Keele University Announces New Vice-Chancellor

Professor Kevin Shakesheff has been announced as the new Vice-Chancellor of Keele University.

Kevin joins Keele from the Open University, where he is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, leading the university’s institutional plans for research, commercial activities, and scholarship.

He will take up the post on September 1st when the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Trevor McMillan OBE, retires after a decade in the role.

Kevin began his career as a pharmacist, completing his undergraduate and PhD degrees at the University of Nottingham, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA.

He rejoined the University of Nottingham as an EPSRC Advanced Fellow in 1997, progressing to become Pro Vice-Chancellor there in 2015, with responsibility for the Faculty of Science and cross-institutional oversight of civic engagement. He joined the Open University in 2021 where his remit includes the university’s Research, Enterprise & Scholarship Unit, the Institute of Educational Technology, and the Business Development Unit.

Kevin was Chair of ONE Nottingham and a founding Director of the Nottingham Festival of Science and Curiosity, an annual event celebrating community engagement with science, technology, engineering and maths. He has also held prestigious industry and national appointments, including Board Chair of the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction (NC3Rs), founder of the regenerative medicine company Locate Bio Ltd, and former Director of the science incubator company, BioCity Ltd.

Speaking about his appointment, Kevin said: “I am delighted to be joining Keele University as the new Vice-Chancellor. Keele has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in both teaching and research which is renowned throughout the academic world and across the region, and I am thrilled at the opportunity to lead this historic institution. With its pioneering work in sustainability, research, and civic engagement, and with gold standard teaching, I’m privileged to be joining Keele and look forward to working with colleagues to drive this excellent university forward.”

Mike Farrar CBE, Keele University’s Pro Chancellor and Chair of Council, added: “We’re thrilled to announce Professor Kevin Shakesheff’s appointment as our new Vice-Chancellor. His strong background as a leader in both research and industry mean he is well-equipped to handle the challenges of leading a forward-thinking, progressive, impactful university like Keele, and I look forward to welcoming him to his new role later this year.”