New PVC for Research joins Sussex
The University’s new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) took up his post this week.
Professor Michael Davies
Professor Michael Davies has come from Auckland, where he was Dean of Engineering and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University’s innovation campus, to join Sussex.
Speaking at the time of his appointment in July 2012, Professor Davies said: “I was attracted to the post because, although the University has a richly deserved reputation as an internationally competitive research-intensive university across its disciplines, it has aspirations to continue to grow this renown.
“I will be bringing to Sussex my experience in conducting and managing both fundamental and applied research in the UK and overseas, together with working across traditional disciplinary boundaries and developing research strategies at an institutional level.
“I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues from across all the schools to develop and implement strategies that will make Sussex recognised unequivocally as an internationally leading centre of creative thinking, learning, discovery and innovation.”
Before going to New Zealand in 2007, Professor Davies was Professor of Civil Engineering for ten years at the University of Dundee, where he held posts as Deputy Principal and Dean of Engineering & Physical Sciences.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Michael Farthing, chaired the appointing committee. He said: “Professor Davies has had a distinguished research career, has been successful in attracting large-scale research funding, and has had the leadership experience in Dundee and Auckland to take research at Sussex to the next level.
“His experience in running the innovation and enterprise campus at Auckland will be invaluable as we seek to make our research even more relevant to local, national and international needs in the future.”
Professor Davies’ own research has been in the fields of geotechnical engineering and earth science. He has published some 160 papers in journals and conference proceedings, and edited two conference proceedings and a research monologue.
He has obtained research income from UK research councils (including EPSRC, NERC, MRC and BBSRC), higher education funding councils, the EU, the New Zealand Tertiary Education Commission, current and former government research agencies and industry.