Appointments

Manchester Metropolitan University

John Swarbrooke

An academic with more than a decade's experience of working in the tourism industry has been appointed professor of tourism and hospitality at Manchester Metropolitan University. John Swarbrooke left his role as academic director of Cesar Ritz Colleges Switzerland to return to the UK and the "heart of tourism research". He was attracted to Manchester Met by its commitment to the field and the opportunity to "develop expertise on a global scale". Professor Swarbrooke is a specialist in tourist behaviour and sustainable tourism, but said he was also looking to explore emerging areas such as health tourism, where little research is currently being carried out. He also plans to conduct research into the trend of British people buying property abroad, which has "a big impact" on British society and the countries visited. Professor Swarbrooke has been director of the Centre for International Tourism Research at Sheffield Hallam University and has held research positions and undertaken consultancy work in a number of countries. He has worked for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the European Union and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, among others.

King's College London

Deborah Bull

A retired professional ballerina has been appointed the first director of King's Cultural Partners at King's College London. Deborah Bull will join King's in March to develop collaborative links for teaching and research across the cultural and creative industries in the UK and overseas. Ms Bull joined the Royal Ballet in 1981, rising through the ranks to become the company's principal dancer from 1992 to 2001. After hanging up her ballet shoes, she joined the executive of the Royal Opera House, helping to establish ROH2, a programme of artist and art form development initiatives. In 2008, she was made creative director of the Royal Opera House and helped it reach out to new audiences via projects such as the BP Summer Big Screens programme and the Deloitte Ignite arts festival. Ms Bull believes that the role at King's offers her the opportunity to work closely with new and existing partners to address some of the big issues the cultural sector currently faces. She said: "The big overarching question is articulating the role and impact of culture in the 21st century - if and how it contributes to well-being, social regeneration, identity, community cohesion - and how it can add value."

Washington University in St Louis

Jill Friedman

The new vice-chancellor for public affairs at Washington University in St Louis has said she is "thrilled" to be returning to an institution that has played a significant part in her life. Jill Friedman's father taught paediatrics at the university's medical school and her mother obtained a master's from the institution. Ms Friedman, herself a Washington alumna after gaining a master's in business administration in 1999, said: "I grew up a few blocks from the campus. So from playing on the tennis courts to watching concerts on the quad, I have a very personal connection with the university." In her role, Ms Friedman will be responsible for the institution's public relations, communications and marketing. One of her priorities will be to find "ways to connect with young people and build a strong relationship with students". She said: "One of the things that most attracted me to the job is the impact we have on young people and the direction the country is going." Ms Friedman is currently senior vice-president and partner at global PR firm Fleishman-Hillard. Previously she worked for the late Mel Carnahan, former governor of Missouri, as deputy chief of staff and director of policy development.

University of Sydney

Paul Keall

Paul Keall, professor and National Health and Medical Research Council Australia fellow in medicine at the University of Sydney, has been recognised for his research with an award by the NHMRC. Professor Keall's work, which aims to improve cancer treatment, was identified as the top-ranked project in the council's latest round of grants. His research focuses on providing real-time information about the location and shape of tumours in cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. "The better images of the tumour we have, the better we can target the tumour and reduce toxic side-effects, such as pneumonitis," he explained. Professor Keall, who is also director of the Radiation Physics Laboratory at Sydney, was an undergraduate at the University of Waikato in his native New Zealand before going on to earn a master's and a PhD from the University of Adelaide. Before joining Sydney, he was associate professor and director of the Radiation Physics Division at Stanford University in the US. He is an editorial board member on a number of journals in the radiation-oncology field and is an active member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Professor Keall said he was "delighted" by the recognition and added: "I look forward to implementing our methods for patient treatment in the project's later stages."

Other changes

Susan Marlow has been appointed professor of entrepreneurship at Birmingham Business School. She is currently visiting professor at the University of Leeds.

Aberystwyth University has appointed John Grattan as pro vice-chancellor for learning, teaching and employability. He is currently dean of science at Aberystwyth.

The University of Sussex-based Sussex Centre for Migration Research has appointed Paul Statham, a political sociologist at the University of Bristol, as director. He will take up the post in April.

Bucks New University has appointed Michelle Selinger as its first visiting professor of learning and teaching innovation. Dr Selinger is currently director of education at Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group's Global Public Sector practice.

Rob Behrens, the independent adjudicator for higher education, has been made a member of the Bar Standards Board and chair of its Qualifications Committee. He will play no role on the Education and Training Committee to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest between his roles.

James Richardson has been appointed to the new post of director of international development at Sheffield Hallam University. He was previously director of the International Office at the University of Hull.

John North has been appointed acting director of the Institute of Classical Studies, one of the 10 research institutes that make up the University of London's School of Advanced Study. He is also emeritus professor of history and former head of the department of history at University College London.

Melanie Leng has joined the University of Leicester as professor of isotope geosciences.