Appointments

University of South Australia

Nigel Relph

The University of South Australia in Adelaide has appointed Nigel Relph pro vice-chancellor and vice president (international and development). Mr Relph began his career at Liverpool and Lancaster universities before starting a small newspaper publishing business, which he said gave him "an interest in running things and developing things". He combined his two careers by moving into external relations and was appointed senior international officer at the University of Warwick and then director of international affairs at the University of Birmingham. Mr Relph then went to Malaysia to work in the private education sector. He returned to the UK, eventually joining Queen Mary, University of London, initially as director of international affairs and then director of corporate affairs. He said he was looking forward to his new role in Adelaide at "an interesting institution going through a period of rapid change".

Carnegie Mellon University

Gina Casalegno

Carnegie Mellon University has named Gina Casalegno its new dean of student affairs. Ms Casalegno said of her own student days in the University of California system, "I had tremendous experiences, but I never thought (student affairs) could be a career path". She said that helpful tutors had helped to point her in the right direction, and she went on to study for a master's degree in counselling with an emphasis on higher education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Ms Casalegno moved to Carnegie Mellon, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when a change in her husband's job meant a move to the area. "I looked around and Carnegie Mellon seemed like a perfect match for me," she said. An interim role as the director of the university's Career and Professional Development Center turned her thoughts to her own career. "I came to the conclusion that this position as dean of student affairs was the perfect match for all that I would hope to accomplish, both personally and professionally," she said.

Cardiff University

Karen Holford

An academic looking to even up the gender imbalance in her field has been appointed the first female director of the School of Engineering at Cardiff University. Karen Holford said her interest in the subject stemmed from her family. "My dad had a garage. I think that's quite a recurring theme for women engineers, that interest in the subject was prompted by a close family member who is involved in engineering. Many girls, for whatever reason, don't have their eyes opened to the possibilities," she said. She secured an apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce, which supported her studies in mechanical engineering at Cardiff University before employing her when she graduated. Professor Holford then decided she was most interested in research and development, and she undertook a PhD to further her options. "I didn't expect to have an academic career," she said. "So I looked for a research-focused career in industry." A spell working to develop a new course for Cardiff changed that, and when she was offered a one-year post at the university, she took it. She has been there ever since and, as well as her academic work, chairs the equality and diversity committee. "There's no reason to not treat people equally regardless of gender, race, disability and so on," she said. In her new role, Professor Holford said she hoped to continue with the school's five-year plan for growth, as well as developing the role of research and teaching in the school.

City University London

Stephen Cottrell

One of Britain's foremost saxophonists has been named head of the department of creative industries, cultural practice and enterprise at City University London. Stephen Cottrell spent nearly two decades as a freelance musician and during his musical career has led The Delta Saxophone Quartet as well as working with a range of other national and international ensembles. He joked that he became interested in the saxophone because he was "a rubbish clarinettist". "It was a question of recognising there were going to be very few opportunities to play the clarinet at university," he said. "I was more at home on the saxophone." He studied for his undergraduate degree at the University of East Anglia and undertook postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music, as well as spending time at the Paris Conservatoire. After a spell as a freelance musician, he decided to rejoin higher education, studying for a master's and then a PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London. "Being a professional musician is very demanding, but it uses the brain in particular ways and I felt there were bits of my brain that I wanted to exercise," he said. He went on to work at Middlesex University, Thames Valley University and Goldsmiths, where he became head of the department of music. Although his research interests have focused on ethnomusicology, his latest book is on the saxophone. "It sounds like a rather boring and predictable book," he said, "but I never thought I'd write about it."

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OTHER CHANGES

Mark Goode has been appointed professor of marketing at the Cardiff School of Management, University of Wales Institute. He was previously senior lecturer and reader in marketing at Swansea University.

Katie Truss has joined Kent Business School as professor of management. She joins from Kingston Business School, where she was director of the Centre for Research in Employment, Skills and Society.

The University of Wales has appointed Simon Haslett dean of STEM, a new technology, environment and health school. He was previously director of the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at University of Wales, Newport.

Mike Theodorou has been appointed to the CPI chair in industrial biotechnology at Durham University. Professor Theodorou was previously head of science development at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University.

Two new members have been appointed to the Economic and Social Research Council. Martin Coleman is head of antitrust, competition and regulatory practice for Norton Rose LLP. David Martin is professor at the School of Geography, University of Southampton, co-director of the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods and coordinator of the ESRC Census Programme.

Leeds Metropolitan University has appointed Sally Glen deputy vice-chancellor, student experience. She joins from the University of Wolverhampton, where she is currently pro vice-chancellor (academic) and professor of education.

George Irwin, who holds a chair in control engineering at Queen's University Belfast, is to receive the 2010 Sir Harold Hartley Medal from the Institute of Measurement and Control.