The University of Salford has appointed former Shell, Mars and BP marketer Phil Huggon as its new marketing director. Mr Huggon has the brief to raise the university's profile and attract more UK and international students to study or work with Salford. Mr Huggon said: "After a career of marketing oil and pet food, I had a form of midlife crisis at the age of 40 and decided I wanted to do something more worthwhile, and chose to apply my industry marketing and change-management skills to higher education."

A University of Plymouth scientist has secured a European Research Council award to give his research into climate change a global reach. Guillaume Mass¨¦ has won a grant of almost €2 million (?1.6 million). The award will enable the chemistry lecturer to further develop his Arctic research for the next five years, as well as extend the study to the Antarctic.

The Institute of Education, University of London has announced the appointment of Alma Harris as the new pro director (leadership) and chair in educational leadership based in the London Centre for Leadership in Learning. Professor Harris was previously director of the Institute of Education at the University of Warwick.

Anthony Forster has been confirmed as Durham University's new pro vice-chancellor for learning and teaching. He was sponsored by the Army through his undergraduate degree in politics at the University of Hull, then served as an officer for six years before returning to higher education to take a PhD at the University of Oxford in European politics. He has been executive dean of social science and health at Durham since October 2006, following posts at the University of Bristol and King's College London. "The Army was a wonderful experience, but I wanted to stand back and reflect on how the issues fitted together," he said. In his new post at Durham, he is keen to highlight the skills that graduates need for employability apart from academic achievement.

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The University of Exeter has appointed Frances Wall head of the Camborne School of Mines. Professor Wall replaces Robert Pine, who is retiring after six years in the post. She will be the first woman to head the school in its 120-year history. Professor Wall, who is a geologist and expert in carbonatite rocks, joined the Camborne School of Mines in October 2007 after many years at London's Natural History Museum.

Russell Rimmer has become associate dean and head of learning and teaching at the School of Business, Enterprise and Management at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Professor Rimmer, who has taught and researched in mathematics, statistics, economics and management in Australia and the UK, has also been chair of strategic and human resource management at Paisley Business School, University of the West of Scotland. He moved to Scotland in 2000 from Deakin University in Australia.

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The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford has announced that David Ariel has been appointed president of the centre. He succeeds Peter Oppenheimer, who is stepping down after eight years in the role. Dr Ariel has been acting president of Baltimore Hebrew University since 2007. He was previously president of Siegal College of Jewish Studies in Cleveland, Ohio, and before that he taught at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Dr Ariel will take up his position in October.

Viral Acharya, professor of finance at the London Business School, has been awarded a senior Houblon-Norman fellowship by the Bank of England. The award will enable him to spend time at the Bank of England in July and August working on a project entitled "Efficiency of Inter-Bank Liquidity Markets and the Role of Central Banks".

Coventry University has appointed Brian Toft professor of patient safety at its applied research centre in health and lifestyle interventions. Dr Toft currently serves as an independent member of the European Regional Advisory Council to the World Health Organisation on healthcare and patient safety, the UK Intrathecal Chemotherapy Advisory Group and the National Patient Safety Agency's joint working parties with the Royal College of Radiology and Royal College of Anaesthesia.

Fire expert Luke Bisby has been appointed to a new senior research post in the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Fire Safety Engineering. Dr Bisby, previously assistant professor in civil engineering at Queen's University in Canada, becomes the Arup Foundation/Royal Academy of Engineering senior research fellow in structures and fire. He will focus on improving the fire safety of both traditional and new building materials and building repairs, and his research aims to improve collaboration between architects and engineers.

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David Leece has been appointed professor of financial studies in the Centre for Professional Accountancy and Financial Services at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. He was previously head of department in the Cheshire Faculty of Manchester Met. His new post involves developing the centre's research strategy and working with key partners at the Bank of New York and the Institute of Financial Planners.

The Royal Irish Academy, Ireland's academy for the sciences, humanities and social sciences, has appointed five UK academics as members. Robert Elwood, David Hayton and Stephen Royle of Queen's University Belfast have been made members in recognition of their achievements in science, the humanities and social sciences respectively, while Helene McNulty and Robert Welch of the University of Ulster have been singled out for their contributions to science and the humanities.

Steve Trevillion has been appointed dean of the School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies at the University of East London. He joins from the University of Leicester where he was professor of social work and director of the School of Social Work. Professor Trevillion was previously head of social work education at the General Social Care Council, where he took the lead role in developing the postqualifying framework of social work education for England.

Napier University's School of Creative Industries has appointed Alex Gilkison as its new head. Mr Gilkison joins from the University of the West of Scotland where he has been dean of the School of Media, Language and Music since 2003.

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