Times Higher Education - February 08, 2018

8 February 2018Times Higher Education 25

NEWS

Liz Wallerhas been

appointed director of

library services and

university librarian at

Durham University. She

joins from the Univer-

sity of York, where she was head of

library and archives. Ms Waller, who

has previously worked at the Univer-

sity of Leeds and at what is now

Leeds Beckett University, said that

she was “honoured” to join Durham.

Jane Robinson, Durham’s chief

operating officer, described Ms Waller

as “an experienced librarian and

leader with a strong track record of

innovation and of supporting

academics, students and the wider

community”.

Scott Fleminghas

been named executive

dean for research,

knowledge exchange

and external engage-

ment at Bishop

Grosseteste University. Professor Flem-

ing is an expert in the sociology of

sport and leisure and is currently

director of research and graduate

studies at Cardiff Metropolitan Uni-

versity.When he joins in April, he will

work to develop the institution’s

research capacity and oversee its Lin-

colnshire Open Research and Innov-

ation Centre. Deputy vice-chancellor

Jayne Mitchell said that Professor

Fleming “shares our ambition to sus-

tain and further develop research,

knowledge exchange and external

engagement” at the institution.

Rachel Dunifon, professor in the

department of policy analysis and

management and senior associate

dean for research and outreach in

Cornell University’s College of Human

Ecology, will become interim dean of

the college on 1 July.

Owen Gowerwill join the UK Council

for Graduate Education as its director

in March. He was previously academic

programmes director at the educa-

tional charity Cumberland Lodge.

Mary Harney, former deputy prime

minister of the Republic of Ireland,

has been appointed chancellor of the

University of Limerick.

ActorMaxine Peakehas been

named honorary professor of

literature and performance at the

University of Manchester.

I subscribed to the notion of
“work hard, play hard” and was
president of my hall of residence,
which led to a wholly memorable
social life.

OIf you were a prospective
university student now facing
£9,000-plus fees, would you go
again or go straight into work?
I was very fortunate in having had
my undergraduate fees paid by the
local authority and received a uni-
versity grant for my PhD at Leeds.
It would be much more challeng-
ing now, but university is unques-
tionably transformative and
I would not hesitate to return.

OWhat advice do you give to your
students?
I always advocate the importance
of thinking critically, observing
carefully and managing time
effectively. Seize every opportunity

• there is something to be learned
  from every situation, good or bad.
  Art and design students should
  locate their practice in context,
  be it cultural, historical, political

Crematoria

remain ‘invisible

buildings’. Yet in

an increasingly

secular society,

they have become

the focus of ritual

and the disposal

and remembrance

of the dead

or social, to better understand

their own work and the role that

it plays in society.

OIf you weren’t an academic,

what do you think you’d be doing?

I dare say I would have been an

architect.

OWhat do you do for fun?

Travel. I am constantly energised

by new places. I enjoy reading a

well-crafted novel and spending

time with my daughters.

OTell us about someone you’ve

always admired.

Andrew Saint, one of this country’s

leading architectural historians.

I have known Andrew for more

than 40 years and have always

admired his intellect, his acuity

and the elegance and insightfulness

of his writing. I always directed

students to his books as models of

masterly analysis and contextual-

isation of buildings. Furthermore,

he is the most generous of academ-

ics and humane of men.

Ellie Bothwell

Appointments