On the move

Andrew Prescott, curator in the manuscripts department at the British Library, has been appointed on secondment as professor associate in the history department at Sheffield University. He will help develop humanities computing and the first university-affiliated masonic research centre and chair in freemasonry.

Maxwell Irvine, vice-chancellor of the University of Birmingham, is to retire at the end of September next year.

Lord Sheppard of Didgemere, chairman of McBridge plc, Group Trust plc, The Unipart Group of Companies and GB Railways Group plc, will succeed Lady Plant of Writtle as chancellor of Middlesex University in July.

Robin Harper, member of the Scottish Parliament and green campaigner, has been returned unopposed as rector of the University of Edinburgh. He will succeed John Colquhoun in March.

Keith Hanley, professor of English at Lancaster University, has been appointed director of its Ruskin Library; Alan Whitaker, pro vice-chancellor, has been elected a library trustee.

Ken Judge, professor of social policy at the University of Kent and an expert on links between poverty and poor health, has been appointed professor of health promotion policy by the Health Education Board for Scotland and Glasgow University. He will take up the post at Glasgow in June.

Roni Brown, former undergraduate studies leader in the school of art and design at De Montfort University, has been appointed deputy dean of the faculty of design at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design; Clem Brohier, former business accountant at AEA Technology plc, has been appointed head of finance .

Rob Sneyd, consultant anaesthestist and dean of the University of Plymouth postgraduate medical school, has become professor.