Stephen Peckham
The new director of the Centre for Health Services Studies at the University of Kent said he was "delighted" at the move. Stephen Peckham, who joins from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the move complemented his own expertise. "Not only is the Centre for Health Service Studies a long-established health research group, but it is based within probably one of the best social sciences/social policy groups in the country," he said. In his new role, Professor Peckham aims not only to improve the centre but also to integrate different units. "I want to build on the strengths of the centre and develop close links, collaborations and research that span health and social care boundaries." Professor Peckham gained a BA in social sciences from the University of Southampton before obtaining an MA in public policy analysis from the University of Manchester. He will continue to hold his directorship of the Department of Health-funded Policy Research Unit in Commissioning and the Healthcare System at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has previously held positions at Southampton and was reader and head of the department of sociology and social policy at Oxford Brookes University. "I'm running a number of projects [at Kent] so I've got a full remit, but I'm always looking at supporting and facilitating the researchers here to maximise both their opportunities and the impact of their research," he said.
ifs School of Finance
Moorad Choudhry
The ifs School of Finance has appointed Moorad Choudhry visiting professor. Professor Choudhry will work on its new part-time master's degree in banking practice and management. The MSc programme is designed for senior financial services professionals from around the world and brings together a wide range of practitioner lecturers. "It's not often a postgraduate qualification is developed with every aspect of approach and content designed on a bespoke basis, especially in the field of banking and finance," he said. "It is a tremendous privilege for me to be working with the ifs School of Finance on this splendid programme." Professor Choudhry, who is currently treasurer of the Royal Bank of Scotland's corporate banking division, graduated with a BA in economics from the University of Westminster. He then gained an MA in the same subject from the University of Reading and an MBA from Henley Management College (now Henley Business School, University of Reading). He also obtained a PhD in financial economics from Birkbeck, University of London. He was a visiting research fellow at the ICMA Centre at Reading and is also a visiting professor in the department of economics at London Metropolitan University.
Joanna Coleman
The University of Bath has appointed Joanna Coleman its new head of public engagement. Dr Coleman said she was excited about her new role, which was "at a university that I respect, where I am being given the chance to make a really positive impact on the institution". Dr Coleman joins Bath from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, where she held positions including acting head of public engagement, senior public engagement manager and most recently engineering senior portfolio manager. "I want to help the researchers build on and share the current good practice at Bath, to encourage others to engage effectively with the public and for engagement to be an integral part of the research culture," she said of her new role. Dr Coleman studied for a BSc in geology at the University of Southampton, an MSc in hydrogeology and groundwater quality at the University of Reading and a PhD in marine biogeochemistry at the University of Bristol. She moved to the EPSRC after her doctorate and spent eight years there before joining Bath.
Niamh Dowling
The new head of the School of Performance at Rose Bruford College has said that attaining university status for the institution is one of her main objectives. "I want to enlarge its status by achieving taught degree-awarding powers and then university status," said Niamh Dowling, currently head of the school of theatre at Manchester Metropolitan University. "Moving from one of the largest universities in the UK to Rose Bruford, one of Britain's leading drama schools, will demand the coordination of many strands of my experience as teacher, practitioner and leader," she said. Ms Dowling began her working life as a mountaineer and teacher of outdoor pursuits. She has a BA in movement studies and education from the University of Wales and an MA in dance and aesthetics from Goldsmiths, University of London. Most of her training happened outside formal education, including time in New York, which focused her interest on movement within theatre, and Paris. She has worked as a movement specialist worldwide and hoped this experience would raise Rose Bruford's profile. "Part of my work at Rose Bruford is to set up links to international organisations and theatre companies, both with a view to students going there on visits and placements and inviting international staff to work at Rose Bruford."
OTHER CHANGES
The British Academy has elected a professor of economic history and a con-joint professor of the history of the classical tradition and professor of English among its 38 new fellows. Peter Mack, professor of the history of the classical tradition and professor of English at University College London and University of Warwick, respectively, and Jane Humphries, professor of economic history at the University of Oxford, have received the honour. Meanwhile, Mary Carruthers, Erich Maria Remarque professor of literature at New York University, has been made a corresponding fellow. Lord Rees, a cosmologist and astrophysicist and master of Trinity College, Cambridge and Dame Fiona Reynolds, director general of the National Trust and master-elect of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, have both been awarded honorary fellowships.
The University of Birmingham has made four appointments to its School of Education. Deborah Youdell, David Gilborn, Michael Hand and David Carr have joined as chair in sociology of education, professor of critical race studies, professor of philosophy of education and professor of ethics and education, respectively.
The University of Hertfordshire has appointed Richard Beazley, Vice Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, an independent member of the board of governors. He will be replacing Jo Connell as chairman of the board of governors when she steps down in August 2013.
A world-renowned physical conditioning basketball coach has become the UK's first visiting fellow in basketball at the University of Worcester. Alejandro Vaquera, who became guest lecturer at Worcester in 2011 and who will continue as director of sport at the University of Leon, will have a range of teaching duties at Worcester including the master's in sport and exercise science and basketball coaching science.