University of Surrey strengthens senior management team
Friday 6 June 2008
The University of Surrey is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Nigel Seaton as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development). Professor Seaton will take up the post in September.
The appointment is an integral part of the University’s recently-launched 10 year corporate strategy in which the University aims to be a leading national and international university. Surrey will achieve this by providing high quality scholarship attuned to the particular needs of society, leading-edge research, and a rich and varied learning environment both in the UK and at partner institutions overseas, all of which will meet the needs of its students and other stakeholders.
Commenting on the appointment, Professor Christopher Snowden, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey states: "I am delighted to welcome Professor Seaton to Surrey. He has a distinguished track record as a leading academic in a highly regarded institution with proven capability in strategic leadership roles. I am confident that he will be extremely effective in the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor role and will play a key role in ensuring Surrey’s future success."
Professor Seaton is currently Vice-Principal (Academic) at the University of Edinburgh. Having received a first class honours degree from the University of Edinburgh he completed postgraduate study at the University of Pennsylvania. He started his career in industry with WS Atkins and BP Research before moving to Cambridge as a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering. In 1997 he was appointed to a Chair at the University of Edinburgh and the following year he moved into the first of his leadership roles as Head of the School of Chemical Engineering. He was then promoted to become Head of the Division of Engineering and subsequently established and ran a cross-disciplinary research institute as Head of the Institute for Materials and Processes. On the restructure of the University into Colleges in 2004 he was appointed to the role of Dean of Undergraduate Studies within the College of Science and Engineering. On the back of the success he had in this post he has been successively appointed Assistant Principal and hereafter Vice-Principal with responsibility for taught programme development and the student experience.
Professor Seaton comments: "I am very much looking forward to working with colleagues and students at the University of Surrey. This is an exciting time to be joining the University, as it has a very ambitious vision for its future. It’s a privilege to be able to contribute to realising that vision."
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Media Enquiries
Peter La, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 689191, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk
