A former senior adviser to the Treasury, Caroline Barr, has been appointed the new head of policy at the Russell Group. As well as having held the post of senior policy adviser, Ms Barr also worked as the deputy director of the science and industry team at the Treasury. She also oversaw the independent review into medical research funding by Sir David Cooksey.

The US-UK Fulbright Commission, which was created by treaty between the US and UK governments after the Second World War, has announced the winners of its Fulbright Awards for the next academic year. The scheme allows students and academics from the two countries to travel across the Atlantic to study, lecture and carry out research. The UK-based recipients of the Distinguished Scholar Awards are: Anna Beer, who will be based at Arizona State University; Sam Edwards, University of Pittsburgh; Philip Jordan, Jackson Laboratory; Michael Shaw, Scripps Institute; Bryan Taylor, Mayo Clinic; and Susan White, Stanford University.

Newman University College, Birmingham has appointed Peter Lutzeier its new principal, following the retirement of Pamela Taylor after 11 years at the institution. Professor Lutzeier's remit will include developing Newman's degree course provision. His career history includes spells at the Free University of Berlin, the University of California, San Diego and the University of Surrey. He joins from the University of Hull, where he is pro vice-chancellor for learning and teaching.

Steve Olivier has taken on the new post of pro vice-chancellor for academic development at the University of Abertay Dundee. Having started his academic career at Rhodes University in South Africa, Professor Olivier went on to hold posts at the University of Cape Town and the University of Zululand. He was previously deputy principal of planning and resources and head of the School of Social and Health Sciences at Abertay Dundee. His new role will include responsibility for quality enhancement, as well as implementing research, teaching and learning plans.

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Dawn Forman is the new director of the Governor Development Programme at the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, which supports senior managers in UK universities and colleges. Professor Forman has worked with a number of universities in consultancy and executive coaching roles, as well as with the National Health Service. She is also a visiting professor at the University of Chichester and adjunct professor at the Auckland University of Technology.

The University of Huddersfield has appointed Peter Slee deputy vice-chancellor. He joins from his current post as deputy vice-chancellor (region and engagement) at Northumbria University, where he has been responsible for expanding the institution's income streams and ensuring that the student experience is of a high standard. Professor Slee, a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, will take up his new post in January 2010 after Mike Page retires.

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A former chief constable of Gwent Police has become a visiting professor at the University of Cumbria. Mike Tonge, who has retired from the police force after a 30-year career, will help to develop the university's Institute of Policing and Criminal Justice. During his time as chief constable, he was the lead official on conflict management at the Association of Chief Police Officers. This role included developing a national strategy for the use of firearms by police, as well as policies on self-defence, arrest and restraint, and public-order policing.

Roddy Williamson has joined the University of the West of Scotland as dean of science and technology. The new role forms part of the institution's plans to add to its academic delivery across all campuses. Professor Williamson was previously director of the University of Plymouth's Marine Institute, and before that was pro vice-chancellor and dean of science at Plymouth. He is the author and co-author of more than 100 refereed research publications.

The deputy vice-chancellor of Roehampton University has had her contribution to academic accounting in the UK recognised. Jane Broadbent, a professor of accounting, was presented with the Distinguished Academic Award by the British Accounting Association. Professor Broadbent won the award for research that focused on accounting issues involving public services providers.

A psychologist from the University of Stirling has been awarded the Joseph Lister Award from the British Science Association. Tracy Alloway, director of the Centre for Memory and Learning in the Lifespan, won the award for her research into working memory, in particular the capacity of children to store and manipulate information for brief periods of time.

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Sylvia Perrins has been named chief executive officer at the National Skills Academy for Financial Services. The organisation, which delivers education and training to the financial services industry, runs national centres of excellence and works with employers to develop skills.

An expert in financial planning, Julie Lord, has been awarded a fellowship in academic enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University's Business School. Ms Lord, who works for the financial services firm Bluefin, will sit on advisory committees that agree course funding and feed into course design at the school. Also at MMU, Lynn Martin has been appointed professor of enterprise and director of the Centre for Enterprise. She joins from Birmingham City University, where she was professor of innovation.

An academic from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been appointed a Leverhulme Trust visiting professor at the Institute of Education, University of London in 2009-10. Caroline Haythornthwaite, professor of community informatics at Illinois, researches e-learning. When she joins the institute's department of learning, curriculum and communication, she will give public lectures and seminars, teach online courses and help to supervise research.

Europe's sole professor of gambling studies, Mark Griffiths, has been granted the US National Council on Problem Gambling Research Award. The award was made for his research into the problems associated with gambling. The Nottingham Trent University professor is known internationally for his work in the field. He becomes the third non-North American to win the prize.

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