The Rector and senior team
The Rector is the University’s chief executive and principal academic officer, accountable to Council.
Professor Alison Treadwell
Rector
Professor Treadwell became the University’s thirty-seventh Rector in October 2021. A legal historian, she was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor of a university in the Midlands and taught for twenty years at universities in Scotland and the north of England. Her book Chartered Bodies (Oxenfurt University Press, 2014) is a history of corporations in English law.
Professor Neil Ardern
Pro-Rector (Research)
A physicist, Professor Ardern leads the University’s research strategy and is the Named Person for research integrity. He joined the University in 2004.
Professor Fiona McTaggart
Pro-Rector (Education)
Professor McTaggart is a classicist and leads the University’s teaching and admissions, including the Pontar Access Scheme.
Mrs Gillian Abernethy
University Secretary
Mrs Abernethy is secretary to Council and Senate and is responsible for governance, compliance and the University’s legal affairs.
Mr Colin Silcock
Chief Financial Officer
Mr Silcock joined the University in 2022 from the finance directorate of a group of hospitals.
Dr Hywel Prothero
University Librarian
Dr Prothero is responsible for the University Library and the University Archives, and was formerly Keeper of Printed Books at a national library.
The Chancellor and the Chair of Council
The Chancellor, Dame Patricia Hollins, is the ceremonial head of the University and presides at Congregation. She was installed in 2019. The Chair of Council, Mr Nigel Tordoff, chairs the University’s governing body; he was elected in 2022.
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