas at Austin, Professor Meyers was a Fellow at the Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology and associate professor at the institution.
Karen Fox
A scholar who said she does the research "that typically doesn't get done" has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences. Karen Fox, professor of recreation and leisure studies at the University of Alberta, has participated in and led projects in subjects as diverse as Aboriginal youth and hip hop, and the benefits of yoga and meditation for people with neuromuscular disease. Professor Fox has been based at Alberta for nearly 15 years, and gained her doctorate from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She said that while her research had sometimes been unusual, she had always been passionate about it being "tied to what's occurring in the real world. I want to know how people create leisure on their own when they have a chance to do it as opposed to going to pre-existing programmes." As for her own leisure time, Professor Fox is a keen white-water kayaker and said that the activity was an apt metaphor for an academic career. "You're never in control but you have to be skilful in how you manoeuvre through that environment," she said. "It's been, and is still, an exhilarating ride."
Mike Elliott
The director and professor of the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies at the University of Hull has been appointed to the scientific steering committee for the BalticSTERN project. Mike Elliott's role will be to ensure understanding of the past, present and future status of the Baltic Sea in research; he will also help to assess the impact of the research in decision making. Professor Elliott said that studies such as this were "increasingly necessary" throughout the world because of concerns about climate change. "We use our marine environments for a variety of different reasons, whether it is navigation, food or leisure, and the way we manage them and respond to climate change will have a direct impact on this in the future," he said. Professor Elliott studied for his undergraduate degree at the University of London, and moved to the University of Stirling to complete a doctorate. As well as working at Hull, which he joined in 1991, Professor Elliott has also lectured at Edinburgh Napier University, Heriot-Watt University, and institutions in Italy, Portugal and Belgium. Professor Elliott said that on a personal level he was "delighted" with his appointment but he also welcomed the impact it would have on students at Hull. "It means that our students can learn about the latest developments firsthand, rather than waiting to hear about them in textbooks," he said.
Other changes
The Institute of Education, University of London has conferred new titles on the following members of staff: Janet Boddy, reader in child and family studies; Elizabeth Brooker, reader in early childhood education; Barbara Cole, reader in education; Jan Derry, reader in philosophy of education; Emily Farran, reader in psychology and human development; Germ Janmaat, reader in comparative social science; Marie Lall, reader in education and South Asian studies; Ralph Levinson, reader in education; Neil Selwyn, reader in education; Alice Sullivan, reader in sociology; Stuart Foster, professor of education; David Guile, professor of education and work; Candia Morgan, professor of education; Patricia Pridmore, professor of education, health and international development; and Hugh Starkey, professor of education.
The University of Cambridge has appointed Tony Raven as the new chief executive of Cambridge Enterprise. Dr Raven was most recently director of research and innovation services at the University of Southampton.
Andrew Pettigrew, professor of strategy and organisation at the Said Business School, University of Oxford, has been presented with the Richard Whipp Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Academy of Management.
Meena Dhanda, reader in philosophy and cultural politics at the University of Wolverhampton, has been elected as a council member of the British Association for South Asian Studies.
Claire Wallace, director of research for the College of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, has been appointed to the role of vice-principal for research at the institution in a job-share with Phil Hannaford, who is professor of clinical medicine.