Last Friday, the University Council appointed 14 of the University's finest academics to Personal Chairs in recognition of their exceptional distinction in research and scholarship.

I am delighted to congratulate the new chairs on their fine achievements. They are:

• Professor David Briscoe, Department of Biological Sciences
• Professor William Chen, Department of Mathematics
• Professor Tony Cousins, Department of English
• Professor Robert Dale, Department of Computing
• Professor Ewa Goldys, Department of Physics
• Professor Deb Kane, Department of Physics
• Professor John Lechte, Department of Sociology
• Professor Peter Menzies, Department of Philosophy
• Professor Helena Nevalainen, Department of Biological Sciences
• Professor Alanna Nobbs, Department of Ancient History
• Professor Tony Parker, Department of Electronics
• Professor Pam Peters, Department of Linguistics
• Professor and ARC Professorial Fellow Igor Shparlinski, Department of Computing
• Professor Hatch Stokes, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences