Appointments

The new chief executive of the Association of Colleges is John Brennan, currently director of further education development. Mr Brennan joined the Department of Education and Science in 1968, after postgraduate studies in quantum physics and various teaching appointments. He joined the AoC in 1996.

Sam Allen, a lecturer at Loughborough College, will be the next vice-president of lecturers' union Natfhe. He is chair of the East Midlands region of Natfhe and of the Black Members' Group.

Mary Bousted, head of the school of education at Kingston University, is the new general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. Her first appearance as general secretary elect will be at next week's annual conference in Blackpool.

Lynn Robinson, former director of student services at the University of Birmingham, has been appointed academic registrar at the University of Bristol; Sian Thomas, former head of research at the Higher Education Funding Council for England, has been appointed director of research and enterprise development.

Ian Gow, professor and head of Nottingham University's business school, has been named pro vice-chancellor for Asia. He has held visiting professorships at various Japanese universities and was part of the Office of Science and Technology's Asia Pacific committee on science and technology.

Jon Cohen, dean of Brighton and Sussex Medical School, has been elected to the council of the Academy of Medical Sciences and appointed to the South East England Science and Technology Advisory Council.

Gary McCulloch will leave the University of Sheffield in September to take up the Brian Simon chair at the Institute of Education, London. Professor McCulloch will be the first appointment to this chair, established in honour of emeritus professor and education historian, Brian Simon.

David Allen, registrar and secretary at the University of Birmingham and formerly registrar at the University of Nottingham, has been appointed registrar and secretary of the University of Exeter from the end of September.