Appointments

UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA Alan Preece, former general manager public relations at Asda Group plc and a trustee of the Asda Foundation, has been appointed director of communications.

UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE Ian MacLaurin, chairman of Tesco plc, will succeed Brian Corby as chancellor of the university from September 1.

UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE John Dersley, deputy director in the Government Office for the North East, has been appointed as the university's first regional development officer.

UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON The university has appointed two independent members to the board of governors: Michael Checkland, chairman of the Brighton International Festival, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and NCH Action for Children, a trustee of Reuters and governor of Westminster College Oxford and Birkbeck College, London, and former director general of the BBC. Richard Vincent, senior consultant cardiologist for Brighton Health District, director of the Trafford Centre for medical education and research, University of Sussex and honorary consultant cardiologist at King's College Hospital, London.