April McMahon, who is currently vice-principal for planning, resources and research policy at the University of Edinburgh, will take over from Noel Lloyd on 1 August.
A Scottish native and Gaelic speaker, Professor McMahon completed her education at Edinburgh, obtaining an MA in English language and linguistics followed by a PhD in English language.
She said she looked forward to working in Wales and within a bilingual environment. “This is a time of challenges and opportunities for universities, and I look forward to working with staff and students to take the university into the next stage of its development,” she said.
After her PhD, Professor McMahon taught linguistics at the University of Cambridge before being appointed professor of English language and linguistics at the University of Sheffield in 2000. In 2005, she returned to Edinburgh as head of the department of linguistics and English language. She took up her current role in September 2009.