Category: Natural Sciences

Extension of term as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences

Professor Richard Craster has accepted an extension to his term as Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences until 31 August 2027.

Reporting to the Provost, Professor Craster is responsible for providing strategic leadership, planning and coordination for the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and for driving continuing excellence in research and education. As Dean, Professor Craster is a member of Imperial’s Council and its University Management Board (UMB).

Professor Craster was both an undergraduate and PhD student of Imperial, and joined Imperial as a staff member in 1998 as a lecturer holding an EPSRC Advanced Fellowship, following a lectureship at the University of Nottingham and Junior Research Fellowship at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge. He was promoted to Professor of Applied Mathematics in 2004 and was Head of the Department of Mathematics from 2011 to 2017. He was the Director of the CNRS-Imperial Abraham de Moivre International Joint Research Unit until 2023 and is Co-Director of the EPSRC-funded UK Acoustics Network. Professor Craster is also a member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering.

Professor Craster’s research interests lie at the intersection of applied mathematics, engineering and physics in particular in metamaterials, guided waves, fluid mechanics and elasticity.

Head of the Department of Physics 

Professor Stefan Soldner-Rembold has accepted the appointment as Head of the Department of Physics for a term of five years, with effect from 1 April 2024. To facilitate a smooth transition, Professor Soldner-Rembold will start shadowing the current Head of Department, Professor Michele Dougherty, who has accepted an extension to her term until 31 December 2024.

Reporting to the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, as Head of the Department, Professor Soldner-Rembold will provide strategic vision, direction and leadership to Physics and ensure that appropriate plans, management, and governance processes, are in place to create an outstanding and effective academic environment for staff and students.

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Head of the Department of Chemistry 

Professor Oscar Ces has accepted an extension to his appointment as Head of the Department of Chemistry until 31 July 2026. Professor Ces is the Hofmann Chair of Chemistry and has been Head of the Department since August 2019.

Professor Ces first joined Imperial in 1997 as a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry. He then held a postdoctoral fellowship and research lectureship in the department before being promoted to Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor between 2010 and 2016.

Professor Ces’ research interests focus on biomembrane engineering, drug-membrane interactions, biomimicry, soft condensed matter, chemical biology, microfluidics, artificial cells, single cell analysis and lipid membrane mechanics.

Vice-Dean (Research), Faculty of Natural Sciences

Professor Ramon Vilar has accepted appointment as Vice-Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Natural Sciences, with effect from 1 October 2023, for a term of five years.  

Reporting to the Dean, in this role Professor Vilar will be a member of the faculty leadership team, and work closely with the Dean and the research strategy team. His responsibilities will include supporting the development of strategic research priorities, raising the quality and impact of the research undertaken across the faculty, and sustaining and diversifying research funding. 

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Head of the Department of Mathematics

Professor Axel Gandy has accepted appointment as Head of the Department of Mathematics with effect from 1 October 2023, for a period of 5 years. To facilitate a smooth transition, Professor Gandy will start shadowing the current Head of Department Professor David van Dyk from 1 October 2022. Professor van Dyk has extended his term as Head of the Department by a year until 30 September 2023.     

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