Appointments

Central European University, Hungary

Peter Johnson

Peter Johnson has been involved in university admissions throughout his career, but until now has never worked in an institution based outside the US. That is about to change as he swaps California for Budapest to become vice-president of student services at the Central European University in Hungary. He is currently executive director of admissions for the full-time MBA programme at the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business, where he has been based for nearly 11 years. Prior to that, he was director of admissions at Golden Gate University in San Francisco and associate director of admissions at Pacific University in Oregon. "Most of my career has been involved with education through the admissions side, but also through progress towards international education," Mr Johnson said. He added that although he has travelled extensively in his current role, he wanted to spend more time abroad. "I thought it would be a great opportunity to go to an institution on a growth path that would also give me the opportunity to work with multinational students," he said. "Education is very important as an engine of social mobility and I have always been fascinated by how students are attracted to, and ultimately select, an institution. I view my job as an opportunity to help students find the environment that will best help them move forward with their career goals."

University of New South Wales

Ronan McDonald

A chair in Irish studies that has been 12 years in the making has finally found funding and, with it, an ideal candidate for the job. Ronan McDonald has been appointed as the first Australian Ireland Fund chair in modern Irish studies at the University of New South Wales. Originally from Dublin, Professor McDonald sat his undergraduate degree at University College Dublin before moving to the University of Oxford to study for a DPhil. He then worked at the University of Reading and was appointed director of its Beckett International Foundation, dedicated to the work of Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. He said that the new role was a "great opportunity", although he admitted that he had never planned to work in Australia. Professor McDonald is also director of New South Wales' recently established John Hume Institute in Global Irish Studies and said he relished the prospect of "having the control to set up a research centre".

Edinburgh Napier University

John Howie

A Microsoft security guru and Edinburgh Napier University graduate is rejoining his alma mater to pass on his experience. John Howie began his computing career while still a student, doing consultancy work with an Edinburgh firm to earn "spending money". After graduating, he carried on his work with the firm before moving to the US East Coast to work for the newswire service Reuters. He then travelled to Los Angeles to work for training company Learning Tree International, managing its systems and networking courses, and after a spell in self-employment he was approached by Microsoft to become a senior consultant. He rose through the ranks, eventually taking charge of the technology giant's Security Center of Excellence. He said that the alumni culture in the US inspired him to build on his existing relationship with Napier by taking a visiting professorship. "I've always kept in touch with the staff and whenever I come back to Edinburgh I always offer to stop in and talk to the students," he said. "I thought I should help Napier, because it helped me. I don't think I would be who I am today without the university."

Johns Hopkins University

Daniel G. Ennis

Daniel G. Ennis has been made senior vice-president for administration and finance at Johns Hopkins University in the US. Mr Ennis, who is currently executive dean for administration at Harvard Medical School, graduated from Boston College before working for Goldman Sachs as a financial analyst in the capital markets. However, even then he knew that his future did not lie in the private sector. "Even at the undergraduate level, I knew ultimately that I wanted to focus on enterprises in the public and non-profit sectors," he said. He went on to study for an MBA at Harvard Business School and a master's in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government before joining management consultancy McKinsey and Company as an engagement manager. One of his clients at the firm was Harvard, and when its president invited him to become director of budgets, financial planning and institutional research, he jumped at the chance. He later moved to his current role at the medical school. Although Mr Ennis is not a scientist, the study of medicine runs in the family: his father is a member of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, his brother is an orthopaedic surgeon, one of his sisters is a nurse and the other is a cardiologist. "I come from a family deeply immersed in science, so even though I'm not personally a scientist, through osmosis and broad interest I have an understanding," he said.

Other changes

Robert Kennedy, director of finance at the University of Dundee, has been made a non-executive director of the Student Loans Company.

The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has appointed Peter Piot as its director. Baron Piot is currently director of the Institute for Global Health and professor of global health at Imperial College London.

Susan Lapworth is to join the University of Leicester as its academic registrar. She is currently academic registrar at Brunel University.

Teesside University has named Eileen Martin its deputy vice-chancellor (development). She joins from the University of Central Lancashire where she was pro vice-chancellor.

Marilyn Leask is the new dean of the Faculty of Education and Sport at the University of Bedfordshire. She is currently professor of education at Brunel University.

The University of Bolton has named Rob Campbell pro vice-chancellor (academic). Professor Campbell is currently director of research at the institution.

Paul Palmer, professor of quantitative Earth observation at the University of Edinburgh, has been awarded the Zeldovich Medal by the Committee on Space Research for his work. Professor Palmer uses satellite data to model the movement of atmospheric gases.

The British Psychological Society has made Cary Cooper, distinguished professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, an honorary Fellow.

Philip Martin has been appointed pro vice-chancellor for learning, teaching and the student experience at Sheffield Hallam University. He is currently pro vice-chancellor (academic) at De Montfort University.