Former student returns to University as Dean

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Previously, Jonathan held a number of leadership roles at the University of Birmingham including Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering for 10 years. Earlier in his career, Jonathan worked at the University of Surrey as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He has a MA from Cambridge and a PhD from Surrey.

Jonathan has held visiting appointments at the University of British Columbia and the Technical University of Denmark, and has considerable experience working with and within industry.

He is well known across the sector and amongst his many high profile roles he is Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier journal Powder Technology and Chair of the Audit Committee for the Institution of Chemical Engineers.  Jonathan is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.

The current Dean, Professor Michael Kearney has decided to step down after 7 years leading Engineering and Physical Sciences, but will continue to work at the University in a senior academic management role.

Professor Christopher Snowden, Vice Chancellor of the University of Surrey, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the very significant and sustained contribution made by Michael Kearney to not only the Faculty in his role as Dean but also to the broader University in his role as a member of the Executive Board. The Faculty is recognised for its Top 10 performances in the last Research Assessment Exercise and for its excellent performance in the National Student Survey.

“We remain grateful for his huge energy, passion and commitment and I am delighted that, after a period of sabbatical leave, Michael will take on the new role of Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Research Excellence Framework (REF), reporting to Steve Williamson, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.  This is a key position in preparing ourselves for the 2014 REF assessment, and I'm sure that Michael will be highly active across all Faculties in this new role to ensure the University is very successful in this national assessment.

“I am delighted to welcome Jonathan Seville, a highly accomplished engineer and respected academic leader, as our new Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. He will be returning to his alma mater in some respects as he studied his PhD here and was a lecturer. We are greatly looking forward to welcoming him back and wish him every success.”

Notes to Editors

About FEPS

The Faculty covers the core engineering disciplines of aeronautical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, electronic engineering and mechanical engineering alongside the specific disciplines of computing, mathematics and physics. It has an outstanding reputation for excellence in research and teaching, with Top 10 performances in the Research Assessment Exercises and in the National Student Survey. It has a strong enterprise culture, its spin-out companies being valued at over £150m at their launch-dates and an excellent record of graduate employment. The Faculty’s academics are well respected, both nationally and internationally, throughout academia and industry where our links are strong. The Faculty is home to the Surrey Space Centre and the Advanced Technology Institute.

About REF

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). It will replace the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) and will be completed in 2014.

Media Enquiries

Howard Wheeler, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 686141, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk

Howard Wheeler, Press Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: +44 (0)1483 686141, or Email mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk