On with the good work!

Professor Guy Poppy, Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton since May 2009, took the opportunity recently to thank his predecessor, Professor David Shepherd, for the hard work he has put in as Head of School over the past few years.

Guy said “As David leaves the School in September to take up a new research post at Bangor University we would like to offer him a huge vote of thanks. During his tenure as Head of School, he has won the confidence of the University and helped to secure the £50 million investment required for the new Institute for Life Sciences. David’s drive and enthusiasm has set the School on the right road towards increasing its standing both in research and education.

“Our burgeoning reputation has allowed us to recruit and retain key academics and maintain a highly qualified body of staff. In research, our School has one of the best overhead recovery rates in the University, and this year we had stiff competition for undergraduate places resulting in our selected candidates having top A level grades.

“Our new building, due to open in Autumn 2010, is already well advanced and it will help bring together biologists, chemists, engineers, mathematicians and clinicians across all the disciplines. As he passes the baton to me I will try to increase the momentum of positive change that David has put in place.

“We all wish him well in his wonderful new position at Bangor University, enhancing their biomedical capabilities by developing a major new laboratory using the drosophila model for medical disease that he refined here. Our loss is their gain, and we are sure he will have a long and successful career in Wales.”