The University of Bath has appointed Ron Humphreys the new director of Bath Ventures, the body set up to promote and generate income from the institution's intellectual property. Formerly head of corporate relations at Bath, Mr Humphreys will continue to work with Bath & North East Somerset Council and the regional development agency, as well as preparing the university for its role as the host of athletic training camps in advance of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. He succeeds Malcolm Cross.

Becky Tucker has been made head of the Business School at City College Plymouth, which offers higher education, further education and vocational courses. Her career to date has largely focused on roles in adult education, in particular working with businesses to improve the skills of their staff during the economic downturn.

The University of Huddersfield's deputy vice-chancellor has become the first recipient of its new Doctor of the University honorary award. Mike Page, an expert in physical organic chemistry, has played an influential role in expanding science provision at Huddersfield. He is a member of the university's Innovative Physical Organic Solutions group, which collaborates with industry, and will continue both his research and teaching duties when he retires as deputy vice-chancellor in December.

An author previously shortlisted for the Whitbread Award has been appointed professor of creative writing at the University of Hull. Martin Goodman, whose recent biography of physiologist J.S. Haldane won the British Medical Association Book Award 2008, also takes on the directorship of the Philip Larkin Centre at Hull. Also at Hull, Amy M. Davis has taken on a film studies lectureship in the department of humanities. Previously based at the University of Ulster, Dr Davis' published work includes studies of the history and productions of Walt Disney Studios. She is currently working on a study of the company's theme parks.

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King's College London has recruited three members to its Centre for Cultural, Media and Creative Industries Research. Andy Pratt, former director of the Urban Research Centre and reader in urban cultural economy at the London School of Economics, joins as professor of culture, media and economy; Nick Wilson, previously principal lecturer in strategy, marketing and entrepreneurship at Kingston University, and director of its masters courses in creative economy, has been made senior lecturer in cultural and creative industries; and Rosalind Gill, professor of subjectivity and cultural theory at The Open University, is set to join in January as professor of social and cultural analysis.

A lecturer from the University of Manchester has been appointed to make some "NOISE" about mathematics. John Moriarty, lecturer in probability, has been charged with communicating the importance of the subject to a wider audience in a post created as part of the New Outlooks in Science and Engineering (NOISE) scheme. The project is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to provide early-career researchers with the tools that will help them to communicate their work effectively.

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Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France, has honoured a professor at the University of Oxford for his work on the law and history of Britain and France. Vernon Bogdanor, professor of politics and government at Oxford's department of politics and international relations, will be presented with the Legion of Honour by Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, the French Ambassador to the UK.

A senior BBC executive has been appointed warden of Goldsmiths, University of London. Pat Loughrey, who for the past nine years has been chief of BBC Nations and Regions, takes over from Geoffrey Crossick, becoming the institution's 12th warden. Mr Loughrey started his career as a language teacher and freelance broadcaster before joining BBC Northern Ireland as a radio and then television producer. He is also currently visiting professor at the University of Ulster's School of Media, Film and Journalism.

The principal of the City of Westminster College, Robin Shreeve, has left the institution to take on a new role as chief executive of Skills Australia. In the post, he will advise the Australian Government on current and future workforce needs, drawing on his experience of both the UK and Australian education sectors. He is succeeded at Westminster by Keith Cowell.

Meera Warrier has joined the University of Leicester as research development co-ordinator in its Academic Practice Unit. She will be involved in research, training and evaluation activities at the unit, as well as contributing to the teaching and assessment of its Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice provision. Also at Leicester, Katy Layton-Jones has been recruited as lecturer in the Centre for Urban History. As an adjunct to her academic work, Dr Layton-Jones writes for the BBC's Who Do Think You Are? magazine, which accompanies the popular series that investigates the genealogies of public figures.

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An expert in the psychology of music has been named a visiting research fellow at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. John Sloboda will advise the school on its research strategy and take charge of a number of research projects, including an initiative to help performers better understand their audiences. Professor Sloboda has been a member of the School of Psychology at Keele University since 1974.

Michael Worton, vice-provost (academic and international) at University College London, has been appointed the British Council's adviser for higher education. The role will see him lead work to expand the council's collaborations with the university sector. One of the British Council's main responsibilities is promoting the UK's educational opportunities in the overseas market.

The University of Leeds' Javier Stanziola has been awarded an accolade for a play written in collaboration with students and alumni from the University of Panama. The lecturer in management and cultural industries picked up the Miro Award for Best Play 2008 for his work, Hablemos de lo que no hemos vivido, which deals with issues of domestic and criminal violence. The award is the most prestigious of its kind for playwrights in Latin America, and is funded by the Panamanian Institute of Culture. It will provide Dr Stanziola with funds to publish and put on a first run of the play.