The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has appointed Professor Ian Allison as its new Executive Dean of Engineering and Digital Technology.
The experienced academic joins UCLan from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) where he held the position of the Dean of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences. His role at UCLan will commence on November 1, 2018.
Prior to his role at UWS, the former software engineer and project manager was Head of the School of Computing Science and Digital Media at Robert Gordon University (RGU).
Chair of the Digital Skills Partnership Board, he is also a Board member of the Centre for Engineering Education and Development and is on the Scottish Government’s STEM strategy implementation advisory board.
In his new role at UCLan, Ian will provide strategic direction to the University’s Faculty of Science and Technology, enhancing its academic and professional reputation and strengthening academic provision, supporting the University’s plans for engineering, digital and creative industries.
Commenting on his appointment, Ian said: “I’m delighted to be joining at this exciting time for the University. I look forward to working with colleagues to create a fantastic, distributive learning and innovation environment to fulfil the ambition evident in the new Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC). As someone who is passionate about engaging with practice, I put students and employers at the centre of our approach to learning, skills development, technical innovation and the application of research to enable impact from all we do.”
Dr Lynne Livesey, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at UCLan, said: “Ian’s vast experience combined with his knowledge and insight make him the perfect candidate to take this new role forward and support our strategic aims. His appointment comes at a time of significant investment into our engineering and digital technology offer, with progress being made on our new Engineering Innovation Centre which is on course for completion in January 2019.”
The EIC, an integrated teaching and research space, will deliver a range of key objectives, including ensuring that local skills reflect social and economic needs and increasing the number of females in engineering careers.
Identified as a signature project within Lancashire’s Strategic Economic Plan, the EIC has secured £10.5 million via the Lancashire Enterprise Partnerships’ Growth Deal with the Government. The new facility has also received £5.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £5 million from HEFCE’s STEM Capital Fund.
