Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Designate) appointed

Professor Lorna Fox O’Mahony has been appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Designate) at Essex and will play a vital role in supporting the Vice-Chancellor in the development of our next Strategic Plan, covering the period from 2019-2025.

A highly respected law academic, Professor Fox O’Mahony, will begin her new role from January 2018. This will allow current Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Jules Pretty to focus on delivery of the existing Strategic Plan before he steps down in August 2019, to be succeeded by Professor Fox O’Mahony.

Executive Dean for the Humanities at Essex since 2013, Professor Fox O’Mahony has been central to driving forward innovation at Essex - most recently developing a new Digital, Creative and Cultural sub-strategy for the University, built on the ideas and expertise of staff, students, stakeholders and the business community.

She has helped develop the equality agenda at Essex through her work as Diversity Champion, and developed important strategic partnerships, including leading new collaborations as Chair of Creative Colchester Board and co-Chair of the South East Creative Economy Network.

Professor Fox O’Mahony served as a member of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 Law sub-panel, and is President-Elect of the Association of Law, Property and Society.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster said: “I am delighted that Professor Fox O’Mahony has been appointed as our next Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Lorna has considerable academic leadership experience in a range of settings, as well as being a world class scholar and very gifted lecturer. She has an inclusive style of leadership, a strategic focus in all that she does and a boundless commitment to delivering transformational change.”

Professor Fox O’Mahony said: “As we start to think about our next Strategic Plan, I am looking forward to talking with members across our community about how we can go forward to build on our achievements, to develop our mission into new areas, and to deepen our existing strengths.”

• Read Professor Fox O’Mahony’s blog

The University’s current Strategic Plan has been underpinned by a commitment to excellence in education and research. The period has seen Essex go from strength to strength - expanding its student numbers in line with our aim of growing by 50% by 2019 and at the same time significantly expanding our academic staff base and investing substantially in its facilities.

In 2014, Essex was ranked 19th for research excellence in the Research Excellence Framework and over the past four years the University has consistently been ranked in the national top 10 for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey. In 2016 it was ranked in the top 30 of The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.