Appointments

University of Nottingham Ningbo

Andrew Marton

An academic who chose to climb the Great Wall of China rather than collect his doctorate has come full circle by taking up a senior post at the University of Nottingham's Ningbo campus. Andrew Marton has been at Nottingham in various roles since 1999. He started his career in the UK as the founding director of Nottingham's Institute for Contemporary Chinese Studies, before moving to China to become Ningbo's dean of undergraduate studies in 2007. He has now been appointed vice-provost for teaching and research. A specialist in Chinese studies, Professor Marton said he had not originally planned to make it the focus of his research: however, a trip to the country in 1983 changed the course of his career. "I had an amazing experience; you might say I fell in love with the place," he said. "I also fell in love with wanting to know and learn more about China." After a spell as research assistant-in-residence at the University of Victoria in Canada, he went to Shanghai for two years to work on a research project. He then moved to the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, where he worked on his research interests of urban and regional development. Professor Marton noted that he hoped to carry on researching in his new role.

University of Texas at Austin

Glenn Frankel

The University of Texas at Austin has appointed a Pulitzer Prize-winning former journalist as director of its School of Journalism. Glenn Frankel is currently Lorry I. Lokey visiting professor in journalism at Stanford University and is a former national news editor at The Washington Post. He started his career at a small weekly newspaper outside Richmond, Virginia, and worked his way up to the position on the Post. "It's hard to recall now, but The Washington Post was the hot book because of the Watergate scandal, among other things," he said. "I was actually hired by Bob Woodward, the Watergate reporter, who was the metropolitan editor. I was based in Richmond, which Bob said made me (the paper's) only foreign correspondent." After this, Professor Frankel said, he became a real foreign correspondent, working in southern Africa, Jerusalem and London. "I didn't know at the time that it was the golden age for American newspapers, and that the golden age would come to an end," he added. He described his move into higher education as a "natural fit". "Journalism is a constant process of discovery and education," Professor Frankel said. "I see my new role as one of helping equip the next generation of journalists with the tools and sensibility to figure out the future of the trade."

University of Copenhagen

Ylva Hellsten

Ylva Hellsten has been promoted to a professorship in cardiovascular regulation in relation to physical activity and health at the University of Copenhagen. Professor Hellsten began her working life as an au pair in the US, where she received a scholarship to Hampshire College. While at Hampshire, Professor Hellsten met exercise physiology researcher Priscilla Clarkson, which led to a joint research project at the University of Massachusetts on markers of muscle damage. She then went on to study for a PhD at Sweden's Karolinska Institute. After six years there, she moved to Copenhagen, becoming a postdoctoral student at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre and then an associate professor. Professor Hellsten said that she had been "fortunate" to work with world leaders in exercise physiology, stalwarts who had informed her own research. "It's an interesting and relevant research area ... and this is just a more practical use of our research," she said.

University of Toronto Mississauga

Hargurdeep Saini

A biologist who settled in Canada "accidentally" has been named provost, vice-president and principal of the University of Toronto Mississauga. Hargurdeep (Deep) Saini joins the institution from the University of Waterloo, where he is currently dean of the Faculty of Environment. Born and raised in India, Professor Saini studied for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at India's Punjab Agricultural University before heading to Australia to complete a doctorate at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute at the University of Adelaide. He then moved to the University of Alberta in 1982, where he stayed for five years as a postdoctoral Fellow. He went on to join the Plant Biology Research Institute at the University of Montreal, where he was based for 18 years. During his time there, he made the move into administration when a directorship of the institute became available. "My colleagues ganged up on me," Professor Saini joked. "I was in Australia at the time on a research trip, and when I came back there was a 'Draft Deep' movement going on." His long stay in Canada was unplanned. "I loved Australia," he admitted. "I wanted to settle down there but I wanted some North American experience, too. I came to Canada and slowly the country grew on me. The rest, as they say, is history." Professor Saini will join Toronto Mississauga next month.

OTHER CHANGES

Malcolm Kirkup has been appointed director of MBA programmes at the University of Exeter Business School. Dr Kirkup joins from the University of Birmingham, where he is currently director of the MBA international business and global banking and finance programmes.

London South Bank University has appointed Bev Jullien as pro vice-chancellor (external). Ms Jullien joins from the British Olympic Association, where she is director of corporate strategy.

City University London has appointed Stanton Newman dean of its School of Community and Health Sciences. He is currently director of University College London's Unit of Behavioural Medicine.

Philip Woods is the new chair in educational policy, leadership and democracy at the University of Hertfordshire. Professor Woods has held chairs in educational leadership and policy at the universities of Aberdeen, Gloucestershire and the West of England.

The European Association for Research on Adolescence has presented the 2010 Honorary Lifetime Membership Award to Leo B. Hendry, professor of psychology at the University of Glamorgan.

John Bligh has been made dean of the undergraduate medical education programme at Cardiff University's School of Medicine. Professor Bligh joins from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, where he was professor of clinical education, vice-dean and director of the Institute of Clinical Education.

Aston Business School's Foundation for Management Education has appointed a new Fellow. Keith Glanfield joins from his own consultancy, which specialises in expanding commercial organisations owned and governed by non-commercial entities.