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STEPHEN Richardson FIChemE, professor of chemical engineering and principal of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College, London, has been appointed deputy rector of the university.

As Imperial’s deputy rector, Richardson will responsible for its internal academic affairs,  such as setting and implementing research and teaching strategy, as well as deputising for the rector. He will combine the new appointment with his role as engineering principal.

“Imperial is packed with great people all the way through, and I’m looking forward to working with all colleagues to set the College’s priorities for the coming years,” he says. “To serve as deputy rector is a huge honour and I will work very hard to be worthy of it.”

Richardson has been at Imperial College since 1969, initially as a chemical engineering undergraduate and later as a PhD student. He returned to lecture at the university in 1978, was promoted to professor in 1994, and later to head of the department.

The rector of Imperial, Roy Anderson, says: “Stephen is a highly popular senior academic, who has shown great dedication to Imperial throughout the more than 30 years he has worked here. He has been an outstanding leader within his department and the Faculty of Engineering, and I am delighted that the whole College will now benefit from his skills.”

Anderson himself recently announced that he will be standing down as rector at the start of the new year to return to his role as chair of infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial. Keith O’ Nions, currently director of Imperial’s Institute for Security Science and Technology, will serve as acting rector until a new rector is appointed.

The role of deputy rector has been vacant since the departure of Leszek Borysiewicz in 2007. However, Imperial says that Richardson’s appointment was planned and is not connected with Anderson’s departure.