New Dean of STEM to join University of Wales

The University of Wales is pleased to welcome Professor Simon Haslett to the appointment of Dean of STEM, which is a new School encompassing technology, environment and health-related areas as its main subjects.

Professor Haslett was previously Director of the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the University of Wales, Newport where he directed institutional pedagogic research. Prior to that, he was Head of the Department of Geography and Assistant Head of the School of Science and the Environment at Bath Spa University.

Throughout his teaching career he has taught on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, having previously taken posts at the University of East Anglia (School of Environmental Sciences) and the University of Durham (Dept. of Geography). He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to undertake research at the Scripps Institution for Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

Climate change, coastal evolution and oceanography, including coastal upwelling, sea-level change, and the impact of high-energy events, such as tsunami and storms, are his main areas of geoscience research. He is also an elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Geological Society of London.

Professor Haslett has received numerous awards and research grants from institutions such as the Linnaean Society and the Natural Environment Research Council, to undertake research into ocean responses to climate change (including sea-level change). Professor Haslett has been very heavily involved in the making of a number of television documentary programmes for the BBC, and contributes to series such as BBC2’s Coasts.

Professor Haslett said:

‘I am very much looking forward to joining the University of Wales and taking on this new and crucial role, at a very exciting and historic time for the institution. My considerable experience in Higher Education will enable me to successfully lead the establishment of the new School of STEM as its first Dean, with a vision to develop an international reputation for excellence in learning and teaching, quality provision, and research and knowledge exchange in the STEM subjects.’

Professor Marc Clement, Vice-Chancellor for the University of Wales added:

‘Professor Simon Haslett is a very welcome addition to the University’s academic staff. The excellent leadership skills, current hands-on teaching experience and executive ability which he brings to this role are ideal for the crucial task of building our new School of STEM and for establishing, in partnership with his fellow Deans, firm foundations for the University’s Faculty.’

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Notes to Editors:

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