Professor Brigid Heywood has been announced as the next Vice-Chancellor of UNE.
In announcing the appointment, Chancellor James Harris said “Professor Heywood brings to UNE an impressive academic career spanning several countries. Her experience in university leadership roles at regional and online universities, together with her success in driving academic excellence, research performance and engagement, makes Professor Heywood ideally placed to lead UNE.”
Professor Heywood has held academic leadership positions at Keele University and The Open University in the United Kingdom, Massey University in New Zealand, and most recently as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Tasmania.
Professor Heywood has expressed her excitement over this new role at one of Australia’s leading regional Universities.
“My career to date has been very much focused around developing integrated educational frameworks for regional and rural communities. The role of Vice Chancellor and CEO at UNE presents me with an exciting new opportunity to provide academic leadership to a very special institution with a reputation for educational excellence framed within a strong regional agenda”.
Professor Heywood will commence as Vice-Chancellor in July 2019, and will take over from UNE’s current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Annabelle Duncan, who announced in late 2018 that she would be standing down in 2019.
