| University of Ulster
New Vice Chancellor of UU
Professor Gerry McKenna
The distinguished biomedical scientist, Professor Gerry McKenna, has been
appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster – the largest university on the
island of Ireland. He will take up his post in October, on the retirement of Lord Smith of
Clifton, the present Vice-Chancellor.
Professor McKenna, who is 45, was born in Benburb, County Tyrone, and attended St
Patrick’s Academy in Dungannon. He and his wife, Phil, have two sons, and live in
Portrush, County Antrim.
Professor McKenna was himself a student at the University of Ulster, graduating in 1976
with a first class honours degree in Biology. After completing a PhD in Genetics at
Queen’s University Belfast he took up a lecturing post, in Human Genetics and
Biology, at the then New University of Ulster at Coleraine in 1979. He became Senior
Lecturer in 1984, the year the University of Ulster was formed by the merger of The New
University of Ulster with the Ulster Polytechnic, and was appointed to a personal Chair in
1988.
From 1988 Professor McKenna was Head of the Department of Biological and Biomedical
Sciences for six years, during which time the range of courses offered was developed to
include Human Nutrition, Radiation Science and Biotechnology. He took on the role of Dean
of the Faculty of Science from 1994-1997, when he led the research team in Biomedical
Sciences which was awarded the highest possible 5* rating in the UK’s 1996 Research
Assessment Exercise.
It was therefore a logical progression for Professor McKenna to be appointed
Pro-Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for research and technology transfer. In this role
he reviewed the University’s research strategy, looking forward to the next UK
Research Assessment Exercise in 2001, while at the same time placing a renewed emphasis on
technology and knowledge transfer, particularly for the economic, social and cultural
wellbeing of Northern Ireland.
Achievements during Professor McKenna’s period as Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(Research) include the University’s successful bids for
location of sites of the NI Science Park at the Coleraine
and Magee campuses, the successful bid (with QUB) for funding
under the UK "University Challenge" initiative,
attraction of funding for incubator units on campus, and transition
to the second phase of the UK Science Enterprise Challenge
(again with QUB), on which a final decision is expected later
this summer. He also led the establishment of UUTECH, the
University’s technology transfer company (see page
193). Seven new campus companies have been spun out via
UUTECH in the past year.
Professor McKenna’s academic research interests are in DNA repair, mutagenesis and
nucleotide pool balance, areas where he has published over 200 scientific papers,
supervised 25 DPhil theses, and attracted over £6 million in research grants. However
during his career he has developed strong interests in the worlds of politics, industry
and commerce. Indeed the role of Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) has afforded insights into
the range of subject areas in which the University of Ulster conducts research, and has
brought him into contact with opinion formers in a range of fields, including the life and
health sciences, the arts, sport, education, public and social administration, as well as
industry and commerce.
| While Professor McKenna is well known in the academic world in the UK
– he has been appointed the Chair of a Research Assessment Exercise Panel for the
2001 Exercise – he has always devoted attention to North-South affairs. It is
anticipated therefore that collaborative links throughout Ireland, involving the higher
education sector and other major players, will be consolidated and developed during his
Vice-Chancellorship. |
Under his leadership, the University of Ulster recently published
a comprehensive summary of research areas related to the "areas
for co-operation" in the Good Friday Agreement where
there exists, or is potential for, North-South collaboration
( see Booklet on North/South research opportunities
).
In recent years Professor McKenna has lent vocal support to the strategic importance
for the region of investment in R&D funding. In 1996, when government R&D funding
in Northern Ireland was cut, with colleagues from QUB, Professor McKenna campaigned for
its reinstatement. This campaign is likely to continue in the new administrative and
governmental structures in Northern Ireland.
Turning to the role Professor McKenna is to take on from October 1999, the challenge is
significant. The University of Ulster has more than 20,000 students, 3,000 employees and
an annual budget of over £110 million sterling. It operates across four campuses –
two in the greater Belfast area (York Street, Belfast and Jordanstown), one in Coleraine
and one in Derry. Plans are also progressing, with the Belfast Institute of Further and
Higher Education, for the educational village at Springvale in west Belfast.
Professor McKenna will have regard to the University’s performance and reputation
internationally, within the UK, and in an all-Ireland context, as well as in serving the
needs of the community in Northern Ireland. One pressing matter will be to ensure that the
varied work of the University which impacts on wealth creation is structured in a way
which best facilitates the University’s contribution to regional development in
Northern Ireland.
Above all, in the University’s research, teaching and reach-out activities, the
new Vice-Chancellor has indicated that he will continue to base his approach on his
personal philosophy of the importance of quality in higher education – that is,
quality of education, quality of research and technology transfer, quality of the learning
and working environment, and quality of service.
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